The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹5 lakh penalty on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt Ltd) for publishing misleading advertisements about the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 results.

The institute had claimed “216+ selections” in its advertisement, featuring names and photographs of successful candidates. However, an investigation revealed that 162 of these students—nearly three-fourths—had only joined the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) after clearing both the Preliminary and Mains exams independently. Only 54 had enrolled in the IGP alongside other paid courses.

The CCPA ruled that by failing to disclose this crucial distinction, Drishti IAS misled aspirants and parents into believing the institute was responsible for success across all stages of the fiercely competitive UPSC exam. Such concealment, it said, amounted to misleading advertising under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

This is not the first instance of Drishti IAS being pulled up. In September 2024, the CCPA had already fined the institute ₹3 lakh for a similar claim of “150+ selections” in the 2021 exam—where the majority of students cited were also associated only with its interview programme. Despite prior penalties and warnings, the watchdog noted, the institute repeated the practice, showing “repeated non-compliance and disregard” for consumer protection norms.

The ministry further observed that such exaggerated claims distort the choices of prospective students and parents by creating “false expectations,” violating their right to informed decision-making under Section 2(9) of the Act.

So far, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to coaching institutes for misleading advertisements, imposing penalties exceeding ₹90.6 lakh on 26 institutes. It has also directed them to withdraw or correct deceptive claims.

The authority stressed that coaching centres must ensure accuracy and transparency in their advertisements, warning that failure to do so not only undermines consumer rights but also risks damaging trust in the education sector itself.