The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a fine of ₹8 lakh each on two prominent civil services coaching institutes — Dikshant IAS and Abhimanu IAS — for engaging in misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, and violations of consumer rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The action follows complaints from successful UPSC candidates who accused the institutes of using their names and photographs without consent to falsely claim credit for their achievements.

This comes close on the heels of similar penalties against other leading institutes — Drishti IAS, fined ₹5 lakh in October, and Vision IAS, which faced a ₹3 lakh penalty earlier this year — as the CCPA intensifies its scrutiny of deceptive advertising in India’s competitive coaching sector.

Dikshant IAS under fire for fake ‘200+ Results’ claim

The CCPA acted on a complaint from Mini Shukla (AIR 96, UPSC 2021), who said Dikshant IAS had misused her image and name in promotional materials without permission. Shukla clarified that she had no formal association with the institute and had merely attended a mock interview jointly conducted with another academy.

Investigations revealed that Dikshant IAS had advertised “200+ Results in UPSC CSE 2021”, using names and photos of several successful candidates without clarifying their actual engagement. Despite multiple chances, the institute failed to produce credible proof backing its claims.

The authority found that these advertisements were deliberately misleading, designed to make aspirants believe the institute played a significant role in candidates’ success — when in reality, its involvement was minimal or nonexistent.

Abhimanu IAS penalised for exaggerating success rates

In another case, Natasha Goyal (AIR 175, UPSC 2022) reported that Abhimanu IAS had falsely portrayed her as a student and used her photograph in advertisements without her consent.

CCPA’s inquiry uncovered inflated claims such as “2200+ Selections since Inception”, “10+ Selections in IAS Top 10”, and even “1st Rank in HCS/PCS/HAS.” These promotional materials featured the names and images of multiple successful candidates across exams like UPSC, HCS, RBI Grade-B, and NABARD Grade-A, but failed to specify their actual association with the institute.

Of the 139 claimed selections, investigations showed that 88 candidates had cleared stages of their exams independently, with Abhimanu IAS’s role limited to mock interviews or study material. The omissions were found to deceive aspirants and distort the institute’s contribution, violating consumer protection norms.

CCPA’s wider crackdown on the coaching industry

So far, the CCPA has issued 57 notices to various coaching centres across the country for deceptive marketing and unfair practices. Cumulative penalties of over ₹98.6 lakh have been imposed on 27 institutes, with explicit directions to cease misleading promotions.

By holding coaching institutes accountable for exaggerated and false claims, the consumer body aims to safeguard aspirants from manipulation in an industry where hope, ambition, and trust are often monetized.