NewzVille Desk
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs. 5 lakh on Drishti IAS for publishing misleading advertisements regarding the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022.
Drishti IAS in its advertisement prominently claimed “216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022” along with names and photographs of successful candidates.
But CCPA’s investigation revealed that out of the 216 candidates claimed by Drishti IAS, as many as 162 candidates (75%) had only taken the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) of the Institute, after independently clearing the Preliminary and Mains stages of UPSC CSE. Only 54 students were enrolled in IGP+ other courses.
The deliberate concealment of important information misled aspirants and parents into believing that Drishti IAS was responsible for their success in all stages of UPSC examination, which is a misleading advertisement under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
It is the second penalty imposed on Drishti IAS for similar conduct. Earlier, in September 2024, the Authority had passed a final order against Drishti IAS for its misleading claim of “150+ selections in UPSC CSE 2021”. Institute submitted the details of 161 candidates against its claim of 150+ selection in UPSC CSE 2021.
So far, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices. Penalties amounting to over ₹ 90.6 lakh have been imposed on 26 coaching institutes, along with directions to discontinue such misleading claims.
