New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹3 lakh on IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd. (IITPK) for misleading advertisements regarding its IIT-JEE examination results. The action was taken to ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and to prevent coaching institutes from making deceptive claims.
CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, has been actively cracking down on misleading advertisements in the coaching industry. So far, 46 notices have been issued to various coaching institutes, resulting in penalties amounting to ₹77.6 lakh on 24 institutes, along with directives to discontinue false claims.
The investigation revealed that IITPK’s advertisements prominently displayed the titles “IIT Topper” and “NEET Topper” alongside bold rankings such as ‘1’ and ‘2,’ misleading students and parents into believing that the institute had produced national-level top scorers. In reality, these students were merely top performers within the institute. The misleading impression influenced students’ decision-making by falsely portraying IITPK as a consistent producer of top-ranked candidates at the national level.
Additionally, IITPK claimed that it had produced “1384 IIT Ranks in the past 21 years,” suggesting that all these students had secured admission into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). However, upon investigation, CCPA found that the list included students admitted to various other institutions such as IIITs, NITs, BITS, Manipal University, VIT, MIT Pune, and other engineering colleges, not just IITs. The deceptive wording of the advertisement exaggerated the institute’s success rate.
The institute also advertised claims like “Highest success ratio year after year” and “Success Ratio at 61%,” without providing any supporting data or third-party verification. These statements led consumers to believe that 61% of IITPK’s students secured IIT admissions. During hearings, IITPK argued that it had clarified the term “Success Ratio” in webinars and counseling sessions. However, CCPA noted that such explanations were absent from the advertisements, leaving students and parents misinformed.
Finding IITPK guilty of deliberately concealing crucial information, CCPA emphasized the need to protect students from deceptive advertisements and unfair trade practices. The ₹3 lakh penalty serves as a warning to coaching institutes engaging in misleading promotions. CCPA reiterated that students and parents must have access to accurate information to make informed choices when selecting educational programs.
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