CCPA issues notice to 20 IAS coachings; slaps penalty on 8 of them

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued 20 notices to IAS coaching institutes for misleading ads and imposed penalties on eight.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, "The CCPA has issued 20 notices to IAS coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and imposed penalties on 8 such IAS coaching institutes".

The Department of Consumer Affairs is continuously working for consumer protection and empowerment by enacting progressive legislation, he added.

To modernise the framework governing consumer protection in the new era of globalisation, technologies, e-commerce markets etc, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, was repealed, and the Consumer Protection Act 2019 was enacted.

Under the new Act, the CCPA has been established to regulate matters relating to the violation of the rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements, which are prejudicial to the interests of the public and consumers as a class.

The CCPA has notified the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, on June 9, 2022.

These guidelines provide for (a) conditions for an advertisement to be non-misleading and valid; (b) certain stipulations in respect of bait advertisements and free claim advertisements; and (c) duties of the manufacturer, service provider, advertiser and advertising agency.

The CCPA also issued 'Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023' on November 30, 2023, for the prevention and regulation of dark patterns, listing 13 specified dark patterns.

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