CCPA fines Vajirao and Reddy Rs 15 lakh for ‘misleading’ UPSC 2023 result claims

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 15 lakh on Delhi-based coaching institute Vajirao and Reddy Institute for publishing what it called misleading advertisements linked to the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023 results.

The authority said the institute claimed credit for a large number of successful candidates, including those who had enrolled only for mock interview sessions.

According to the CCPA, soon after results were declared on April 16, 2024, the institute’s official website stated it had delivered “over 645 selections out of 1,016 vacancies”, including “6 in Top 10 AIR” and “35 in Top 50 AIR”.

The claims were displayed alongside promotions for the institute’s regular courses, which, the authority said, could create the impression that the candidates were trained by the institute through all three stages of the exam: Preliminary, Mains and Interview.

On examining enrollment records submitted by the institute, the CCPA said a significant number of candidates had signed up only for the “Interview Guidance Programme” or “Mock Interview”. This indicated that they had already cleared the first two stages before approaching the institute.

The authority also flagged gaps in documentation. It said 431 enrollment forms did not specify the course enrolled in or the date of filling, and that the institute did not provide fee receipts or other supporting documents.

“Non-disclosure of such information creates a misleading impression that the successful candidates were trained by the Institute across all stages of the examination,” the CCPA said in a statement.

The CCPA also noted this was a repeat violation. The institute was earlier penalised Rs 7 lakh for similar issues in advertisements related to UPSC CSE 2022 results. The authority treated the latest case as a subsequent contravention and imposed a higher penalty.

With around 11 lakh candidates applying for civil services every year, the authority said misleading result claims can influence student decisions and lead to financial loss, given the time and money families invest based on advertising.

The CCPA said it has issued 57 notices to coaching institutes across the country over misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, and has imposed penalties totalling over Rs 1.24 crore on 29 institutes.