CCPA fines three coaching institutes for misleading UPSC exam claims

New Delhi, Dec 26 The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed penalties totalling ₹15 lakh on three coaching institutes for making misleading Vajirao & Reddy Institute and StudyIQ IAS were each fined ₹700,000, while Edge IAS was penalised ₹100,000 for deceptive claims regarding their results in the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examinations of 2022 and 2023, an official statement said. The CCPA, led by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare, found that the institutes deliberately concealed that most of their successful candidates had only enrolled in Interview Guidance Programs, creating a misleading impression about the effectiveness of their other courses. StudyIQ IAS was also unable to substantiate its "Success Pakka Offer" and "Selection Pakka Offer" promotions, failing to provide enrolment forms and fee receipts for its claimed successful candidates. The consumer protection body has issued 45 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and has collected total penalties of ₹71.6 lakh from 22 institutes to date.