NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at curbing misleading advertising by coaching institutes, the government on Wednesday introduced new guidelines to tackle exaggerated claims about student success rates in competitive exams. The new rules prohibit coaching centers from promoting unrealistic promises, such as “100% selection,” in an effort to attract new batches of students.
Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, citing an analysis by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), revealed concerning patterns in the advertising practices of several coaching institutes. For instance, 11 coaching centers claimed that 3,636 students had cleared the 2022 UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE), while the official UPSC results showed only 993 recommended candidates. In the 2023 CSE, nine coaching institutes made similar inflated claims, stating that 3,636 of their students had succeeded, while the UPSC’s official list contained only 1,016 names.
The CCPA also found that some institutes were misleadingly using photos of the same successful candidate in multiple advertisements and misrepresenting the courses these candidates had joined, including the duration of their programs.
Khare emphasized that the government’s objective is not to stifle advertising by coaching institutes but to ensure that their promotional content is accurate, transparent, and fair to consumers. “We have seen coaching institutes deliberately withholding information from prospective students. Therefore, these new guidelines are meant to guide both the coaching industry and consumers,” Khare, who also serves as the chief commissioner of CCPA, told reporters.
The CCPA has already issued 45 notices and imposed penalties totaling approximately Rs 54.6 lakh on 18 coaching institutes for misleading advertisements. Non-compliance with the new guidelines could lead to penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh for a first offence and up to Rs 50 lakh for subsequent violations. Additionally, the CCPA has the authority to order the withdrawal of deceptive ads and ban their publication for 1 to 3 years.
Key Provisions of the New Guidelines:
- Disclosure Requirements: Any coaching institute with more than 50 students must comply with the guidelines, which include disclosing the rank secured by students, the course’s name and duration, and whether the course is paid or free.
- Transparency in Advertising: Institutes must accurately represent the services, facilities, resources, and infrastructure they offer.
- Consent for Photographs: Coaching centers must obtain the consent of selected minor candidates before using their photographs or testimonials in advertisements.
Khare also warned that government employees who consent to have their photos or testimonials used for advertising purposes in exchange for monetary compensation could risk violating service rules. The Consumer Affairs Department has already written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to address this concern.
With these new guidelines, the government aims to promote fairness and transparency in the coaching industry, ensuring that students make well-informed decisions based on accurate information.
