New Delhi, Nov 1 (NationPress) The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has levied a fine of Rs 8 lakh each on Dikshant IAS and Abhimanu IAS for their involvement in misleading advertisements, engaging in unfair trade practices, and infringing upon consumer rights as per the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

To date, the CCPA has sent out 57 notices to various coaching institutes regarding misleading advertisements and unfair practices. A total of fines exceeding Rs 98.6 lakh have been imposed on 27 coaching institutes, along with orders to cease such misleading claims.

The CCPA acted upon complaints from successful UPSC candidates whose names and images were utilized without their permission in advertisements that falsely attributed success to the institutes.

In light of the violations of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the CCPA, under the leadership of Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, issued final orders against both Dikshant IAS and Abhimanu IAS.

According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, “The decision aims to safeguard and promote consumer rights and ensure that no deceptive or misleading advertisements are made regarding any goods or services, which would contravene the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.”

In the instance of Dikshant IAS, the CCPA received a complaint from Mini Shukla (AIR 96, UPSC CSE 2021), asserting that her name and image were used in the institute’s promotional material without her consent.

She clarified that she had no association with Dikshant IAS and had only participated in a mock interview at Chahal Academy, which she later discovered was co-hosted with Dikshant IAS.

The CCPA highlighted that Dikshant IAS published ads claiming “200+ Results in UPSC CSE 2021”, featuring the names and images of successful candidates without revealing the specific courses they undertook. The institute failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate this claim despite multiple chances.

Dikshant IAS contended that students attended its Interview Guidance Programme (IGP), which was jointly conducted with Chahal Academy.

However, the Authority found that the institute could only produce 116 enrolment forms against its assertion of “200+ results”.

Moreover, it failed to present any agreement with Chahal Academy or proof that students were informed about the joint nature of the program.

In the case of Abhimanu IAS, a complaint from Ms. Natasha Goyal (AIR 175, UPSC CSE 2022) revealed that the institute falsely claimed her as a student and used her name and image without authorization.

Evidence indicated that the institute had shared a question bank with her based on her Detailed Application Form (DAF) for a mock interview that never occurred.

Despite this, the institute misused her name and photograph without consent, a practice deemed deceptive and unfair by the CCPA, constituting an unfair contractual condition under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Upon review, the CCPA found that Abhimanu IAS also published misleading claims such as “2200+ Selections since Inception”, “10+ Selections in IAS Top 10”, and “1st Rank in HCS/PCS/HAS”. The advertisements prominently showcased images and names of successful candidates from various examinations in 2023, including the UPSC Civil Services Examination, Haryana Civil Services (HCS), RBI Grade-B, and NABARD Grade-A, while omitting crucial information about the specific courses undertaken by these candidates.

The CCPA’s investigation found that the institute provided details of 139 claimed selections across various examinations in 2023, out of which 88 students cleared the Prelims and Mains stages without any help from Abhimanu IAS.

The assertion of “2200+ Selections since Inception” was also found to lack support, as the institute failed to provide any evidence to back it.