Trouble For Shankar IAS Academy As Consumer Body Imposes Rs 5 Lakh Fine For ‘Misleading’ Ads

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Sunday said that it has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Shankar IAS Academy for misleading advertisements. 

“The decision was taken to protect & promote the rights of consumers as a class and ensure that no false or misleading advertisement is made of any goods or services which contravenes the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019,” an official release issued by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said. 

CCPA Refuted Following "claims" Made By Shankar IAS Academy 

• 336 selections out of 933 at All India Level”
• 40 candidates in Top 100”
• 42 candidates have cleared from Tamil Nadu, of which 37 studied at Shankar IAS Academy”
• Best IAS Academy in India”

“The CCPA found out that Shankar IAS Academy advertised various types of courses but the information with respect to the course opted by the advertised successful candidates in above mentioned UPSC Civil Service exams results was deliberately concealed in the advertisement. This has the effect of consumers falsely believing that all the successful candidates so claimed by the Institute had opted for the paid courses advertised by the Institute on its website. In other words, this practice consequently attracts consumers into buying paid courses advertised by the coaching institutes,” an official statement said. 

The CCPA observed that same successful candidates were claimed by several coaching institutes without disclosing the courses opted by such candidates & length of the course so attended to mislead prospective aspirants (consumers).