Coaching Centre Fined Rs 3 Lakh For Misleading Claims On IIT JEE Results

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The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has fined IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd. (IITPK) Rs 3 lakh for making false claims about IIT-JEE exam results. This action was taken to prevent misleading advertisements that go against the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. So far, CCPA has sent 46 notices to various coaching institutes for similar misleading ads. It has also fined 24 institutes a total of ₹77.6 lakh and ordered them to stop such advertisements.

The CCPA, led by Chief Commissioner Smt. Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Shri Anupam Mishra, issued this order against IITPK due to their violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Misleading claims of rankings

The advertisement failed to clarify that not all 1,384 students were admitted to IITs. By using the term "IIT Ranks," the institute misled the public into thinking that these students had exclusively secured admission to IITs, thus exaggerating its success rate. Upon investigation, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) found that the list shared by the institute included students who were admitted to various institutions, such as IITs, IIITs, NITs, BITS, Manipal University, VIT Vellore, PICT Pune, MIT Pune, VIT Pune, and other educational institutions.

The institute made bold claims in its advertisements, including “Highest success ratio year after year,” “Best success ratio for 21 years,” and “Success Ratio at 61%.” During hearings, the institute argued that the term “Success Ratio” was explained during webinars and individual counseling sessions. However, the main platform for these claims was the advertisements, which did not provide such clarification. 

The CCPA determined that the institute intentionally withheld crucial information that could have helped students make an informed decision when selecting a course or coaching platform. As a result, the CCPA decided to impose a penalty to protect impressionable students and tackle false or misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.