The CCPA has fined coaching institute Vajiram & Ravi Rs. 7 lakh for publishing misleading UPSC 2023 result advertisements and concealing critical course enrollment data.
Imphal, May 30: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs. 7,000,000 on Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre LLP for publishing misleading advertisements on its official website regarding the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023 results. The regulatory body found that the prominent coaching institute deliberately concealed crucial information about the specific courses taken by successful candidates, thereby creating a false impression among prospective aspirants.
The order, passed by a bench comprising Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, followed a suo-moto inquiry and a subsequent detailed probe by the Director General (Investigation). The regulatory authority has directed the institute to pay the fine and submit a compliance report within 15 days.
The Scrutiny of Impugned Claims
The scrutiny began after the CCPA flagged three major promotional claims prominently displayed on the institute's website following the declaration of the UPSC CSE 2023 results on April 16, 2024:
"8 Rank Holders in the Top 10 are from Vajiram & Ravi"
"37 Rank Holders in the Top 50 are from Vajiram & Ravi"
"Fact: Every year, more than 30% of the officers selected through UPSC Civil Services Examination are students of Vajiram & Ravi"
The CCPA noted that these claims were placed alongside advertisements for the institute's high-fee, long-term programs, such as its two-year comprehensive foundation courses.
Deliberate Concealment of Course Details
During the investigation, the institute submitted data for 413 successful candidates from the 2023 batch whom it claimed as its students. However, a verification of the enrollment records revealed that 258 of these candidates had only registered for the institute's Interview Guidance Program (IGP).
The investigation report emphasized that the Interview Guidance Program is a short-term module offered entirely free of charge. It comes into play only after an aspirant has independently cleared both the Preliminary and Mains stages of the examination on their own merit.
A specific breakdown of the top ranks revealed a similar pattern. Out of the "8 in the Top 10" claim, seven candidates were enrolled only in the free interview program, one took a Sociology optional course, and another was a test series student. Similarly, for the "37 in the Top 50" claim, 29 candidates had only utilized the free interview module.
The DG (Investigation) further analyzed historical data provided by the institute across four consecutive years. The records showed that the vast majority of successful students attributed to the institute were part of the free interview program, accounting for 86.36% in 2021, 78.31% in 2022, 97.56% in 2023, and 71.69% in 2024.
Website vs. Print Media Disclosures
A critical factor in the CCPA's final decision was the structural difference between the institute's newspaper advertisements and its website disclosures. The investigation established that while Vajiram & Ravi had included course-specific details within its print advertisements in national dailies, it left out those details on its official website.
The authority rejected the institute's defense that this omission was inadvertent. The order noted that online platforms offer unrestricted space and high scalability for detailed disclosures, unlike print media where space is limited. By opting to exclude the specific course designations on its website, the institute was found to have engaged in a calculated effort to lead consumers to believe that the top rankers were products of its full-length paid academic programs.
The ruling carries significant weight for educational consumers across Northeast India. Every year, thousands of civil services aspirants from states like Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Mizoram migrate to coaching hubs like New Delhi or rely heavily on digital learning platforms, investing massive financial resources and years of preparation.
Because regional students depend extensively on official institute websites to research institutional credibility and choose their study programs from a distance, the lack of transparent disclosures directly impacts their decision-making. The CCPA reiterated that the right to be informed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 protects consumers from having their aspirations exploited through partial truths, regardless of how highly educated the target demographic may be.
Institute's Rectification and Mitigating Factors
Defending its stance during the hearings, the counsel for Vajiram & Ravi argued that any candidate availing of any service at any stage is legitimately considered a student. The institute also pointed out that its consumers are highly discerning UPSC aspirants capable of conducting independent research.
The institute raised several mitigating factors, noting that the advertisement was active on the website for only about 40 to 50 days before being modified. Following the initial notice from the CCPA dated May 17, 2024, the institute removed the 30% selection claim and amended its website to display specific course details alongside the toppers' photos. It also argued that enrollment data remained steady and showed no exceptional pecuniary gain from the specific promotion.
While the CCPA acknowledged these proactive amendments, it ruled that partial truthfulness does not absolve a service provider from its consumer obligations. The regulator declared that omitting these material facts during the peak admission cycle of June and July constituted a clear unfair trade practice.
