THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Oct 3: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has once again penalised Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt. Ltd.), this time slapping a fine of ₹5 lakh for issuing misleading advertisements about its role in the success of UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 candidates.
This is the second such penalty against the institute for similar practices.
CCPA’s probe found that Drishti IAS had claimed “216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022,” showcasing names and photographs of successful candidates.
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However, the authority concluded that the institute deliberately withheld crucial details about the nature and duration of courses availed by these candidates.
According to the investigation, of the 216 students highlighted in the advertisement, nearly 75% (162 candidates) had only participated in the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) offered by Drishti IAS, after independently clearing both the Preliminary and Mains stages. Only 54 aspirants were actually enrolled in the IGP+ or other paid courses.
By projecting all 216 selections as its own, the institute misled aspirants and their families into believing it had been instrumental in guiding candidates through all stages of the exam.
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CCPA held this concealment of information to be a violation under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
