IITPK fined Rs 3 lakh for misleading IIT-JEE result claims, CCPA cracks down on false advertisements

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a Rs 3 lakh penalty on IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd. (IITPK) for advertising misleading claims about the results of the IIT-JEE examination. The decision was taken to protect consumers from false and misleading advertisements, as per the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The CCPA has been actively addressing deceptive advertising in the coaching industry, having already issued 46 notices to various institutes for misleading claims. In total, the CCPA has imposed fines amounting to Rs 77.6 lakh on 24 coaching institutes, directing them to cease false advertisements.

IITPK was found to be in violation for its advertisements that falsely presented students as national toppers. The ads prominently displayed titles like “IIT Topper” and “NEET Topper” next to candidate names and images, accompanied by the numbers ‘1’ and ‘2’ creating the illusion that these students had achieved top All India Ranks in the respective exams. However, the CCPA found that these students were only toppers within the institute and not at the national level.

Additionally, the institute falsely claimed “1384 IIT Ranks in the past 21 years,” misleading viewers into believing that these students were exclusively admitted to IITs. The list, however, included students who were admitted to a variety of institutions like IITs, NITs, IIITs, and private universities, not just IITs.

The institute also made unsubstantiated claims of having the “Highest success ratio year after year” and a “Success Ratio at 61%.” These statements were presented without any supporting data or context, misleading potential students and their families into believing that 61% of the institute’s students gained admission to IITs. The institute failed to clarify these claims in its advertisements, only providing explanations during webinars and one-on-one sessions, which were not part of the advertisements themselves.

In light of these violations, the CCPA emphasized the need for transparency and honesty in advertisements, especially when targeting impressionable students. This penalty against IITPK is part of the CCPA’s ongoing efforts to curb misleading advertising and protect consumers from unfair trade practices.