CCPA Imposes ₹7 Lakh Penalty On Vajiram And Ravi IAS Coaching Institute For Allegedly Misleading Advertisements On UPSC Results

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹7 lakh on Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre LLP for publishing advertisements that allegedly misled students about the institute's contribution to the success of candidates in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023.

As per the PIB, the order was passed by the CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, after the authority found that the coaching institute had concealed important information while promoting the achievements of successful UPSC candidates on its website.

According to the authority, the institute prominently highlighted the names, photographs and ranks of successful candidates but did not disclose the specific courses they had enrolled in, creating an impression that they had undergone its full-fledged coaching programmes.

Claims scrutinised by consumer authority

According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release, following the declaration of UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023 results, the institute advertised that "8 Rank Holders in the Top 10 are from Vajiram & Ravi" and that "37 Rank Holders in the Top 50 are from Vajiram & Ravi." It also claimed that more than 30 per cent of officers selected through the UPSC Civil Services Examination every year were its students.

However, the CCPA's investigation found that seven of the eight candidates featured among the top 10 rank holders had only participated in the institute's free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP). Similarly, 29 of the 37 candidates highlighted among the top 50 rank holders had also enrolled only in the interview guidance programme.

The PIB release stated that the authority further examined the institute's claim regarding the proportion of successful UPSC candidates associated with it. According to the findings, a large majority of candidates counted by the institute had participated only in the interview guidance programme. The figures stood at 86.36 per cent in 2021, 78.31 per cent in 2022, 97.56 per cent in 2023 and 71.69 per cent in 2024.

As per the Press Information Bureau, the CCPA noted that these details were not disclosed in the advertisements published on the institute's website.

Interview guidance programme at the Centre of dispute

The consumer watchdog observed that the Interview Guidance Programme begins only after candidates have already cleared the Preliminary and Main examinations, two stages that require extensive preparation and are independently cleared by aspirants.

According to the order, by showcasing such candidates alongside advertisements for paid coaching programmes without clarifying the nature of their enrolment, the institute created a misleading impression regarding its role in their success.

The authority held that prospective students were denied crucial information that could have helped them make informed decisions while selecting coaching services. It concluded that the advertisements amounted to "misleading advertisements" under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, particularly due to the deliberate concealment of material facts.

Over 60 notices issued to Coaching institutes

The CCPA said the action forms part of its wider effort to bring greater transparency to the coaching sector and protect students from deceptive promotional practices.

So far, the authority has issued more than 60 notices to coaching institutes across the country for alleged misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices. It has imposed penalties exceeding ₹1.46 crore on institutes offering preparation for examinations such as UPSC Civil Services, IIT-JEE, NEET, RBI and other competitive tests.

The latest order reinforces the regulator's position that coaching institutes must clearly disclose the nature of courses attended by successful candidates instead of presenting achievements in a manner that could influence students through incomplete or selective information.

Published on: Saturday, May 30, 2026, 05:01 PM IST