**Executive Summary**
On May 30, 2026, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a ₹7,00,000 penalty on Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre LLP for publishing misleading advertisements regarding UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023 results. The institute was found to have deliberately concealed material information about the specific courses taken by successful candidates, particularly the use of free, short-term interview programs. This enforcement action aims to protect consumer rights and ensure transparency in the coaching industry.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Regulatory Violations**
* **Legal Contravention:** The CCPA found the institute in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, specifically regarding misleading advertisements and the concealment of material information.
* **Misleading Conduct:** Under Section 2(28)(iv), the institute’s failure to disclose course details deprived consumers of the ability to make informed choices.
* **Violation of Rights:** The conduct breached Section 2(9) of the Act, which guarantees consumers the right to be informed.
**Specific Misleading Claims vs. Findings**
* **Top 10 Rankings:** The institute claimed 8 out of the top 10 rankers were their students; however, investigation revealed 7 of those 8 had only enrolled in the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP).
* **Top 50 Rankings:** While the institute claimed 37 rankers in the top 50, 29 of those candidates had only attended the free IGP.
* **Annual Success Rates:** The institute claimed that over 30% of selected officers annually are their students. CCPA findings showed that for 2023, 97.56% of those successful candidates were enrolled only in the IGP, a program joined only after candidates independently cleared the Preliminary and Mains stages.
**Broader Enforcement Actions**
* **Industry Scrutiny:** The CCPA has issued more than 60 notices to various coaching institutes for unfair trade practices.
* **Cumulative Penalties:** Over ₹1.46 crore in penalties have been imposed on institutes coaching for competitive exams including UPSC, IIT-JEE, NEET, and RBI.
**Impact Analysis**
**Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre LLP**
**Impact**
The institute has been penalized ₹7,00,000 for misleading consumers. Its promotional methods were identified as creating a false impression that successful candidates were products of full-length paid coaching programmes rather than short-term interview guidance.
**Action Required**
The institute must pay the imposed penalty and ensure that all future advertisements prominently disclose the specific courses opted for by featured candidates.
**Prospective Students and Consumers**
**Impact**
Consumers are protected by the CCPA’s reiteration of their right to accurate information before choosing coaching services. This order reduces the likelihood of students being misled by "tall claims" regarding successful candidates.
**Action Required**
Students are encouraged to exercise their right to be informed and critically evaluate the specific nature of coaching (e.g., test series versus full classroom programs) provided to successful candidates featured in advertisements.
**Coaching Industry Stakeholders**
**Impact**
The sector is under increased regulatory oversight to ensure transparency. The CCPA has demonstrated a commitment to penalizing institutes that conceal material information regarding candidate achievements.
**Action Required**
Coaching institutes must align their advertising practices with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, by providing clear, non-misleading disclosures about candidate enrollments to avoid legal notices and financial penalties.
Key Entities Referenced
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA): The regulatory body that imposed a ₹7 lakh penalty on a coaching institute for misleading advertisements and concealment of material information.
Consumer Protection Act, 2019: The primary legislation under which the order was passed, specifically citing violations related to misleading advertisements and consumer rights to information.
Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre LLP: The specific coaching institute penalized for making tall claims about UPSC Civil Services Examination results while concealing the nature of courses attended by candidates.
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE): The competitive examination whose results were the subject of the misleading claims and the focus of the regulatory action.
Interview Guidance Programme (IGP): A specific short-duration program used by the institute to claim successful candidates as their own without disclosing the candidates had only enrolled for this free service.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
CCPA Imposes ₹7 Lakh Penalty for Misleading
Claims Relating to UPSC Civil Services
Examination Results
Institute concealed material information about nature of
courses attended by successful candidates
CCPA reiterates that consumers have the right to accurate
information before choosing coaching services
Posted On: 30 MAY 2026 1:24PM by PIB Delhi
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has passed a final order against Vajiram and Ravi
IAS Study Centre LLP, imposing a penalty of ₹7,00,000 for indulging in misleading advertisement
through deliberate concealment of material information, in violation of the Consumer Protection Act,
2019. The decision was taken to protect and promote the rights of consumers as a class and to ensure that
no false or misleading advertisement is made in respect of any goods or services in contravention of the
provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), headed by Chief Commissioner, Smt. Nidhi Khare,
and Commissioner, Shri Anupam Mishra, passed the Order against Vajiram and Ravi IAS Study Centre
LLP after observing that the coaching institute made tall claims and prominently used the names,
photographs, and achievements of successful candidates of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE)
2023 while concealing important information regarding the specific courses opted for by such candidates.
The following claims were published on the institute's official website (www.vajiramandravi.com)
following declaration of the UPSC CSE 2023:
i. "8 Rank Holders in the Top 10 are from Vajiram & Ravi"
ii. "37 Rank Holders in the Top 50 are from Vajiram & Ravi."
iii. "Fact: Every year, more than 30% of the officers selected through UPSC Civil Services
Examination are students of Vajiram & Ravi."
CCPA after detailed investigation observed the following:
Sl. Institute’s claim CCPA findings
No.
1. “8 Rank Holders in the Top 10 are from 7 out of 8 candidates had enrolled only in the
Vajiram & Ravi” free Interview Guidance Programme.2. “37 Rank Holders in the Top 50” 29 out of 37 candidates had enrolled only in the
free Interview Guidance Programme.
3. "Fact: Every year, more than 30% of the i. In 2021- 86.36% of successful candidates
officers selected through UPSC Civil enrolled in Interview Guidance
Services Examination are students of Programme.
Vajiram & Ravi." ii. In 2022- 78.31% of successful candidates
enrolled in Interview Guidance
Programme.
iii. In 2023- 97.56% of successful candidates
enrolled in Interview Guidance
Programme.
iv. In 2024- 71.69% of successful candidates
enrolled in Interview Guidance
Programme.
The abovementioned important information was not disclosed on the institute's official website in any of
these years.
The CCPA also noted that the IGP is a programme that commences only after a candidate has
independently cleared both the Preliminary and Mains stages of the UPSC CSE two highly rigorous
competitive stages at which the institute had no academic contribution. By prominently featuring such
candidates alongside advertisements for comprehensive paid coaching programmes, without any
disclosure of the specific course opted for, the institute created a misleading impression that these
candidates were products of its full-length coaching programmes.
The CCPA observed that non-disclosure of the specific courses opted for by successful candidates
including whether such candidates attended full-length classroom programmes, optional subject coaching,
test series, or a free interview guidance programme of short duration amounts to misleading advertisement
under the Act, as it deprives prospective consumers of the ability to make an informed choice. The CCPA
held that the impugned advertisements fall squarely within the definition of "misleading advertisement"
under Section 2(28) (iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which prohibits deliberate concealment of
important information. The conduct was further found to be in violation of Section 2(9) of the Act, which
confers upon consumers the right to be informed.
So far, the CCPA has issued more than 60 notices to coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and
unfair trade practices in order to safeguard the interests of students and to ensure transparency in the
coaching sector. The CCPA has imposed penalties amounting to over ₹1.46 crore on coaching institutes
offering coaching for examinations such as UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), IIT-JEE, NEET,
RBI, and other competitive examinations.
(Final Orders can be accessed via the following link: https://jagograhakjago.gov.in/CCPA_Orders/index.ht
ml).
***
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