Parliament Question: Misleading Advertisements

ORIGINAL IN HINDI Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5371 (OIH) TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026 MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS 5371. DR. ANAND KUMAR: (OIH) Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that action was recently taken by the Central Consumer Protection Authority against an EdTech company for making unscientific and misleading claims regarding the intellectual development of infants/children even though a large number of consumers had already been attracted by the company before such action; (b) if so, whether the Government has assessed that relatively low fines of Rs. 8-15 lakhs are not proving to be effective deterrents for some large commercial entities and if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of the progress made so far through the e-Jagriti portal to alert consumers against misleading advertisements; and (d) whether the Government proposes to determine penalties for companies making misleading advertisements in proportion to their revenue or turnover to ensure effective deterrence in such cases and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L.VERMA) (a) to (d) : The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹8 lakhs on Raising Superstars Enterprises Private Limited for misleading advertisements and violation of consumer rights pertaining to “Prodigy Framework Program” wherein claims about “Crawling at 3 months”, “Walking at 8 months” and “Using 200 + vocabulary by 18 months” were made. Under Section 21 of the Act, CCPA is empowered to impose penalties and issue directions for discontinuation of misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices to an extant of ₹10 lakhs. For every subsequent contravention the Central Authority is empowered to impose a penalty which may extend to ₹ 50 lakhs . The amount of penalty is determined taking into account the facts and circumstances of each case and in line with the provisions of the Act.The Department has been conducting country-wide multimedia awareness campaigns titled “Jago Grahak Jago” under the Consumer Awareness Scheme. The Department is adopting a multi-channel approach—combining physical outreach, digital initiatives, and social media campaigns—to raise large-scale consumer awareness against misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, dark patterns, grievance redressal mechanisms and various other consumer related issues. To ensure physical outreach to the Consumers, the Department participated in Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 at Prayagraj, and Surajkund Mela 2026 in Haryana. To reach citizens without smartphones or internet access, the Department carried out large-scale IVRS voice call campaigns across the country with a focus on Scheduled caste - dominated areas in 2025 in which 23 Cr calls were made. Similarly, the Department also conducted large-scale SMS campaigns in eleven languages in which 65 Cr. SMSs were sent to 15 Cr. PDS beneficiaries in first phase and 24 Cr. SMSs were sent to consumers in ST dominated areas, in 2nd phase in 2025. The Department also generated awareness by playing consumer awareness jingles on All India Radio during ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 matches which was broadcasted Over 24 Rainbows Stations, 66 Primary Channels & 86 Local Radio Stations of National & Regional channels of AIR. To strengthen awareness among young and rural consumers, the Department distributed Amar Chitra Katha comic books containing consumer-rights stories through ERMS schools. Digital copies of these comics were also uploaded on the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya. At the grassroots level, the Department conducted weekly virtual sessions with Panchayats across various States and Union Territories during the year 2024, 2025 and 2026 wherein more than lakh number of Panchayats representatives attended the sessions. The Department also ran a digital banner advertisement campaign in February 2026 on the IRCTC website and mobile app, generating 78.7 crore impressions during the campaign period. The Central Consumer Protection Authority continues to actively safeguard consumer interests across sectors, and this action underscores its dedication to protecting families and ensuring fairness in the marketplace, especially where the well-being and development of children are concerned. *****