Overview
- India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority issued final orders penalising both institutes for misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices and violations under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
- The regulator acted on representations from successful UPSC candidates who said their names and photographs were used without consent, including Mini Shukla (AIR 96, 2021) and Natasha Goyal (AIR 175, 2022).
- Investigators found Dikshant IAS promoted “200+ results in UPSC CSE 2021” but produced only 116 enrolment forms and concealed that many featured candidates engaged only at the interview stage, with no evidence of a joint programme with Chahal Academy.
- Abhimanu IAS claims such as “2200+ selections since inception” and “10+ selections in IAS Top 10” were unsubstantiated, and of 139 results showcased in 2023 the CCPA found 88 candidates cleared prelims and mains without the institute’s assistance.
- The authority, led by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, directed withdrawal of misleading claims and reported a broader drive with 57 notices issued and more than Rs 98.6 lakh in penalties on 27 coaching centres, urging toppers to report misuse of their identities.