Overview

• Investigators found that 162 of the 216 candidates cited had only taken the institute’s free Interview Guidance Programme after clearing Prelims and Mains on their own.
• Only 54 candidates were enrolled in the interview programme along with other paid courses offered by the institute.
• The authority held that concealing course type and duration constituted a misleading advertisement under Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act and undermined informed choice under Section 2(9).
• This action follows a Rs 3 lakh penalty in September 2024 for a similar “150+ selections in UPSC CSE 2021” claim, marking a repeat violation.
• In broader enforcement, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to coaching centres and imposed over Rs 90.6 lakh in penalties on 26 institutes with orders to discontinue such claims.