Several coaching centres that train students for engineering and medical entrance exams have received notifications from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for making misleading promises and engaging in unfair trade practices.
Following the recent announcement of exam results for IIT-JEE (Indian Institutes of Technology - Joint Entrance Exam) and NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test), the CCPA discovered that these coaching centres are not adhering to norms intended to avoid deceptive advertisements.
This behaviour promotes their services by engaging in fraudulent or unfair activities within the coaching industry, The New Indian Express reports.
These coaching institutes' advertising breached the act's provisions, including Sections 2(28) and 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 and the Guidelines for Preventing Misleading Advertisement in the Coaching Sector of 2024.
Given the act's and guidelines' violations, the CCPA recently issued notices to a few coaching institutes that made exaggerated claims, such as assured placement or selection and assurance of rank in JEE or NEET.
It also identified unfair trade practices such as failure to supply promised services, cancellation of entrance but no price return, service deficiencies, and non/partial reimbursement of costs.
The CCPA has recommended coaching centres to rigorously follow the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 and the Guidelines for the Prevention of Misleading Advertisements in the Coaching Sector, 2024.
Over the last three years, the CCPA has taken action against coaching centres for deceptive ads, unfair trade practices, and infringement of consumer rights to defend consumer rights and establish transparency in the coaching industry.
