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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on November 06, 2024
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The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken action against Shankar IAS Academy for issuing misleading advertisements related to the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022. The CCPA, led by Chief Commissioner Smt. Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Shri Anupam Mishra, imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on the academy for these deceptive advertisements.
This decision aims to protect and promote consumer rights, ensuring that no false or misleading advertisements are made about goods or services, as per the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Under Section 18 of this Act, the CCPA is empowered to prevent misleading advertisements that violate the Act's provisions.
Shankar IAS Academy made several claims in its advertisements for the UPSC Civil Service exam 2022, including:
- “336 selections out of 933 at All India Level”
- “40 candidates in Top 100”
- “42 candidates have cleared from Tamil Nadu, of which 37 studied at Shankar IAS Academy”
- “Best IAS Academy in India”
The CCPA found that the academy did not disclose crucial information about the courses taken by these successful candidates, leading consumers to believe that all successful candidates had enrolled in the paid courses advertised by the academy. This practice misled consumers into purchasing these paid courses.
In its response, Shankar IAS Academy provided details for only 333 successful candidates, despite claiming 336 selections in UPSC CSE 2022. Of these claimed students, 221 participated in a Free Interview Guidance Programme, 71 took the Mains Test Series, 35 opted for the Prelims Test Series, 12 were enrolled in the General Studies Prelims cum Mains, and 4 took the Prelims Test Series along with another Mains course. This information was not disclosed in their advertisement, thereby misleading consumers, especially UPSC aspirants, about the academy's role in these candidates' success.
Additionally, the CCPA discovered that in 18 instances, candidates purchased Preliminary courses from Shankar IAS Academy with a receipt date of October 9, 2022, while the UPSC CSE 2022 Preliminary exam was already conducted on June 5, 2022, with results declared on June 22, 2022. This indicated that these candidates bought the course for the next UPSC CSE Preliminary exam in 2023. Despite this, Shankar IAS Academy included these candidates in their total selections for UPSC CSE 2022, further misleading consumers