The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Sunday imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study. CCPA has imposed this fine on Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study for publishing misleading advertisements. Along with the fine, CCPA has also directed the institute to stop misleading advertisements with immediate effect.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution, the official website of Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study has given the details of the successful candidates as well as advertised the variety of courses offered by them. However, information regarding the course opted by the said successful candidates in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023 was not disclosed in the above advertisement.
The statement further said that Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study has claimed in its advertisement that there are 13 students in the top 100, 28 students in the top 200 and 39 students in the top 300 in UPSC CSE 2023.
The government alleged that the coaching institutes used the words ‘Shubhra Ranjan IAS’ and ‘Student of Shubhra Ranjan IAS’ in their advertisements and letterheads, thereby falsely implying that Shubhra Ranjan is or was an IAS officer. This misrepresentation constitutes an unfair trade practice, which misleads the public and prospective students into believing that the services of the institute are directly linked to the credibility of an IAS officer.