Vision IAS penalty: CCPA fines ed-tech firm ₹11 lakh for misleading ads about student performance in UPSC exams

Vision IAS penalty: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹11 lakh fine on the ed-tech company Vision IAS for misleading advertisements about its students' performance in the UPSC exams, reported news agency PTI on 25 December 2025.

The authority found that the civil services exam coaching institute reportedly concealed information about which courses the successful candidates had actually enrolled in, creating a false impression that exam toppers had taken its expensive foundation courses.

According to the news report, Vision IAS's penalty is the first case where the authority has imposed a fine for a repeat offence under the consumer protection laws of India.

“This is the first case of penalty on the second offence,” CCPA Chief Commissioner and Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told the news agency. “Despite regulatory intervention and caution, the institute continued to make similar claims in its subsequent advertisements, demonstrating a lack of due diligence and regulatory compliance.”

What did the ad claim?

Vision IAS or AjayVision Education Pvt Ltd advertised that its students were in “7 in Top 10 & 79 in Top 100 selections in CSE 2023” and “39 in Top 50 selections in CSE 2022.”

The agency report also highlighted that the coaching institute featured photographs, names and ranks of successful candidates.

What did CCPA probe reveal?

CCPA's investigation revealed that out of the institute's more than 119 successful candidates, which Vision IAS claimed for the UPSC CSE 2022 and 2023, only three have enrolled in their foundation courses, which cost lakhs of rupees.

The news report citing the investigation revealed that only 116 students had opted for services such as test series for preliminary and mains examinations, one-time Abhyaas tests, and mock interview programmes.

CCPA also noted that while Shubham Kumar, who was AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2020, enrolled as a classroom student in the GS Foundation Batch rather than the flagship courses, the company concealed similar information about other candidates as well, creating the wrong impression.

“In view of the recurring nature of the violation, the present instance was treated as a subsequent contravention, warranting the imposition of a higher penalty in the interest of protecting consumers,” CCPA said in its official statement cited in the agency report.

So far, the authority has issued 57 notices to various coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, which amount to ₹1.09 crore in penalties imposed on 28 institutes.

CCPA emphasised that all coaching institutes are mandated to ensure truthful and transparent disclosure of information in their advertisements, so that students can make fair and informed decisions.