CCPA drafts guidelines to curb deceptive coaching ads

Draft guidelines consider false success claims, exaggerated student achievements, and creating undue urgency as "misleading".

As per a report from The Hindu businessline, The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued draft guidelines for curbing misleading coaching sector ads, open for public consultation.

In the draft guidelines, practices like falsely boasting success rates, student achievements, or creating urgency to provoke anxiety are labelled as "misleading".

The draft guidelines also specify that omitting crucial details such as course names and durations chosen by successful candidates in ads is deemed misleading.

“Falsely representing in ads that students’ success is solely attributable to the coaching, without acknowledging the individual efforts of the students,” will also be deemed misleading, requiring coaching institutes to transparently disclose their level of involvement in student success.

The draft defines “coaching” as tuition, instructions or academic support or learning programme or guidance provided by any person.

It also establishes obligations for those involved in coaching. Institutes must reveal the rank attained by successful candidates, the chosen course's name and duration, and whether it was paid or free in advertisements.

They will also be obliged to “put disclaimer/ disclosure/ important information at a prominent and visible place in the advertisement. The font of disclaimer/disclosure/important information in the advertisement must match that used in the claim or advertisement," the draft outlined.

They are also not allowed to use name, photos or testimonials of successful candidates without consent.

Guidelines

The draft guidelines added that coaching institutes must “accurately represent” the facilities, resources, and infrastructure available to students in such advertisements.

It emphasised that coaching institutes must avoid selectively highlighting exceptional cases to create a distorted impression of success, and instead maintain transparency and truthfulness in their advertisements.

“Every person engaged in coaching shall not make false claims which includes 100 per cent selection or 100 per cent job guaranteed or guaranteed preliminary/mains or guaranteed admission to institutions or false testimonials of successful students or fake reviews,” the draft stated. Comments from stakeholders are requested to be submitted by March 16, 2024.