IAS coaching institutes are fooling you with misleading 'success rates', finds a probe

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

malpractice among IAS coaching institutes in India. As per a TOI report, these institutes have been found to inflate their "success rates" in the UPSC examination by featuring students who only participated in mock interviews at their centers, rather than completing the full course. The CCPA's investigation revealed that a staggering number of coaching institutes made exaggerated claims.

While only 933 candidates were selected in the UPSC 2022, advertisements from just 10 coaching institutes boasted that over 3,500 of their «alumni» were selected.

In response to this breach of ethics, the CCPA has issued notices to 17 major IAS coaching institutes for publishing "misleading advertisements." Additionally, the authority has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on three other institutes. These institutes, well-known in the sector, have come under scrutiny. Two of them have challenged the CCPA's actions.

The consumer watchdog has highlighted the impact of these misleading ads on aspiring candidates' decision-making. It has demanded that the institutes substantiate their claims and provide «honest disclosure» about the courses or subjects for which successful students received coaching.

Nidhi Khare, the Chief Commissioner of CCPA, emphasized the importance of transparency. She stated, «We are not against advertisements by institutes, but they must disclose all details honestly.

Proper disclosures will result in less deception.» Over the past one-and-a-half years, the CCPA has issued notices to coaching institutes, seeking details of their claims. Most of the institutes responded by stating that the successful candidates featured in their ads had only participated in mock interviews and interview guidance programs. The CCPA