Guidelines to Curb Misleading Advertising by Coaching Centres

On 13th November 2024, the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry issued new guidelines aimed at curbing deceptive advertising practices by coaching institutes.

These guidelines are designed to protect students from misleading claims related to course offerings, faculty qualifications, duration, fees, refund policies, and success rates.

Key Points

Prohibition of False Claims: Coaching centres are now prohibited from making false claims about guaranteed admissions, high exam scores, and assured job placements.
Endorsements by Serving Officers: The Ministry has cautioned serving civil servants against endorsing coaching institutes or their courses, noting that such endorsements may lead to action based on civil services conduct rules.
Endorsements are allowed only before joining government service, and civil servants must avoid entering into commercial agreements once they are in service.
Penalty and Enforcement: The Ministry has already issued notices to 45 coaching centres and imposed penalties amounting to Rs 54.6 lakh on 18 institutes for misleading advertisements.
Student Consent for Testimonials: The guidelines stipulate that coaching centres must obtain written consent from students before using their names, photos, or testimonials in advertisements.
Furthermore, any advertisement must clearly display relevant course details, the student’s rank, and whether the student paid for the course.
Clear and Transparent Advertisements: The guidelines stress that any disclaimers in ads must be in the same font size as other important details, ensuring consumers are not misled by fine print.