In re matter of Misleading advertisement by Narayana Educational Institutions (CCPA Delhi)
CCPA Imposes ₹8 Lakh Penalty for Concealing Course Details in JEE Rank Advertisements; CCPA Holds Illegible Disclaimers and Hidden Course Details Make JEE Advertisement Misleading; CCPA Finds JEE Success Advertisement Misleading for Failing to Distinguish Classroom and DLP Students.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) initiated suo motu proceedings against Narayana Educational Institutions regarding alleged misleading advertisements published on its official website, Facebook page, and in The Times of India dated 10 June 2024. The advertisements attributed AIR 1 and AIR 11 in JEE Advanced 2024 to the same student, Matcha Balaaditya, and prominently displayed the names and photographs of successful candidates without specifying the courses they had attended.
The CCPA conducted a preliminary inquiry under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It observed that the advertisements prominently showcased successful JEE Advanced candidates while simultaneously promoting various programmes offered by the institution, including two-year integrated classroom programmes, IIT-JEE programmes, NEET repeater programmes, and foundation courses. The Authority noted that it is empowered to regulate misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, and violations of consumer rights, including the consumer’s right to receive transparent and accurate information. It also referred to the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, which require advertisements to contain truthful, substantiated claims.
