Govt Issues New Guidelines to Curb Misleading Claims by Coaching Centres

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In a bid to protect students from deceptive marketing practices, the Centre on Wednesday introduced new guidelines aimed at curbing misleading advertisements by coaching institutes. These guidelines, drafted by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), are designed to prevent coaching centres from making false claims about their courses, selection rates, and job guarantees.

As per the new regulations, coaching centres are now prohibited from promoting unrealistic assertions such as “100% selection rates” or “guaranteed job security” to attract potential students. The guidelines come in response to a significant rise in complaints to the National Consumer Helpline, where students and their families reported being misled by such false promises.

“We have seen coaching centres deliberately concealing information from prospective students. Therefore, we have come out with these guidelines to guide people involved in the coaching industry,” Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told reporters. The guidelines are aimed at ensuring transparency and fairness in advertisements to enable students to make informed decisions.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry has already started acting on the issue. Since the announcement of the guidelines, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to coaching centres and imposed penalties amounting to approximately ₹54.60 lakh for violations.

Nidhi Khare emphasized that the guidelines were not intended to target coaching centres but to ensure that advertisements align with consumer rights. “The aim is to ensure that aspirants are not misled and can trust the information they receive about these coaching institutes,” she said.

Key Provisions of the New Guidelines:

  1. Misleading Claims: Coaching centres are prohibited from making deceptive claims regarding:
    • Courses offered
    • Duration of courses
    • Faculty qualifications
    • Fee structures
    • Refund policies
    • Selection rates
    • Job guarantees
  2. Scope of ‘Coaching’: The guidelines define “coaching” broadly to include academic support, education, guidance, study programs, and tuition, while explicitly excluding counselling, sports, and creative activities.

The move is seen as a significant step towards ensuring fairness in the coaching industry, which has grown rapidly in recent years. These guidelines aim to ensure that coaching centres maintain transparency, providing students with accurate and honest information.

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