No Tall Claims: CCPA warns JEE, NEET coaching centres over misleading ads, issues notices

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has pulled up several coaching centres for flouting advertising norms and engaging in unfair trade practices, particularly those institutes that help students prepare for joint entrance examination (JEE) for undergraduate engineering programs and national eligibility cum entrance test (NEET) for undergraduate medical courses.

Several prominent institutes have been found misusing student success stories after the recent declaration of entrance exam results, making exaggerated or unverifiable claims to attract new enrolments, the Union consumer affairs ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

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The CCPA has issued notices to coaching institutes over claims related to guaranteed admissions and assured ranks in competitive exams like JEE and NEET, it said.

The CCPA has, however, not revealed the names of the coaching centres that have been put under notice.

These notices pertain to alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Act and its associated guidelines, particularly over misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, and denial of consumer rights.

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The institutes have been pulled up for making unsubstantiated promises of top ranks, offering assured selections, and failing to deliver promised services. Complaints also include cases where admissions were cancelled without refunding fees, services were deficient or only partially provided, and refund policies were either not honoured or only partially enforced.

The consumer protection watchdog has stressed the need for strict adherence to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and the Guidelines for the Prevention of Misleading Advertisements in the Coaching Sector, 2024.

The guidelines, notified in November 2024, explicitly prohibit such practices and call for full disclosure of student credentials, course types and payment status, along with a clear disclaimer in equal font size.

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“Advertisements must be clear, honest and not conceal crucial information from prospective students and their families,” said a senior consumer affairs ministry official familiar with the development.

“Claims of guaranteed results or selective display of toppers without complete disclosure are both misleading and unethical,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.

This is not the first time CCPA has acted against such practices. Over the past three years, the authority has issued 49 notices and imposed penalties amounting to ₹77.60 lakh on 24 coaching institutes across India. Coaching centres offering preparation not only for engineering and medical entrance exams but also for civil services and banking exams such as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) have come under the scanner.

With the coaching industry catering to millions of aspirants and raking in significant revenues, the CCPA’s move is seen as an important step to bring about greater transparency in the sector. Parents and students often rely on coaching advertisements while making enrolment decisions, and misleading claims can distort that judgment, sometimes with lasting consequences.

As pressure mounts on institutes to comply, the CCPA has reiterated that any breach of advertising norms or consumer rights will invite strict penalties. The authority is expected to monitor the upcoming admission cycle more closely to prevent recurrence of such violations.