The Central Consumer Protection Authority today issued guideline that all coaching institutes must disclose relevant information regarding their students and courses to prevent parents and candidates from being mislead. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare issued a set of guidelines in New Delhi against the misleading advertisement used by various coaching institutes. These include prominently displaying any disclaimer and clarification regarding its functioning and obtaining consent from successful candidates for using their personal details, only after their selection. As per the guidelines, the institutes must also accurately declare their services, facilities and infrastructure. The Secretary mentioned that the coaching institutes must have a pro-active consumer grievance redressal mechanism. She highlighted that so far over one crore rupees have been refunded by the institutes after intervention from the National Consumer Helpline from September last year to August this year. 

The Secretary further warned against advertising false and unverified claims, guarantees and success rate. The guidelines also mentioned clear definitions of Coaching, Coaching Center and Endorser. The Secretary highlighted that these guidelines will bring transparency and truthfulness to inform the consumer better.