'No 100% selection promise in ads by coaching centres'

ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, FIERCE COMPETITION AMONG STUDENTS AND EXAGGERATED ASSURANCES OF SUCCESS OFTEN DRIVE ASPIRANTS TO SUICIDE

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The statutory Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Tuesday published a set of draft guidelines for commercial coaching institutes, making it an offence to make any type of guaranteed claims, such as selection to prelims or assured ranks and scores, among other rules, related to advertisements.

Fierce competition to secure an engineering or a medical seat and exaggerated assurances of success often drive aspirants to suicide, a key reason why the government is seeking to tighten regulations.

The CCPA held consultations with representatives of major coaching institutes of the country to apprise them of the draft guidelines as "we want it to be a participatory and democratic process", an official said, wishing anonymity.

Coaching institutes are an enormous business in the country, which offer scores of courses for virtually every competitive examination, including entrance tests for government services, bank jobs, law, engineering and medical colleges, the coveted Indian Administrative Service and even school board exams.