Lok Sabha Question No. 5371 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Misleading Advertisements
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Dr. Anand Kumar

## 5371.  DR. ANAND KUMAR:

(OIH)

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that action was recently taken by the Central Consumer Protection  Authority  against  an  EdTech  company  for  making  unscientific  and  misleading  claims regarding the intellectual development of infants/children even though a large number of consumers had already been attracted by the company before such action;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has assessed that relatively low fines of Rs. 8-15 lakhs are not proving to be effective deterrents for some large commercial entities and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  the  progress  made  so  far  through  the  e-Jagriti  portal  to  alert  consumers  against misleading advertisements; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  determine  penalties  for  companies  making  misleading advertisements in proportion to their revenue or turnover to ensure effective deterrence in such cases and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L.VERMA)

(a)  to  (d)  :  The  Central  Consumer  Protection  Authority  (CCPA)    has  imposed  a  penalty  of  ₹8  lakhs    on Raising  Superstars  Enterprises  Private  Limited  for  misleading  advertisements  and  violation  of  consumer rights pertaining to 'Prodigy Framework Program' wherein claims about 'Crawling at 3 months', 'Walking at 8 months' and 'Using 200 + vocabulary by 18 months' were made.

Under  Section  21  of  the  Act,  CCPA  is  empowered  to  impose  penalties  and  issue  directions  for discontinuation of misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices to an extant of ₹10 lakhs.  For every subsequent contravention the Central Authority is empowered to impose a penalty which may extend to ₹ 50 lakhs . The amount of penalty is determined taking into account the facts and circumstances of each case and in line with the provisions of the Act.

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5371 (OIH)

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS

The  Department  has  been  conducting  country-wide  multimedia  awareness  campaigns  titled  'Jago Grahak  Jago'  under  the  Consumer  Awareness  Scheme.  The  Department  is  adopting  a  multi-channel approach-combining physical outreach, digital initiatives, and social media campaigns-to raise large-scale consumer  awareness  against  misleading  advertisements,  unfair  trade  practices,  dark  patterns,  grievance redressal mechanisms and various other consumer related issues.

To ensure physical outreach to the Consumers, the Department participated in Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 at Prayagraj, and Surajkund Mela 2026 in Haryana. To reach citizens without smartphones or internet access, the Department carried out large-scale IVRS voice call campaigns across the country with a focus on Scheduled caste - dominated areas in 2025 in which 23 Cr calls were made. Similarly, the Department also conducted large-scale SMS campaigns in eleven languages in which 65 Cr. SMSs were sent to 15 Cr. PDS beneficiaries in first phase and 24 Cr. SMSs were sent to consumers in ST dominated areas, in 2 nd phase in 2025. The Department also generated awareness by playing consumer awareness jingles on All India Radio during  ICC  Men's  T20  World  Cup  2026  matches  which  was  broadcasted  Over  24  Rainbows  Stations,  66 Primary Channels & 86 Local Radio Stations of National & Regional channels of AIR.

To strengthen awareness among young and rural consumers, the Department distributed Amar Chitra Katha  comic  books  containing  consumer-rights  stories  through  ERMS  schools.  Digital  copies  of  these comics  were  also  uploaded  on  the  Rashtriya  e-Pustakalaya.  At  the  grassroots  level,  the  Department conducted weekly virtual sessions with Panchayats across various States and Union Territories during the year  2024,  2025  and  2026  wherein  more  than  lakh  number  of  Panchayats  representatives  attended  the sessions. The Department also ran a digital banner advertisement campaign in February 2026 on the IRCTC website and mobile app, generating 78.7 crore impressions during the campaign period.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority continues to actively safeguard consumer interests across sectors,  and  this  action  underscores  its  dedication  to  protecting  families  and  ensuring  fairness  in  the marketplace, especially where the well-being and development of children are concerned.

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