Visakhapatnam: ASCI drive against false ads by schools, colleges

Visakhapatnam: Advertisement watchdog Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has taken into consideration many complaints against advertisements by institutes this year that claim 100 per cent placement record. These institutions claim to be top in their respective field. When ASCI authorities approached the institutions and centres, many of them could not prove their claim through documents and figures.

In its reports published this year, the ASCI reported looking into complaints against KL University and Chalapathi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sri Chaitanya IIT Academy, Ratnam Coaching Centre, Vijay Krishna College of Nursing located in Andhra Pradesh, saying that they could not substantiate their claims. Educationists opined that parents are attracted by the placement and success ratio of the institutions.

Reputed coaching centres claiming that their students have secured top ranks and display their photographs and scores prominently in the adverts, according to the council. The Chief Justice of India Justice T.S. Thakur had also expressed concern at a recent convocation ceremony held by Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University in the city, wondering how the parents could accept the placement record before joining the institution.

When a higher-up from the KL University was contacted on a complaint, he did not wish to comment on it. An e-mail query sent to the Registrar of the varsity went unanswered. Most of the complaints received by the ASCI were from educational and health care industry.