New Delhi: After the Center took serious note of the wrong sale of courses to parents by edtech firms including BYJU and its group companies, self-regulatory organization India Edtech Consortium (IEC) on Saturday said it will protect consumer interests. 100% complaints received till June.
According to sources, the consumer affairs ministry pulled up edtech firms during a meeting with them and the IEC, and aggressive misselling of courses to parents was a major concern. (Also read: PM Kisan 12th installment may be released in the beneficiary’s accounts on September 1, see the latest update here)
The IEC, which comes under the aegis of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and has put in place a two-tier grievance redressal mechanism, said it has resolved all complaints received by June 2022, with complaints received in July being activated. Is being investigated. for faster resolution. (Also read: HDFC Bank Q1 net profit jumps 21% to Rs 9,579 crore)
“The edtech sector is highly dynamic in nature and hence, to address the growing challenges, what IEC is doing actively will certainly foster a stronger ecosystem in times to come,” said retired SC judge and Independent Grievance. The Chairman of the Board of Redressal (IGRB) said. Dr BS Chauhan
The IEC also stated that each member company has internally appointed a dedicated Grievance Officer who will resolve and assess the issue and offer remedial action accordingly.
IEC-member companies are also registering with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) to streamline the resolution process.
Mayank Kumar, Upgrade Co-Founder and MD & President, IEC, said, “EdTech as a strong community has been far more responsible and prompt in handling consumer complaints and complaints than our traditional counterpart.”
Recent reports state that according to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) data, 33 per cent of complaints are filed against the education sector.
However, the ASCI official statement also said that as per IEC, 6 per cent of the total complaints received are against edtech companies, while the remaining 94 per cent are filed against the traditional education system.
Earlier this month, the Center warned edtech companies against unfair trade practices.
In a meeting with the IEC, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said that if self-regulation does not curb unfair trade practices, stringent guidelines will be framed to ensure transparency.
The meeting was attended by representatives of IAMAI as well as IEC member companies including Upgrade, Byju’s, Unacademy, Vedantu, Great Learning, WhiteHat Junior and Sunstone.
The IEC comprises edtech startups and represents 95 per cent of the Indian learner community. During the meeting, issues related to unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements for the Indian edtech sector were raised prominently.