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Apex Child Rights Body Summons BYJU's CEO Over Alleged Malpractices Of Selling Its Courses
Writer: Deepthi Rao
She is a postgraduate student pursuing Multimedia Journalism at Christ Deemed to be University. She believes in the power of storytelling and truth. "Do it with passion or not at all."
India, 19 Dec 2022 10:56 AM GMT
Editor : Jayali Wavhal |
She writes about gender issues, human interest, and environment.
Creatives : Jayali Wavhal
She writes about gender issues, human interest, and environment.
The NCPCR requested that Raveendran provide necessary information like details of courses for children, the fee structure, the number of students enrolled in the courses, and the refund policy of BYJU'S after the company was accused of deceiving parents.
Byju Raveendran, the CEO of ed-tech company BYJU's, has been summoned by the apex child rights organisation, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), over claims that the company is indulging in unethical business practices to get parents and kids to purchase their courses. BYJU's is facing various accusations on social media platforms and consumer websites, with users claiming they were abused and duped into jeopardizing their finances and futures.
Why Is BYJU's Being Summoned?
In an official statement, NCPCR said it came across a news article reporting that BYJU'S sales staff is using malpractices to persuade parents to purchase their courses for their kids. It was also noted that several buyers had complained of being taken benefit of and misled, putting their funds and futures at risk, reported The Hindu. NCPCR observed that employing malpractices to influence parents or children into loan-based agreements and later cause exploitation is against the welfare of children and in pursuance of the functions and powers under Sections 13 and 14 of the CPCR Act, 2005.
The NCPCR requested that Raveendran personally attend and provide the necessary information like details of all courses for children, the structure and fee details, the number of students enrolled in the courses, and the refund policy of BYJU'S. It has also requested legal documentation establishing BYJU's recognition as a genuine ed-tech company, as well as all other necessary documents surrounding the assertions made in the aforementioned news item, by 1400 hours on December 23 to clarify the disparities in the case.
If Raveendran disobeyed the order without a valid reason, he would be liable to the consequences of the non-attendance as stipulated "in Rule 10 and Rule l2 of Order XVI of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908," it sad.
Need For EdTech Policy
For teachers and students, tech-supported education has unquestionably shown to be engaging, pleasant, effective, and accessible. The country's education technology (Edtech) market was estimated to be worth over 750 million dollars in 2020, and by 2025, it would grow to around 4 billion dollars, according to a Statista poll.
The government has repeatedly aired concerns about complaints against EdTech companies. The secretary of consumer affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh, convened a meeting in July this year with the self-regulatory body, India Edtech Consortium (IEC), and other industry stakeholders to discuss reducing the rise in fake reviews in the EdTech sector, cautioning them against engaging in unfair business practices, such as false advertising.
A comprehensive framework would safeguard customers from content that presents inaccurate or misleading information. Additionally, it will guarantee consumer safety from monetary crises or subpar services.
Also Read: Technology Is Transforming Education Sector; Know Why India Needs Comprehensive EdTech Policy
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