By Our Staff
Indian Edtech Consortium (IEC) which has been formed under the aegis of IAMAI has issued a clarification around mis-selling and misleading advertisements by edtech companies. To ensure the protection of consumers’ interests, IEC has created a two-tier grievance redressal mechanism. “So far, 100% of the complaints received by the IEC until June 2022 have been resolved completely while the complaints received in July are going through active screening for faster resolutions,” notes a communique.
Said Dr Aruna Sharma, Ex-Secretary, Government of India & Expert Member, IGRB while adding to the development: “EdTech is well recognised in New Education Policy for not just lifelong learning but also for better and repeat learning. IEC as an SRO has also commissioned an Independent Grievance Redressal Board (IGRB) that constitutes Retd. Supreme Court Judge, industry veterans and leaders to adhere to the internal Code of Conduct. This vigilance will enable the dynamic Edtech sector to address the rising challenges, and propel a stronger ecosystem in the coming times. These steps will ensure confidence among users by having a strong grievance redressal ecosystem.”
Adds the communique: “The recent Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) data which shows that 33% of complaints are filed against the Education sector, at large. However, it also confirms that only 6% of the total complaints received are against the Edtech companies while the remaining 94% are filed against the traditional education system. This, in turn, makes the total count sub 2% for the edtech sector.”
Added Mayank Kumar, Chair at IEC and also the Co-founder and MD at UpGrad: “As industry leaders, we take the responsibility very seriously as we understand both the long-term impact and implications, our actions could create on the lives of millions. Edtech as a strong community has been far more prompt than our traditional counterpart in managing consumer complaints and grievances.”