The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned BYJU’S CEO Byju Raveendran, asking him to appear in person on December 23 over alleged malpractice of hard selling and mis-selling of its courses for students.
Based on a press report claiming that the BYJU’S sales team was engaging in unethical behaviour to persuade parents to purchase their courses for their kids, the Commission initiated action.
Sales team engaged in unethical behaviour
“The BYJU’S sales team is engaging in dishonest activities to persuade parents to purchase their courses for their kids, according to a news report that the Commission has come across. In the news story, it was also noted that several consumers had complained of being taken advantage of and duped, putting their funds and futures at risk “According to a statement from NCPCR.
According to the statement from the Commission, the news article also claimed that BYJU’S had been aggressively misleading customers into signing loan-based agreements for courses that couldn’t be repaid even if they wanted to.
The story also states that the ed-tech platform has received numerous complaints from parents but has done nothing to address them, according to the child rights commission.
“Under Section 14 of CPCR Act,2005, the Commission has all the powers of a Civil Court trying a suit under the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 and particular, in respect of the following matters- (a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath; (b) discovery and production of any document; (c) receiving evidence on affidavits; (d) requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office; and € issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents,” it said.
The NCPCR asked Raveendran to appear in person along with the details to explain the discrepancies in relation to the said matter.
Raveendran summoned to appear on Dec 23
“The Commission is in observance that indulging into malpractices to lure the parents/children into entering loan-based agreements and then causing exploitation is against the welfare of children and in pursuance of the functions and powers under Section 13 and 14 of CPCR Act, 2005, the Commission requires you to appear in person before it along with the details of all the courses run by BYJU’S for children, the structure of these courses and the fee details, the number of students currently enrolled in each course, the refund policy of BYJU’S, the legal documents regarding the recognition of BYJU’S as a valid ed-tech company and all other relevant documents regarding the claims made in the news report at 1400 hours on 23.12.2022 to explain the discrepancies in relation to the said matter,” it said.
It stated that Raveendran ”would be susceptible to the penalties of the non-attendance as established in Rule 10 and Rule l2 of Order XVI of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908” if he disobeys the order without a valid cause.
