Centre issues advisory for citizens regarding use of caution against Ed-tech Companies

New Delhi [India], December 23 : With an aim to spread awareness among citizens while deciding on opting for online content and coaching being offered by a host of Ed-tech companies, the Central government issued an advisory regarding the use of caution on the subject.
It has come to the notice of the Department of School Education and Literacy that some ed-tech companies are luring parents in the garb of offering free services and getting the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) mandate signed or activating the Auto-debit feature, especially targeting the vulnerable families, according to the press release issued by Ministry of Education.
"Avoid Automatic debit option for payment of subscription fee. The citizens should read the terms and conditions before acknowledging the acceptance of learning software/device as your IP address and/or personal data may be tracked," the release said.
In the advisory, it is stated that the citizens should check the detailed background of the ed-tech company that they want to subscribe to.
"The quality of the content should be verified and clarify all the doubts regarding the payment and content before investing any amount for your child's learning in an ed-tech company," the release further read.
It stated that the parents should look for reviews online on the ed-tech company for any registered grievance and marketing gimmicks and also, provide your suggestions and reviews which may be beneficial for others.
Meanwhile, the parents should not blindly trust the advertisements and should not install any mobile ed-tech applications without verifying the authenticity.