Consumer Rights Project Table of contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Introduction Consumer Rights Exploitation in the Marketplace Consumer Protection Measures in India Role of the Government Consumer Movement Other Organizations Protect Your Rights Conclusion Introduction We participate in the market both as producers and consumers. As producers we could be working in any of the sectors such as agriculture, industry, or services. Consumers participate in the market when they purchase goods and services that they need. Just as there are rules and regulations for the protection of rights of workers, rules and regulations are in place to protect the buyers from unfair practices in the marketplace. These are called consumer rights. This project will be discussing in detail the ‘Consumer Rights’ that are in place in the country. Consumer Rights The definition of Consumer Rights is – ‘The right to have information about the quality, potency, quantity, purity, price and standard of goods or services’. The consumer is to be protected against any unfair practices of trade. It is essential for the consumers to know these rights. In general, the consumer rights in India are: RIGHT TO SAFETY: The right to be protected from all kinds of hazardous goods and services. RIGHT TO INFORMATION: The right to be fully informed about the performance and quality of all goods and services. RIGHT TO CHOOSE: The right to free choice of goods and services. RIGHT TO BE HEARD: The right to be heard in all decisionmaking processes related to consumer interests. RIGHT TO REDRESSAL: The right to seek redressal whenever consumer rights have been infringed. RIGHT TO CONSUMER EDUCATION: The right to complete consumer education. Exploitation in the Marketplace Exploitation in the marketplace happens in various ways. For example, sometimes traders indulge in unfair trade practices such as when shopkeepers sell items weighing less than what they should or when traders add charges that were not mentioned before, or when adulterated/defective goods are sold, etc. Hence, there is a need for rules and regulations to ensure protection for consumers. Consumer Protection Measures in India Consumer Protection Measures have been initiated all over India. The measures are in the form of Acts that are reformed and restructured from time to time. 1. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 a. This Act protects the rights of the consumers and makes them aware of their rights as a consumer. There are threetier redressal forums to protect the rights of the consumer. 2. Indian Contract Act, 1972 a. The Indian Contract Act lays down the conditions that need to be fulfilled by the parties who contract in an agreement. b. This act regulates the buyers by keeping a legal check on their promise to sell authentic products to the seller. c. This Act protects the interests of both parties. It takes care that the contract is not breached, else respective remuneration has to be paid for such breach. 3. The Sales of Goods Act, 1930 a. This protects the rights of the consumers in case the products received by them are sub-standard. 4. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 a. The act confirms the purity of the food items and thereby ensures the health of the consumers. 5. The Trade Marks Act, 1999 a. This Act protects the consumers from false marks which could mislead them to consume the product, and thus cheat on them by serving less qualified products. Role of the Government The government introduced bills that enforce consumer rights which in turn provide a mechanism for addressing the complaints regarding defective goods and services. There are consumer dispute redressal forums in the district, national and state levels that help the consumers in solving their grievances. The bill has been initiated to establish the Consumer Protection Authority who investigates consumer complaints. The bill of the government classifies the type of contract unfairness so that they can be addressed accurately. Consumer Movement People were dissatisfied with the rampant production malpractices. There were no existing rules or regulations that penalized such behavior among the public. The consumer was responsible for making a thoughtful purchase, and they avoided buying from sellers/goods with whom they had a terrible experience. Consumer movements started due to widespread dissatisfaction with such practices. The consumer movement as a "social force" in India arose from the need to safeguard and promote consumers' interests against unethical and unfair trade practices. As a result of all these efforts, the Indian government took a huge step forward in 1986. It is responsible for enforcing the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, also known as COPRA. Consumers International In 1985 United Nations adopted the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection. This helped nations adopt measures to protect consumers and for consumer advocacy groups to press their governments to do so. This provided the cornerstone for consumer activism at the global level. Other Organizations In India, there are also many Consumer Organizations working for the protection of customers from abuse by manufacturers or service providers. A few examples of such organizations are: 1. Voluntary Organization in Interest of Consumer Education(VOICE) 2. Consumer Care Society 3. Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat 4. Consortium of South India Consumer Organizations (COSICO) 5. Consumer Awareness, Protection and Education Council (Cape Council), etc. Moreover, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, has also started a consumer awareness program called 'Jago Grahak Jago'. Protect Your Rights “How can I protect my rights?” Although various rights and acts have been implemented for the safety of consumers, we must also make a conscious effort to ensure the protection of our rights. The best way to ensure that your consumer rights are not violated is to know your rights, be a cautious purchaser and, to act against businesses and individuals that engage in scams, fraud, identity theft or other unfair practices. Conclusion In conclusion, there is scope for consumers to realize their role and importance. It is often said that consumer movements can be effective only with the consumers’ active involvement. It requires a voluntary effort and struggle involving the participation of one and all.
