BASIC TERMConsumers : Any person who buys a commodity or service for use, is known as consumer.Consumer’s Rights : Consumer has six rights. These are :a) Right to safety b) Right to be informedc) Right to choosed) Right to be hearde) Right to seek redressalf) Right to consumer education

Consumer Exploitation : Consumer exploitation is a situation in which a producer or a trader, delivers much less than what they had initially promised to the consumer.

Consumer Movement : Consumer movement is a growing realization that the interests of consumers need to be protected against unscrupulous sellers.

Consumer Protection : Consumer protection are all those measures that protect the rights of the consumers.

Consumer Protection Act : This Act was passed in 1986. This Act provides for the establishment of Consumer Disputes Redressal Agencies at District, State and National Level.

AGMARK : AGMARK is a seal of government that guarantees the quality of few selected agricultural products. It is implemented under Agriculture Product Act, 1937, which was amended in 1986. Its products like honey, masalas, spices, etc.

BIS : BIS stands for Bureau of Indian Standard. This protects the consumers from lack of quality and varying standard of industrial and consumer goods. On the other hand, AGMARK is meant only for agricultural products.

Codex Alimentarius Commission : It develops food standards, guidelines and codes of practices for production and international trade in food products.

THE CONSUMER IN THE MARKETPLACE• Consumers participate in the marketplace by using a particular

product. Had there been no consumer no company would exist. The status of consumer is more or less pathetic as far as consumer rights are concerned. You can take examples of shopkeepers weighing less than he should, company’ making false claims on packs. Then there are local sweetmeat sellers adulterating raw materials to produce the laddoos or barfis. You can recall the case of dropsy because of adulterated mustard oil. No matter how bad quality you get, chances are you will get a rude response from the shopkeeper if you dare to complain.

• If you have traveled by railways then you can recall the horrible taste of almost all foodstuffs being sold in trains and on platforms. Even the food supplied by the rail pantry is of horrible quality.

CONSUMER MOVEMENT• India has long tradition of food adulteration, black

marketing, hoarding, underweighing, etc. It was from the 1960s that the consumer movement began in India. Till the 1970s, consumer movement was mainly restricted to writing articles and holding exhibitions. But there has been an upsurge in the number of consumer groups in recent times.

• The level of dissatisfaction with the sellers and service providers was such an extent that the consumers had no choice but to raise their voice. After many years of organized struggle, the government was forced to take notice and finally the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) was enacted in 1986.

SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RIGHT

Reji’s suffering shows how a hospital, due to negligence by the doctors and staff in giving anesthesia, crippled a student for life.

• Right to Be Informed : A consumer has the right to have correct information about a product. There are rules which make it mandatory to mention ingredients and safety features on the pack of a product. Proper information helps a consumer to make informed buying decision. A pack of a product also needs to mention the MRP (Maximum Retail Price) and a consumer can complain if the seller asks for more than the MRP.

• In recent times, the right to information has been expanded to cover various services provided by the Government. In October 2005, the Government of India enacted a law, popularly known as RTI (Right to Information) Act, which ensures its citizens all the information about the functions of government departments. The effect of the RTI Act can be understood from the following case.

Information about goods and services

Right to Choose: A consumer has the right to choose from different options. A seller cannot just offer to sell only one brand to the consumer. The seller has to offer various options to the consumer. This right is usually enforced through laws against monopoly trade.

When choice is denied

Where should consumers goto get justice?

Right to Seek Redressal: If a consumer gets affected by false promises made by the producer or suffers because of manufacturing defect; he has the right to seek redressal. Suppose you took a mobile connection and the bill shows many hidden charges which were not explained to you earlier. Or the mobile company activated a ringtone without your permission. Then you can go to the consumer court to put your case.

Let us take the case of Prakash. He had sent a money-order to his village for his daughter’s marriage. The money did not reach his daughter at the time when she needed it nor did it reach months later. Prakash filed a case in a district level consumer court in New Delhi. All the steps he undertook are illustrated below.

CONSUMER FORUM• The consumer movement in India has led to the

formation of various organisations locally known as consumer forums or consumer protection councils. They guide consumers on how to file cases in the consumer court. On many occasions, they also represent individual consumers in the consumer courts. These voluntary organisations also receive financial support from the government for creating awareness among the people.

• If you are living in a residential colony, you might have noticed name boards of Resident Welfare Associations. If there is any unfair trade practice meted out to their members they take up the case on their behalf.

• Consumer Courts: This is a three-tier quasi-judicial system. The district level court deals with cases involving claims upto Rs. 20 lakh. The state level court deals with cases between Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 1 crore. The national level court dealt with cases which involve claims exceeding Rs. 1 crore.

• If a case is dismissed in district level court, the consumer can also appeal in state and then in National level courts.

• District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF)• State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC)• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

(NCDRC)• The choice of court will depend on the amount of

transaction and relief you seek and the location where the cause of action arises.

National Consumers’ Day 24th December is celebrated as the National

Consumers’ Day. It was on this day that the Indian Parliament enacted the Consumer Protection Act in 1986. India is one of the few countries that have exclusive courts for consumer redressal. The consumer movement in India has made significant progress in recent times. At present, there are more than 700 consumer groups. Out of them, about 20 25 are well organized and are recognized for their work.

CONSUMER DUTIES :-Make sure that your consumer rights are respected.- Complain if you are not satisfied with products and services even if you are not personally affected.- Demand a refund or replacement for inferior products and services even if the money involved is small.- Read all documents carefully before signing and make sure that you understand the contents.- Be informed in the language you understand.

DONE BY, KOMAL.G.GOWDA

THANK YOU