Cl-10-Project (20 marks)
Consumer Rights
1. The consumer in the market place
2. Consumer movement
3. Consumer Right
4. Information about goods and services
5. Where should consumers go to get justice?
6. Learn to become a well informed consumer
7. Taking the Consumer Movement Forward
Consumer Rights
1. The consumer in the market place
Consumers participate in the market when they purchase goods and services that they need. However, rules
and regulations are required for the protection of the consumers in the market place. Individual consumers
often exploited or cheated in a various ways in the market place.
a) Sometimes traders indulge in unfair trade practices such as when shopkeepers weigh less than what they
should
b) When traders add charges that were not mentioned before, or when adulterated/ defective goods are sold.
These happen especially when producers are powerful and goods are produced by large companies.
a) They attract the consumer by false information through advertisement or by other media [Examples].
So, there is a need for rules and regulations to ensure protection for consumers.
2. Consumer movement
The consumer movement arose out of dissatisfaction of the consumers as many unfair practices were being
indulged in by the sellers.
There was no legal system available to consumers to protect them from exploitation in the market place. For a
long time it was presumed that it was the responsibility of consumers to be careful while buying a commodity or
service.
It took many years for organizations in India and around the world, to create awareness amongst people.
In India, the consumers’ movement as a ‘social force’ originated in 1960 with the necessity of protecting and
promoting the interests of consumers against unethical and unfair trade practices.
i) rampant food shortages
ii) hoarding
iii) black marketing
iv) adulteration of food and edible oil
A major step taken in 1986 by the Indian government was the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act,
1986, popularly known as COPRA.
3. Consumer Right
Safety is everyone’s right. [examples]
4. Information about goods and services
a) While buying any commodity, consumers should check the details given on the packing like, ingredients
used, price, batch number, and date of manufacture, expiry date and the address of the manufacturer. It is
because consumers have the right to be informed about the particulars of goods and services that they
purchase.
Consumers can then complain and ask for compensation or replacement if the product proves to be defective
in any manner.
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 functions of government departments,
b) Any consumer who receives a service in whatever capacity, regardless of age gender and nature of service
has the right to choose whether to continue to receive the service. [Examples].
5. Where should consumers go to get justice?
Consumers have the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation.
If any damage is done to a consumer, she has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of
damage. There is a need to provide an easy and effective public system by which this can be done.
The consumer movement in India has led to the formation of various organizations locally know as consumer
forums or consumer protection councils. They guide consumers on how to file cases in the consumer court.
Under COPRA, three tier quasi judicial machinery at the district, state and national levels was set up for
redressal of consumer disputes. The district level court deals with cases involving claims up to
Rs 20 lakhs, the state level courts between Rs 20 lakhs and Rs 1 crore and the national level court deals with
cases involving claims exceeding Rs 1 crore.
Thus the Act has enabled us as consumers to have the right to represent in the consumer courts.
6. Learn to become a well informed consumer
The enactment of COPRA has led to the setting up of separate departments fo Consumer Affairs in central and
state governments [examples ISI, Agmark]
7. Taking the Consumer Movement Forward
India has been observing 24 December 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 countries that have exclusive
courts for consumer redressal.
Today there are more than 700 consumer groups in the country of which only about 20-25are well organized
and recognized for their work.
Critical analysis:
Consumer redressal process is becoming cumbersome, expensive and time consuming. Many a time
consumers are required to engage lawyers.
Consumers’ movements can be effective only with the consumers’ active involvement.
NOTE: Students can add more points relevant to this topic.
Pictures, graphs, news paper cut out are needed.
Leaving Index, Certificates, Acknowledgement and Bibliography the content of the project should be of not
less than 20 pages.
Never write the content of the project by Red pen or any colour glitter pen. It should be blue or black ball point
or gel pen. Heading or subheading can be written with different colour pens. Heading should be in a bigger font
and bold, subheading should be also in a bigger font but smaller than heading and must be underlined.
The whole project must be hand written not typed in computer.
You can take help from Google, Wikipedia, you tube, any journal etc.
