This document discusses consumer rights and protections. It outlines several key consumer rights, including the rights to safety, choice, and redress. It also discusses factors that can lead to consumer exploitation like limited information, supplies and competition. The document then provides an overview of consumer protection laws and mechanisms in place to protect consumers and promote fair business practices. These include laws against anti-competitive behavior and mergers that threaten competition.

2. • A person who has indicated his or her
willingness to obtain goods and/or
services from a supplier with the intention
of paying for them.
• Someone who has purchased goods
and/or services for personal consumption

3. • The RIGHT to satisfaction of basic needs: To
have access to basic essential goods and
services; adequate food, clothing, shelter, health
care, education and sanitation.
• The RIGHT to be informed: To be given the
facts needed to make an informed choice, and
to be protected against dishonest or misleading
advertising and labeling.
• The RIGHT to get truthful and honest
information about the goods and services
which are purchased.

4. • The RIGHT to choose between products of
different qualities and prices, which are required
to satisfy our needs: Personal demands, taste and
others factors, of course, affect prices. It is the
consumer’s right to choose a level of quality and
performance equal to the price which he/she is
prepared to pay.
• The RIGHT to safety in goods and services
bought: The right to expect that household
products and children’s toys, when used according
to manufacturer’s instructions, will not explode, set
houses on fire, or cause personal harm or injury in
any way.
• The RIGHT to be heard: To complain to a retailer if
one is dissatisfied about a product or service. To
have consumer interests represented in the making
and execution of government policy, and in the
development of products and services.

5. • The RIGHT of redress: means the right to a
fair settlement of just claims. It includes the
right to receive compensation for
misrepresentation, shoddy goods or
unsatisfactory services.
• The RIGHT to Consumer Education: means
the right to acquire the knowledge and skills to
be an informed and assertive consumer.
• The RIGHT to a Healthy Environment: means
the right to a physical environment that will
enhance the quality of life. It includes
protection against environmental dangers over
which the individual has no control.

6. • The Consumer has the RESPONSIBILITY to
protect himself/herself by:
• Shopping carefully and wisely
• Understanding the terms of the sale
• Reading and following instructions
• Getting guarantees in writing
• Saving receipts
• Asking questions at point of sale
• Keeping informed about new products

7. • The RESPONSIBILITY of carrying out transactions in
a businesslike way, such as reporting unsatisfactory
products to retailers and manufacturers in order that
they may be removed from shelves and future
production.
• The RESPONSIBILITY to tell other consumers about
any unfair treatment by a retailer or manufacturer so
consumers can protect themselves in future dealings.
• The RESPONSIBILITY to report apparently unsafe
merchandise to Consumer Protection bodies so that
they can be tested and, if necessary, removed from
the market or be more specifically labeled.
• The RESPONSIBILITY to maintain and preserve a
healthy environment for future generations.
• The RESPONSIBILITY of demanding the best value
for money.
• Want value for money? Join an Action Group and let
your voice be heard.

8. • Due to the expansion of business activities in
an economy, we have a variety of goods
available in the market. The demand for goods
and services is influenced by the advertisements
in television, newspaper and magazines. The
companies spend a considerable amount on a
advertisements alone attract consumers and
feed information that they want us to know, but
not the information that we as consumers want.
When we, as consumer, do not have sufficient
information about the products, we normally get
exploited and are sometimes even harassed by
business community.

9. CONSUMERS ARE EXPLOITED BY TRADERS
AND MANUFACTURERS
• Underweight and Under-
measurements
• Sub-standard Quality
• High Prices
• Duplicate Articles
• Artificial Scarcity
• False or Incomplete Information

10. • Underweight and Under-measurements:
The goods being sold in the market are
sometimes not measured or weighed
correctly
• Sub-standard Quality:
The goods sold are sometimes of sub-
standard quality. Selling of medicine
beyond their expiry dates is generally the
grievances of consumers.
• High Prices:
Very often the traders charge a higher
price than the prescribed retail price.

11. • Duplicate Articles: In the name of genuine parts
or goods, fake or duplicate items are being sold
to the consumers.
• Artificial Scarcity: In order to amass illegitimate
profit, businessman create artificial scarcity by
hoarding. They sell it later at a higher price.
• False or Incomplete Information: Sellers easily
mislead consumers by giving wrong information
about the product, its price, quality, reliability,
life cycle, expiry date and durability

12. FACTORS CAUSING
EXPOLATION OF CONSUMERS
• Limited Information
• Limited Supplies
• Limited Competition
• Low literacy

13. • Limited Information: In a capitalist economy,
producers and sellers are free to produce any
goods or services in any quantity and there is no
regulation on the prices. In the absence of
information about different aspects of the
products, namely, price, quality, condition of use,
etc., the consumers are liable to make a wrong
choice and lose money.
• Limited Supplies: The consumers are exploited
when the goods and services are not available in
the required quantity or numbers. This gives us
rise to hoarding and price-escalation.

14. • Limited Competition: When only one
producer or group of producer or a group of
persons controls the production and supply
of a product, and is in a position to restrict
the availability of supplies, there is a
possibility of manipulation in prices and
availability.
• Low Literacy: illiteracy is one of the major
drawbacks that lead to the exploitation of
consumers. The level of literacy directly
affects the level of awareness about
products and the market.

15. CONSUMER PROTECTION
The Consumer movement is a socio-economic movement
which seeks to protect the rights of the consumers in
relation to the goods purchased and services availed.
Government has accorded high priority to the
programme of consumer protection. The Department of
Consumer Affairs being a nodal Department in the field
of consumer protection has initiated a number of steps to
promote a responsible and responsive consumer
movement in the country. Such measures include the
use of multi-media for promoting consumer awareness
and encouraging consumers' involvement through efforts
of Government and non-governmental organizations and
others.

16. • To create suitable administrative and legal mechanisms
which would be within the easy reach of consumers.
• To involve and motivate various sections of society such as
consumer organisations, women and youth to participate in
the programme.
• To assist, encourage and provide financial assistance to
Governmental and non-governmental organizations to take
up various consumer protection activities; and
• To generate awareness among consumers about their rights
and responsibilities, motivate them to assert their rights and
not to compromise on quality and standards of goods and
services and seek redressal in consumer courts, wherever
required.

17. Competition law, known in the
United States as antitrust law, has three
main elements:
• prohibiting agreements or practices that
restrict free trading and competition
between business entities. This includes in
particular the repression of cartels.

18. • banning abusive behaviour by a firm dominating a
market, or anti-competitive practices that tend to
lead to such a dominant position. Practices
controlled in this way may include predatory pricing,
tying, price gouging, refusal to deal, and many
others.
• supervising the mergers and acquisitions of large
corporations, including some joint ventures.
Transactions that are considered to threaten the
competitive process can be prohibited altogether, or
approved subject to "remedies" such as an
obligation to divest part of the merged business or
to offer licences or access to facilities to enable
other businesses to continue competing.

19. • The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is a unique piece of
legislation as it provides a separate three-tier quati-judicial
consumer dispute redressal machinery at the national, state
and district level. The Act is intended to provide simple,
speedy and inexpensive redressal of the consumers'
grievances. In terms of the Act, the Central Government first
constituted the Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC)
on 1.6.1987 and it has been reconstituted from time to time.
The CCPC was last constituted in May, 2003 for three years.
So far, the Council has held 23 meetings. The last meeting
was held on 16.7.2003. The State Govts./UT Administrations
are required to establish the Consumer Protection Councils at
the State level as well as at District levels to strengthen
consumer movement a the grass root level.

20. • Department of Consumer Affairs is periodically
taking up with the State Govts. and UT
Administrations, at the level of Chief Ministers,
Minister in-charge of Consumer Affairs/Chief
Secretaries/Secretaries dealing with Consumer
Affairs, the question of strengthening the
functioning of the consumer courts by providing
adequate infrastructure and to fill up the vacancies
of Presidents/Members on time. Review meetings
with States/UTs along with the Registrars of the
National & State Commissions were taken in
batches during August-September, 2003.

21. • Five meetings were held with the President /
Members of the National Commission and the
Presidents of the State Commissions along with
the Secretaries, State Govts. to discuss their
problems, review the working of the consumer
forums and the utilization of the one time
financial assistance released for strengthening
the infrastructure of consumer courts in their
respective States/UTs. The last meeting took
place in Delhi on15-16 March, 2003.
• Department of Consumer Affairs has been
arranging training for non-judicial Members of the
consumer courts at the Indian Institute of Public
Administration, New Delhi. 939 members have
been trained so far in 39 training programmes. In
addition first course for the Presidents of the
District Forums was also conducted during the
year in which 28 participated.

22. • The Central Government, with the approval of Planning
Commission, provided as a one time financial assistance
of Rs.61.80 crores in four installments in the year 1995 to
1999 to the States/UTs to supplement their efforts for
strengthening the infrastructure and other facilities of
consumer forums.
• Periodical reports on the functioning of consumer courts,
pendency position, the progress on filling of vacancies and
utilization of one time assistance scheme are being
obtained to review the overall position of the functioning of
the consumer courts and to take it up with the States for
appropriate action.
• The senior officers also reviewed working of the consumer
courts during their visits to States/UTs. Similarly, the
President, National Commission also visits a number of
State/UTs to monitor and discuss functioning of consumer
forums in States/UTs.

23. • 6 posts, including a post of Joint Registrar, were created
in January, 2003 in the National Commission for meeting
the requirements of section 24B of the Consumer
Protection Act, 1986 to enable them to effectively monitor
the working of the consumer forums. Besides this, based
on SIU study report of the Ministry of Finance 18 posts
were created in October, 2003 for the National
Commission including 6 posts for its additional bench.
• For the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the
Act, Rules and Regulations are being finalized by the
Central Government.
• Union Territory of Chandigarh submitted proposal for
creation of 35 posts in State Commission and District
Forums in 2001. Department of Consumer Affairs
requested Ministry of Finance for conducting Work Study
in Nov. 2001. On the basis of their report in April, 2003, 13
posts have been sanctioned in October, 2003.

24. • “Jago Grahak Jago” weekly radio programme-
Radio being the cheapest and having widest reach, a 15
minutes weekly programme “Jago Grahak Jago” is being
broadcast through 110 stations of All India Radio in 22
regional languages. To make the programme popular a
prize of Rs. 500/- per programme in every language is
given. Now the frequency of this programme is being
increased and one additional programme has been
started from 14th December, 2003. The episodes for
second broadcast are to be made mainly on the welfare
schemes and activities for the benefit of consumers at
large.

25. • Quarterly Magazine “ Upbhokta Jagaran”-
Department is bringing out a bilingual quarterly
magazine which is sent free of cost to voluntary
consumer organizations, State & Central Govt.
Ministries/Departments, libraries, Central
Consumer Protection Council (CCPC) members
and other concerned to disseminate consumer
related information.
• 6. Booklet on welfare schemes of the
Ministry: Department is bringing out a booklet on
welfare schemes of the Ministry in Hindi and
English language which is being forwarded up to
block level for giving wide publicity to the schemes
of the Ministry so as to enable the people to take
advantage of the schemes.

26. • . Video programmes for schools: Department also
prepared 4 video programmes in Hindi each of 30 minutes
duration specially targeting primary, upper-primary and
secondary level students of schools during the year. The
programmes will be made available in CD to schools,
consumer clubs in the schools, State Governments and
others concerned to make the students involved in the
consumer movement.
• 7. Newspaper advertisements being brought out on the
occasion of National Consumer Day on 24th December and
World Consumer Rights Day on 15th March and also to
observe these days involving all concerned. Department is
also considering to issue regular advertisements for creating
awareness among the consumers during Dec. 2003- March,
2004, i.e., between “National Consumer Day” and “World
Consumer Rights Day”

28. • 5.6 To educate consumer organisations and other sections
of society, the Department has conducted training
programmes in the field of consumer protection. The training
programmes is being conducted for non- judicial members
and Presidents of the State Commissions / District Forums.
During 2003-2004, seven training courses for non-judicial
members and one for Presidents of consumer forums are
scheduled. So far, 40 training programmes for non-judicial
members have been conducted in which 960 members have
been trained. In addition during the year, first time a course
for the Presidents of consumer forums was conducted and
28 Presidents participated.
• 5. 7 To improve the training above training program this
year onward the work relating to assessing the requirements,
selection of participants and course content was entrusted to
National Commission. These programmes are being
conducted in collaboration with Indian Institute of Public
Administration (IIPA), New Delhi.