The document discusses consumer rights and responsibilities in India. It provides definitions of a consumer and consumerism. It outlines the key government ministry and departments responsible for consumer affairs in India. The National Consumer Protection Act of 1986 established a three-tier quasi-judicial system for consumer dispute resolution. The act defined six rights for consumers: safety, to be informed, to choose, to be heard, to seek redressal, and to consumer education. The objectives of consumer protection and awareness in India are also summarized.

1. CONSUMERS, RIGHTS AND
RESPONSIBILITES, AND
LEGISLATIONS
PRESENTED BY:
Sumit Pachauri
Mayank Srivastava
(Mangalayatan
University, Aligarh)

2. CONSUMER

3. Who is consumer
 Buys goods and services
 To be consumed by himself or
 By someone else on behalf of the buyers

4. What is consumerism?
 Self effort on the part of the consumer
for safeguarding themselves is known as
“consumerism”.
 Consumerism refers to
 a movement by consumer or by consumer
association
 To ensure fair and honest (ethical) practices
on the part of
 Manufactures, traders, dealers, services
providers in relation to consumer.

5. HISTORY
• Consumerism has weak links with the Western world, but
is in fact an international phenomenon. People
purchasing goods and consuming materials in excess of
their basic needs is as old as the
first civilizations (e.g. Ancient Egypt, Babylon and Ancient
Rome).
• The term "consumerism" was first used in 1915 to refer to
"advocacy of the rights and interests of consumers"
(Oxford English Dictionary) but in this article the term
"consumerism" refers to the sense first used in
1960, "emphasis on or preoccupation with the acquisition
of consumer goods“.

6. Ministry Of Consumer Affairs, Foods
And Public Distribution
Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Professor K V Thomas

7. Ministry of
consumer
Affairs
Department
of consumer
affairs
Department
of food and
PDS

8. NATIONAL CONSUMER DAY
 24th of December is celebrated as
National Consumer Day commemorating
the coming into effect
 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

9. WHY CONSUMERISM?
• Empower consumers to have access to the basic needs
of life.
• Protect consumers from hazards to their life and safety
• Enhance the access of consumers to adequate
information to enable them to make informed and
environmentally benign choices according to individual
as well as societal needs.
• Promote consumer education through formal as well
as non-formal education systems so as to help
consumers in their decision making.

10. • Promote accountability and transparency through adoption of
Citizens’ Charters.
• Provide expeditious and inexpensive system of delivery of justice.
• Promote an independent consumer movement in the country by
providing assistance to consumer and other relevant groups to
form their organisations and giving them the opportunity to
present their views in the decision-making process.
• Initiate and implement appropriate mechanisms for exchange of
information on measures of consumer
protection, nationally, regionally and internationally.

11. NATIONAL CONSUMER POLICY
• The rationale behind the National Consumer Policy stems from
Article 39 of the Constitution of India which has enshrined the
Directive Principles to be followed by the State to ensure all-round
welfare of the citizens of the country.
• The basic premise of the National Consumer Policy is to ensure
that goods, services and technology are available to consumers at
reasonable prices and acceptable standards of quality.
• The National Consumer Policy seeks to provide guidelines to
different branches of the Government and agencies at all levels in
maintaining the appropriate consumer dimension while taking any
step or decision which will have an impact on consumers’ interests.

12. • In view of complexity of the market place and
technology and impact of liberalisation, the consumer
needs to be protected. In the past, there was the
system of barter and consumers did not have to
choose from a large range—the allocation of resources
was simpler. However, the situation has changed
considerably. With the growth and dominance of the
market place, consumers’ interests and protection
have taken a back seat. The perfect market place is a
myth, and an economist’s dream.

13. DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER
AFFAIRS
VISION
 to protect the rights and interests of
consumers,
 to spread awareness about consumer rights,
duties and responsibilities and
 to promote consumer welfare by
strengthening consumer movement in the
country.

14. DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER
AFFAIRS






MISSION
fulfill mission through progressive consumer related
legislations and
effective implementation of various consumer welfare
schemes.
Active participation of State Governments, academic and
research institutions, schools and voluntary organizations will
be sought
to create a vibrant consumer movement in the country.
Strict parameters regarding consumer products will be
developed and enforced along with regular monitoring of
prices to
ensure the sovereignty of consumers.

15. OBJECTIVES OF DCA
 Empowerment of consumers by making them
aware about their rights and responsibilities.
 Provision of effective, inexpensive and speedy
redressal system to Consumers.
 Augmentation of infrastructure of the enforcement
machinery of Legal Metrology Department of
States/UTs and implementation of The Legal
Metrology Act, 2009
 Enabling National Test House (NTH) to become
more self sustaining.

16. OBJECTIVES OF DCA
 Strengthening of National Test House (NTH)
laboratories and installation of MIS.
 Efficient Regulation of Commodity Futures Markets.
 Strengthening of Forward Markets & Forward Markets
Commission.
 Formulation of Standards & Strengthen Conformity
Assessment of Products and Services.
 Monitoring of prices of Essential Commodities.
 Implementation and regulation of Essential Commodities
Act.
 To promote and protect the interests of consumers
through various Schemes

17. FUNCTIONS OF DCA





CONSUMER PROTECTION
Implementation of Consumer Protection Act, 1986
National Consumer Disputes Redressal
Commission (NCDRC).
National Test House (NTH).
Implementation of the Standards of Weights and
Measures Act, 1976.
Regulation of Packaged Commodities and
implementation of new Act namely, The Legal Metrology
Act, 2009.

18. FUNCTIONS OF DCA
CONSUMER AWARENESS
 Jago Grahak Jago Multimedia Campaign.
SETTING STANDARDS
 Implementation of Bureau of Indian Standards
Act, 1986.

19. FUNCTIONS OF DCA
REGULATION OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES ACT, 1955
 Implementation of Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
 Implementation of Prevention of Black Marketing &
Maintenance of supply of
 Essential Commodities Act, 1980
CONSUMER COOPERATIVES
 National Consumer Cooperatives Federation (NCCF).
 Super Bazaar.

20. FUNCTIONS OF DCA
COMMODITY EXCHANGES
 Regulation of Commodities futures through Forward Market
Commission.
 Implementation of Forward Contract (Regulation) Act, 1952.
MONITORING OF PRICES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES
 Monitoring of prices and availability of essential commodities.
 Availability of Pulses.
CONSUMER RELATED PROGRAMMES BY INVOLVING STATES / UTs /
NGOs
 Setting up Consumer Helplines in States and UTs
 Comparative Testing of Consumer Products and Services.

21. Consumer Protection Act, 1986
 T better protect the interest of consumers by creating
an alternative disputes resolution mechanism
exclusively for consumers.
 It created three tier quasi judicial consumer dispute
redressal machinery at
NATIONAL LEVEL
STATE LEVEL
DISTRICT LEVEL

22. The
Total number of cases filed and disposed of in the
national commission, state commissions and
district fora, as on 30.12.2010, since inception.

23. Salient Features Of The Act
 The Act enshrines six rights of consumers –
 Right to Safety
1. Means right to be protected against the marketing of
goods and services, which are hazardous to life and
property. The purchased goods and services availed of
should not only meet their immediate needs, but also
fulfill long term interests.
2. Before purchasing, consumers should insist on the
quality of the products as well as on the guarantee of
the products and services. They should preferably
purchase quality marked products such as ISI,AGMARK,
etc.

24. Salient Features Of The Act
 Right to be Informed
1. Means right to be informed about the
quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and
price of goods so as to protect the consumer
against unfair trade practices.
2. Consumer should insist on getting all the
information about the product or service before
making a choice or a decision. This will enable him
to act wisely and responsibly and also enable him
to desist from falling prey to high pressure selling
techniques.

25. Salient Features Of The Act




Right to Choose
Means right to be assured, wherever possible of access
to variety of goods and services at competitive price.
In case of monopolies, it means right to be assured of
satisfactory quality and service at a fair price.
It also includes right to basic goods and services. This is
because unrestricted right of the minority to choose can
mean a denial for the majority of its fair share.
This right can be better exercised in a competitive
market where a variety of goods are available at
competitive prices

26. Salient Features Of The Act
Right to be heard
 Means that consumer's interests will receive due
consideration at appropriate forums.
 It also includes right to be represented in various
forums formed to consider the consumer's welfare.
 The Consumers should form non-political and noncommercial consumer organizations which can be
given representation in various committees formed
by the Government and other bodies in matters
relating to consumers.

27. Salient Features Of The Act





Right to Seek redressal
Means right to seek redressal against unfair trade
practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers.
It also includes right to fair settlement of the genuine
grievances of the consumer.
Consumers must make complaint for their genuine
grievances.
Many a times their complaint may be of small value but
its impact on the society as a whole may be very large.
They can also take the help of consumer organisations in
seeking redressal of their grievances.

28. Salient Features Of The Act
Right to Consumer Education
 Means the right to acquire the knowledge and
skill to be an informed consumer throughout
life.
 Ignorance of consumers, particularly of rural
consumers, is mainly responsible for their
exploitation.
 They should know their rights and must
exercise them. Only then real consumer
protection can be achieved with success.

29. CONSUMER DUTIES
• Insist on receipts or bill without fail, on all the purchases
made.
• Read information carefully on the packets before purchase.
• Do not feel tempted on misleading advertisements.
• Buy standardized products only i.e. of ISI. AGMARK BRANDS
• File consumer complaints against default in goods deficiency
in services, or unfair trade practice.

30. CONSUMER RESPONSIBILITIES
•
•
•
•
Responsibility of self help.
Proof of transactions.
Proper claim.
Proper use of product/ services.

31. Responsibility of self help
• It is always desirable that the consumer
should not depend on the seller for
information and choice as far as possible .

32. Proof of transactions.
• The proof of purchase and documents related
to purchase of durable goods should be
invariable obtained and preserved.

33. Proper claim
• Consumers are expected to bear in mind that
while making complaints and claiming
compensation for loss or injury they should
not make unreasonably large claims

34. Proper use of Products/ Services
• Some consumers, especially during the
guarantee period,
• make rough use of the product, thinking that
it will be replaced during the guarantee
period.
• This is not fair on their part. They should
always use the products properly.

35. Salient Features Of The Act
Right to Consumer Education
 Means the right to acquire the knowledge and
skill to be an informed consumer throughout
life.
 Ignorance of consumers, particularly of rural
consumers, is mainly responsible for their
exploitation.
 They should know their rights and must
exercise them. Only then real consumer
protection can be achieved with success.

36. Salient Features Of The Act
Right to Consumer Education
 Means the right to acquire the knowledge and
skill to be an informed consumer throughout
life.
 Ignorance of consumers, particularly of rural
consumers, is mainly responsible for their
exploitation.
 They should know their rights and must
exercise them. Only then real consumer
protection can be achieved with success.

37. Consumer court

38. NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL
COMMISSION
President of NCDRC Mr. Justice Ashok Bhan

39. NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES
REDRESSAL COMMISSION
 To provide inexpensive, speedy and summary
redressal of consumer disputes,
 quasi-judicial bodies have been set up in each
District and State and at the National level,
called the District Forums, the State Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commissions and the
National Consumer Disputes Redressal
Commission respectively

40. ‘CONFONET’ SCHEME
 The scheme of ‘Computerization and Computer
Networking of Consumer Fora in the
country, (CONFONET)’ was
 Launched during the 10th Plan period in
March, 2005
 at a cost of ` 48.64 crores.

41. ‘CONFONET’ SCHEME
 Under the project, the Consumer Fora at all
the three tiers throughout the country were
 to be fully computerized to enable access of
quicker disposal of cases.

42. SAVERA
 Society for Advancement of Villages
Empowerment and Rehabilitation of All (SAVERA)
 The project proposal for organizing Information
and Education and Communication (IEC)
programme in Katihar and Kishangarh District of
Bihar
 for strengthening Consumer Movement at
grassroots level and to set up a Consumer
counseling committees at Village and Block level
 has been sanctioned at a cost of ` 52.02 lakhs.

44. Thank
you