Chapter - 5
" Consumer Rights "
❇️ Consumers:-
🔹People buying different types of items from the market for their daily needs.
️❇️ Producer :-
🔹People who manufacture or produce items of daily necessities.
❇️️ Consumers Rights :-
🔹Rights given by law to protect the interests of consumers such as :-
👉Right to Security
👉Right to Information
👉Right to choose
👉Right to compensation
👉Right to Consumer Education
❇️ Reasons for exploitation of consumers :-
🔹Limited notice
🔹limited supply
🔹Limited Competition
🔹Low literacy
❇️ Duties of Consumers :-
🔹While buying any goods, consumers must see the quality of the goods. Wherever possible, a guarantee card must be taken.
🔹The receipt of the goods and services purchased must be taken.
🔹You must complain about your real problem.
🔹ISI And buy only the goods with Agmark marks.
🔹It is necessary to know about your rights and
🔹Those rights should also be exercised when necessary.
️ ❇️ Limitations of Consumer Redressal Process :-
🔹Consumer redressal process is proving to be complex, costly and time consuming.
🔹Sometimes consumers have to take the help of lawyers. These cases take a lot of time to attend and proceed with the court proceedings etc.
🔹Receipts are not given at the time of most purchases? In such a situation it is not easy to gather evidence.
🔹Most of the shopping in the market is done from small retail shops.
🔹It is weak, especially in the unorganized sector, despite the enforcement of laws to protect the interests of workers.
🔹In this way, rules and regulations are often not followed for the functioning of the markets.
✳️ Consumer Protection Act 1986 (COPRA): -
🔹A law designed to protect the interests of consumers.
🔹A three-tier judicial system has been established at the district, state and national levels for settlement of consumer disputes under Copra.
🔹20 lakhs at the district level, 20 lakhs to one crore at the state level and the national level courts deal with the cases related to claims above 1 crore.
️❇️ Consumer Movement in India :-
🔹The tradition of adulteration, black marketing, hoarding, underweight, etc. is very old among the traders of India. Consumer movements in India started in the 1960s. Until the 1970s, such movements were limited to writing articles in newspapers and holding exhibitions. But the movement has gained momentum in recent years.
🔹People had become so dissatisfied with vendors and service providers that they were left with no option but to agitate. After a long struggle, the government also took care of the consumers. As a result, the government enacted the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) in 1986.
❇️️ Consumer Forum :-
🔹Many institutions have been formed at the local level to protect the interests of consumers in India. These organizations are called consumer forums or consumer protection councils. The job of these organizations is to guide any consumer in filing a case in consumer court. Sometimes such organizations also advocate on behalf of the consumer in the consumer court. Grants are also given to such institutions by the government so that concrete work can be done in the direction of above awareness.
🔹Nowadays there are Resident Welfare Associations in many residential areas. If any member of such association has been cheated by any vendor or service provider, then they also fight for that member.
❇️️ Consumer Court :-
🔹It is a quasi-judicial system consisting of three layers. The names of these levels are district level courts, state level courts and national level courts. Cases involving claims up to Rs 20 lakh go to the district level court for hearing. Cases ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore go to the state level courts.
🔹Cases involving claims above Rs 1 crore go to the consumer courts at the national level. If a case is dismissed by the district level court, the consumer will be at the state level; And after this; There is a right of appeal at the national level.
❇️️ National Consumer Day :-
🔹December 24 is celebrated as National Consumer Day. This is the same day when the Consumer Protection Act was implemented by the Indian Parliament. India is one of the few countries that have separate courts for consumer hearings. In recent times the consumer movement has made good inroads in India. According to the latest statistics, there are more than 700 consumer groups in India. 20-25 of them are well organized and known for their work.
🔹But the process of consumer hearing is becoming complex, costly and lengthy. Often the consumer is unable to muster the courage to fight the case due to the high fees of the lawyers.
