Consumer Rights Question Answers: NCERT Class 10 Social Science - Understanding Economic Development

Rules and regulations are required in the marketplace to protect consumers from exploitation. Seller tries to shift all the responsibility on to the buyer. Whenever, a consumer complains against the goods or services for the bad quality or
quality sellers deny of any fraud and try to shifts all the responsibility on to the buyers. The seller tend to hold no responsibility for the goods once sold. For example, a grocery shop owner might sell expired products and then blame the customer for not checking the date of expiry before buying the items. Hence, rules and regulations are needed to safeguard the interest and rights of consumers in the marketplace.

The factors that gave birth to the consumer movement in india are as follows:

- Lack of legal system to protect the consumers from exploitation in the marketplace
- Extreme food shortages
- Black marketing
- Adulteration of food and edible oil
Till the 1970s consumer organizations were mostly busy writing articles and holding exhibitions. There has been an upsurge in the number of consumers groups who have shown concern towards the value of goods and services since the 1980s. In 1986 the Indian government enacted the consumer protection act also known as COPRA. This was a major step in the consumer movement in india.

Consumer consciousness is being aware of your right as a consumer while buying trading anything in the market so that they are not being cheated or exploited in the market place. Consumer consciousness is very important to improve the market conditions which provide consumer with more choices at lower prices and reduce the incidence of their exploitation by the seller.
For example:
A buyer must check the expiry and manufacturing date of the product before buying from the shop. In case any expired product is found in the shop a complaint must be raised against the seller. Sometimes shopkeepers indulge in unfair practices such as selling the underweight or adulterated/defective items. So to reduce such instances. It’s very important for the consumers to be aware and act smartly.

Factors which cause exploitation of consumer are:
- Lack of awareness of consumer rights                                                                      - Lack in proper monitoring of rules and regulations
- Consumers ignore small losses as the individual purchase quantity is quite small
- Lack of consumer consciousness

The rationale behind the enactment of consumer protection act (COPRA) 1986 was to set up separate departments of consumer affairs in central and state government to safeguard the interests of the consumers and to grant them the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation.

Some of our duties as consumer if we visit a shopping complex in our locality include:
- Checking expiry and manufacture dates of the products

- Playing only the maximum retail price printed on the goods
- Checking the product carefully if it’s not adulterated or defective.
- Reporting the consumer court if rules or regulations under the market place         are being exploited.
- Checking the standard quality certification masks such as ISI. , Agmark, FPO,     Eco-mark and hallmark while making the purchase.

We should look for agmark of ISI symbol before buying the food items because these logos specify the product being manufactured by a government certified company and assures its product.

Legal measures taken by the government to empower consumers in india are mentioned below:

(i) The consumer protection act (COPRA) was passed by the government in 1986 to safeguard the interests of the consumer and to grant them the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practicesand exploitation.

(ii) The right to information act was passed in October 2005, was passed to make people aware of the functioning of government departments.

(iii) A consumer court was set up for people where cases against any disparity with the consumer could be raised.

Some of the rights of consumers are as follows:
Right to choose- 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. Under this right, a consumer may also choose any one of the various brands of a product available in the market. Right to information: the RTI act aims at making every citizen of the country aware of the functioning of the government. Right to redressal- if any damage is done to a consumer, he/she has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of damage. This means that the consumer have the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practice and exploitation. Right to represent – this act has enabled the consumers to file cases against the manufactures or sellers if their product is found defective.

Consumers can express their solidarity by forming consumer groups or consumer forums that write articles or hold exhibitions against the exploitative trade policies. These groups guide individuals on how to protect their interests and approach a consumer court. Such groups receive financial aid form the government to create public awareness.

The consumer movement in india has progressed vastly since it began. There has been a significant change in consumer awareness in the country. The enactment of COPRA in 1986 has made it easier for people to complain against any case of malpractices of exploitation occurring in the marketplace. The setting up of consumer groups has been progressive move.

(i) false
(ii) true                                                                                                                                                                (iii)True
(iv) True
(v) True
(vi) False
(vii) True