What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution?
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.
Critically examine the progress of the consumer movement in India?
By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?
What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?
Mention a few factors which cause the exploitation of consumers.
Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each?
What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have to look for and why?
Say True or False.
Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
Match the following.
(i) |
Availing details of ingredients of a product |
(a) |
Right to safety |
(ii) |
Agmark |
(b) |
Dealing with consumer cases |
(iii) |
Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter |
(c) |
Certification of edible oil and cereals |
(iv) |
District Consumer Court |
(d) |
Agency that develops standards for goods and services |
(v) |
Consumers International |
(e) |
Right to information |
(vi) |
Bureau of Indian Standards |
(f) |
Global level institution of consumer welfare organisations |
Development of a country can generally be determined by
(i) its per capita income
(ii) its average literacy level
(iii) health status of its people
(iv) all the above
Fill in the blanks using the correct option given in the bracket:
(i) Employment in the service sector _________ increased to the same extent as production. (has / has not)
(ii) Workers in the _________ sector do not produce goods. (tertiary agricultural) (iii) Most of the workers in the _________ sector enjoy job security. (organised / unorganised)
(iv) A _________ proportion of labourers in India are working in the unorganised sector. (large / small)
(v) Cotton is a _________ product and cloth is a _________ product. (natural / manufactured)
(vi) The activities in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors are _________. (independent / interdependent)
In situations with high risks, credit might create further problems for the borrower. Explain?
What do you understand by globalisation? Explain in your own words.
Which of the following neighbouring countries has better performance in terms of
human development than India?
(i) Bangladesh
(ii) Sri Lanka
(iii) Nepal
(iv) Pakistan
Choose the most appropriate answer.
(a) The sectors are classified into public and private sector on the basis of:
(i) employment conditions
(ii) the nature of economic activity
(iii) ownership of enterprises
(iv) number of workers employed in the enterprise
(b) Production of a commodity, mostly through the natural process, is an activity in ______________ sector.
(i) primary
(ii) secondary
(iii) tertiary
(iv) information technology
(c) GDP is the total value of _____________ produced during a particular year.
(i) all goods and services
(ii) all final goods and services
(iii) all intermediate goods and services
(iv) all intermediate and final goods and services
(d) In terms of GDP the share of tertiary sector in 2003 is _________
(i) between 20 per cent to 30 per cent
(ii) between 30 per cent to 40 per cent
(iii) between 50 per cent to 60 per cent
(iv) 70 per cent
How does money solve the problem of double coincidence of wants? Explain with example of your own.
What was the reason for putting barriers to foreign trade and foreign investment by the Indian government? Why did it wish to remove these barriers?
Assume there are four families in a country. The average per capita income of
these families is Rs 5000. If the income of three families is Rs 4000, Rs 7000
and Rs 3000 respectively, what is the income of the fourth family?
(i) Rs 7500
(ii) Rs 3000
(iii) Rs 2000
(iv) Rs 6000
Match the following:
S/No. |
Problems faced by farming sector |
S/No. |
Some possible measures |
|
Unirrigated land |
|
Setting up agro-based mills |
|
Low prices for crops |
|
Cooperative marketing societies |
|
Debt burden |
|
Procurement of food grains by government |
|
No job in the off season |
|
Construction of canals by the government |
|
Compelled to sell their grains to the local traders soon after harvest |
|
Banks to provide credit with low interest |
In what respects is the criterion used by the UNDP for measuring development different from the one used by the World Bank?
Discuss and fill the following table giving one example each from your area.
Well-Managed Organisation |
Badly-Managed Organisation |
|
Public sector |
||
Private sector |
Fill in the blanks using the correct option given in the bracket:
(i) Employment in the service sector _________ increased to the same extent as production. (has / has not)
(ii) Workers in the _________ sector do not produce goods. (tertiary agricultural) (iii) Most of the workers in the _________ sector enjoy job security. (organised / unorganised)
(iv) A _________ proportion of labourers in India are working in the unorganised sector. (large / small)
(v) Cotton is a _________ product and cloth is a _________ product. (natural / manufactured)
(vi) The activities in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors are _________. (independent / interdependent)
Compare the employment conditions prevailing in the organised and unorganised
sectors.
For each of the sectors that we came across in this chapter why should one focus on employment and GDP? Could there be other issues which should be examined? Discuss.
Assume there are four families in a country. The average per capita income of
these families is Rs 5000. If the income of three families is Rs 4000, Rs 7000
and Rs 3000 respectively, what is the income of the fourth family?
(i) Rs 7500
(ii) Rs 3000
(iii) Rs 2000
(iv) Rs 6000
Look at a 10 rupee note. What is written on top? Can you explain this statement?
“Reserve Bank of India” and “Guaranteed by the Government” are written on top.
Do you think the classification of economic activities into primary, secondary and tertiary is useful? Explain how.
In India, about 80 percent of farmers are small farmers, who need cultivation.
(a) Why might banks be unwilling to lend to small farmers? (b) What are the other sources from which the small farmers can borrow? (c) Explain with an example of how the terms of credit can be unfavorable for the small farmer.
(d) Suggest some ways by which small farmers can get cheap credit.
Development of a country can generally be determined by
(i) its per capita income
(ii) its average literacy level
(iii) health status of its people
(iv) all the above