THE NOBEL SCHOOL

Social Science’s Project on

Consumers Awareness
Submitted to: Mrs Ravinder Kaur
Submitted by: Dilpreet Singh of grade 10

21
 Consumer
Awareness
 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my special thanks
of gratitude to my teacher Mrs Ravinder
Kaur who gave me the golden opportunity
to do this wonderful project on the topic
“Consumer Awareness”, which also
helped me in doing a lot of Research and I
came to know about so many new things I
am really thankful to them.
Secondly I would also like to thank my
parents and friends who helped me a lot in
finalizing this project within the limited
time frame.

Dilpreet Singh
No Particulars Page Remarks
.
1 What is a Consumer? 1
2 Consumer in the market place. 3
3 Consumer movement. 5
4 Rights of Consumers. 9
5 Cause of Consumer Exploitation. 17
6 Duties of Consumers. 21
7 Where can consumers file their 25
complaints?
8 Demerits of consumer redressal 27
process.
9 Legal steps for consumer’s 28
protection.
10 Consumer Protection Act of 1986. 30
11 Marks. 32
12 Bibliography. 34

Index
Who is a Consumer?
 Any individual who purchases products or
services for his personal use and not for
manufacturing and resale is called consumer.
 A consumer is one who is the decision maker
whether or not to buy an item at the store, or
someone who is influenced by advertisement
and marketing.
 Every time someone goes to a store and buys a
shirt, toy, beverage or anything else, they
make decision as a consumer.
 Consumer refers to any person who purchases
some goods for a consideration that has been
either paid or promised to pay o partly paid
and partly promised or found under any
system of deferred payment and does include
any user of this type of goods other than the
person who purchases these types of goods for
consideration paid or promised or partly paid
or partly promised.
Consumer in the
Marketplace...
 Rules and regulations are required for the
protection of the consumers in the
marketplace.
 Exploitation in the marketplace often
happens.
 Markets do not work in a fair manner
when producers are few and powerful
whereas consumers purchase in small
amounts and are scattered. This happens
especially when large companies are
producing these goods. These companies
have huge wealth, power and reach can
manipulate the market. At times false
information is passed through media and
other sources to attract consumers.
 Consumer Movement
 The consumer movement is an effort to
promote consumer protection though an
organised social movement which is in many
places led by consume organisations.
 It advocates for the rights of consumers
especially when those rights are infringed by
the actions of corporations, governments, and
other organisations which provides products
and service to consumers.
 India consumer movement in social force
originated with the necessity of protecting and
promoting the interests of consumers against
unethical and unfair trade practices.
 Rampant food storage, black marketing, and
adulteration of food ad edible oil gave birth to
the consumer movement in an organised form
in the 1960s.
 Till the 1970s consumer organisations were
largely engaged in writing articles and holding
exhibitions. They formed consumer groups to
look into the malpractices in ration shops and
 overcrowding of load in passenger transport
services.
 More recently India witnessed an upsurge in
the number of consumer groups.
World
Consumer
Rights
Day
15 March
th
 Rights of Consumers
Rights which are provided by the law:-
1. Right to safety:
 According to the Consumer Protection Act of
1986, the consumer right is referred to as
“Right to be protected against marketing of
goods and services which are hazardous to life
and property.”
 It is applicable to specific areas like
healthcare; food processing etc. this act is
spread across the domain having a serious
effect on the heath of consumers.
 When there is violation of the right then there
occur medical malpractice lawsuits in the
country. It is estimated every year that
thousands or millions of citizens of India are
killed or seriously injured by immortal
practices by doctors, automobiles, industries,
and pharmacies etc.
 Products need to strictly follow the required
safety rules and regulations.

2. Right to Information:
 The right to information is defined as “The
right to be informed about the quality,
quantity, purity, standard and price of goods or
 services as the case may be so as to protect the
consumers against unfair trade practices.” in
the consumer protection act of 1986.
 Consumers have the right to be informed about
the particulars of goods and services that they
purchase consumers can then complaint and
ask for compensation of replacement if the
product proves to be defective in any manner.
 Similarly one can protest and complain if
someone sells a good at more than the printed
price on the packet this is indicated by MRP
maximum retail price.

3. Right to Choose:
 The definition of right to choose as per the
COPRA is the right to be assured wherever
possible to have access to a variety of goods
and services at competitive prices.
 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 or receive the service.
 For regulating the market place there is just
one factor required and that is competition the
existence of monopolies prove to be
counterproductive to consumerism.

4. Right to be Heard:
 As stated in COPRA, “The right to be heard
and to be assured that consumer’s interest will
be received due to consideration at appropriate
forms” is the definition of the right to be
heard.
 This right helps to empower consumers for
putting forward their complaints and concerns
fearlessly and raising their voices against
products or even companies and ensure that
their issues are taken into consideration as well
as handed greatly.
 The major objective of consumer is to ensure
that their voices are heard by the corporate
world.
5.Right to seek redressal:
 Consumers have the right to seek redressal
against unfair trade practices and exploitation.
 If any damage is done to a consumer he or she
has the right to get compensation depending
on the degree of damage.

6. Right to represent in consumer courts:

 The consumer movements in India led to the
formation of various organisations locally
known as consumer forums or Consumer
Protection Councils.
 They guide consumers on how to file cases in
the consumer courts.
 In many occasions they also represent
individual consumers in the customer Courts.
 These voluntary organisations also receive
financial support from the government for
creating awareness among people.

7.Right to Consumer Education:

 The right of every Indian citizen to have
education of matters regarding Consumer
Protection as well as about her or his right is
regarded as the last right provided by COPRA.
 The rights make sure that the consumers in
the country have information and materials
which are easily accessible and would enable
them to make purchasing decisions better.
 Consumer education might refer to formal
education through college and school
curriculum as well as awareness campaigns
being run by NGOs and government Agencies
both.

8.Right to healthy environment:

 The right to a healthy environment brings
together all that humanity has learned about
how human rights and the environment
interact. It encompasses the environmental
dimensions of the rights to life, health, food,
water, sanitation, property, private life,
culture, and non-discrimination, among others.

9.Right to basic needs:

 It guarantees survival, adequate food, clothing,
shelter, health care, education and sanitation.
With this right, consumers can look forward to
the availability of basic and prime
commodities at affordable prices and good
quality.
Causes of the consumer exploitation.
Consumer awareness is very important in present
days. Consumers are exploited by different ways
due to different reasons. There are some rights of
consumer and consumer awareness is essential to
protect consumers from exploitation. By consumer
education consumers would be able to understand
the rights of consumers and duties of consumers.
It is only after knowing that reasons by which can
one find out the ways to save ourselves from
exploitation.
The main causes of consumer exploitation are:
Lack of knowledge:
 The main reason for exploitation of consumers
is lack of knowledge.
 Several consumers do not have the knowledge
about the given goods and the prices.
 The consumers can send the required money
and get the commodity through parcels.
 But very often the consumers felt cheated by
this deal. One order for costly product on
being influenced but one does not get the
benefits from that good.
Limited Information:
 In this age of globalisation. There are several
types of products in the market.
 Producer is free to produce there is no fixed
law for quality and rate.
 There is lack of knowledge about several
aspects of goods like quality rules for usage
rules for selling etc.
 Therefore a consumer makes wrong choices
and suffers financial loss.

Monopoly:
 Monopoly means the right on the production
and distribution of a commodity of a producer
or a group of producers.
 In the state of monopoly produces have wrong
behaviour regarding the prices and the quality
and availability of the goods.
 As a result producers succeed in exploiting
consumers.
Illiteracy and feeling of satisfaction:
 When the consumers are uneducated the
sellers cheat them very easily the shopkeeper
tells the resembling words and sell the goods
of poor quality.
 Sometimes consumers are placid consumers
think it was a loss let it be or it was their fate is
now that who will fight.
 This thinking also makes consumers pray of
exploitation the sellers no consumers mentally
and sellers exploit consumer freely.
 Dutiful Consumer

The three r’s of a dutiful consumer are:

Reduce: Consume only what you need. If
possible reduce consumption.
Reuse: If a product can serve you for a
longer period use it instead of buying a
new one.
Recycle: Don’t litter the environment
please recycle degradable/ recyclable
materials through scrap dealer.
 Duties of Consumers

A consumer can be saved from exploitation by

performing his / her duties properly.

o The main duties of consumers to protect

themselves from exploitation are the
following:-

Consumer’s Education:
o Consumer’s awareness and education is the
most important measure for the solution of
exploitation.
o The government has made several laws for the
protection of consumers. But it is observed
that the laws are not known to general public.
o Therefore proper education of consumer’s
right should be provided to consumers.

Purchase of standardized goods:

 o Several types of goods are available in the
market. But for the safety against exploitation
consumers should always buy standardized
goods.
o Goods which are marked as ISI, AGMARK,
and HALLMARK are considered as
standardized goods.

Taking cash memo and receipt:

o To take cash memo along with purchase of a
good is very important.
o Due to taking cash memo the legal proceeding
can be done in case of quality of goods is
inferior or does not work properly before the
given period of time.

Not to be lured by advertisements:

o Big companies make publicity of their
products by attractive advertisements true
television or other media.
 o The advertisements are shown in such a
manner that it has a physiological and mental
effect on consumer and so they became ready
to purchase the good but the reality is that
consumer should be alert and aware of
advertisements.
o Before the purchasing of goods the consumers
should completely verify quality price and
quantity of goods.

To complain collectively:
o Customer alone can't do anything against the
producers and sellers but if complaint is
logged collectively then it has more effect.
o Whenever we purchase a medicine we always
check the expiry date. After expiry date the
medicine has no effect and there is also a
possibility of bad effects of medicine.
o The similar is the case with packed food and
many other things.
o Therefore it is essential to keep the expiry date
before purchase.
Complain for genuine grievances:
o Consumers must know their rights and must
exercise them.
 Where can consumers file
complaints?
Where consumers can file complaints:-
o National Consumer Helpline: 1800-11-4000
o Direct mail to Consumer Complaints Official
email- ID [email protected]
o Download the details of telephone directory of
Department of Consumer Affairs.
o In Consumer Courts complaints can be done.

The Consumer Court complaints are

generally categorized into three
sections:
o Where the value of goods and services
involved in less than rupees 20 lakh in value
one will have to file the complaint in the
district forum constituted in the specified
district of state.
o Where the value of goods and services in the
world is more than rupees 20 lakh in value but
does not exceed Rupees one crore one will
have to file the complaint with the state
Commission Address of consumer court in
India constituted in the capital cities of
different states.
o Where the value of goods and services in the
world is more than one crore in value then one
can file the complaint in the national
commission which has been constituted only
in New Delhi.
 Demerits of Consumer
Redressal Process….
The demerits of Consumer Redressal
Process are:
o The consumer redressal process is becoming
expensive and time consuming.
o Many times consumers are required to arrange
lawyers this case recovery time for filling and
attending the court proceedings.
o In most purchase cash memos are not issued
hence evidence is absent.
o Most purchase is in the market are small retail
sales.
o The enforcement of laws that protect workers
especially in an organised sector is weak.
o Rules and regulations for working of market
are often not allowed.
 Legal steps for Consumer’s
Protection
o For consumers protection for the first time in
1995 Essential Goods Act was passed.
o Before this in 1976 Weight and Standard
Measure Act was passed to system it is the
measurement and weight.
In 1986 the Consumer Protection Act was passed
by the government of India.
o The main objective of this act is to decide the
complaints of the consumers immediately and
to make legal proceeding easy.
o A three tier Judiciary system has been
established at district, state and national levels
to resolve the disputes of consumers.
o The department of consumer affairs of the
Government of India has launched several
schemes to make the consumers aware such as
the establishment of consumer Organisation in
 every district and consumer clubs in schools,
colleges and Universities.
o To bring awareness towards the right of
consumers awareness camps are organised at
different levels.
o In India 24th December is celebrated as the
National consumer day as it was on this day
that the national Indian Parliament enacted the
consumer protection act in 1986.
o India is one of the countries that have
exclusive quotes for consumer redressal.
o There are today more than 700 consumer
groups in the country of which only about 20
to 25 are well organised and recognised for
their work.
Consumer Protection Act of
1986
o The act is to promote and protect the interest
of consumers.
o this act plays and pivotal role to develop
provision with an aim to establish various
consumer council's especially the authorised of
similar nature to ensure that consumers
disputes are settle comprehensively for the
best possible resolution of matters associated
with them.
o There is provision for National state and
district level establishment of consumer
protection Council with an aim to develop
awareness amongst the consumer.
o Under Consumer Protection Act 3 tier judicial
machinery at the district state and national
level is set up for redressal of consumer
disputes.
o the district level Court deals with the cases
involving claims up to Rupees 20 lakh the
state level courts between Rupees 20 lakh and
1 crore and national level Court deals with
cases involving claim exceeding Rupees 1
crore.
o If a case is dismissed in district level Court the
consumer can also feel in the state and then in
National level courts does the act has enabled
us as consumers to have the light to represent
in the consumer courts.
o There was an allocation of rupees 409 crores
to start effective multimedia campaigns for
11th plans scheme implementation.
o Unique brand name called Jago Grahak Jago
is part of the scheme implemented today for
the rupees 409.29 crores was allocated by the
government of India as the 12th plan scheme.
 Marks…
ISI Mark:
o ISI mark is marks for Industrial Products in
India.
o The mark certify that a product confirms to the
Indian Standard mentions as on top of the
mark developed by the Bureau of Indian
Standards the national standards body of India.
The ISI mark is 4 the most recognised
certification mark in Indian subcontinent.
o The name ISI is an abbreviation of Indian
Standards Institute the former name of the
Bureau of Indian Standards.
o The ISI mark is mandatory for certain products
to be sold in India like many of the electrical
appliances and other products like Portland
cement, LPG valves, automobiles, tyres. In
the case of most other products it is voluntary
to put an ISI mark.
AGMARK:
o AGMARK certification mark employed on
Agricultural Products in India Assurance that
they confirm to a set of standard approved by
the director of marketing and inspection and
attached office of the department of
agriculture cooperation and farmer’s welfare
under Ministry of Agriculture and farmer
welfare and agency of Government of India
o The AGMARK head office at Faridabad
Haryana is legally enforced in India by the
agricultural produce grading and marketing act
of 1937 and was amended in 1986.
o The present AGMARK standards cover
quality guidelines for 222 different
commodities which come under pulses, serials,
essential oils, vegetable oils, fruits, vegetable,
and some staple crops of different areas.
HALLMARK:
Hallmark is an official mark or series of marks
struck on item made of metal mostly used to
certify content of metals such as platinum, gold,
silver, and in some Nations Palladium also in a
more general sense the term Hallmark can be also
used to refer to any distinguish characteristic.
 Bibliography
www.wikipedia.com
www.scribd.com
www.lawctopus.com
www.brainly.com
www.cbse.nic.in