Q.1 What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.

Answer:

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 organisations were mostly busy writing articles and holding exhibitions. There has been an upsurge in the number of consumer 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. There are today more than 700 consumer groups in the country who are working in the field of protecting the consumers’ interest.

Q 2. Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.

Answer:

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 consumers with more choices at lower prices and reduce the incidences of their exploitation by the sellers.

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.

Q3. Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.

Answer:

Factors which cause exploitation of consumers 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

Q.4 What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?

Answer:

The rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) 1986 was to set up separate departments of Consumer Affairs in central and state governments to safeguard the interests of the consumers and to grant them the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation.

Q.5 Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.

Answer:

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 complaints against the goods or services for the bad quality or quantity, sellers deny of any fraud and try to shift all the responsibility on to the buyers. The sellers 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.

Q.6 Explain the ‘Right to seek redressal’ with an example. (2013 OD)
Or
Explain with an example how you can use the right to seek redressal. (2015 OD)
Answer:
Right to seek redressal:

1. The consumers can seek redressal against trade practices of exploitation and have the right to fair settlement of the genuine grievances.
2. He has a right to get compensation from a manufacturer/trader if he is harmed. The consumer can seek redressal through Consumer Courts functioning at district, state and national levels.
   Example: Mahesh sent a money order to his village for his mother’s medical treatment. The money did not reach his mother at the time when she needed it and reached months later. Mahesh, thus filed a case in the district level consumer court to seek redressal.

Q.7
How do ‘Consumer Protection Councils’ help consumers? Explain three ways. (2012 OD)
Answer:
The consumer movement led to the formation of various organizations locally known as ‘Consumer forums’. These are voluntary organizations.

1. They guide consumers on how to file cases in the consumer courts.
2. They represent consumers in the consumer courts.
3. These voluntary organizations receive financial support from the government for creating awareness among the consumers.

Q.8
How have markets been transformed in recent years? Explain with examples. (2014 OD)
Answer:
The initial aspect of unequal situations in a market and poor enforcement of rules and regulations have now seen a transformation in the market in recent years.

1. The transformation of markets in recent years has come because of legal institutions helping consumers in getting compensated and upholding their rights as consumers.
2. The awareness of being a well-informed consumer which arose out of consumer movement has also shifted the responsibility of ensuring quality of goods and services on the sellers.
3. The producers in the market need to strictly follow the required safety rules and regulations. The manufacturer in the market is now required to display information about the ingredients used, price, batch number, date of manufacture, expiry date and the address of the manufacturer.

For example, pressure cookers have safety valves and manufacturers have to ensure its high quality. While buying medicines the ‘directions for use’ and information relating to side effects and risk associated with its usage are to be mentioned on the packets.

Q.9
Describe the conditions in which markets do not work in a fair manner. (2015 D)
Answer:
Markets do not work in fair manner when:

• producers are few and powerful;
• consumers are numerous and purchase in small amounts and are scattered;
• large companies producing these goods having huge wealth; power and reach manipulate the market in various ways; and
• consumers are misinformed through the media and are unaware of their rights.

Q.10
How did consumer movement originate as a ‘social force’ in India? (2014 OD)
Or
“The consumer movement arose out of dissatisfaction of the consumers”. Justify the statement with arguments. (2016 OD)
Answer:
The consumer movement as a ‘social force’ originated with the necessity of protecting and promoting the interests of consumers against unethical and unfair trade practices of the producers and sellers.

1. Rampant food shortages, hoarding, black marketing and adulteration of food and edible oil gave birth to the consumer movement in an organized form in the 1960s.
2. In the early phase, consumer organizations were mainly engaged in writing articles and holding exhibitions. They formed groups to look into malpractices in ration shops and overcrowding in road passenger transport.
3. Because of all these efforts, the movement succeeded in putting pressure on business firms and the government to change their unfair ways.
   As a result of all this, a major step was taken by the Indian Government in 1986. It enacted the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, which popularly came to be known as COPRA.

Important Link

Quick Revision Notes : Consumer Rights

NCERT Solution : Consumer Rights

MCQs: Consumer Rights

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