Consumer Rights — Class 10 Social Science
Economics — Understanding Economic Development · Chapter 5
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Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- Consumer
- A person who buys goods or uses services for personal use.
- COPRA
- The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 that protects consumer rights.
- Right to be informed
- The right to know details such as price, quality and ingredients of goods.
- Right to seek redressal
- The right to get compensation for unfair trade or defective goods.
- ISI and AGMARK
- Standardisation marks certifying the quality of industrial goods and farm products.
- Consumer court
- A three-tier forum where consumers can file complaints for redressal.
- Adulteration
- Mixing inferior or harmful substances into goods to cheat consumers.
- Cash memo
- A bill given by a seller that serves as proof of purchase.
Extra questions & answers
Why do consumers need protection?
Because individual consumers are weak compared with powerful sellers who may use unfair practices such as adulteration, false claims, faulty weights and overcharging.
What rights did COPRA give to consumers?
The rights to safety, to information, to choose, to seek redressal, to be heard (representation) and to consumer education.
Why are standardisation marks like ISI and AGMARK important?
They certify that products meet recognised quality and safety standards, helping consumers identify reliable and genuine goods.
Describe the three-tier consumer redressal system.
Consumers can approach district forums for smaller claims, state commissions for larger claims, and the national commission for the biggest claims and for appeals.
How can a consumer become more aware and assertive?
By demanding a cash memo, reading labels and standardisation marks, knowing their rights, and filing complaints against unfair trade practices.
Why do consumers need protection?
Because individual consumers are weak compared with powerful sellers who may use unfair practices such as adulteration, false claims, faulty weights and overcharging.
What rights did COPRA give to consumers?
The rights to safety, to information, to choose, to seek redressal, to be heard (representation) and to consumer education.
Why are standardisation marks like ISI and AGMARK important?
They certify that products meet recognised quality and safety standards, helping consumers identify reliable and genuine goods.
Describe the three-tier consumer redressal system.
Consumers can approach district forums for smaller claims, state commissions for larger ones, and the national commission for the biggest claims and for appeals.
How can a consumer become more aware and assertive?
By demanding a cash memo, reading labels and standardisation marks, knowing their rights, and filing complaints against unfair trade practices.
LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market?
People may be exploited through underweight or short-measured goods, overcharging, hidden charges, adulterated or defective products, misleading advertisements, poor-quality services and the denial of choice, information, safety or compensation.
2. Think of one example from your experience where you thought that there was some ‘cheating’ in the market. Discuss in the classroom.
A shopkeeper once charged more than the Maximum Retail Price printed on a cold-drink bottle. After the printed price was pointed out, the shopkeeper returned the extra amount. This shows why consumers should examine labels, ask for bills and question unfair charges.
3. What do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers?
The government should make and enforce consumer-protection laws, inspect products and services, punish unfair traders, ensure accurate weights and quality standards, spread consumer awareness and provide accessible Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions for complaints and compensation.
LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. What could have been the steps taken by consumer groups?
Consumer groups could have created public awareness, investigated unfair practices, tested products, published articles, held exhibitions, guided consumers in filing complaints, represented them before commissions and pressured businesses and the government to improve consumer protection.
2. There may be rules and regulations but they are often not followed. Why? Discuss.
Rules are often ignored because supervision and enforcement are weak, consumers may not know their rights, many purchases are made without bills, legal action can take time and money, and powerful sellers may expect that individual consumers will not complain.
LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. For the following (you can add to the list) products/services discuss what safety rules should be observed by the producer?
(a) LPG cylinder (b) cinema theatre (c) circus (d) medicines (e) edible oil
(f) marriage pandal (g) a high-rise building.
(a) LPG cylinders should be leak-tested, properly sealed and fitted with standard valves. (b) Cinema theatres should have emergency exits, fire extinguishers, safe electrical wiring and controlled seating capacity. (c) Circuses should use secure equipment, trained staff, barriers and emergency medical arrangements. (d) Medicines should be correctly tested, labelled, sealed and sold before expiry with dosage and warning information. (e) Edible oil should be free from adulteration, hygienically packed and properly certified. (f) Marriage pandals should use fire-resistant materials, safe wiring, clear exits and limited occupancy. (g) High-rise buildings should follow structural, lift, fire-safety and evacuation standards.
2. Find out any case of accident or negligence from people around you, where you think that the responsibility lay with the producer. Discuss.
A newly purchased electric iron developed a fault and gave its user a shock because its insulation was defective. Since the danger arose from a manufacturing defect, the producer was responsible for repairing or replacing the iron and compensating the consumer for any loss caused.
LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. When we buy commodities we find that the price charged is sometimes higher or lower than the Maximum Retail Price printed on the pack. Discuss the possible reasons. Should consumer groups do something about this?
A price lower than the MRP may result from discounts, competition, clearance sales or bargaining. Charging above the MRP may occur because of consumer ignorance, artificial scarcity or an unfair demand for extra money. Consumer groups should publicise that the MRP is the maximum charge, encourage buyers to demand bills and help them complain against overcharging.
2. Pick up a few packaged goods that you want to buy and examine the information given. In what ways are they useful? Is there some information that you think should be given on those packaged goods but is not? Discuss.
Packaged goods usually show their ingredients, net quantity, MRP, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates, manufacturer’s address, instructions and certification marks. These details help consumers compare products, use them safely and seek replacement or compensation. Labels could also clearly state possible allergens, environmental effects, disposal instructions and an easy complaint contact.
3. People make complaints about the lack of civic amenities such as bad roads or poor water and health facilities but no one listens. Now the RTI Act gives you the power to question. Do you agree? Discuss.
Yes. The RTI Act allows citizens to ask government departments for records and explanations about public works and services. People can seek information about budgets, contractors, deadlines, inspections and reasons for delays, making public authorities more transparent and accountable.
LET’S WORK THIS OUT
The following are some of the catchy advertisements of products that we purchase from the market. Which of the following offers would really benefit consumers? Discuss.
• 15 gm more in every 500 gm pack.
• Subscribe for a newspaper with a gift at the end of a year.
• Scratch and win gifts worth Rs 10 lakhs.
• A milk chocolate inside a 500 gram glucose box.
• Win a gold coin inside a pack.
• Buy shoes worth Rs 2000 and get one pair of shoes worth Rs 500 free.
The offer of 15 gm extra in every 500 gm pack gives a definite and measurable benefit to every buyer. The free chocolate and free pair of shoes may also benefit buyers if the basic product is genuinely needed and its price has not been increased. The newspaper gift should be judged against the subscription price and conditions. Scratch-card and gold-coin offers benefit only a few buyers and mainly attract people through chance, so they should not influence a purchase unless the product itself is suitable and fairly priced.
LET’S WORK THIS OUT
Arrange the following in the correct order.
(a) Arita files a case in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
(b) She engages a professional person.
(c) She realises that the dealer has given her defective material.
(d) She starts attending the commission proceedings.
(e) She goes and complains to the dealer and the Branch office, to no effect.
(f) She is asked to produce the bill and warranty before the commission.
(g) She purchases a wall clock from a retail outlet.
(h) Within a few months, the dealer was ordered by the commission to replace her old wall clock with a brand new one at no extra cost.
The correct order is: (g), (c), (e), (a), (b), (d), (f), (h).
LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. Look at the posters and cartoons in this chapter. Think of any particular commodity and the aspects that need to be looked at as a consumer. Design a poster for this.
CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY PACKAGED FOOD
• Read the ingredients and nutrition information.
• Check the manufacturing and expiry dates.
• Confirm the net weight and MRP.
• Look for proper certification and an intact seal.
• Demand a bill and keep it safely.
AN ALERT CONSUMER IS A SAFE CONSUMER.
2. Find out the nearest Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for your area.
The appropriate first-level body for most local consumer complaints is the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission serving the consumer’s district. Its address can be obtained from the district administration or the Department of Consumer Affairs before filing the complaint.
3. What is the difference between consumer protection council and Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission?
A consumer protection council is generally a voluntary organisation that creates awareness, advises consumers and may help or represent them in filing complaints. A Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission is a quasi-judicial authority established under consumer law that hears cases, examines evidence and orders remedies such as replacement, refund or compensation.
4. The Consumer Protection Act 1986 ensures the following as rights which every consumer in India should possess
(i) Right to choice. (iv) Right to representation.
(ii) Right to information. (v) Right to safety.
(iii) Right to redressal. (vi) Right to consumer education.
Categorise the following cases under different heads and mark against each in brackets.
The cases can be categorised according to the consumer right mainly involved in each situation.
4. (a) Lata got an electric shock from a newly purchased iron. She complained to the shopkeeper immediately. ( )
Right to safety.
4. (b) John is dissatisfied with the services provided by MTNL/BSNL/TATA INDICOM for the past few months. He files a case in the District Level Consumer Commission. ( )
Right to redressal.
4. (c) Your friend has been sold a medicine that has crossed the expiry date and you are advising her to lodge a complaint ( ).
Right to consumer education.
4. (d) Iqbal makes it a point to scan through all the particulars given on the pack of any item that he buys. ( )
Right to information.
4. (e) You are not satisfied with the services of the cable operator catering to your locality but you are unable to switch over to anybody else. ( )
Right to choice.
4. (f) You realise that you have received a defective camera from a dealer. You are complaining to the head office persistently ( ).
Right to representation.
5. If the standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, why are many goods available in the market without ISI or Agmark certification?
Quality standards are developed for many products, but certification is not compulsory for every kind of commodity. It is mandatory mainly for specified products that affect health and safety or are widely consumed. Other producers may sell goods without these marks, although consumers should prefer certified products wherever quality and safety are important.
6. Find out the details of who provides Hallmark and ISO certification.
Hallmark certification for jewellery is provided through the Bureau of Indian Standards. ISO standards are developed by the International Organization for Standardization, while certification that a producer follows an ISO standard is carried out by authorised certification bodies.
EXERCISES
1. Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
Rules and regulations are required because individual consumers are usually weaker than producers and sellers and may be exploited. For example, a shopkeeper may use false weights, charge more than the printed price, sell adulterated food or refuse responsibility for a defective product. Safety rules, labelling requirements, quality standards and consumer commissions make sellers accountable and protect buyers.
2. What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
The movement arose from consumer dissatisfaction with unfair trade practices and the absence of an effective legal system. Food shortages, hoarding, black marketing and adulteration gave it an organised form in the 1960s. During the 1970s, consumer organisations wrote articles, held exhibitions and investigated ration shops and transport problems. Their growing pressure contributed to the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, later amended in 2019, and to the expansion of consumer organisations and redressal institutions.
3. Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
Consumer consciousness enables buyers to protect themselves and demand fair treatment. First, a buyer who checks the expiry date can reject an expired medicine and complain against the seller. Second, a customer who reads the MRP and demands a bill can challenge overcharging and preserve evidence for a complaint.
4. Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.
Consumer exploitation is caused by limited information, lack of awareness, weak bargaining power, scattered buyers, powerful producers, shortage of goods, misleading advertisements, poor enforcement of laws, absence of bills and lengthy complaint procedures.
5. What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?
The Act was enacted to protect consumers from unfair trade practices and provide a simple legal system for the redressal of complaints. It recognised consumer rights and established district, state and national bodies that could order refunds, replacements, compensation and other remedies.
6. Describe some of your duties as consumers if you visit a shopping complex in your locality.
A consumer should compare prices and quality, read labels, check the MRP, quantity, manufacturing and expiry dates, examine the seal, look for relevant certification marks, demand a proper bill, follow usage instructions and complain when goods or services are defective or unfairly sold.
7. Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have to look for and why?
I should look for the Agmark certification on agricultural food products such as honey and check the required food-quality and labelling information on both products. Such certification and labelling indicate that prescribed quality standards have been followed and help protect consumers from adulterated or unsafe food.
8. What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
The government enacted the Consumer Protection Act in 1986 and amended it in 2019. It recognised consumer rights, established a three-tier redressal system at district, state and national levels, enabled consumers to file complaints directly and provided remedies against defective goods, deficient services and unfair trade practices. Separate Departments of Consumer Affairs and quality-certification systems also support consumer protection.
9. Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each.
The right to safety protects consumers from hazardous goods and services. The right to information gives access to details such as ingredients, price, quantity and expiry date. The right to choice protects buyers from being forced to purchase unwanted products. The right to representation allows consumer interests to be heard. The right to seek redressal provides remedies such as refund, replacement and compensation. The right to consumer education helps people understand and exercise all these rights.
10. By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?
Consumers can form or join consumer organisations, resident welfare associations and consumer forums. They can conduct awareness campaigns, share information, report unfair practices, file collective complaints or class-action cases and support consumer movements at local, national and international levels.
11. Critically examine the progress of consumer movement in India.
The movement has achieved important gains, including consumer rights, legal protection, quality certification, awareness campaigns and a three-tier redressal system. Thousands of consumer groups have emerged, and the 2019 amendment extended protection to online purchases and encouraged mediation. However, only a limited number of groups are well organised, awareness spreads slowly, bills are often unavailable and the redressal process may be costly, cumbersome and time-consuming. Stronger enforcement and greater public participation are still required.
12. (i) Availing details of ingredients of a product
(e) Right to information
12. (ii) Agmark
(c) Certification of edible oil and cereals
12. (iii) Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter
(a) Right to safety
12. (iv) District Consumer Commission
(b) Dealing with consumer cases
12. (v) Food fortification
(g) Addition of key nutrients to staple foods
12. (vi) Consumers International
(f) Global level institution of consumer welfare organisations
12. (vii) Bureau of Indian Standards
(d) Agency that develop standards for goods and services
13. (i) COPRA applies only to goods.
False. Consumer-protection law covers both goods and services.
13. (ii) India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive authorities established for consumer disputes redressal.
True.
13. (iii) When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must file a case in the District Consumer Commission.
False. A consumer may first approach the seller or obtain help from a consumer organisation, and the appropriate commission depends on the nature and value of the claim.
13. (iv) It is worthwhile to move to consumer commissions only if the damages incurred are of high value.
False. Consumers may seek redressal even for losses of comparatively small value.
13. (v) Hallmark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellry.
True.
13. (vi) The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick.
False. Although it was intended to be accessible, the process can become cumbersome, expensive and time-consuming.
13. (vii) A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of the damage.
True.
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS / ACTIVITIES
1. Your school organises a consumer awareness week. As the Secretary of the Consumer Awareness Forum, draft a poster covering all the consumer rights. You may use the clues and ideas given in the poster on page 84 and 85. This activity can be done with the help of your English teacher.
CONSUMER AWARENESS WEEK
KNOW AND ASSERT YOUR RIGHTS
• Right to safety
• Right to information
• Right to choice
• Right to representation
• Right to seek redressal
• Right to consumer education
Check labels and certification marks. Demand a bill. Reject expired or defective goods. Report unfair practices. An informed consumer is an empowered consumer.
2. Mrs. Krishna bought a colour television (CTV) against six months warranty. The CTV stopped working after three months. When she complained to the dealer / shop where it was purchased, they sent an engineer to set it right. The CTV continues to give trouble and Mrs Krishna no longer gets any reply to the complaint she made to the dealer / shop. She decides to write to the Consumer Commission in her area. Write a letter on her behalf. You may discuss with your partner / group members before you write it.
To
The President
District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
Subject: Complaint regarding a defective colour television
Sir/Madam,
I purchased a colour television from a local dealer with a six-month warranty. The television stopped working after three months. Although the dealer sent an engineer once, the defect was not properly removed, and the television continues to malfunction. My later complaints have received no response.
I am enclosing copies of the bill, warranty and complaint records. I request the Commission to direct the dealer or manufacturer to replace the defective television or refund its price and provide suitable compensation for the inconvenience and deficiency in service.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Krishna
3. Establish a consumer club in your school. Organise mock consumer awareness workshops like monitoring bookshops, canteen, and shops in your school area.
The school consumer club can elect student representatives, hold meetings on consumer rights and inspect nearby bookshops, the canteen and other shops. Students can check whether prices are displayed, bills are issued, packaged goods are within their expiry dates, correct weights are used and hygiene standards are maintained. The findings can be presented in a mock workshop with suggestions for improvement.
4. Prepare posters with catchy slogans like:
– An alert consumer is a safe consumer
– Buyers, Beware
– Consumers be cautious
– Be aware of your rights
– As consumers, assert your right
– Arise, awake and stop not till ______________________ (Complete it)
Arise, awake and stop not till every consumer receives justice.
5. Interview 4-5 persons in your neighbourhood and collect varied experiences regarding how they have been victims of such exploitation and their responses.
One person was charged above the MRP and obtained a refund after showing the printed price. Another received an underweight grocery packet and had it replaced. A third bought an expired food product and complained to the shopkeeper. A fourth faced repeated failure of an appliance during its warranty period and wrote to the manufacturer. A fifth was given a misleading mobile-service offer and filed a formal complaint. These experiences show the importance of bills, labels, written complaints and persistence.
6. Conduct a survey in your locality by supplying the following questionnaire to get an idea as to how alert they are as consumers.
The questionnaire may be given to residents with the choices Always, Sometimes and Never. Their responses can be counted and compared to determine how regularly they demand bills, examine labels, question unfair practices and protect their consumer interests.
1. When you buy some item, do you insist on a bill?
Always — a bill is proof of purchase and is useful when seeking replacement, refund or compensation.
2. Do you keep the bill carefully?
Always — it should be kept at least for the warranty period or until there is no possibility of a dispute.
3. If you realise that you have been tricked by the shopkeeper, have you bothered to complain to him or her?
Always — the consumer should clearly explain the problem and request a proper remedy.
4. Have you been able to convince him or her that you’ve been cheated?
Always, where the available bill, label or other evidence establishes the unfair practice.
5. Do you simply grumble to yourself reconciling that it is your fate that you are often being victimised so and it is nothing new?
Never — the consumer should raise the matter with the seller and use the available complaint system.
6. Do you look for ISI mark, expiry date etc.?
Always — relevant certification marks and dates help in checking quality and safety.
7. If the expiry date mentioned is just a month or so away, do you insist on a fresh packet?
Always, especially when the product may not be consumed before the expiry date.
8. Do you weigh the new gas cylinder/old newspapers yourself before buying/selling?
Always — checking the weight helps prevent short measurement or unfair payment.
9. Do you raise an objection if a vegetable seller uses stones in place of the exact weight?
Always — only proper and verified weights should be used.
10. Do excessively bright coloured vegetables arouse your suspicion?
Always — unnatural colouring may indicate the use of unsafe substances.
11. Are you brand-conscious?
Always, in the sense of checking a producer’s reliability, but a brand name should not replace examination of quality, price and product information.
12. Do you associate high price with good quality (to reassure yourself that after all you have not paid a higher price just like that)?
Never — a high price alone does not guarantee quality.
13. Do you unhesitatingly respond to catchy offers?
Never — the price, quality, conditions and actual usefulness of the product should be checked first.
14. Do you compare the price paid by you with those of others?
Always — comparison helps identify overcharging and better-value alternatives.
15. Do you strongly believe that your shopkeeper never cheats a regular customer like you?
Never — every purchase should be checked carefully regardless of familiarity with the seller.
16. Do you favour ‘home delivery’ provision of items without any doubt regarding weight etc.?
Never — delivered goods should still be checked for quantity, quality, price and condition.
17. Do you insist on ‘paying by meter’ when you travel by auto?
Always — payment by an authorised meter helps ensure a fair fare.