Class 10 › Social Science › Economics — Understanding Economic Development Consumer Rights Class 10 Social Science · Economics — Understanding Economic Development · Chapter 5
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View all 12 amazing Marks Booster kits → This chapter explains why consumers need protection in the marketplace and how their rights are safeguarded. Individual consumers are often in a weak position against powerful producers and sellers, who may use unfair practices such as adulteration, false weights and measures, misleading advertisements, and overcharging. The chapter traces the consumer movement in India and the passing of the Consumer Protection Act in 1986 (COPRA), which gave consumers a set of important rights and a system to enforce them. It describes the rights of consumers — the right to safety, to be informed, to choose, to seek redressal, to be heard and to consumer education. It explains standardisation marks such as ISI, AGMARK and Hallmark that assure the quality of goods, and the three-tier redressal machinery of district, state and national consumer courts. The chapter encourages consumers to become aware and assertive — to demand cash memos, read labels and exercise their rights — and to take part in the consumer movement so that markets become fair and honest.
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.
Q1 Why do consumers need protection? Answer Q2 What rights did COPRA give to consumers? Answer Q3 Why are standardisation marks like ISI and AGMARK important? Answer Q4 Describe the three-tier consumer redressal system. Answer Q5 How can a consumer become more aware and assertive? Answer Q6 Why do consumers need protection? Answer Q7 What rights did COPRA give to consumers? Answer Q8 Why are standardisation marks like ISI and AGMARK important? Answer Q9 Describe the three-tier consumer redressal system. Answer Q10 How can a consumer become more aware and assertive? Answer Q1 1. What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market? Answer Q2 2. Think of one example from your experience where you thought that there was some ‘cheating’ in the market. Discuss in the classroom. Answer Q3 3. What do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers? Answer Q1 1. What could have been the steps taken by consumer groups? Answer Q2 2. There may be rules and regulations but they are often not followed. Why? Discuss. Answer Q1 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. Answer Q2 2. Find out any case of accident or negligence from people around you, where you think that the responsibility lay with the producer. Discuss. Answer Q1 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? Answer Q2 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. Answer Q3 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. Answer Q1 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. Answer Q1 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. Answer Q1 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. Answer Q2 2. Find out the nearest Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for your area. Answer Q3 3. What is the difference between consumer protection council and Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission? Answer Q4 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. Answer Q5 4. (a) Lata got an electric shock from a newly purchased iron. She complained to the shopkeeper immediately. ( ) Answer Q6 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. ( ) Answer Q7 4. (c) Your friend has been sold a medicine that has crossed the expiry date and you are advising her to lodge a complaint ( ). Answer Q8 4. (d) Iqbal makes it a point to scan through all the particulars given on the pack of any item that he buys. ( ) Answer Q9 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. ( ) Answer Q10 4. (f) You realise that you have received a defective camera from a dealer. You are complaining to the head office persistently ( ). Answer Q11 5. If the standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, why are many goods available in the market without ISI or Agmark certification? Answer Q12 6. Find out the details of who provides Hallmark and ISO certification. Answer Q1 1. Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples. Answer Q2 2. What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution. Answer Q3 3. Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples. Answer Q4 4. Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers. Answer Q5 5. What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986? Answer Q6 6. Describe some of your duties as consumers if you visit a shopping complex in your locality. Answer Q7 7. Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have to look for and why? Answer Q8 8. What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India? Answer Q9 9. Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each. Answer Q10 10. By what means can the consumers express their solidarity? Answer Q11 11. Critically examine the progress of consumer movement in India. Answer Q12 12. (i) Availing details of ingredients of a product Answer Q14 12. (iii) Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter Answer Q15 12. (iv) District Consumer Commission Answer Q16 12. (v) Food fortification Answer Q17 12. (vi) Consumers International Answer Q18 12. (vii) Bureau of Indian Standards Answer Q19 13. (i) COPRA applies only to goods. Answer Q20 13. (ii) India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive authorities established for consumer disputes redressal. Answer Q21 13. (iii) When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must file a case in the District Consumer Commission. Answer Q22 13. (iv) It is worthwhile to move to consumer commissions only if the damages incurred are of high value. Answer Q23 13. (v) Hallmark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellry. Answer Q24 13. (vi) The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick. Answer Q25 13. (vii) A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of the damage. Answer Q1 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. Answer Q2 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. Answer Q3 3. Establish a consumer club in your school. Organise mock consumer awareness workshops like monitoring bookshops, canteen, and shops in your school area. Answer Q4 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) Answer Q5 5. Interview 4-5 persons in your neighbourhood and collect varied experiences regarding how they have been victims of such exploitation and their responses. Answer Q6 6. Conduct a survey in your locality by supplying the following questionnaire to get an idea as to how alert they are as consumers. Answer Q7 1. When you buy some item, do you insist on a bill? Answer Q8 2. Do you keep the bill carefully? Answer Q9 3. If you realise that you have been tricked by the shopkeeper, have you bothered to complain to him or her? Answer Q10 4. Have you been able to convince him or her that you’ve been cheated? Answer Q11 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? Answer Q12 6. Do you look for ISI mark, expiry date etc.? Answer Q13 7. If the expiry date mentioned is just a month or so away, do you insist on a fresh packet? Answer Q14 8. Do you weigh the new gas cylinder/old newspapers yourself before buying/selling? Answer Q15 9. Do you raise an objection if a vegetable seller uses stones in place of the exact weight? Answer Q16 10. Do excessively bright coloured vegetables arouse your suspicion? Answer Q17 11. Are you brand-conscious? Answer Q18 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)? Answer Q19 13. Do you unhesitatingly respond to catchy offers? Answer Q20 14. Do you compare the price paid by you with those of others? Answer Q21 15. Do you strongly believe that your shopkeeper never cheats a regular customer like you? Answer Q22 16. Do you favour ‘home delivery’ provision of items without any doubt regarding weight etc.? Answer Q23 17. Do you insist on ‘paying by meter’ when you travel by auto? Answer
COPRA, enacted in 1986, is the:
A Cooperative Production Act B Consumer Protection Act C Currency Policy Reform Act D Company Profit Regulation Act
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