Role of Consumer Protection Act in protecting the Rights of Consumer in India

 Role of Consumer Protection Act in protecting the Rights of Consumer in India

The rising interconnection of the global economy, as well as the multinational nature of many corporate operations, has aided the establishment of a universal focus on consumer rights protection and promotion. Consumers, consumers, and customers all around the world are seeking more value for their money in the shape of better products and services. Without a question, modern technology advancements have had a significant influence on the quality, availability, and security of goods and services. Consumers, on the other hand, continue to be victims of unethical and exploitative tactics. Consumers are exploited in a variety of ways, including food adulteration, fake pharmaceuticals, questionable hire buy schemes, excessive costs, low quality, inadequate services, deceptive promotions, dangerous items, black marketing, and so on. Furthermore, with the advancement of information technology, newer kinds of challenges are thrown on the consumer like cyber crimes, plastic money etc., which affect the consumer in even bigger way. ‘Consumer is sovereign’ and ‘customer is the king’ are nothing more than myths in the present scenario particularly in the developing societies. However, it has been realized and rightly so that the Consumer protection is a socio- economic programme to be pursued by the government as well as the business as the satisfaction of the consumers is in the interest of both. In this context, the government, however, has a primary responsibility to protect the consumers’ interests and rights through appropriate policy measures, legal structure and administrative framework.

Consumers participate in the marketplace by using a particular product. Had there been no consumer no company would exist. The status of consumer is more or less pathetic as far as consumer rights are concerned. You can take examples of shopkeepers weighing less than he should, company’ making false claims on packs. Then there are local sweetmeat sellers adulterating raw materials to produce the laddoos or barfis. You can recall the case of dropsy because of adulterated mustard oil. No matter how bad quality you get, chances are you will get a rude response from the shopkeeper if you dare to complain. 

It should be noted right away that anyone engaged in the duty of consumer protection must be well-versed in a variety of legislation, not only the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. Contract, Tort, Railways, Telegraphs, Telephones, Post, Air Travel, Insurance, Electricity, Water, Housing, Medicine, Banking, Finance, Engineering, Motor Vehicles, Hotel Industry, Entertainment, Cooperative Societies, Tourism Agencies, Sales Tax, Central Excise, Limitation, Transportation, and other laws should be familiar to him. There is no limit to the kind of issues that can be brought before a Consumer Forum or Commission for consideration. Furthermore, one should be knowledgeable with the rules governing unfair commercial practises and restrictive trade practises. Whatever the case may be. Various Acts have been enacted in India to safeguard consumers.

The Objectives of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 in India

The purpose of the Act is to provide for the establishment of the Commission:

· To prevent practices having adverse effect on competition;

· To promote and sustain competition in markets;

· To protect the interests of consumers and

· To ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants in the markets, in India

The efficient and powerful programme of Consumer Protection is of unique importance to anybody due to the fact all of us are clients. Even a producer or issuer of a provider is a patron of a few different items or offerings. If each the producers/ vendors and clients recognize the want for co-existence, adulterated products, spurious items and different deficiencies in offerings might emerge as a component of the past. The lively involvement and participation from all quarters i.e. the critical and country governments, the academic Institutions, the NGO’s, the print and digital media and the adoption and observance of a voluntary code of behavior with the aid of using the alternate and enterprise and the citizen’s constitution with the aid of using the provider vendors is important to look that the clients get their due. The want of the hour is for general dedication to the patron reason and social responsiveness to patron needs. This must, however, continue in a harmonious way in order that our society turns into a higher region for anybody to stay in. Educate clients to expand an information approximately their obligations as clients. Consumer must arrange collectively to expand the electricity and impact to sell and defend their personal interest. Government must make and put into effect guidelines of punishment greater harsh in order that producer and shopkeeper assume two times earlier than adopting fraudulent practices. A marketing campaign must be set in movement to contain every and each patron for making them greater aware and aware about their proper and obligations. Government and different patron groups must make efforts withinside the path of propaganda and exposure of district forum, country and country wide judiciary mounted for patron safety with a view to make an increasing number of patron privy to equipment for his or her more involvement and to are trying to find justice in case of grievances. Redress manner must be made greater logical, easy sufficient to be understood with the aid of using a big wide variety of clients. Further techniques shall so designed as to have clean coping with and brief disposal of cases.