Intext Questions

Q.1     What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market?
Sol.     Some of the ways by which people may be exploited in the market are as follows:
           1. The shopkeeper may underweigh an item.
           2. Things past their use by date may be sold.
3. White goods with some manufacturing defects may be sold.
           4. Automobiles with engine defects may be sold.

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Q.2     Think of one example from your experience where you thought that there was some ‘cheating’ in the market. Discuss in the classroom.
Sol.     When I buy fish, I always doubt that he underweighs the fish. I have cross-checked at my home and found my doubt to be true. Whenever I have tried to argue with the fish-seller, he tends to become too aggressive.

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Q.3     What do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers?
Sol.     Government should formulate rules and regulations so that producers should maintain a certain minimum level of quality. Government should enforce rules regarding weights and measures. Any company which makes false claims about a product should be immediately brought to book. Cases relating to consumer complaints should be solved at a faster pace.

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Page 78

Q.1     What could have been the steps taken by consumer groups?
Sol.     Consumer groups should increase public awareness about consumer rights. Consumer groups should see to it that every case regarding consumer complaint reaches its logical conclusion.

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Q.2     There may be rules and regulations but they are often not followed. Why? Discuss.
Sol.     There are various reasons for rules and regulations not being followed. Public apathy is the biggest reason. We; as consumer; try to avoid confrontation over trivial issues and most of the cases go unreported. Corruption is another reason, which allows the culprit to go scot free. Unnecessary delay in the proceedings also works as de-motivator for many people.

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Page 79

Q.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
Sol.     (a) Rules regarding safety
           (b) Rules regarding fire safety 
           (c) Rules regarding fire safety and ethical treatment for animals
           (d) Rules regarding expiry date, information of ingredients and side effects
           (e) Rules regarding food safety
           (f) Rules regarding fire safety
           (g) Rules regarding fire safety and provisions for evacuation in case of emergency

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Q.2     Find out any case of accident or negligence from people around you, where you think that the responsibility lay with the producer. Discuss.
Sol.     Recently, one of my neighbours purchased a car. The steering system of the car was defective. The driver was lucky to survive a minor accident with small injuries. Within a few days of that accident the car company announced a recall of about 50,000 cars to rectify the problem.

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Page 80

Q.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?
Sol.     This often happens with packaged milk and cold drinks. The shopkeeper charges Re. 1 extra and says that he needs to recover the cost of electricity because he needs to keep them in freezer. Sometimes, the shopkeepers give discount on MRP for clearing excess stock. While selling at a price less than the MRP is beneficial for the consumer, overcharging should be dealt with properly. Consumer groups should take notice of this problem. We can also ask for cooperation from RWAs (Resident Welfare Association).

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Q.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.
Sol.     On most of the packs, information regarding ingredients, adverse events and use by date is given. All the items should display a toll-free number on which a consumer can contact in case of a complaint or feedback.

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Q.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.
Sol.     RTI act has definitely helped in extracting information from civic authorities. Many activists have gathered information about road, water and health facilities and have used such information to pressurize the civic authorities. This has helped in some extent to improve the condition but a lot more needs to be done.

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Page 82

Q.1     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.
           (a) 15 gm more in every 500 gm pack.
           (b) Subscribe for a newspaper with a gift at the end of a year.
           (c) Scratch and win gifts worth Rs 10 lakhs.
           (d) A milk chocolate inside a 500 gram glucose box.
           (e) Win a gold coin inside a pack.
           (f) Buy shoes worth Rs 2000 and get one pair of shoes worth Rs 500 free.
Sol.     Freebies which can be instantly claimed are always beneficial for the consumer. But promise of some prize; like gold coin or Rs. 10 lakh; are just eyewash. Till date I have never heard of someone winning Rs. 10 lakh after buying a bottle cold drink.

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Page 86

Q.3     What is the difference between consumer protection council and consumer court?
Sol.     The consumer protection council promotes and protects the various rights of the consumer. The consumer court is made to hear the cases regarding a consumer complaint. Consumer protection council is an advisory body, while consumer court is a quasi judiciary body.

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Q.4     The Consumer Protection Act 1986 ensures the following as rights which every consumer in India should possess
              1. Right to choice.
           2. Right  to information.
           3. Right to representation.
           4. Right to redressal.
           5. Right to representation.
           6. Right to safety.
           7. Right to consumer education.

           Categories the following cases under different heads and mark against each in brackets.

           (a) Lata got an electric shock from a newly purchased iron. She complained to the shopkeeper immediately.
Sol.     Right to safety, right to representation

           (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 Forum.
Sol.     Right to representation

             (c) Your friend has been sold a medicine that has crossed the expiry date and you are advising her to lodge a complaint
Sol.     Right to representation

             (d) Iqbal makes it a point to scan through all the particulars given on the pack of an item that he buys.
Sol.     Right to information, Right to education

             (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.
Sol.     Right to choice

             (f) You realise that you have received a defective camera from a dealer. You are complaining to the head office persistently.
Sol.     Right to representation, Right to redressal

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Q.5     If the standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, why are many goods available in the market without ISI or Agmark certification?
Sol.     There are many companies which do not opt for these certifications. They may be trying to save some money. They may not be confident of their quality. It is difficult to implement rules and regulations at all levels.

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Q.6     Find out the details of who provides Hallmark and ISO certification.
Sol.     In India, Hallmark is provided by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) which is the national standards organization of India. Hallmark is given to gold and silver jewelry in India. ISO (International Standards Organisation) is an international body with headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1947.

Exercise

Q.1     Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
Sol.     Rules and regulations are required so that markets function in smooth and just manner. Profit maximization is the prime motive of any business. Rules and regulations ensure that the profit does not come at the cost of the quality of life of the consumer. In our day-to-day life, we can see many instances of food adulteration. The milk seller, the sweet-meat seller, etc. usually adulterate the food items they sell. It is important to stop such practices by enforcing proper rules.

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Q.2     What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
Sol.     India had a long tradition of malpractices in business; such as food adulteration, hoarding, underweighing, etc. Right from the 1960s, various consumer associations came into origin. They began to raise public awareness and to fight to consumer protection. As a result of consumer movement, the COPRA was finally enacted in 1986.

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Q.3     Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
Sol.     Many people seldom bother to check the MRP and pay whatever the shopkeeper demands. While developing a faith on the neighbourhood shopkeeper is a good attitude, but one should always check the MRP. Some people do not even check the expiry date on the pack of a medicine. This can prove to be dangerous and can even be life threatening for the patient who is going to consume the medicine. These examples suggests that there is a real need for consumer consciousness.

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Q.4     Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.
Sol.     Some of the factors which cause exploitation of consumers are as follows:
1. Lack of awareness among consumers.
2. Greed of businessperson.
3. Lax enforcement of rules.
4. Slow and time taking process of consumer grievance redressal.

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Q.5     What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?
Sol.     Protection of consumers against exploitation was the main rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986.

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Q.6     Describe some of your duties as consumers if you visit a shopping complex in your locality.
Sol.     While visiting a shopping complex, I should check if proper parking facility is available or not. I should check for the presence of fire fighting equipments. I should check if any item beyond its expiry date is lying on the shelf. I should ensure that billing calculation is correct.

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Q.7     Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have to look for and why?
Sol.     I will look for AGMARK logo. This logo shows that food safety norms have been followed while making these items.

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Q.8     What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
Sol.     The government enacted COPRA in 1986 to empower the consumers in India. After that, the government opened consumer courts at various levels so that people can register their complaints.

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Q.9     Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each.
Sol.     Some of the rights of consumers are as follows: Right to information: A consumer has the right to be informed about the ingredients, expiry date and adverse events related to the product. Right to choice: A consumer has the right to choose from among various options. For example; when someone goes to buy a pen, he has the right to compare various brands so that he can make an informed buying decision. Right to seek redressal: If a consumer is not satisfied with the product or services he buys, he has the right to seek redressal. Many companies have a dedicated section for consumer complaint and feedback. Apart from that, the consumer can also go to a consumer court if he feels that the seller is not willing to solve his problem.

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Q.10     By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?
Sol.       Consumers can become part of a consumer group to help fellow consumers. A consumer can also do his own bit in raising consumer awareness. This can be done by taking out poster campaigns, by writing letter to editor, by writing blog, etc.

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Q.11     Critically examine the progress of consumer movement in India.
Sol.       The consumer movement began in India out of a desire to fight the tradition of exploitation at the hands of sellers. There was no legal framework to protect the interest of consumers. It was only after a two decade long struggle that the government set up the consumer courts. Still many cases of consumer complaint remain pending for long years. It takes about 20 to 30 years to decide on court cases. The consumer movement is still not powerful enough to take on the powerful business lobby and a lot more needs to be done.

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Q.12    Match the following.

Column-I	Column-I
1. Availing details of ingredients of a product	(a) Right to safety
2. Agmark	(b) Dealing with consumer cases
3. Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter	(c) Certification of edible oil and cereals
4. District Consumer Court	(d) Agency that develop standards for goods and services
5. Consumer International	(e) Right to information
6. Bureau of Indian Standards	(f) Global level institution of consumer welfare organizations

Sol. 1-(e), 2- (c), 3-(a), 4-(b), 5-(f), 6-(d)

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Q.13     Say True or False.
             1. COPRA applies only to goods. (False)
             2. India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive courts for consumer redressal. (True)
             3. When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must file a case in the District Consumer Court. (True)
             4. It is worthwhile to move to consumer courts only if the damages incurred are of high value. (False)
             5. Hallmark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellry. (True)
             6. The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick. (False)
             7. A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of the damage. (True)