1. CONSUMER PROTECTION
1

2. GANDHI SAYS,
A Customer is the most important visitor in our
premises. He is not dependent on us. We are
dependent on him. He is not an interruption
in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not
an outsider on our business. He is the part of
it. We are not doing him a favour by serving
him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an
opportunity to do so.-
Mahatma Gandhi
2

3. Why have milk prices gone up so much?.
In the olden days the mothers milked the
cows, the daughter set it out in pans to
separate the crème, one of the sons sold
it in the market. Today the agriculture
department is mobilized, the cow sheds
are sterilized, the cows are immunized,
the milk is homogenized, the supplies are
motorized, the dairies are organized, the
political leaders are energized. The
result, the Indian consumer is victimized.
Former Vice president M. Hidayathulla.
Courtesy: Readers Digest, Nov 1984
3

4. CONSUMER
Vs
CUSTOMER
4

5. Common Problems of Indian
Consumers.
Problem Related to
Products:
• High price
• Substandard
Quality
• Artificial Scarcity
• Incorrect weights
and measures
5

6. • abuse of monopoly positions,
• spurious drugs,
• non-standard goods,
• poor after-sales services,
• pressure selling,
• sales gimmicks,
• deceptive advertising,
• Adulteration
6

7. Rice - Stone
Milk - Water
Butter - Potato Chutney
Animal Fat
Ice Crème - Custard Powder
Honey - Jaggary
Sweet - Saccharin
Silver Foil - Aluminium Foil
Chilli Powder- Brick Powder
Tea, Coffee - Tamarind Seed Powder
7

8. Problems Related to
Service:
• Banks
• Builders
• Education
• Communication
• Water and electricity Supply
• Health Services
8

9. Law Relating to Consumer Protection
 The Indian Sale of Goods Act 1930.
 Agricultural Produce { Grading and
Marking} Act 1937.
 Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940.
 Emblems and Names { Prevention and
Improper Use } Act 1950.
 Indian Standard Institution { Certification
Marks } Act 1952.
 Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954.
 The drugs and Magic Remedies
{ Objectionable Advertisement } Act 1954.
 The Essential Commodities Act 1955.
 The Trade and Merchandise Marks Act
1958.
 The Export { Quality Control and
Inspection } Act 1963.
 MRTP Act, 1969.
9

10. Law Relating to Consumer
Protection(contd)….
 Hire Purchases Act 1972.
 The Water { Prevention and Control of Pollution } Act
1974.
 The Standards of Weights and Measures Act 1976.
 Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of
Supplies of Essential Commodities Act 1980.
 The Air { Prevention and Control of Pollution } Act
1981.
 The Environment Protection Act 1986.
 Bureau of Indian Standards [BIS] Act 1986.
 Consumer Protection Act 1986.
 Right to Information Act 2005.
10

11. The Consumers are ignorant of these laws due to
various reasons:
Illiteracy
Technical Languages
Acts are not in Regional languages
11

12. There are three Agencies for Consumer
Protection:
Government- Statutory regulations
Business- Fair deal to consumers
Consumers- Organisations
12

13. Why COPRA
• To Protect Consumers
from Exploitation
• To Save them from
Adulterated and
Substandard Goods
• To save them from
deficient Services
• To provide speedy and
inexpensive redressal
13

14. When COPRA Implemented
• Act Passed on 24th Dec
1986
• Implemented on 15th April
1987
• All Provisions came to
operation in July 1987.
• Four Chapters and 31
Sections
14

15. Who is a Consumer
• According to COPRA, in a simple
language, consumer means – a
person who buys goods or hires
any service for consideration,
paid or promised and includes
the user of goods, using them
with the approval of the buyer
and does not include a person
who obtains goods for resale or
for any other commercial
purpose but includes a person
who buys goods exclusively for
the purpose of earning his
livelihood, by means of self – 15
employment.

16. Consumer Protection
Council
• Central Consumer Protection
Council
• State Consumer Protection
Council
• District Consumer Protection
Council
16

17. Consumer Disputes Redressal
Agencies
Consumer Disputes
Redressal Agencies:
*District Consumer
Disputes Redressal
Forum
*State Consumer
Disputes Redressal
Commission
*National Consumer
Disputes Redressal
Commission.
17

18. Consumer Rights
 Right to safety
 Right to choose
 Right to be informed
 Right to be heard
 Right to redress
 Right to consumer education
 Right to healthy environment
18

19. When to file Complaint
 If you have suffered loss or damage as a
result of any unfair practice by a trader.
 If the goods purchased suffer from any
defect.
 If the services hired, availed of suffer from
deficiency.
 If you have been charged excess price.
 If the goods are hazardous to life and
safety.
19

20. Try Out of Court Settlement:
Write a letter
Never write a letter when you are angry.
Be courteous, firm throughout.
Give the party a reasonable time in anticipation of response
and remedial action.
Keep duplicate of the complete set of papers.
On expiry of the time given, send a gentle reminder, stating
what other recourse you may be constrained to take.
Send a complete set of your letters and supporting
documents to a district, state or nationally operational
consumer organisations.
Your last resort may be filing a case in the appropriate
consumer court.
20

21. Who can file a complaint?
*Any Individual Consumer
*Two or more consumers
having common Interest
*Any registered Consumer
Organisation
*The Central or State
Governments
21

22. Where to file a complaint?
 District Forum up
to Rs. 20 Lakhs
 State
Commission Rs.
20 Lakhs
to Rs. 1 Crore
 National
Commission
above Rs. 1
Crore
22

23. Time limit to file a complaint?
 Within Two Years of
the cause of action
 Appeal should be
made within 30
days of the
decision of the
lower Court.
23

24. How to file a compliant?
 The Name, description and address of
the complainant
 The Name, Description and address of
the opposite party
 The facts relating to the complaint and
where and when it arises
 The documents in support of the
allegations
 The relief which the complaint claims
24

25. 25

26. 26

27. 27

28. 28

29. How much fee to pay?
 Up to Rs.100000 if BPL Card – No Fee
 Up to Rs. 100000 other than BPL Card- Rs.100
 From Rs. 100000 to Rs.500000- Rs. 200
 From Rs. 500000 to Rs. 1000000-Rs. 400
 From Rs. 1000000 to 2000000-Rs. 500
 From Rs. 2000000 to 5000000-Rs. 2000
 From Rs. 5000000 to Rs. 1 Crore -Rs. 4000
 Above Rs. 1 Crore - Rs. 5000.
29

30. How to Complain
 Think what your specific complaint is and
what redress you seek.
 Draft your complaint according to the
format.
 Remember, your complaint is a document
for your legal action.
 Provide photocopies of all supportive
documents.
 Keep duplicate of the complete set of
papers.
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31. Contd…….
 Send your complaint by registered
post with acknowledgement due.
 Seek support of the consumer
organisations.
31

32. Requirement of a lawyer?
 No Lawyer is required.
32

33. Time limit for deciding a case?
 Supposed to be decided
within 90 days of the receipt
of the complaint.
 It is 150 days if product
requires laboratory test.
33

34. Relief available to consumers
• To remove the defect pointed out by
appropriate laboratory from any
goods in question.
• To replace the goods with new
goods of similar description this
shall be free from any defect.
• To return to the complainant the
price, or the case may be, the
charge paid by the complainant.
• To pay such amount as may be
awarded by it, as compensation to
the consumer for any loss or injury
suffered by the consumer due to
the negligence of the opposite
party.
34

35. Procedure for filing appeal
• Within 30 days.
• When appealing against District Forum’s orders in
the State Commission, one will have to deposit 50
percent of the money the Forum has ordered against
him or Rs. 25000, for an appeal in the National
Commission the amount rises to Rs. 35000 or 50
percent of the Commissions’ award, an appeal in the
Supreme Court against the National Commission’s
award will need 50 percent of the award or Rs.
50000, whichever is less respectively.
35

36. Fine for false complaint
• Up to Rs. 10000
36

37. Fine or imprisonment for failure to
comply with the order
• Imprisonment from 1 month
to 3 years.
• Fine from Rs. 2000 to No
limit.
37

38. Statement of cases filed/disposed of/pending in the National
Commission, State Commissions / UTs and District Forums in
States/UTs
Sl. Name of Cases filed Cases Cases % of As On
No. State since disposed Pending Disposal
inception of since
inception
National
Commissio
n ** 24351 16439 7912 67.51 31.12.2001
State
Commissio
ns
1 Andhra Pradesh 11903 9545 2337 80.19 31.12.2001
2 A & N Islands 34 27 7 79.41 31.12.2001
3 Arunachal Pradesh 20 15 5 75.00 31.12.2001
4 Assam 1332 656 676 49.25 30.9.2000
5 Bihar 7726 3004 4722 38.88 31.12.2001
6 Chandigarh 2946 2628 318 89.21 31.12.2001
7 Chattisgarh 0 0 0 0.00
8 D & N Haveli 0 0 0 0.00
9 Daman & Diu 5 0 5 0.00 30.9.2000
10 Delhi 17932 12984 4948 72.41 31.12.2001
11 Goa 1293 1094 199 84.61 31.12.2001
12 Gujrat 10450 6566 3884 62.83 31.12.2001
38
13 Haryana 15873 11903 3970 74.99 31.12.2001

39. 14 Himachal Pradesh 6067 4324 1743 71.27 31.12.2001
15 Jammu & Kashmir 3232 2610 622 80.75 31.3.1999
16 Jharkhand 0 0 0 0.00
17 Karnataka 10845 8511 2334 78.48 31.12.2001
18 Kerala 15649 13655 1994 87.26 31.12.2001
19 Lakshadweep 9 9 0 100.00 31.12.2001
20 Madhya Pradesh 13190 10200 2990 77.33 31.12.2001
21 Maharashtra 22345 12172 10173 54.47 31.12.2001
22 Manipur 62 41 21 66.13 31.5.2000
23 Meghalaya 84 60 24 71.43 30.9.2000
24 Mizoram 69 24 45 34.78 31.12.2001
25 Nagaland 40 15 25 37.50 31.3.2000
26 Orissa 9208 4690 4518 50.93 31.12.2001
27 Pondicherry 604 565 39 93.54 31.12.2001
28 Punjab 9456 6886 2570 72.82 31.12.2001
29 Rajasthan 23117 10881 12236 47.07 31.12.2001
30 Sikkim 20 18 2 90.00 31.12.2001
31 Tamilnadu 13366 9948 3418 74.43 31.12.2001
32 Tripura 545 216 329 39.63 31.12.2001
33 Uttar Pradesh 32800 7898 24902 24.08 31.12.2001
34 Uttaranchal 0 0 0 0.00
35 West Bengal 7487 5185 2302 69.25 31.12.2001
Total (St.
Commissio
ns) 237709 146330 91379 61.55
GRAND TOTAL 262060 162769 99291 62.11
Note: - Data in respect of Chattisgarh , Jharkhand & Uttaranchal State Commissions are shown
39
against their respective parent State Commissions.

40. District Forums
1 Andhra Pradesh 128197 113426 14771 88.48 30.11.2001
2 A & N Islands 248 237 11 95.56 31.12.2001
3 Arunachal Pradesh 207 179 28 86.47 31.12.2001
4 Assam 7285 6260 1025 85.93 30.9.2000
5 Bihar 42725 32473 10252 76.00 31.12.2001
6 Chandigarh 20663 17178 3485 83.13 31.12.2001
7 Chattisgarh 13818 11944 1874 86.44 30.9.2001
8 D & N Haveli 33 23 10 69.70 31.12.1999
9 Daman & Diu 62 37 25 59.68 30.9.2000
10 Delhi 114208 100271 13937 87.80 31.12.2001
11 Goa 4047 3311 736 81.81 31.12.2001
12 Gujrat 70002 52608 17394 75.15 31.12.2001
13 Haryana 98679 75860 22819 76.88 31.12.2001
14 Himachal Pradesh 29320 24123 5197 82.27 31.12.2001
15 Jammu & Kashmir 10436 8247 2189 79.02 31.3.1999
16 Jharkhand
17 Karnataka 65057 58520 6537 89.95 31.12.2001
18 Kerala 120074 114029 6045 94.97 31.12.2001
19 Lakshadweep 39 37 2 94.87 31.12.2001
40

41. 20 Madhya Pradesh 79458 71437 8021 89.91 31.12.2001
21 Maharashtra 108722 88426 20296 81.33 31.12.2001
22 Manipur 803 774 29 96.39 31.5.2000
23 Meghalaya 242 199 43 82.23 30.6.1999
24 Mizoram 1099 911 188 82.89 30.6.2001.
25 Nagaland 60 21 39 35.00 31.3.2000
26 Orissa 47091 41561 5530 88.26 31.12.2001
27 Pondicherry 1868 1826 42 97.75 31.12.2001
28 Punjab 51657 45782 5875 88.63 31.12.2001
29 Rajasthan 160610 144915 15695 90.23 31.12.2001
30 Sikkim 127 119 8 93.70 31.12.2001
31 Tamilnadu 62426 56020 6406 89.74 31.12.2001
32 Tripura 882 785 97 89.00 30.9.2000
33 Uttar Pradesh 267565 200227 67338 74.83 31.12.2001
34 Uttaranchal
35 West Bengal 42214 38578 3634 91.39 31.12.2001
TOTAL 1549924 1310344 239578 84.54
CONSOLIDATED
POSITION:
Distt. Forums 1549924 1310344 239578 84.54 %
State Commissions 237709 146330 91379 61.55%
National Commission 24351 16439 7912 67.51%
Total: 1811984 1473113 338869 81.29%
41

42. STATEMENT REGARDING RELEASE AND UTILISATION OF ONE-TIME-
GRANT PROVIDED TO STATES/UTs.
(Rs. In Lakhs)
Sl.No. Name of States Amount Released by Central Govt. Amount Utilised Balance Remarks
1 Andhra Pradesh 270
2 A & N Islands 70 34.6 35.4
3 Arunachal Pradesh 170 122.5 47.5
4 Assam 280
5 Bihar 440 320 120
6 Chandigarh 60 25.46 34.54
7 Chattisgarh@
8 D & N Haveli 60
9 Daman & Diu 70
10 Delhi 70 70 0
11 Goa 70 66.13 3.87
12 Gujrat 250 120.94 129.06
13 Haryana 210 47.97 162.03
14 Himachal Pradesh 170 170 0
15 Jammu & Kashmir 70
16 Jharkhand 120 -120
17 Karnataka 250 121 129
18 Kerala 190 99.7 90.3
19 Lakshadweep 60 20.36 39.64
42

43. 20 Madhya Pradesh@ 500 499.99 0.01
21 Maharashtra 360 345.83 14.17
22 Manipur 130 81.56 48.44
23 Meghalaya 120
24 Mizoram 80 60 20
25 Nagaland 120
26 Orissa 180 180 0
27 Pondicherry 60 58.74 1.26
28 Punjab 180 180 0
29 Rajasthan 350 328.58 21.42
30 Sikkim 90 76.9 13.1
31 Tamilnadu 270
32 Tripura 80
33 Uttar Pradesh 554.56 449.99 104.57
34 Uttaranchal 125.44 117.71 7.73
35 West Bengal 220
TOTAL 6180
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44. Hints for wise Buying
• Can I afford it?
• How useful will it be?
• Will it go out of style soon?
• How long will it last?
• How expensive will repairs be?
• Can repairs be made quickly?
• Will it require other accessories to
get the proper use?
44

45. • Will a less expensive article serve the
purpose?
• Do you really need it now?
• How will it affect your health and
comfort?
• What is the resale value?
• How safe is the product?
• Will it work under specific conditions?
• How much energy will it save you?
45

46. • How reliable is the seller?
• Is it Certified Product?
• Last piece of advice.
46

47. Conclusion
• A path setting legislation
• Lack of awareness
• The govt. should take up initiative to create consumer
awareness
• Consumer education should be a part of educational
curriculum in schools and Colleges
• Voluntary consumer organisations should be
established in cities, towns and villages
47

48. 48