CONSUMER CARE CONSORTIUM

"The customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption on our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider on our business. He is 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

CONSUMER CULTURE: The changing consumption pattern is not only confined to the urban areas but is going deep down to the rural markets too. A consumer is a person or group of people who are the final users of products and or services generated within a social system. The terms "consumer" and "customer" are often used interchangeably, but a consumer and customer are not always the same. In brief, consumers use products, while customers buy them. A consumer may also be a customer and a customer can also be a consumer.

CONSUMER EDUCATION: It encourages critical thinking, which helps consumers function more efficiently in the marketplace, promotes self-confidence and independence, imparts life skills which contribute to success in everyday living and improves the quality of life as well as environment. It has been observed that the people for whom various schemes have been taken up by Bureau of Indian Standards, in fact, do not get benefit as expected. This is mainly because they are not fully aware of these schemes and their benefits.

CONSUMER CARE CONSORTIUM: In this regard, the Consumer Care Consortium under the Institutional Social Responsibility initiative takes the first and the foremost step on a consumer to prevent himself from cheating to keep his eyes and ears open. This is the mission part of the volunteers of CCC of this institution. Hence, the role of the voluntary consumer organizations, consumer activists, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and media are vital and valuable. In this regard, the Consumer Care Consortium under the Institutional Social Responsibility initiative takes the first and the foremost step on a consumer to prevent himself from cheating to keep his eyes and ears open. This is the mission part of the volunteers of CCC of this institution. Hence, the role of the voluntary consumer organizations, consumer activists, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and media are vital and valuable.

THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT,1986 was an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to protect the interests of consumers in India. It was replaced by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (CPA) is an Act that provides for effective protection of interests of consumers and as such makes provision for the establishment of consumer councils and other authorities that help in settlement of consumer disputes and matters connected therewith. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and the new Act of 2019 was enacted to provide a simple and quick solution to consumers for their grievances against any deficiency in services or defect in goods. It protects the various rights of the consumers against the seller or service provider. The main objectives of the act are to provide better protection to customers and effective safeguard against different types of exploitation like defective merchandise, deficient services and unfair trade practices.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSUMERS:

• a) The eight consumer rights are: The right to satisfaction of basic needs - to have access to basic, essential goods and services such as adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.
• b) The five responsibilities are Critical Awareness, Action, Social Concern, Environmental Awareness and Solidarity.

NATIONAL CONSUMER HELPLINE: The Department has launched a National Help Line. The toll free number 1800-11-4000 facility is available to consumers from 9.30 A.M. to 5.30 P.M. on all the working days.