10th Class Social Science Consumer Rights Consumer Rights - Important Terms And Concepts

Consumer Rights

1. Common ways by which consumers are exploited :

   (a) Underweight and Undermeasurements

   (b) Substandard quality

   (c) High Prices

   (d) Duplicate articles

   (e) Adulteration and impurity

   (f) Lack of safety devices

   (g) Artificial scarcity

   (h) False or incomplete information

   (i) Unsatisfactory aftersale service

   (j) Fough behaviour.

2. Factors causing exploitation of consumers :

   (a) Limited information

   (b) Limited supplies

   (c) Limited competition

   Low literacy

3. Rights of consumers:

   (a) Right to safety

   (b) Right to be informed

   (c) Right to choose

   (d) Right to be heard

   (e) Right to seek redressal

   (f) Right to consumer education.

4. Legislative measures include enactment of the Consumer Protection Act.

5. Administrative measures include distributing essential commodities through Public Distribution System.

6. Technical measures consist of standardization of the products.

7. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) caters to the industrial and consumer goods.

8. 'AGMARK' is meant for the agricultural products.

9. International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certifies the standards of products at the International level. ISO established in 1947, is located in Geneva.

10. Codex Aliment Arius Commission (created by FAO and WHO in 1963) sets international food standards. It is located in Rome. Italy.

11. Consumers International is a global level institution of Consumer Welfare Organisations,

12. Consumer movements were the result of dissatisfaction of the consumers caused due to unfair practices adopted by the sellers. This has shifted the responsibility of ensuring quality of goods and services on to the sellers. During last decades, large number of consumer groups/fora and associations have emerged in India.