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On December 24, every year, National Consumer Rights Day is observed. The Consumer Protection Act 1986 received presidential approval on this day in 1986 and thus came into force. The Act aims to provide effective safeguards for consumers against various types of exploitation, such as defective goods, service deficiencies, and unfair trade practises.
This day provides an opportunity for people to highlight the importance of the movement for consumer rights and the need to make their rights and responsibilities more aware of every consumer.
‘Jago Grahak Jago’ is a consumer awareness programme launched by the Department of Consumer Affairs, which means ‘Be conscious consumer’. As part of this initiative, through print, media ads, audio campaigns, and video campaigns for consumer information and education, the government has used channels to create consumer awareness.
Significance of the 1986 Act on Consumer Protection
In the field of consumer protection for checking unfair trade practises, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is regarded as the ‘Magna Karta’. It has led to the creation of a widespread network of consumer forums and appeal courts throughout India to ensure rapid and inexpensive consumer dispute settlements. It has had a significant impact on how companies address consumer complaints and empower customers to a greater extent.
The eight rights acknowledged under the 1986 Consumer Protection Act include six consumer rights provided for in the UN Charter.
- The right to be protected against the placing on the market of goods harmful to life and property;
- Right to be informed of the quality, quantity, strength, purity, standard and price of the goods which are intended to protect the consumer from unfair trade practices;
- The right to be guaranteed access to an authority for goods at competitive prices, wherever possible;
- Right to be heard and to be assured that the interests of consumers are properly taken into account in appropriate forums;
- The right to seek redress against unfair trade practises or unscrupulous consumer exploitation; and the right to seek redress against unfair trade practises or unscrupulous consumer exploitation; and
- Right to the education of consumers.
National Consumer Day
24th December, 2020
Theme: New features of consumer protection act, 2019 #NationalConsumerDay2020 #ConsumerDay #jagograhakjago #consumerawareness #consumerprotection #consumerrights pic.twitter.com/EUTlDbnAxq— Consumer Affairs (@jagograhakjago) December 23, 2020
National Consumer Rights Day 2020 Theme
The theme for National Consumer Rights Day 2020 has been decided by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to be:’ New features of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.’ This theme will focus on the characteristics of last year’s new Consumer Protection Act passed by Parliament.
State governments are expected to hold panel discussions and webinars to discuss the new laws and the clear doubts of common citizens about consumer rights with domain experts. The amendments made to the Act in 2019 include streamlining consumer complaints and setting up an online infrastructure to resolve complaints and grievances.
