Lok Sabha Question No. 5907 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: World Consumer Rights Day
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, SUDHEER GUPTA, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, ANWHAR RAAJHAA, T. RADHAKRISHNAN

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5907

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.04.2018

## WORLD CONSUMER RIGHTS DAY

5907.  SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

SHRI A. ANWHAR RAAJHAA:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government celebrated World Consumer Rights Day on 15th March, 2018;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the aims and objectives of celebrating the Day;
- (c) the details of the programmes/ events organized during the World Consumer Rights Day;
- (d) whether the Government has set up any mechanism to effectively protect the rights of the consumers and protest against the market abuses and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the main theme of this year's World Consumer Rights Day; and
- (f) the further steps taken/being taken by the Government for the benefit of consumers?

## ANSWER

miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a) & (b) :   Yes, Madam. The Government celebrated World Consumer Rights Day on 15 th March, 2018 with  the  theme  'Making  Digital  Marketplaces  Fairer'.  The  World  Consumer  Rights  Day  is  an opportunity  to  promote  and  protect  the  basic  rights  of  consumers.  The  event  was  attended  by  the representatives from State Governments, Central Department, VCOs, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, among others.
- (c)       :  The issues and challenges facing the consumers were deliberated upon, which include initiatives of the Department for consumer protection and promotion of grievance redressal.

(d)     :     Under  the  Consumer  Protection  Act,  1986,  there  is  a  three  tier  quasi-judicial  mechanism, namely  National  Consumer  Disputes  Redressal  Commission,  State  Consumer  Disputes  Redressal Commission and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Fora to provide simple, inexpensive and speedy justice to the consumer disputes. In addition, the Department runs the National Consumer Helpline with a toll  free  number 1800-11-4000 and a short code 14404 as an alternate Consumer Grievance Redressal mechanism.

(e)        :        The  theme  of  this  year's  World  Consumer  Rights  Day  was  'Making  Digital  Marketplaces Fairer'.

(f)   : The Government introduced Consumer Protection Bill 2018 in the Lok Sabha on 5 th January, 2018 which seeks to provide several measures to better protect the rights of the consumers.

*****