Lok Sabha Question No. 3192 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-19
Subject: Consumers Awareness
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Smt. Geniben Nagaji Thakor

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3192 (OIH) TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2025

## CONSUMERS AWARENESS

3192.  SMT. GENIBEN NAGAJI THAKOR:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the Government to raise consumers awareness;
- (b) whether the consumers are becoming victims of fraud during the purchase of essential commodities these days; and
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government to protect the consumers from online fraud?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## (SHRI B.L. VERMA)

(a)  to  (c)  :  Consumer  Awareness  is  being  generated  by  the  Department  of  Consumer  Affairs  by undertaking country-wide multimedia awareness campaigns under the aegis of 'Jago Grahak Jago' to reach out to every consumer across the country by utilizing traditional media like All India Radio, Doordarshan, fairs & festivals,  etc  as  well  as  social  media.  Through  simple  messages,  videos  and jingles,  consumers  are  made  aware  about  the  unfair  trade  practices,  consumer  issues  and  the mechanism to seek redressal. The Department had also launched 'Jagriti', a mascot for empowering consumers and making them aware of their rights.  The mascot aims to strengthen consumer awareness campaign and reinforce a young empowered and informed consumer. Further, the Department also provides grant-in-aid to States/UTs for generating consumer awareness at regional level.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has notified the Consumer Protection (E- commerce) Rules, 2020 under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to safeguard consumers from unfair trade practices in e-commerce. These rules, inter-alia, outline the responsibilities of e-commerce entities  and  specify  the  liabilities  of  marketplace  and  inventory  e-commerce  entities  including provisions for consumer grievance redressal.

The  Central  Consumer  Protection  Authority  has  issued  'Guidelines  for  Prevention  and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023' for prevention and regulation of dark patterns listing 13 specified dark patterns identified in e-Commerce sector.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified framework on 'Online Consumer Reviews - Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication' for safeguarding and protecting  consumer  interest  from  fake  and  deceptive  reviews  in  e-commerce.  The  standards  are voluntary and are applicable to every online platform which publishes consumer reviews. The guiding principles  of  the  standard  are  integrity,  accuracy,  privacy,  security,  transparency,  accessibility  and responsiveness.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ('MeitY') has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ('IT Rules, 2021') that cast obligations on intermediaries, including social media intermediaries and platforms, to ensure their accountability towards safe & trusted Internet including their expeditious action towards removal of the unlawful information.

'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of  India.  However,  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA)  has  established  Indian  Cyber  Crime Coordination  Centre  (I4C)  as  an  attached  office  to  provide  a  framework  and  eco-system  for  Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to deal with cybercrimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The Government has also launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in)  to  enable  the  public  to  report  all  types  of  cybercrimes.  Cybercrime incidents reported on this portal are routed automatically to the respective State/UT law enforcement agency for further handling as per the provisions of law. The 'Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System' has been launched for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off fund by the fraudsters. The Ministry of Home Affairs has taken many steps to spread awareness on cybercrime, which, inter-alia include; dissemination of messages through SMS, I4C social media account i.e. X (formerly twitter) (@Cyberdost), Facebook (CyberDostI4C), Instagram (cyberdostI4C), Telegram (cyberdosti4c), Radio campaign, engaged MyGov for publicity in multiple media,  organizing  Cyber  Safety  and  Security  Awareness  weeks,  in  association  with  States/UTs, publishing of Handbook for Adolescents/Students, newspaper advertisement on digital arrest and other modus operandi of cyber criminals, use of social media influencers to create special posts on digital arrest, digital displays on railway stations and airports etc. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisory to all the State/UT Governments to carry out publicity of National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) and Toll-free helpline number '1930' to create mass awareness.

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