Consumer Protection Act

Consumer awareness and protection is a true indicator of the development of a country and the progressiveness of its civil society. The growing awareness about the rights of consumers and the consciousness and concern for value for money have contributed to the emergence of universal acceptance of the need for protection and promotion of consumer rights.

The Consumer Protection Act was enacted on 24th December, 1986 with the objective of protecting the interests of consumers. The Act came into effect from 15th April, 1987. The guidelines for consumer protection as laid down by the United Nations have been incorporated in the said Act. It enshrines the rights of the consumers namely, Right to safety, Right to be informed, Right to choose, Right to be heard, Right to seek redressal and Right to consumer education. The provisions of the Act are in addition to the provisions of any other law in force to safeguard the interest of the consumers.

The Department of Consumer Affairs is the nodal Department in the field of consumer protection. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 enabled the nodal department to set up a dispute resolution mechanism exclusively for the consumers which is simple, inexpensive and provides timely redressal. The Act created a three-tier quasi-judicial consumer dispute redressal machinery at the national, state and district levels. As on date, 629 district fora, 35 State Commissions and a National Commission have been established. The Act also provides for setting up of Consumer Protection Councils at the Central, State and district levels, which are advisory bodies to promote and protect consumer’s interests.

The three tiers of Consumer Fora across the country are being fully computerized and networked through the scheme of ‘Computerization and Computer Networking of Consumer Fora’ (CONFONET). The Central Government is also extending financial assistance to States/Union Territories for strengthening the infrastructure of consumer fora for effective functioning.