Papers presented at a national workshop held during 4-8 August 2005; in Indian context.

Mr. B.Vaidyanathan, a Chemical Engineer by profession, and Chief Mentor, Consumer Protection Council, Rourkela, has been associated with the Indian consumer movement, for well over 30 years and has many achievements to his credit, apart from organising a voluntary consumer organisation in the tribal belt of Odisha. His single handed initiative through the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), against the short-filling of cooking gas refills, resulted in the upgradation of 184 LPG bottling plants of the three Public Sector Oil Companies, M/s IOCL, BPCL and HPCL. Towards this upgradation, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Govt. of India, had to spend over Rs. 300 crores. The mute point is that this upgradation has brought relief to crores of unsuspecting housewives from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Though the Supreme Court failed to deliver justice, in terms of compensation and punitive damages payable to a voluntary consumer organisation and to the Consumer Welfare Fund, as prescribed in the Consumer Protection Act, his determined zeal to pursue the matter till the filing of the Curative Petition and thereafter, should be an inspiration for all those young people, who have the nerves and the commitment to pursue social goals. Mr. Vaidyanathan has shared his varied experiences in this book, which is a must read not only for the interesting cases narrated therein, but a motivational story, led by an example of ‘Never Say Die’. This narrative has been made all the more interesting by sharing informative experiences relating to important consultative bodies and how the activists need to work to ensure delivery and what the government needs to do to protect the consumers better.

The subject of this book explains the social framework of consumer rights and legal framework of protecting consumer rights that has evolved in India over the last three decades. It also explains the momentous changes in Indian consumer markets over this period as a result of economic liberalisation and provides an understanding of the problems consumers face in markets and the consumer detriment there from. It analyses the buying behavior of consumers as well as the phenomena of consumer complaints and the processes and systems to address them. The development of the consumer jurisprudence in settling consumer disputes in consumer courts under the Consumers Protection Act of 1986 and 2019 is examined in detail. Leading cases are used to explain important concepts. It also addresses the role played by quality and standardization in the market place and the roles of different agencies in establishing product and service standards. The student should be able to comprehend the business firms’ interface with consumers and the consumer related regulatory and business environment for major consumer industries of India.

The Report Takes Stock Of The Measures For Consumer Protection That Have Been Enact Or Implemented -Or Not-In India Since 1985, The Year When India Agreed To Adopt The United Nations Guidelines For Consumer Protection.