In the 21st century every country emphasis on the economic development and
growth of the nation. For any country to burgeon, the demand side of the economy
is must which should be contemplated upon. Every country tries to promote
Consumerism so that the economic activities get boosted which shows that the
consumers of the country are the real drivers or the king of the economy.
Consumerism means human inclination towards the purchase goods in excess of
one’s demand, which is known to have started during the Industrial Revolution in
the 18th century. In reality, this king gets duped in some circumstances. The
protection of consumers cannot be ignored. Without the satisfaction of consumer,
the goal of economic growth by the way of Consumerism cannot be achieved.
Since excess of anything is harmful, higher level of Consumerism in the society
also has ill impacts. Increasing consumerism results in:
A shift away from
values of community, spirituality, and integrity, and toward competition,
materialism and disconnection, said UniSIM's Dr Wei, quoting US psychologist
Madeline Levine. Consumer awareness itself will not change the world; we need
firms that are ready to change habbit of the people. Fortunately, many companies
have moved towards Green Consumerism where they properly analyse the impact of
such overproduced goods on the environment and act accordingly.
Development of the Consumer Laws is and should always be the priority of the
control houses and the administration. First of all, we should know about the
rights granted by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (Earlier 1986).
The broad
categories of rights are:
- Right to Safety which means that the consumer should not be offered any
product that hampers their safety or are hazardous to the health.
- Right to Information which means that the consumers must be informed
well in advance about all the necessary details of the product like the
quality, place of production, etc. so that he can make the informed
decision.
- Right to Choose which means consumer should be free to choose among
variety of products and should not be forced to buy a particular product.
- Right to Heard which means consumer can file a complaint whenever he is
dissatisfied with the product.
- Right to Seek Redressal which means that the consumer can always seek
redressal for their grievances.
- Right to Consumer Education which means consumer should be made aware of
his rights that he can exercise.
The awareness about these pieces of legislation is also a necessity and the time
has come to do this job as the country is moving towards the goal of Atmanirbharta.
Spreading awareness about the existing laws should be the priority and the new
goal of “Consumer Awareness” should be pondered upon since this is the point
where the Department of Consumer Affairs lacks in achieving its target of
Consumer Protection. Consumer Education will prove to be the means in achieving
a harmonious and civilised society.
Consumer Awareness simply means that the consumer must be aware of the
information related to the products or services so that he can take the informed
decision and make the right choice. It means making him aware about the safety
and redressal points available to him. He should not be under any wrong
conception regarding the market condition. An aware consumer is always an asset
for the society.
There is a famous quote which stands fit in the current case and I quote,
“Awareness is like sun, when it shines on things, they are transformed”.
The current Consumer Protection Act, 2019 which substituted the Consumer
Protection Act, 1986 could be very helpful in achieving the goal of Consumer
Protection and with special focus on Consumer Awareness. The most important new
addition that have been included this time is that the complaint can be file
even where the consumer resided.
Otherwise the producer/ manufacturer would use the tactic which is known as
SLAPP which basically means that the consumer even though wanted to file suits
but does not go ahead because of many factors which mainly is that the place of
suit is not in the reach of consumer.
Current Scenario
In the times of globalisation and capitalisation there exist a need to protect
the consumers from big corporations and advertisers who capitalise the powerful
psychological processes to built the image of the goods and services they offer.
Consumer behaviour can be influenced by mental process that occur outside of
conscious awareness Consumption becomes the matter of impulse clouded by these
illusions.
There is a need for mindfulness to offered in order to reduce the destructive
effects of consumerism so as to show how consumers are manipulated to buy a
particular product. The result is that we end up financially supporting
companies which we might not support socially, ethically or philosophically.
In the digital era, there exist a need to create awareness and literacy among
consumers as nowadays almost all business activities are conducted online. In
the country where achieving the target of literacy is still not possible, leave
the plight of digital literacy. The digital frauds are becoming rampant in the
society. In addition to this the existing legal framework which protects the
consumers from such frauds need to be redefined.
We cannot blame the government alone. The consumers are also equally responsible
for their plight. The government is running many programs like Jago Grahak Campaign
to made aware consumers regarding the fraudulent practices but the consumers
turn a deaf ear to it.
Conclusion
The fact is clear, the role of the government should be changed, from regulator
to informant. The program of Consumer Protection is of great significance to all
of us as we all are the consumers. It can be defined as the socio-legal movement
which demand active involvement of all quarters is needed. There is a need for
proactive legislations and effective implementation.
The multi-media publicity which is currently shaping the market design in the
country should be well regularised so that role of local bodies should be
redefined since awareness program at lower level generates better awareness. It
is also the time for the youth of the country to volunteer in spreading
awareness. All this should go in a harmonious manner in order to make out
society a better place to live in.
Please Drop Your Comments