We have Provided the NCERT/CBSE Solutions chapter-wise for Class 10 Social Science Economics Chapter 5 Consumer Rights with Answers by expert subject teacher for latest syllabus and examination. Students can take a free NCERT Solutions of Consumer Rights. Each question has right answer Solved by Expert Teacher.
CBSE Solutions Class 10 Social Science Economics Consumer Rights
Page No. 87
Excercises
Q1. Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
Answer: Rules and regulations are required in the marketplace to protect consumers. Sellers often abdicate responsibility for a low-quality product, cheat in weighing out goods, add extra charges over the retail price, and sell adulterated/ defective goods. Hence, rules and regulations are needed to protect the scattered buyers from powerful and fewer producers who monopolize markets. For example, a grocery shop owner might sell expired products and then blame the customer for not checking the date of expiry before buying the items.
Q2. What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
Answer: The factors that gave birth to the consumer movement in India are manifold. It started as a “social force” with the need to protect and promote consumer interests against unfair and unethical trade practices. Extreme food shortages, hoarding, black marketing and adulteration of food led to the consumer movement becoming an organised arena in the 1960s. Till the 1970s, consumer organisations were mostly busy writing articles and holding exhibitions. More recently, there has been an upsurge in the number of consumer groups who have shown concern towards ration shop malpractices and overcrowding of public transport vehicles. In 1986, the Indian government enacted the Consumer Protection Act, also known as COPRA. This was a major step in the consumer movement in India.
Q3. Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
Answer: The consumer must be conscious while buying or trading anything in the market so that they are not being cheated or exploited in the market place and charged wrongly for the goods.
For example, a person must always check the expiry and manufacturing date of the product before paying for it and must complain about the shopkeeper in the consumer forum, if any expired product is found in the shop.
Another example that proves that consumer consciousness is that a consumer must always ask for a computerised bill for the goods they buy. This is because if a consumer has been provided with a wrong product, the consumer forum demands a bill that acts a proof that the product given by the shopkeeper is wrong.
Q4. Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.
Answer: Exploitation of consumers is caused by a variety of factors. Producers are always looking for easy ways to increase profits. Adulterated or low-quality goods have fewer production costs, and if the consumer is unaware or illiterate, it is easy to cheat him/her. Also, shopkeepers brush off their responsibility by claiming that the manufacturer is to blame. Consumers feel helpless in this situation. Often, when the consumers are known not to check the retail price of a commodity on its packing, sellers add extra charges to the same. In places where there is no awareness of consumer rights and the COPRA, consumer exploitation is rampant.
Q5. What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?
Answer: The rationale behind the enactment of COPRA (Consumer Protection Act) in 1986 was to create a separate department of consumer affairs in both the federal and state governments, and it has given us the ability to represent ourselves in a consumer court.
Q6. Describe some of your duties as consumers if you visit a shopping complex in your locality.
Answer: Some of my duties as a consumer if I visit a shopping complex include checking expiry dates of the products I wish to purchase, paying only the maximum retail price printed on the goods, preventing shopkeepers from duping me with defective products, and registering a complaint with a consumer forum or court in case a seller refuses to take responsibility for an adulterated or flawed product.
Q7. Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have to look for and why?
Answer: While buying a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet, the logo or mark we will have to look for is ISI or Agmark. Honey being an agricultural product should have the Agmark mark on it. The biscuit packet is a food product and therefore, it should carry the ISI mark.
The logos like ISI and Agmark certify the quality of goods in the market. Only those producers are allowed to use these logos who follow certain quality standards set by the organisation that issue these certifications.
If the bottle of honey or a biscuit packet carries one of these logos on it, it means that the product is of good quality and therefore, there is no risk in purchasing it.
Q8. What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
Answer: The legal measures taken by the government to empower the consumers in India are mentioned below:
(i)A major step taken in 1986 by the Indian government was the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, popularly known as COPRA.
(ii)Under COPRA, a three-tier quasijudicial machinery at the district, state and national levels was set up for redressal of consumer disputes.
(iii)The district level court deals with the cases involving claims upto Rs 20 lakhs, the state level courts between Rs 20 lakhs and Rs 1 crore and the national level court deals with cases involving claims exceeding Rs 1 crore.
(iv)If a case is dismissed in district level court, the consumer can also appeal in state and then in National level courts. Thus, the Act has enabled us as consumers to have the right to represent in the consumer courts.
(v)The enactment of COPRA has led to the setting up of separate departments of Consumer Affairs in central and state governments.
Q9. Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each.
Answer: A few rights of the consumers include:
- Right to information – The RTI Act was passed in 2005 with an aim to make every citizen of the country aware of the functioning of the Government.
- Right to Choose – Any consumer who receives a service in whatever capacity, regardless of age, gender and nature of service, has the right to choose whether to continue to receive the service. No customer can be denied the right to choose what they want to buy.
- Right to Seek Redressal – Consumers have the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation. If any damage is done to a consumer, she has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of damage.
- Right to Represent – This act gives the right of the consumer to present before the consumer court and present their case of disparity in the form of law.
Q10. By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?
Answer: Consumers can express their solidarity by forming consumer groups that write articles or hold exhibitions against traders’ exploitation. These groups guide individuals on how to approach a consumer court, and they even fight cases for consumers. Such groups receive financial aid from the government to create public awareness. Participation of one and all will further strengthen consumer solidarity.
Q11. Critically examine the progress of consumer movement in India.
Answer: The consumer movement in India has evolved vastly since it began. There has been a significant change in consumer awareness in the country. Till the enactment of COPRA in 1986, the consumer movement did not bear much force, but ever since its inception, the movement has been empowered substantially. The setting up of consumer courts and consumer groups has been a progressive move. However, in contemporary India, the consumer redressal process is quite complicated, expensive and time-consuming. Filing cases, attending court proceedings, hiring lawyers, and other procedures make it cumbersome. In India, there are over 700 consumer groups of which, unfortunately, only about 20-25 are well-organised and functioning smoothly.
Q12. Match the following.
| (i) Availing details of ingredients of a product (ii) Agmark (iii) Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter (iv) District Consumer Court (v) Consumers International (vi) Bureau of Indian Standards | (a) Right to safety (b) Dealing with consumer cases (c) Certification of edible oil and cereals (d) Agency that develop standards for goods and services (e) Right to information (f) Global level institution of consumer welfare organisations |
Answer:
| (i) Availing details of ingredients of a product (ii) Agmark (iii) Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter (iv) District Consumer Court (v) Consumers International (vi) Bureau of Indian Standards | (e) Right to information (c) Certification of edible oil and cereals (a) Right to safety (b) Dealing with consumer cases (f) Global level institution of consumer welfare organisations (d) The agency that develops standards for goods and services |
Q13. Say True or False.
(i) COPRA applies only to goods.
(ii) India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive courts for consumer redressal.
(iii) When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must file a case in the District Consumer Court.
(iv) It is worthwhile to move to consumer courts only if the damages incurred are of high value.
(v) Hallmark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellry.
(vi) The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick.
(vii) A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of the damage.
Answer: (i) False
(ii) True
(iii) True
(iv) True
(v) True
(vi) False
(vii) True
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