With reference to consumers' rights/privileges under the provisions of law in India, which of the fo

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2012 UPSC Prelims Indian Polity & Governance paper.

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Question

With reference to consumers' rights/privileges under the provisions of law in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?Consumers are empowered to take samples for food testing.When a consumer files a complaint in any consumer forum, no fee is required to be paid.In case of death of a consumer, his/her legal heir can file a complaint in the consumer forum on his/her behalf.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: C — 1 and 3 onlySolution:Statement 1 — Consumers empowered to take samples for food testing: This is correct. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) and the Consumer Protection Act, authorised food safety officers as well as consumers in certain contexts have powers to take food samples for testing. The right to test food products for quality and safety is recognised under consumer protection law. ✓Statement 2 — No fee required to file a complaint in consumer forum: This is incorrect. Filing a complaint in consumer forums does require payment of a court fee — though it is nominal compared to civil courts. The fee varies based on the value of the claim and the forum level (District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, State Commission, or National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission). The Consumer Protection Act does not provide for completely fee-free filing. ✗Statement 3 — Legal heir can file complaint on behalf of deceased consumer: This is correct. Under the Consumer Protection Act, a complaint can be filed by: a consumer; any recognised consumer association; one or more consumers on behalf of multiple consumers; or the Central/State Government. The legal heir or representative of a deceased consumer is entitled to file a complaint on behalf of the deceased — particularly relevant in product liability and medical negligence cases. ✓Why other options are incorrect:Options A, B, D: All either exclude correct statements or include the incorrect Statement 2.Key Concept: The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (replacing the 1986 Act) significantly strengthened consumer rights in India. Key features: establishment of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA); product liability provisions; unfair trade practices; e-commerce regulation; mediation as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. Three-tier redressal: District Commission (up to ₹1 crore), State Commission (₹1-10 crore), National Commission (above ₹10 crore). Consumer rights under the Act: right to safety, information, choice, representation, redressal, and consumer education. The Maggi noodles recall (2015) and various pharmaceutical product liability cases highlighted the importance of robust consumer protection mechanisms in India.

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More Questions from Rights Issues – RTI, PIL, Legal Aid & Consumer Rights

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