National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

About National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC)

• Setup in 1988
• Statutory Body, setup under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.
• Also quasi-judicial commission as decides on appeal related to consumer protection.
• The commission is headed by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.
• Section 21 of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 posits that the National Consumer Dispute redressal Commission shall have jurisdiction:
  • To entertain a complaint valued more than one crore.
  • It also has Appellate jurisdiction from the orders of State Commissions or the District commissions.
• Section 23 of the Act provides that person aggrieved by an order of NCDRC, may appeal to Supreme Court of India within a period of 30 days.

Consumer Rights in India:
In India Consumer has 6 Rights, which includes:

1. Right to Safety
   • Right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services, which are hazardous to life and property.
2. Right to be informed
   • Right to be informed about the quality, quantity, purity, potency, standard and price of goods or services, so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices;
3. Right to Choose
   • Right to be assured, wherever possible, access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices;
4. Right to be heard
   • Right to be heard and to be assured that consumer’s interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums.
5. Right to Redressal
   • Right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers.
6. Right to consumer education.

National Consumer Day: 24^th December

• It is the day, theConsumer Protection Act of 1986 bill received assent of the President.

National Consumer Helpline

• National Consumer Helpline is project of the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs and deals with multitude of problems arising in their day-to-day dealings with business and service providers.
• National Toll Free No-1800-11-4000.

Who is a Consumer?

• A Consumer is a person who purchases a product or avails a service for a consideration, either for his personal use or to earn his livelihood by means of self-employment. The consideration may be:
• Paid
• Promised
• Partly paid and partly promised.
• It also includes a beneficiary of such goods/services when such use is made with the approval of such person.

Who is not a Consumer?
A person is not a consumer if he/she:

• Purchases any goods or avails any service free of charge.
• Purchases a good or hires a service for commercial purpose.
• Avails any service under contract of service.

The Consumer Protection Bill 2015
Image Source: PRS

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