Eco. Project

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TOPIC- “CONSUMER AWARENESS”
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I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks towards all those who have
helped me in making this project. Without their active guidance, help,
cooperation and encouragement, I would not have been able to present the
project on time.
I extend my sincere gratitude to my Principal Mrs. Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharya and

my Economics teacher Mr. Saurav De for their moral support and guidance during
the tenure of my project.
I also acknowledge with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude towards my

parents and other faculty members of the school for their valuable suggestions
given to me in completing this interesting project.
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Contents
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INTRODUCTION:-
 What is Consumer awareness?

There are times when the competitive market scenario leads to
companies engaging in what we call “malpractices”, or practices that
benefit the business at the consumer’s cost. These could be
misleading advertisements – for example, the brand’s promotion calling
it a sugar-free snack when it’s not really sugar-free – or even
manufacturing a product that contains life-threatening ingredients – for
example, excessive amounts of lead were detected in Nestlé’s Maggi
noodles, an international noodles and seasoning brand.
For consumers to protect themselves from such malpractices, they need

to be aware of their rights. This would enable them to shield themselves
from any malpractice from the producer’s or seller’s end.
Consumer awareness is the act that consumers perform to shield

themselves from marketplace exploitation by gaining enough
information about the offerings they consume and by practicing their
consumer rights.
The process of consumer awareness requires governments to intervene,

as it is a matter of public welfare.
This process involves successfully educating a consumer about their

rights and responsibilities for the sole reason of their safety and
protection from potential marketplace exploitation. Emphasis is laid
upon making information accessible and redressal options available. In
short, consumer awareness is integral in the modern-day
economy.Consumers also must be aware of the Consumer Rights.
 Duties of a consumer
In the way that the government has given each and every consumer a set of
rights, it is the responsibility of the consumer to also follow through on
several duties provided to them. Consumer responsibilities are just as
important as consumer rights. The following are some of the important
consumer responsibilities or the duties of consumers:
1. Consumers must make sure that the product they are purchasing is of
good quality, and have been quality marked such as Agmark, ISI,
Hallmark, etc.
2. Consumers should always make sure that they have seen and
understood all the information available about a product and make an
informed choice.
3. Consumers should follow the rules and not be unlawful while
purchasing commodities.
4. Consumers should always insist on bills of purchase from the seller so
that if there is a problem with the purchase, the issue can immediately
be sorted out.
5. Consumers have the responsibility to call out exploitative behaviour
and unfair trade practices on the part of a seller.
6. Consumers must form organizations that are non-political to express
consumer needs and requirements.
 How are consumers exploited

[NCERT]
The five ways in which consumers can be exploited in the market are:
 Supply of defective goods

 Sale of adulterated goods
 Use of false weighing scale, machines and other measures using tools
 Sale of sub-standard or goods that do not conform to the prescribed quality standards
 Advertisements falsely claiming a product or service to be of superior quality, grade or
standard
 Consumer Protection Act or COPRA 1986 and
the Consumer Rights viz. right to safety, right to
information, right to choose, right to seek
redressal, right to representation, right to
consumer education
[NCERT]
The Rights of the Consumer
 Right to Safety- Before buying, a consumer can insist on the quality and guarantee of the
goods. They should ideally purchase a certified product like ISI or AGMARK.
 Right to Choose- Consumer should have the right to choose from a variety of goods and in a
competitive price.
 Right to be informed- The buyers should be informed with all the necessary details of the
product, make her/him act wise, and change the buying decision.
 Right to Consumer Education- Consumer should be aware of his/her rights and avoid
exploitation. Ignorance can cost them more.
 Right to be heard- This means the consumer will get due attention to express their
grievances at a suitable forum.
 Right to seek compensation- The defines that the consumer has the right to seek redress
against unfair and inhumane practices or exploitation of the consumer.
 Marks of Standardization : ISI, Agmark, Hallmark

Certification marks on a commercial product are usually called as a mark of
validity or an assurance of the fact that the manufacturer has tested the
product and it has ensured that it meets the given quality standard. It also
helps to specify the location of the origin, materials of construction, mode of
production, characteristics of the good etc.
Some of these marks are mandatory while some are advisory.
A certification mark certifies the nature or origin of the goods or the services to
which it has been applied
A special body which is called as Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS),
which comes under the aegis of the International Organisation for
Standardisation(ISO standards), govern all the industrial standardization
and the industrial product certifications in India.
Few examples of marks of standardization are:

1. AGMARK: This mark is issued by Directorate of Marketing and
Inspection of the Government of India and applies to agricultural
products.
The AGMARK is legally enforced in India by the Agricultural Produce (Grading

and Marking) Act of 1937 (and amended in 1986).
The Agmark certification is employed through fully state-owned AGMARK

laboratories located across the nation which act as testing and certifying
centres.
In addition to the Central AGMARK Laboratory (CAL) in Nagpur, there are

Regional AGMARK Laboratories (RALs) in 11 nodal cities (Mumbai, New
Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Kanpur, Kochi, Guntur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Rajkot,
Bhopal).
Each of the regional laboratories is equipped with and specializes in the

testing of products of regional significance. Hence the product range that
could be tested varies across the centres.
2. BIS HALLMARK: With India being the second biggest market for gold
and its jewellery, so it is very important that the gold which is bought by
the consumers must have a verified mark on them.
The BIS Hallmark is a hallmarking system for the sale of precious metal like
gold and silver jewellery in India which certify the purity of the metal.
It verifies that the jewellery conforms to the standards which are set by the
Bureau of Indian Standards.
3. ISI MARK: This mark is the most recognised mark for the standard
industrial products in India.
The mark certifies that the product conforms to the Standards which is laid by
the BIS, mentioned as IS: xxx on top of the product.
It is however mandatory for a number of products that are sold in India,

especially electronic goods.
But in cases of other manufactured products, it is voluntary. It has been

effective since 1955.
 Consumer Movement in India

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Page 1

TOPIC- “CONSUMER AWARENESS”

I extend my sincere gratitude to my Principal Mrs. Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharya and

I also acknowledge with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude towards my

 What is Consumer awareness?

For consumers to protect themselves from such malpractices, they need

Consumer awareness is the act that consumers perform to shield

The process of consumer awareness requires governments to intervene,

This process involves successfully educating a consumer about their

 How are consumers exploited

 Supply of defective goods

 Marks of Standardization : ISI, Agmark, Hallmark

Some of these marks are mandatory while some are advisory.

Few examples of marks of standardization are:

The AGMARK is legally enforced in India by the Agricultural Produce (Grading

The Agmark certification is employed through fully state-owned AGMARK

In addition to the Central AGMARK Laboratory (CAL) in Nagpur, there are

Each of the regional laboratories is equipped with and specializes in the

It is however mandatory for a number of products that are sold in India,

But in cases of other manufactured products, it is voluntary. It has been

 Consumer Movement in India

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