Consumer Protection Council Research Paper

Consumer Protection Councils in India

In order to provide for the constant reviews of the consumer protection policies at various levels as well as strengthen the function of advocacy in giving depth to the consumer rights in the Indian society, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 provides for the setting up of the consumer protection councils at the national, state and district levels in the country. Designed to be the broad based consultative bodies, the organizational pattern of such bodies are conceptualized in the mould of public-private partnership in order to facilitate a better feedback and there by review of the policy in the area of consumer rights protection. The Consumer Protection Councils are very important and potent deliberative

For this purpose, the councils are required to meet as and when deemed necessary with at least one meeting in a year made mandatory. The councils are expected to act as the watchdog in respect of the policies and programmes of the governments aimed at the promotion and protection of the consumer rights on the one hand, and the advancement of the general interests of the consumers in the society on the other. In the performance of such a crucial and quite often disgusting to the well-off sections of the society, function, it becomes imperative for the councils to be dominated by the public-spirited and incorruptible civil society groups to ward off any probability of their functioning being compromised in any way.
Objectives, Composition and Functions of the Central and State Consumers Protection Council (India) The Consumer Protection Councils would be set up at national and state levels (Section 6 of Consumer Protection Act) The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 sought to provide better protection to the interests of the consumers and for that purpose made provisions for the establishment of Consumer Protection Councils and other authorities for resolving consumers’ disputes.
The Consumer Councils are shaped to advise

 Right to education—Right to consumer education is a right which ensures that the consumer are better informed about practices prevalent in the market and remedies available to them.
The object of the Central Council is to ensure these rights of the consumers within the country and the respective state councils ensure these rights to consumers with in their state boundaries.

The objects of the Central Consumers Protection Council and State Consumers Protection Councils are to promote and protect the rights of the consumers, such as:

The objects of the Central Consumer Protection Council are to promote and protect the rights of the Indian consumers in general within the territory of India. The Central Council is the highest body to lie down and decide the policy of consumer protection. Consumers’ interests mainly concern with (i) Good quality of goods and services.
(ii) Regular and uninterrupted supply of products; and
(iii) Reasonable prices of the products.

The objects of a State Consumer Protection Council are to promote and protect within the state the rights of the