CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT : OLD AND NEW

When we talk about consumers right , India does not exactly has a glorified past, in fact India
had worse consumer laws in consumer rights, from the advent of our constitution till uptil the
1980s when the act came into the picture there was hardly much in terms of consumer protection
, but since pre historic times the most learned philosophers and thinkers had written about
consumer rights and service but all of this was absent and the socio economic status of the
country had gone down until 1986 when the government formulgated and enunciated the law and
the act came out to be “ Consumer protection act , 1986”

Section 2 of the act defines1 consumer which means A consumer is one that buys good for
consumption and not for the resale or commercial purpose. The basic aim of the act was to
safeguard the rights of the consumer to keep their best interests at par. This right helped to educate
the consumer on the right and responsibilities of being a consumer and how to seek help or justice
when faced exploitation as a consumer. It also established a three tier grievance redressal system .
The government urged the consumers to know their rights and a motto of “ jago grahak jaogo” was
circulated Though , the act surely exposed the customers to new opportunities but it also exposed
them to new problems as it seemed the act was an insufficient piece of legislature , it has various
problems in its implementation hence it cannot keep up with the market dynamics and was failing so
in order to keep the idea of welfare going an amendment in the form of consumer protection act,
1986 was introduced replacing the three decade old consumer protection act, 1986 . 2

The act came as a refreshing relief to the consumers as the new act will be more holistic and
ironclad, and are framed in the best interest of the consumers . The Act proposes the creation of a
Central Authority for the Protection of Consumers (CCPA) to encourage, protect and enforce
consumer rights and intervene in situations of unfair trade, and most importantly The Act provides
for a streamlined process for dispute settlement, with a provision for mediation and e-filing3.

1
https://indiankanoon.org/doc/334666/.
2
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, No. 144, Acts of parliament,2019(India).
3
Gazette of India" (PDF). egazette.nic.in. Retrieved 17 June
 . Which means the consumers have easier access to the authorities and will be more vigilant and
demanding for their rights . The new amendment also introduces various new rights and regulations
which will be of immense help not only now but also in the long run.

This act has brought various positive changes which were the dire need of this country and it
benefits not only the consumers but also the businessmen in various aspects so now it is upto the
people of this country to accept the changes for their betterment and implement them in their daily
lives and make their contribution in the great flow of positive changes which will make our country
a better place to live in.