NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Economics Chapter 5 Consumer Rights
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Economics Chapter 5 Consumer Rights are provided here. With these solutions, you will learn the right way to write answers to the questions perfectly in exams. We have updated the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Economics Chapter 5 Consumer Rights for the current session so that you can easily score high marks in the exams. You can also download PDF of the solutions and use them whenever you are offline.
Class 10 Social Science Economics Chapter 5 NCERT Solutions
Question 1: Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
Answer: Rules and regulations are required in the marketplace to protect consumers against exploitation by sellers and service provider. Especially when large companies are producing these goods and these companies with huge wealth, power and reach can manipulate the market in various ways. Sellers often abdicate responsibility for a low-quality product, cheat in weighing out goods, add extra charges over the retail price, sell adulterated/ defective goods and also provide false information about a product or service. Markets do not work in a fair manner when producers are few and powerful whereas consumers purchase in small amounts and are scattered. Hence, rules and regulations are needed to protect the scattered buyers from powerful and fewer producers who monopolise markets. For example, a grocery shop owner might sell expired products and then blame the customer for not checking the date of expiry before buying the items.
Question 2: What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
Answer: The factors that gave birth to the consumer movement in India are manifold. It started as a “social force” with the need to protect and promote consumer interests against unfair and unethical trade practices. Extreme food shortages, hoarding, black marketing and adulteration of food led to the consumer movement becoming an organised arena in the 1960s. Till the 1970s, consumer organisations were mostly busy writing articles and holding exhibitions.
More recently, there has been an upsurge in the number of consumer groups who have shown concern towards ration shop malpractices and overcrowding of public transport vehicles. In 1986, the Indian government enacted the Consumer Protection Act, also known as COPRA. This was a major step in the consumer movement in India.
Question 3: Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
Answer: The consumer must be conscious while buying or trading anything in the market so that they are not being cheated or exploited in the market place and charged wrongly for the goods.
For example, a person must always check the expiry and manufacturing date of the product before paying for it and must complain about the shopkeeper in the consumer forum, if any expired product is found in the shop.
Another example that proves that consumer consciousness is that a consumer must always ask for a computerised bill for the goods they buy. This is because if a consumer has been provided with a wrong product, the consumer forum demands a bill that acts as a proof that the product given by the shopkeeper is wrong.
Question 4: Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.
Answer: Factors which cause exploitation of consumers are:
- Lack of awareness of consumer rights among buyers.
- Improper and inadequate monitoring of rules and regulations.
- There is no fixed law for quality and rate.
- Misleading advertising in the media.
- Consumers are scattered over large areas.
- The main reason for exploitation of consumers is the lack of knowledge.
- Several consumers do not have the knowledge about the price, quality, services related commodities.
Question 5: What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?
Answer: The rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) 1986 was to set up separate departments of Consumer Affairs in central and state governments to safeguard the interests of the consumers and to grant them the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation.
Question 6: Describe some of your duties as consumers if you visit a shopping complex in your locality.
Answer: Some of my duties as a consumer if I visit a shopping complex include:
- Checking expiry dates of the products I wish to purchase.
- Paying no more than the maximum retail price printed on the goods.
- Asking for a cash memo/receipt for the goods I purchased.
- Preventing shopkeepers from dumping me with defective products, and registering a complaint with a consumer forum or court in case a seller refuses to
take responsibility for an adulterated or flawed product.
- To be aware of the quality and safety of goods and services before purchasing.
- To gather all the information and facts available about a product or service as well as to keep abreast of changes and innovations in the marketplace.
Question 7: Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have to look for and why?
Answer: We should look for Agmark symbol before buying the food items because this markis certified by the government and is a certification mark employed on agricultural products in India, assuring that they conform to a set of standards approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, an agency of the Government of India.
Question 8: What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
Answer: Legal measures taken by the government to empower consumers in India areplenty.
- The MRTP (Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act) was enacted in 1984 to check unfair trade and practices by manufacturers and service providers.
- The COPRA (Consumer Protection Act) implemented in 1986 to protect consumers from exploitation in the market.
- Also, under COPRA, a consumer can appeal in state and national courts, even if his case has been dismissed at the district level. Thus, consumers even have the right to represent themselves in consumer courts now if they are treated unfairly in the market place.
- Then, in October 2005, the Right to Information Act was passed, ensuring citizens all information about the functioning of government departments.
Question 9: Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each.
Answer: Some of the rights of consumers are as follows :
Right to choice — Any consumer who receives a service in whatever capacity, regardless of age, gender and nature of service, has the right to choose whether to continue to receive that service. Under this right, a consumer may also choose any one of the various brands of a product (say, a refrigerator) available in the market.
Right to redressal — Consumers have the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation. He has the right to be compensated by the seller/producer if any damage or loss occurs due to the products or service purchased.
Right to represent — The act has enabled us as consumers to have the right to represent in the consumer courts. In case his representation in the district court is dismissed, he can approach the state level and then at the national level.
The Right to be Informed and protected against fraudulent, deceitful or misleading information and to have access to accurate information and facts needed to make informed choices and decisions.
Question 10: By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?
Answer: Consumers can express their solidarity by forming consumer groups that writearticles or hold exhibitions against traders’ exploitation. These groups guide individuals on how to approach a consumer court and they even help consumers to fight cases against them. Such groups, in return, receive financial aid from the government to create public awareness. Participation of people strengthens consumer solidarity.
Question 11: Critically examine the progress of consumer movement in India.
Answer: The consumer movement in India has evolved vastly since it began. There has been a significant change in consumer awareness in the country. Till the enactment of COPRA in 1986, the consumer movement did not bear much force, but ever since its inception, the movement has been empowered substantially. The setting up of consumer courts and consumer groups has been a progressive move. However, in contemporary India, the consumer redressal process is quite complicated, expensive and time-consuming. Filing cases, attending court proceedings, hiring lawyers, and other procedures make it cumbersome. In India, there are over 700 consumer groups of which, unfortunately, only about 20-25 are well-organized and functioning smoothly.
Question 12: Match the following.
| (i) | Availing details of ingredients of a product | (a) | Right to safety |
| (ii) | Agmark | (b) | Dealing with consumer cases |
| (iii) | Accident due to the faulty engine in a scooter | (c) | Certification of edible oil and cereals |
| (iv) | District Consumer Court | (d) | Agency that develops standards for goods and services |
| (v) | Consumers International | (e) | Right to information |
| (vi) | Bureau of Indian Standards | (f) | Global level institution of consumer welfare organisations |
Answer:
| (i) | Availing details of ingredients of a product | (e) | Right to information |
| (ii) | Agmark | (c) | Certification of edible oil and cereals |
| (iii) | Accident due to the faulty engine in a scooter | (a) | Right to safety |
| (iv) | District Consumer Court | (b) | Dealing with consumer cases |
| (v) | Consumers International | (f) | Global level institution of consumer welfare organisations |
| (vi) | Bureau of Indian Standards | (d) | Agency that develops standards for goods and services |
Question 13: Say True or False.
(i) COPRA applies only to goods.
Answer: False
(ii) India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive courts for consumer redressal.
Answer: True
(iii) When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must file a case in the District Consumer Court.
Answer: True
(iv) It is worthwhile to move to consumer courts only if the damages incurred are of high value.
Answer: True
(v) Hallmark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellery.
Answer: True
(vi) The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick.
Answer: False
(vii) A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of the damage.
Answer: True