The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was endorsed for better protection of the interests of consumers. The provisions of the Act came into force from 1 July 1987.
The Act was subsequently amended in 1991 and 1993. Another major amendment was carried out in December 2002 which came into force from 15 March 2003. The significant features of the Act are:
it applies to all goods and services unless exempted by the Central Government;
it covers all the sectors, private, public, and cooperative or any individual
It protects the following rights of consumers:
right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property;
right to be informed about the quality, quantity, purity and price of goods or services
right to access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices;
right to be heard and to be assured that consumers' interests will be protected at the appropriate forum;
right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices; and
right to consumer education
The Act also establishes the idea of forming of Consumer Protection Councils at the central, state and district levels, with the objective to promote and protect the rights of consumers
The government has declared 24 December as 'National Consumer Day', since the President gave his assent on that day to the enactment of The Consumer Protection Act, 1986. In addition to it, 15 March is observed as 'World Consumer Rights Day'.
