A quick-revision summary of Class 12 Home Science Chapter 12: Consumer Education and Protection. For full explanations, figures and exam tips, read the detailed notes of this chapter.
1 Key definitions
Terms to learn
Consumerfinal buyer of goods and services for personal needs and wants
Consumer productarticle for personal or family use, in an institution, or for business purposes
Consumer behaviourprocess of making purchase decisions
Consumer forumplace/organisation to discuss products and services; some are advocacy groups
Consumer footfallsnumber of customers visiting a store or mall
Adulterationsubstances added or removed; composition, nature or quality altered
Consumer rightslegal rights protecting consumer interests; reasonable quality at fair prices
2 Significance and expectations
- Every human is a natural consumer; consumer education makes an efficient and alert consumer
- Industrialisation and globalisation; ‘global village’; consumer must be a progressive force
- Liberalisation: more choice at competitive prices, but choosing is harder; malpractices, misleading ads
- Seven expectations: reasonable price, adequate information, genuine goods, quality products, purity, ethics in sales and promotion, correct weights and measures
- Level of consumer awareness and protection = indicator of a country’s development
3 Nine consumer problems
- Substandard/poor quality goods; ignorance of quality standards
- Adulteration: intentional or unintentional; harms health and safety
- High prices: many factors; price is not quality; uninformed are overcharged
- Lack of consumer information about rights, responsibilities, laws
- Inadequate/erroneous information: labels, advertisements, no buying guides, packaging (“in a new pack”)
- Incorrect weights and measures: no seal or verification stamp = not genuine
- Spurious/duplicate products: similar packaging, colour scheme, similar sounding brand names
- Sales promotion schemes: exchange offers, bonus, lucky draws
- Services: MCD, water, electricity, banks, insurance; poor after-sales service
- Green marketing: less waste, few raw materials, saves resources
4 Consumer Protection Act and rights
- CPA 1986: landmark law; principle of self help; simple, speedy, inexpensive redressal; applies to all goods and services unless notified by the central government
- Two implications: complain to an authority for speedy redressal; claim compensation for loss from the manufacturer’s negligence
- CPA 2019 replaced the three decade old Act: central regulator, strict penalties for misleading ads, e-commerce guidelines
- Four basic rights: safety, to be informed (quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard, price), to choose, to be heard
- Two additional rights: to seek redressal (compensation), to consumer education
5 Standardisation marks and organisations
| Mark | Key fact |
|---|---|
| ISI | BIS (earlier Indian Standards Institution); food, electrical goods, soaps, paints, paper |
| AGMARK | Government of India; agricultural products; reliability |
| FPO | Fruit and vegetable products; metallic contaminants and preservatives |
| Woolmark | International Wool Secretariat; pure wool |
| Silk Mark | Pure silk; brand for generic promotion |
| Hallmark | Platinum, silver, gold; fineness/purity |
| Ecomark | BIS; earthen pot; biodegradable, recyclable |
| FSSAI | Food Safety and Standards Act 2006; science-based food standards |
- Bodies: BIS, Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI); Protection Councils at central and state levels
- NGOs (non-partisan): comparative testing, awareness, legal advice, complaints, vigilance groups
- VOICE (Delhi) ‘Consumer Voice’; CERC (Ahmedabad) ‘Insight’; Consumers Union (US) ‘Consumer Reports’; UK ‘Which’; Australia ‘Choice’
6 Responsibilities and careers
- Nine responsibilities: update knowledge of laws; honesty and payment; market survey; free choice; read label; buy marked products; keep receipts; read terms of services; know consumer organisations
- Skills: knowledge of protection mechanisms, quality standards, adulterants, laws; communication, empathy, listening, creativity, writing
- Courses: B.Sc./B.A. Home Science, Family Resource Management, Home Management, Resource Management, BBA, BBS; PG diplomas, M.Sc., MBA (marketing)
- Scope: BIS, DMI, Ministry of Consumer Affairs; voluntary organisations; consumer divisions; market research; National Consumer Helpline; testing laboratories; consumer courts; journalism
- Practical: leaflet; bi-fold = 4 panels, tri-fold = 6 panels; heading most important
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