NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science (Economics) Chapter 5 Consumer Rights

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 10th

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Class : 10th
Subject : Social-Science-Economics
Chapter : 5
Chapter Name : Consumer Rights

Q1 What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market?

Answer. Consumers (People) are exploited in the market by
(a) Charging high price of the product
(b) Not giving proper after sale service
(c) Less measurement.
(d) Under weighing goods.
(e) Selling substandard quality goods.
(f) Adulteration.
(g) Negligence in service

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Q2 Think of one example from your experience where you thought that there was some
cheating' in the market. Discuss in the classroom.

Answer. This question may be self attempted. Narrate and explain your experience when you
bought 3 kg apples from a Rehri Wala in the market, how he underweighted the apples, which
over 2.5 kg instead of 3 kg. Write your experience when you come to know about it afterwards

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Q3 What do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers?

Answer. The government must lay down rules and regulations to protect and safeguard the
interest of consumers. The rules and regulations must be enforced on a regular basis bv the
government.

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Q1 What could have been the steps taken by consumer groups?

Answer. Consumer groups should have forced the business organizations or groups to strictly
follow rules and regulations laid down by the government They should have also supervised
whether these rules and regulations are fully implemented or not.
(a)On behalf of the consumer they launch complaints to seek redressal.

(b)They should organize mock plays to make the people aware about the consumer's rights
and their duties as a goad consumer.

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Q2 There may be rules regulations but they are often not followed. Why? Discuss.

Answer. There are rules and regulations to protect the consumer from exploitation, but they
are not followed because consumers are very lazy and do not want to get into legal hassles

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Q1 For the following (you can add to the list) products/services discuss what safety
rules should be observed by the producer?
(a) LPG cylinder
(b) cinema theatre
(c) circus
(d) medicines
(e) edible oil
(t) marriage pandal
(g) a high rise building.

Answer.

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Q2 Find out any case of accident or negligence trom people around you, where you think that
the lay with the producer. Discuss.

Answer. A boy consumed a cold drink and immediately drinking after it there developed
symptoms of food poisoning, He was taken to the nearest hospital and was diagnosed as
having taken a poisonous liquid. The public informed the police and police immediately sealed
the remaining cold drinks, The shopkeeper was arrested selling adulterated cold drinks,

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Q1 When we buy commodities we nd that the price charged is sometimes higher or lower
than the Maximum Retail Price printed on the pack. Discuss the possible reasons. Should
consumer groups do something about this?

Answer. The possible reason for higher price may be overcharging by the retailer for an
ignorant customer. The possible reason for a price lower than Maximum Retail Price (MRP)
may be due to bargaining by the customer, or a discount being given by the retailer to increase
his sale. Consumer groups should pressurize the dealers to ensure that no dealer charges more
than the MRP under any condition. They should in fact put pressure on dealers to reduce their
margins and charge lesser than the MRP as far as possible.

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Q2 Pick up a few packaged goods that you want to buy and examine the information given. In
what ways are they useful? Is there some information that you think should be given on those
packaged goods but is not? Discuss.

Answer. The information given on the package can be useful as follows
(i) Maximum Retail Price (MRP) The seller cannot ask you to pay more than this amount.
(ii) Expiry Date and Date of Manufacture You can tell whether the product is old and also
whether you can safely use it.
(iii) Ingredients Used You can know what is used in making the product so that, in case some
ingredient does not suit your health condition, you can avoid it. Examples are sugar for
diabetics and salt for high blood pressure patients.
(iv) Address of Manufacturer If the product is defective and the seller does not replace it, you
can contact the manufacturer for redressal of your complaint. On all products, especially
medicine and food items, additional information regarding safe and proper use should be
mentioned. Usually this is not mentioned.

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Q3 People make complaints about the lack of civic amenities such as bad roads or poor water

and health facilities but no one listens. Now the RTI Act gives you the power to question. Do
you agree? Discuss.

Answer. Yes, I agree that it gives us the power to nd out how the government departments
work so that we can approach the correct agency which will repair the bad road, ensure
adequate and clean water supply or improve the health facilities. The RTI Act helps us to
approach the concerned department to get the work done.

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Q1 The following are some of the catchy advertisements of products that we purchase from
the market. Which of the following offers would really bene t consumers? Discuss.
(a) 15 gm more in every 500 gm pack ............
(b) Subscribe for a newspaper with a gift at the end of year ......
(c) Scratch and win gifts worth ₹10 lakh ............
(d) A milk chocolate inside a 500 gram glucose box ............
(e) Win a gold coin inside a pack .........
(f) Buy shoes worth ₹2000 and get one pair of shoes worth ₹500 free ............

Answer. (a) 15 gm more in every 500 gm pack - yes, it will bene t because it is given at the
time of purchase.
(b) Subscribe for a newspaper with a gift at the end of a year - no, because you have to keep
paying every month for one year without any guarantee that you will get the gift at the end of
the year.
(c) Scratch and win gifts worth ₹10 lakh - no, as you can scratch the card only after purchasing
and in most cases you will get nothing.
(d) A milk chocolate inside a 500 gram glucose box - if the milk chocolate is visible before
purchasing, then it is bene cial to the consumer. Otherwise, the chocolate may not be found
inside once the consumer has purchased and opened the box.
(e)Win a gold coin inside a pack - it may not bene t the consumer if the 'gold' coin is not really
made of gold.
(f)Buy shoes worth ₹2000 and get one pair of shoes worth ₹500 free - the shoes may not be of
the style required by the consumer. Also, the price of `2000 may have been increased to
include the cost of the shoe of ₹500. So probably the consumer is not bene tted.

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Q1 Arrange the following in the correct order.
(a) Arita les a case in the District Consumer Court.
(b) She engages a professional person.
(c) She realises that the dealer has given her defective material.
(d) She starts attending the court proceedings.
(e) She goes and complains to the dealer and the Branch of ce, to no effect.
(f) She is asked to produce the bill and warranty before the court.
(g) She purchases a wall clock from a retail outlet.

(h) Within a few months, the dealer was ordered by the court to replace her old wall clock with
a brand new one at no extra cost.

Answer. g,c,e,b,a,f,d,h

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Q1 Look at the posters and cartoons in this chapter. Think of any particular commodity and
the aspects that need to be looked at as a consumer. Design a poster for this.

Answer. DIY

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Q2 Find out the nearest consumer court for your area.

Answer. DIY

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Q3 What is the difference between consumer protection council and consumer court?

Answer. Consumer protection council has not any legal right and is a voluntary organization.
Consumer courts are three tier quasi-judicial machinery set up for redressed of consumer
disputes.

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Q4 The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 ensures the following as rights which every consumer
in India should possess.
(i) Right to choice
(ii) Right to information
(iii) Right to redressal
(iv) Right to representation.
(v) Right to safety
(vi) Right to consumer education.

Categories the following cases under different heads and mark against each in brackets.
(a) Lata got an electric shock from a newly purchased iron. She complained to the shopkeeper
immediately, (v) Right to safety
(b) John is dissatis ed with the services provided by MTNL/BSNL/TATA Indicom for the past
few months. He les a case in the District Level Consumer Forum, (iii) Right to redressal
(c) Your friend had been sold a medicine that has crossed the expiry date and you are advising
her to lodge a complaint, (vi) Right to consumer education
(d) Iqbal makes it a point to scan through all the particulars given on the pack of any item that

he buys. (ii) Right to information
(e) You are not satis ed with the services of the cable operator catering to your locality but
you are unable to switch over to anybody else. (i) Right to choice (f) You realise that you have
received a defective camera from a dealer. You are complaining to the head of ce persistently,
(iv) Right to representation

Answer. (i) Right to Choice You are not satis ed with the services of the cable operator
catering to your locality but you are unable to switch over to anybody else.
(ii) Right to Information Iqbal makes it points to scan through all the particulars given on the
pack of any item that he buys.
(iii) Right to Redressal John is dissatis ed with the services provided by MTNL/BSNL/TATA
Indicom for the past few months. He les an ease in the district level consumer forum.
(iv) Right to Representation You realize that you have received a defective camera from a
dealer. You are complaining to the head of ce persistently.
(v) Right to Safety Lata got an electric shock from a newly purchased iron. She complained to
the shopkeeper immediately.
(vi) Right to Consumer Education Your friend has been sold a medicine that has crossed the
expiry date and you are advising her to lodge a complaint.

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Q5 If the standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, why are many goods available in
the market without ISI or Agmark certi cation?

Answer. Standardization no doubt ensures the quality of a product but it is time consuming
and expensive to avail of it. Millions of small producer cannot afford it. Also it is not
compulsory in the case of most products in the market.

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Q6 Find out the details of who provides Hallmark and ISO certi cation.

Answer. Hallmark certi es gold products and is provided by Gold Council of India. ISO
certi cation is given by the International Standardization Organization headquartered in
Geneva.

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Q1 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. Sellers
often abdicate responsibility for a low-quality product, cheat in weighing out goods, add extra
charges over the retail price, and sell adulterated/ defective goods. 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.

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Q2 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.

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Q3 Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.

Answer. Consumer consciousness is being aware of your right as a consumer while buying any
goods or services. Example It is common to see consumers bargaining with sellers for
additional discounts below the MRP. Because of conscious consumers, most of the sweet shops
do not include the weight of the container when they weigh sweets.

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Q4 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.
Individual purchase quantity is quite small.
Consumers are scattered over large areas.

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Q5 What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?

Answer. The rationale behind the enactment of COPRA 1986 was to set up a separate
department of consumer affairs in Central and State governments and it has enabled us as
consumers to have the right to represent in a consumer court.

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Q6 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 only the maximum retail price printed on the
goods, preventing shopkeepers from duping 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 awed product.

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Q7 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 mark is
certi ed by the government and assures the quality of the product.

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Q8 What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumeß in India?

Answer. Legal measures taken by the government to empower consumers in India are plenty.
First and foremost being the COPRA in 1986. Then, in October 2005, the Right to Information
Act was passed, ensuring citizens all information about the functioning of government
departments. 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.

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Q9 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. LInder 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. Right to represent The act has enabled us as consumers to have the right to
represent in the consumer courts.

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Q10 By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?

Answer. Consumers can express their solidarity by forming consumer groups that write

articles or hold exhibitions against traders' exploitation. These groups guide individuals on
how to approach a consumer court, and they even ght cases for consumers. Such groups
receive nancial aid from the government to create public awareness. Participation of one and
all will further strengthen consumer solidarity.

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Q11 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
signi cant 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-organised
and functioning smoothly.

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Q12 Match the following.

Answer.

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Q13 say True or False.
(i) COPRA applies only to goods.
(ii) India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive courts for consumer
redressal.
(iii) When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must le a case in the District
Consumer Court.
(iv) It is worthwhile to move to consumer courts only if the damages incurred are of high
value.
(v) Hallmark is the certi cation maintained for standardisation of jewelry.
(vi) The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick.
(vii) A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of the damage.

Answer. (i) False
(ii) True
(iii) True
(iv) True
(v) True
(vi) False
(vii) True

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