Page 140 - Understanding Economics for Class 10

6. Find out the details of who provides Hallmark and ISO certification.
Ans. Hallmark is used to certify gold products and is provided by the Gold Council of India.
It ensures the quality of gold.
ISO certification is given by the International Organisation for Standardization. Its
Goyal Brothers Prakashan
headquarter is in Geneva, Switzerland. It validates a business’s fulfilment of requirement
relating to quality standards as defined by ISO.

tAKInG tHE conSuMEr MoVEMEnt ForWArd

 India celebrates National Consumers' Day on December 24th, commemorating the enactment
of the Consumer Protection Act in 1986.
 The country holds exclusive authority for consumer redressal and has seen the emergence
of numerous consumer groups, although only a small fraction are well-organized and
recognized. However, the consumer redressal process has become burdensome, costly,
and time-consuming, often requiring legal representation.
 Evidence gathering is challenging due to the lack of cash memos for most purchases,
particularly in small retail sales.

 The 2019 amendment to COPRA has strengthened consumer rights, extending protection
to online purchases and holding service providers and manufacturers accountable for
deficiencies and defective products. Mediation outside the Consumer Disputes Redressal
Commission is now encouraged.
 Despite slow progress, consumer awareness is spreading in India. Enforcement of labor
protection laws and market regulations remains weak, but there is potential for consumers
to realize their role and actively participate in consumer movements through voluntary
efforts and collective engagement.

EXERCISES

1. Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
Ans. Rules and regulations are required for the protection of the consumers in the marketplace.
(i) If there is any complaint regarding a good or service that had been bought, the seller tries to escape
by shifting all the responsibility on to the buyer. Buyer often finds himself in a weak position.
(ii) Consumers get cheated when shopkeepers use incorrect weights and measures, put extra
charges in the bill, adulterate the foodstuff that they intend to sell, sell defective goods,
or sell goods that have expired.
(iii) Sellers sometimes pass false information about their product to consumers through media.
(iv) Sometimes consumers are not provided with satisfactory after sale service. The seller tries
to escape by shifting all the responsibility on to the buyer.

Example: if a person buys a product and checks the expiry date after paying for the product, the
shopkeeper must restore the expired product. If no rules were maintained, then the shopkeeper might
refuse to compensate for the product.

2. What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
Ans. The consumer movement arose out of the dissatisfaction of the consumers. The factors that
gave birth to the consumer movement in India are as follows:
(i) There was no legal system available to consumers to protect them from exploitation in the
marketplace.
Economics Class X E-123