The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), a branch under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, recently made public its year-end-review for 2022. The report highlighted a range of policies, initiatives and schemes that were implemented over the course of the year.
Strengthening Price Monitoring Mechanism
A stand-out achievement involved the enhancement of its Price Monitoring Mechanism. The Price Monitor Cell kept a check on both wholesale and retail prices of essential commodities such as Rice, Wheat, Atta, and Gram Dal. This data was collected from 179 market centres, divided across North, West, East, South, and North-eastern regions. Additionally, throughout the year, 57 new price reporting centers were added, an increase in number from 122 to 179.
Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) Progress
An important pillar of the Department’s initiatives has been the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF). PSF is central scheme providing working capital for procurement and distribution of agri-horticultural commodities. Indeed, over 2022, around 12.83 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of pulses were successfully transferred from the Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DACFW) to PSF.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and Consumer Awareness
In terms of consumer awareness, the department showcased its new mascot, “Jagriti” who was launched to boost the “Jago Grahak Jago” campaign. This move was aimed at increasing consumer awareness across the nation. Simultaneously, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), Rs. 35.59 crore were released to multiple states and Union Territories as reimbursement for expenses incurred in the distribution of pulses.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Updates
The BIS Act of 2016 was enforced from 12th October 2017, with the governing council reconstituted subsequently. Over time, the total number of standards implemented rose to 21,833 by 25th November 2022. BIS India is currently chairing the South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) Technical Management Board and the Board of Conformity Assessment (BCA).
Consumer Protection Measures
In terms of consumer protection, DoCA played an active role in celebrating the World Consumer Rights Day on 15th March 2022. The theme was centered around “Fair Digital Finance.” Alongside this, numerous consumer cases were resolved via National Lok Adalats, with 5,930 cases handled on 12th December 2022.
Implementation of Consumer Protection Act, 2019
Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements were notified under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. In addition, an online application portal, edaakhil.nic.in, was launched to make complaint filing more accessible to consumers.
Preventing Fake Online Reviews and Legal Metrology
To counter fake reviews, BIS unveiled the framework titled Indian Standard (IS) 19000:2022 ‘Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation, and Publication. It will be applicable to all online platforms publishing consumer reviews. Finally, The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 were amended allowing electronic products industries to provide mandatory declarations digitally through QR codes.
Last Modified: February 20, 2024