Government of India had introduced the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, in the Lok Sabha.

Q. Government of India had introduced the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, in the Lok Sabha.

The Bill gives the right to consumers to
1. Seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices.
2. File a complaint for overcharging or deceptive charging.

Which of the above is/are included in the Bill?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: Both 1 and 2

Consumer Protection Act, 2015

• The Bill replaces the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.  The Bill enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding a defect in goods and deficiency in services.

• Consumer Dispute Redressal Commissions will be set up at the district, state and national levels for adjudicating consumer complaints.

• The Bill establishes a Consumer Protection Authority to investigate into consumer complaints, issue safety notices for goods and services, and pass orders for the recall of goods and against misleading advertisements. 

• If a consumer suffers an injury from a defect in a good, he may file a claim of product liability against the manufacturer.  The consumer must establish seven conditions in order to prove such a claim. 

• The Bill classifies six contract terms as ‘unfair’.  These cover terms such as (i) payment of excessive security deposits; (ii) disproportionate penalty for a breach ; (iii) unilateral termination without cause; (iv) one which puts the consumer at a disadvantage.

According to this act, "complaint" means any allegation in writing made by a complainant that—
(i) an unfair trade practice or a restrictive trade practice has been adopted by any trader or service
provider;
(ii) the goods bought by him or agreed to be bought by him suffer from one or more defects;
(iii) a trader or the service provider, as the case may be, has charged for the goods or for the
services mentioned in the complaint, a price in excess of the price