Role of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 in Protecting the Consumers

Consumers are the largest economic group in any country. They are the central point of all economic
activity. Everyone is a born consumer, whether he is an industrialist, a producer, a trader engaged in any
profession or service or belonging to any other class. Whether one is a producer or whether he renders a
service, the ultimate object of all production is to ensure consumption of goods and services to the
satisfaction of the consumers. This could be achieved only when the products are of acceptable standard
quality and are not produced and distributed with the only motive of making profits. This idea referred to
the concept of consumer protection. Consumer protection is a group of laws and organizations designed to
ensure the rights of consumers as well as fair trade, competition and accurate information in the
marketplace. In India, consumer protection is specified in The Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Under this
law, Separate Consumer Dispute Redress Forums have been set up throughout India in each and every
district in which a consumer can file his complaint on a simple paper with nominal court fees and his
complaint will be decided by the Presiding Officer of the District Level. The complaint can be filed by
both the consumer of goods as well as of the services. An appeal could be filed to the State Consumer
Disputes Redress Commissions and after that to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
(NCRDC). The procedures in these tribunals are relatively less formal and more people friendly and they
also take less time to decide upon a consumer dispute. This paper is designed to throw a light upon the role
of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 in protecting the consumers in India