News Highlight
World Consumer Rights Day, 2023, is celebrated on 15th March 2023.
Key Takeaway
- Strengthened National Consumer Hotline, E-Daakhil Portal to quickly resolve consumer grievances, and Right to Repair Portal to empower consumers.
- The theme of World Consumer Rights Day, 2023, is “Empowering consumers through clean energy transitions”.
World Consumer Rights Day 2023
- About
- International Consumer Rights Day is observed annually on March 15th.
- President John F. Kennedy was the inspiration behind World Consumer Rights Day.
- On March 15, 1962, he raised the issue of consumer rights in a particular statement to the US Congress.
- World Consumer Rights Day is an annual international celebration of consumer rights.
- It serves as a unifying factor for the global consumer movement’s call for protecting and respecting consumer rights.
- The occasion also offers a chance to voice opposition to the social inequities and market abuses that undermine such rights.
- The theme of World Consumer Rights Day, 2023, is “Empowering consumers through clean energy transitions”.
Need for Consumer Rights Protection
- Energy crisis
- Most nations are experiencing a worldwide energy crisis, which is having a particularly negative impact on disadvantaged consumers.
- High prices
- World energy prices are expected to increase by 50% by the end of 2022 and remain high in 2023.
- Consumer adaptation
- Consumers worldwide are significantly modifying their lifestyles to meet basic demands as food and financial costs rise.
- Indeed, according to 81% of respondents in our global insights poll of Members, consumers are changing their spending plans to pay their energy bills.
Recent Initiatives Related to Consumer Rights
- National Consumer Helpline
- Consumers now favour e-commerce as one of their preferred buying channels.
- Nonetheless, the amount of e-commerce complaints received by the National Consumer Hotline (NCH) has increased.
- As a result, NCH is being technologically reinforced to accept more complaints.
- As well as quickly resolve typical customer grievances such as refund, replacement, and deficiency in service.
- At the pre-litigation level, NCH is an alternative conflict resolution tool.
- NCH is available in over 17 languages.
- It includes the newly added Maithili, Kashmiri, and Santhali.
- E-Daakhil Portal
- The E-Daakhil Portal was created to make it easier to file consumer complaints online.
- It provides an easy, quick, and low-cost way for consumers to access the relevant consumer forum, eliminating the need to travel and be physically present to file complaints.
- The goal is to use technology to digitise and make it easier for people to access justice.
- Right to Repair Portal
- In keeping with the LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) movement, the Department has begun developing a “Right to Repair portal“.
- It is to safeguard consumers from planned obsolescence, which results in increased e-waste.
- The platform is expected to resolve concerns about spare component pricing, originality, and warranty.
- Reducing E-Waste
- The Department intends to hold a hackathon to create charging solutions for wearable devices.
- It emphasises the reduction of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) and the promotion of a more sustainable consumer ecology.
- Wireless charging solutions are also being investigated, which will aid in reducing e-waste.
Way Forward
- Today’s task is to assist customers in overcoming current challenges while permitting a swift transformation that ensures long-term sustainability, security, and affordability.
- Improving access to inexpensive, dependable, sustainable, and contemporary energy will also play a significant role in avoiding catastrophic climate change.
- Furthermore, consumption adjustments are recognised and expected to lower future greenhouse gas emissions by 40-70%.
Pic Courtesy: India Map
Content Source: PIB