The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has filed and disposed of more than 100% of the cases reported over the past two years on a year-over-year basis. These cases encompassed issues related to consumer rights violations, unfair trade practices, and false or misleading advertisements detrimental to public and consumer interests.
To modernise the framework governing consumer protection in the era of globalisation, technologies, and e-commerce markets, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, was repealed and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 was enacted. Under the Act, the CCPA has been established with effect from July 24, 2020 to regulate matters of consumer rights and violations.
As per the information provided by the Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, BL Verma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, CCPA disposed of cases in an upward trajectory. The disposed of cases in a year may include cases filed in the previous years, year on year basis (YoY).
In 2023, they reported having disposed of 1,86,902 cases, including cases from previous years, out of 1,71,468 filed that year which brought their disposal rate to 109% on a YoY basis. In 2022, 1,83,779 cases were disposed of, including cases from previous years, out of 1,74,280 filed that year at 105%.
But in 2021, only 99,095 cases were disposed of, including cases from previous years as well, from 1,48,422 that were filed that year, with a disposal percentage of 66.77%. As many as 60,884 cases were disposed of in 2020 out of 1,20,018 with a disposal percentage of 50.73.
The disposal percentage in 2019 stood at 79.06% as the CCPA disposed a total of 1,40,860 cases out of 1,78,153 including cases from previous years.
Details of cases filed and disposed off during the last five years are as follows:
The Consumer Protection Act provides for the redressal of the grievances of consumers through three-tier quasi-judicial agencies, known as National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (NCDRC) at the national level, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) at the state level, and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) at the district level.
The Act provides an inter-alia, simplification of the adjudication process in the Consumer Commissions. Filing of a complaint by a consumer in the commission having jurisdiction over the complainant’s place of residence/work or where the cause of action arises, or the place of business or residence of the opposite parties, e-filing, virtual hearing, deemed admissibility of complaints, and more.
The provision for filing cases online through ‘e-Daakhil’ has been introduced in NCDRC and Consumer Commissions of 35 States/UTs at the district and state level for the resolution of cases. Video Conferencing facilities have been provided in the commissions at the national and state levels.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has revamped the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) which is the single point of access to consumers across the country for grievance redressal at the pre-litigation stage. It is available to all consumers of the country in 17 languages through a toll-free number 1915. Grievances can be registered on the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM), an omnichannel IT-enabled central portal, WhatsApp, SMS, mail, NCH app, web portal, and Umang applications.
The Department is implementing ‘Consumer Awareness’ to generate consumer awareness and empower consumers under the ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ campaign. In 2022-23 they launched ‘Jagriti’, a mascot for empowering consumers and generating awareness of their rights.
The CCPA notified the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022 on June 9, 2022-
a. Conditions for an advertisement to be non-misleading and valid
b. Certain stipulations in respect of bait advertisements and free claim advertisements
c. Duties of manufacturer, service provider, advertiser, and advertising agency.
