Syllabus (COMMERCE)

Course Type: ME-4

Semester: 4

Course Code: BBCOMMEA24T

Course Title: Consumer affair and Customer laws

(L-P-Tu): 3-0-1

Credit: 4

Practical/Theory: Theory

Course Objective: 1. To learn about consumers rights, MRP, local taxes, fair prices etc. 2. To know Consumer Protection Act, 1986. 3. To understand grievance redressal mechanism, industry regulators and consumer complaint redressal mechanism etc.

Learning Outcome: By learning this paper students can get a sufficient knowledge regarding the protection that has been given by Consumer Protection Act, 1986 to consumers. Students can also learn various grounds of filing a complaint against a business, the various reliefs and remedy to be provided as per Consumer Protection Act, role of District Forum, State Commissions, National Commission, their composition, powers and jurisdiction, role of Supreme Court under CPA Act etc.

Subject: Consumer Affairs and Customer Care

Unit 1: Conceptual Framework (Lectures:15 )

Consumer and Markets: Concept of consumer, Nature of markets, Concept of price in retail and wholesale, Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and Local Taxes, Fair Price, Labeling and packaging

Experiencing and Voicing Dissatisfaction: Consumer Satisfaction/dissatisfaction; Grievances and complaint; Consumer Complaining Behaviour - Alternatives available to Dissatisfied Consumers, Internal and External Complaint handling - Corporate Redress Systems and Public Redress Systems.

Unit 2: The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (CPA) (Lectures: 15)

Objectives of CPA, Basic Concepts - consumer, goods, service, defect in goods, deficiency in service, spurious goods and services, unfair trade practice, restrictive trade practice.

Organizational set-up under the Consumer Protection Act: Advisory Bodies - Consumer Protection Councils at the Central, State and District Levels; Basic Consumer Rights; Adjudicatory Bodies - District Forums, State Commissions, National Commission - Their Composition, Powers, and Jurisdiction (Pecuniary and Territorial); Role of Supreme Court under the CPA.

Unit 3: Grievance Redress Mechanism under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (Lectures:15 )

Who can file a complaint? Grounds of filing a complaint; Limitation period; Procedure for filing and hearing of a complaint; Disposal of cases, Relief/Remedy to be provided; Temporary Injunction, Enforcement of order; Appeal, frivolous and vexatious complaints; Offences and penalties.

Leading Cases decided under Consumer Protection Act: Medical Negligence; Banking; Insurance; Housing & Real Estate; Unfair Trade Practice.

Unit 4: Consumer Protection in India (Lectures: 15)

Consumer Movement in India - Evolution of Consumer Movement in India; Formation of consumer organizations and their role in consumer protection; Recent developments in Consumer Protection in India; National Consumer Helpline; Citizens Charter; Product testing; RBI and Banking, Ombudsman IRDA and Insurance Ombudsman; TRAI.

Reading References:

Aggarwal, V.K., Consumer Protection: Law and Practice, Bharat Law House, Delhi.

Girimaji, Pushpa, Consumer Right for Everyone, Penguin Books.

Khanna, S.R., Hanspal, S., Kapoor, S. & Awasthi, H.K., Consumer Affairs, Delhi University Publication.

The Consumer Protection Act, 1986