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4.	Right to be Heard: The right to be heard and assured that consumer interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums.

5.	Right to Seek Redressal: The right to get relief against unfair trade practice or exploitation.

6.	Right to Education: The right to be educated about rights of a consumer.

Protection of Consumer Rights

Consumer protection means safeguarding the rights and interests of consumers. It includes all the measures aimed at protecting the rights and interests of consumers. Consumers need protection due to the following reasons:

Some of these laws are as follows:

o	The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 which aims to regulate and control the production, supply and distribution and prices of essential commodities.

o	The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 which aims to check adulteration in food items and eatables.

o	The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 which seeks to ensure purity and quality in drugs and cosmetics.

o	The Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1956 which aims at ensuring that consumers get the right weight and measurement in products.

o	The Household Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 1976 which seeks to ensure safety and quality in the manufacture of electrical appliances.

o	The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 which seeks to provide speedy and inexpensive redressal to the grievances of consumers.

THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, 1986

The Act provides following remedies to an aggrieved consumer:

o	Removal of defects in goods or deficiency in service.

o	Replacement of defective goods with new goods of similar description which shall be free from any defect.

o	Return of price paid by the consumer.

o	Payment of compensation for any loss or injury suffered by the consumer.

o	Discontinue the restrictive, or unfair trade practice, and not to repeat it.

o	Withdraw the hazardous goods from being offered for sale and not to offer them for sale.

o	Provide for adequate cost to the aggrieved party.

The Consumer Production Act provides for a threetier system of redressal agencies: one at district level known as District Forum, second at state level known as 'State Commission', and third at national level known as 'National Commission'. A complaint is to be made to the district forum of the concerned district where the value of goods and services and compensation, if any, is up to Rs 20 lakhs, to the 'State Commission' between Rs 20 lakhs and Rs 100 lakhs, and to the National Commission for more than Rs 100 lakhs. Interestingly, there is provision for appeals against the orders of a particular redessal forum by the aggrieved party before the next higher echelon and even from the findings of the National Commission before the Supreme Court.

Conclusion

Invariably, consumers are a vulnerable lot for exploitation, more so in a developing country with the prevalence of mass poverty and illiteracy. India too is no exception to it. Instances like overcharging, black marketing, adulteration, profiteering, lack of proper services in trains, telecommunication, water supply, airlines, etc are not uncommon here. From time to time, the government has attempted to safeguard consumer's interests through legislations and the CPA 1986 is considered as the most progressive statute for consumer protection. Procedural simplicity and speedy and inexpensive redressal of consumer grievances as contained in the CPA are really unique and have few parallels in the world. internet marketing forum