NOTES FOR THE TEACHER
CHAPTER 5 : CONSUMER RIGHTS
This chapter proposes to discuss the issue of
consumer rights within the context of the ways
markets operate in our country. There are many
aspects of unequal situations in a market and
poor enforcement of rules and regulations. Hence,
there is a need to sensitise learners and encourage
them to participate in the consumer movement.
This chapter provides case histories – how some
consumers were exploited in a real life situation
and how legal institutions helped consumers in
getting compensated and in upholding their rights
as consumers. The case histories would enable
the students to link these narratives to their life
experiences. We have to enable students to
understand that the awareness of being a wellinformed consumer arose out of consumer
movement and active participation of people
through their struggles over a long period. This
chapter also provides details of a few
organisations helping consumers in different
ways. Finally it ends with some critical issues of
the consumer movement in India.
Aspects of Teaching / Sources of Information
This chapter has questions, case studies and
activities. It would be preferred that students
discuss these in groups orally. Some of these
could be answered in writing individually.
While carrying out each activity you could
start with a brainstorming session about the
activity. Similarly there are many opportunities
for role-play in this chapter and this could be a
useful way to share their experiences and

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understand the issues at a deeper level. Making
posters collectively is another way to think about
these issues. This lesson contains activities,
which require visits – visit to consumer
protection councils, consumer organisations,
consumer court, retail shops, market places, etc.
Organise the visits to maximise learners’
experience. Have a discussion with them about
the purpose of the visit, things they need to do
beforehand and things that need to be collected
and the task (report/ project / article, etc.) they
would carry out after the visit. As part of this
chapter, the learners may do letter-writing and
speaking activities. We may have to be sensitive
to the language aspect of exercises.
This chapter contains materials collected
from authenticated websites, books, newspapers
and magazines. For example, http://
www.mca.gov.in is a website of Central
Government Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Another website www.cuts-international.org is the
website of a consumer organisation working in
India for more than 20 years. It publishes a
variety of materials to create consumer
awareness in India. They need to be shared
among learners so that they can also collect
materials as part of their activities. For example,
case histories were taken from newspaper
clippings and consumers who fought in
consumer courts. Let learners collect and read
such materials from different sources: consumer
protection councils, consumer courts and
internet.

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CHAPTER 5

CONSUMER RIGHTS
The collage you see below contains
some news clippings of consumer
court verdicts. Why did the people go
to the consumer court in these cases?
These verdicts came about because
some people persisted and struggled
to get justice. In what ways were they
denied justice? More importantly,

what are the ways in which they can
exercise their rights as consumers to
get a fair deal from the sellers when
they felt they had been denied a just
treatment?

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THE CONSUMER IN THE MARKETPLACE
We participate in the market both as
producers and consumers. As
producers of goods and services we
could be working in any of the sectors
discussed earlier such as agriculture,
industry, or services. Consumers
participate in the market when they
purchase goods and services that they
need. These are the final goods that
people as consumers use.
In the preceding chapters we
discussed the need for rules and
regulations or steps that would
promote development. These could be
for the protection of workers in the
unorganised sector or to protect
people from high interest rates
charged by moneylenders in the
informal sector. Similarly, rules and
regulations are also required for
protecting the environment.
For example, moneylenders in the
informal sector that you read about
in Chapter 3 adopt various tricks to
bind the borrower: they could make
the producer sell the produce to them
at a low rate in return for a timely loan;
they could force a small farmer like
Swapna to sell her land to pay back
the loan. Similarly, many people who
work in the unorganised sector have
to work at a low wage and accept
conditions that are not fair and are
also often harmful to their health. To
prevent such exploitation, we
have talked of rules and regulations
for their protection. There are
organisations that have struggled
for long to ensure that these rules are
followed.

Likewise, rules and regulations are
required for the protection of the
consumers in the marketplace.
Individual consumers often find
themselves in a weak position.
Whenever there is a complaint
regarding a good or service that had
been bought, the seller tries to shift
all the responsibility on to the buyer.
Their position usually is – “If you
didn’t like what you bought, please
go elsewhere”. As if the seller has no
responsibility once a sale is
completed! The consumer movement,
as we shall discuss later, is an effort
to change this situation.
Exploitation in the marketplace
happens in various ways. For
example, sometimes traders indulge
in unfair trade practices such as when
shopkeepers weigh less than what
they should or when traders add
charges that were not mentioned
before, or when adulterated/defective
goods are sold.
Markets do not work in a fair
manner when producers are few and
powerful whereas consumers
purchase in small amounts and are
scattered. This happens especially
when large companies are producing
these goods. These companies with
huge wealth, power and reach can
manipulate the market in various
ways. At times false information is
passed on through the media, and
other sources to attract consumers.
For example, a company for years
sold powder milk for babies all over

THEY PURPOSELY MADE IT
SO IT WOULD FALL APART
AFTER A FEW MONTHS SO
THAT I WILL BUY A NEW ONE!

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the world as the most scientific
product claiming this to be better
than mother’s milk. It took years of
struggle before the company was
forced to accept that it had been
making false claims. Similarly, a
long battle had to be fought with
court cases to make cigarettemanufacturing companies accept that
their product could cause cancer.
Hence, there is a need for rules and
regulations to ensure protection for
consumers.

EVERYONE KNOWS
TOBACCO KILLS PEOPLE,
BUT WHO CAN SAY THAT
TOBACCO COMPANIES
SHOULD NOT BE FREE
TO SELL TOBACCO?

LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market?
2. Think of one example from your experience where you thought that there was some
‘cheating’ in the market. Discuss in the classroom.
3. What do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers?

CONSUMER MOVEMENT
The consumer movement arose out
of dissatisfaction of the consumers
as many unfair practices were being
indulged in by the sellers. There was
no legal system available to
consumers to protect them from
exploitation in the marketplace. For
a long time, when a consumer was
not happy with a particular brand
product or shop, he or she generally
avoided buying that brand product,
or would stop purchasing from that
shop. It was presumed that it was
the responsibility of consumers to be
careful while buying a commodity
or service. It took many years for
organisations in India, and around
the world, to create awareness
amongst people. This has also
shifted the responsibility of ensuring

quality of goods and services on the
sellers.
In India, the consumer movement
as a ‘social force’ originated with the
necessity of protecting and promoting
the interests of consumers against
unethical and unfair trade practices.
Rampant food shortages, hoarding,
black marketing, adulteration of food
and edible oil gave birth to the
consumer movement in an organised
form in the 1960s. Till the 1970s,
consumer organisations were largely
engaged in writing articles and
holding exhibitions. They formed
consumer groups to look into the
malpractices in ration shops and
overcrowding in the road passenger
transport. More recently, India
witnessed an upsurge in the number
of consumer groups.

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Consumers International
In 1985 United Nations adopted
the UN Guidelines for Consumer
Protection. This was a tool for
nations to adopt measures to
protect consumers and for
consumer advocacy groups to
press their governments to do
so. At the international level, this
has become the foundation for
consumer movement. Today,
Consumers International has
become an umbrella body to
over 220 member organisations
from over 115 countries.

Because of all these efforts, the movement succeeded in
bringing pressure on business firms as well as government
to correct business conduct which may be unfair and against
the interests of consumers at large. A major step taken in
1986 by the Indian government was the enactment of the
Consumer Protection Act 1986, popularly known as COPRA.
You will learn more about COPRA later.

LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. What could have been the steps taken by consumer groups?
2. There may be rules and regulations but they are often not followed. Why? Discuss.

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CONSUMER RIGHTS
SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RIGHT

Reji’s Suffering
Reji Mathew, a healthy boy studying in
Class IX, was admitted in a private clinic in
Kerala for removal of tonsils. An ENT
surgeon performed the tonsillectomy
operation under general anaesthesia. As a
result of improper anaesthesia Reji showed
symptoms of some brain abnormalities
because of which he was crippled for life.
His father filed a complaint in the State
Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
claiming compensation of Rs 5,00,000 for
medical negligence and deficiency, in
service. The State Commission, saying that
the evidence was not sufficient, dismissed
it. Reji’s father appealed again in the
National Consumer Disputes Redressal
Commission located
in New Delhi. The
National Commission
after looking into the
complaint, held the
hospital responsible
for medical negligence
and directed it to pay
the compensation.

Reji’s suffering shows how a
hospital, due to negligence by the
doctors and staff in giving
anaesthesia, crippled a student for
life. While using many goods and
services, we as consumers, have the
right to be protected against the
marketing of goods and delivery of
services that are hazardous to life and
property. Producers need to strictly
follow the required safety rules and
regulations. There are many goods
and services that we purchase that
require special attention to safety. For
example, pressure cookers have a
safety valve which, if it is defective, can
cause a serious accident. The
manufacturers of the safety valve have
to ensure high quality. You also need
public or government action to see
that this quality is maintained.
However, we do find bad quality
products in the market because the
supervision of these rules is weak and
the consumer movement is also not
strong enough.

LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. For the following (you can add to the list) products/ services discuss what safety
rules should be observed by the producer?
(a) LPG cylinder (b) cinema theatre (c) circus (d) medicines (e) edible oil
(f) marriage pandal (g) a high-rise building.
2. Find out any case of accident or negligence from people around you, where you think
that the responsibility lay with the producer. Discuss.

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Information about goods and
services
When you buy any commodity, you
will find certain details given on the
packing. These details are about
ingredients used, price, batch
number, date of manufacture, expiry
date and the address of the
manufactur er. When we buy
medicines, on the packets, you might
find ‘directions for proper use’ and
information relating to side effects and
risks associated with usage of that
medicine. When you buy garments,
you will find information on
‘instructions for washing’.
Why is it that rules have been made
so that the manufacturer displays this
information? It is because consumers
have the right to be informed about
the particulars of goods and services
that they purchase. Consumers
can then complain and ask for
compensation or replacement if the
product proves to be defective in any
manner. For example, if we buy a

product and find it defective well
within the expiry period, we can ask
for a replacement. If the expiry period
was not printed, the manufacturer
would blame the shopkeeper and will
not accept the responsibility. If people
sell medicines that have expired
severe action can be taken against
them. Similarly, one can protest and
complain if someone sells a good at
more than the printed price on the
packet. This is indicated by ‘MRP’ —
maximum retail price. In fact
consumers can bargain with the seller
to sell at less than the MRP.
In recent times, the right to
information has been expanded to
cover various services provided by the
Government. In October 2005, the
Government of India enacted a law,
popularly known as RTI (Right to
Information) Act, which ensures its
citizens all the information about the
functions of government departments.
The effect of the RTI Act can be
understood from the following case.

Waiting...
Amritha, an engineering graduate
after submitting all the certificates
and attending the interview for a
job in a government department, did
not receive any news of the result.
The officials also refused to comply
with her queries. She therefore filed
an application using the RTI Act
saying that it was her right to know
the result in a reasonable time so
that she could plan her future. She
was not only informed about the
reasons for delay in the declaration
of results but also got her call letter
for appointment as she performed
well in the interview.

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LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1. When we buy commodities we find that the price charged is sometimes higher or
lower than the Maximum Retail Price printed on the pack. Discuss the possible
reasons. Should consumer groups do something about this?
2. Pick up a few packaged goods that you want to buy and examine the information
given. In what ways are they useful? Is there some information that you think
should be given on those packaged goods but is not? Discuss.
3. People make complaints about the lack of civic amenities such as bad roads or
poor water and health facilities but no one listens. Now the RTI Act gives you the
power to question. Do you agree? Discuss.

When choice is denied

A Refund

Abirami, a student of
Ansari Nagar, joined a twoyear course at a local
coaching institute for
professional courses in
New Delhi. At the time of
joining the course, she
paid the fees Rs 61,020
as lumpsum for the entire
course of two years.
However, she decided to opt out of the
course at the end of one year as she
found that the quality of teaching was
not up to the mark. When she asked
for a refund of the fee for one year, it
was denied to her.
When she filed the case in the District
Consumer Court, the Court directed
the Institute to refund Rs 28,000
saying that she had the right to
What do we understand from this
incident? Any consumer who receives a
service in whatever capacity, regardless
of age, gender and nature of service, has
the right to choose whether to continue
to receive the service.
Suppose you want to buy
toothpaste, and the shop owner says
that she can sell the toothpaste only

choose. The Institute
again appealed in the
State Consumer Commission. The State
Commission upheld the
district court’s direction
and further fined the
institute Rs 25,000 for a
frivolous appeal. It also
directed the institute to
pay Rs 7000 as compensation and
litigation cost.
The State Commission also restrained
all the educational and professional
institutions in the state from charging
fees from students for the entire
duration of the course in advance and
that too at one go. Any violation of this
order may invite penalties and
imprisonment, the commission said.

if you buy a tooth brush. If you are
not interested in buying the brush,
your right to choice is denied. Similarly,
sometimes gas supply dealers insist
that you have to buy the stove from
them when you take a new connection.
In this way many a times you are
forced to buy things that you may not
wish to and you are left with no choice.

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LET’S WORK THIS OUT
The following are some of the catchy advertisements of products that we purchase
from the market. Which of the following offers would really benefit consumers? Discuss.
l

15 gm more in every 500 gm pack.

l

Subscribe for a newspaper with a gift at the end of a year.

l

Scratch and win gifts worth Rs 10 lakhs.

l

A milk chocolate inside a 500 gram glucose box.

l

Win a gold coin inside a pack.

l

Buy shoes worth Rs 2000 and get one pair of shoes worth Rs 500 free.

Where should consumers go
to get justice?
Read again the cases of Reji Mathew
and Abirami given earlier in the
chapter.
These are some examples in which
consumers are denied their rights.
Such instances occur quite often in
our country. Where should these
consumers go to get justice?
Consumers have the right to seek
redressal against unfair trade
practices and exploitation. If any
damage is done to a consumer, she
has the right to get compensation

1.

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PRAKASH GOES TO THE POST OFFICE TO
SEND MONEY ORDER TO HIS DAUGHTER

2.

depending on the degree of damage.
There is a need to provide an easy and
effective public system by which this
can be done.
You might be interested in knowing
how an aggrieved person gets his or
her compensation. Let us take the
case of Prakash. He had sent a
money-order to his village for his
daughter’s marriage. The money did
not reach his daughter at the time
when she needed it nor did it reach
months later. Prakash filed a case in
a district level consumer court in New
Delhi. All the steps he undertook are
illustrated here.

PRAKASH COMES TO KNOW THAT THE
MONEY HAS NOT REACHED HIS DAUGHTER

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3.

PRAKASH ENQUIRES ABOUT THE
MONEY ORDER IN THE POST OFFICE

5.

PRAKASH GOES TO THE LOCAL CONSUMER
PROTECTION COUNCIL FOR ADVICE

HIMSELF PLEADS THE
7. HE
8.
CASE IN THE COURT

POST OFFICE DOES NOT RESPOND
4. THE
TO THE QUERY SATISFACTORILY

6.

PRAKASH GOES TO A CONSUMER COURT TO FILE
A CASE.. HE FILLS A REGISTRATIONFORM

THE COURT JUDGE VERIFIES
THE DOCUMENTS

JUDGE ANNOUNCES
9. THE
THE COURT VERDICT.

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The consumer movement in India
has led to the formation of various
organisations locally known as
consumer forums or consumer
protection councils. They guide
consumers on how to file cases in the
consumer court. On many occasions,
they also represent individual
consumers in the consumer courts.
These voluntary organisations also
receive financial support from the
government for creating awareness
among the people.
If you are living in a residential
colony, you might have noticed
name boards of Resident Welfare
Associations. If there is any unfair
trade practice meted out to their
members they take up the case on
their behalf.

Under COPRA, a three-tier quasijudicial machinery at the district,
state and national levels was set up
for redressal of consumer disputes.
The district level court deals with the
cases involving claims upto Rs 20
lakhs, the state level courts between
Rs 20 lakhs and Rs 1 crore and the
national level court deals with cases
involving claims exceeding Rs 1 crore.
If a case is dismissed in district level
court, the consumer can also appeal
in state and then in National level
courts.
Thus, the Act has enabled us as
consumers to have the right to
represent in the consumer courts.

LET’S WORK THIS OUT
Arrange the following in the correct order.
(a) Arita files a case in the District Consumer Court.
(b) She engages a professional person.
(c) She realises that the dealer has given her defective
material.
(d) She starts attending the court proceedings.
(e) She goes and complains to the dealer and the Branch
office, to no effect.
(f) She is asked to produce the bill and warranty before
the court.
(g) She purchases a wall clock from a retail outlet.
(h) Within a few months, the dealer was ordered by the
court to replace her old wall clock with a brand new
one at no extra cost.

LEARNING TO BECOME WELL-INFORMED
CONSUMERS
When we as consumers become conscious of our rights,
while purchasing various goods and services, we will be
able to discriminate and make informed choices. This
calls for acquiring the knowledge and skill to become a
well-informed consumer. How do we become conscious

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of our rights? Look at the posters on
the right and in the previous page.
What do you think?
The enactment of COPRA has led
to the setting up of separate
departments of Consumer Affairs in
central and state governments. The
posters that you have seen are one
example through which government
spread information about legal
process which people can use.
You might also be seeing such
advertisements on television channels.

ISI and Agmark
While buying many commodities, on the
cover, you might have seen a logo with the
letters ISI, Agmark or Hallmark. These
logos and certification help consumers get
assured of quality while purchasing the
goods and services. The organisations that
monitor and issue these certificates allow
producers to use their logos provided they
follow certain quality standards.
Though these organisations develop
quality standards for many products, it is
not compulsory for all the producers to
follow standards. However, for some
products that affect the health and safety
of consumers or of products of mass
consumption like LPG cylinders, food
colours and additives, cement, packaged
drinking water, it is mandatory on the part
of the producers to get certified by these
organisations.

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LET’S WORK THESE OUT
1.

Look at the posters and cartoons in this chapter. Think of any particular commodity
and the aspects that need to be looked at as a consumer. Design a poster for this.

2.

Find out the nearest consumer court for your area.

3.

What is the difference between consumer protection council and consumer court?

4.

The Consumer Protection Act 1986 ensures the following as rights which every
consumer in India should possess
(i) Right to choice.
(ii) Right to information.
(iii) Right to redressal.

(iv)

Right to representation.

(v) Right to safety.
(vi)

Right to consumer education.

Categorise the following cases under different heads and mark against each in
brackets.
(a) Lata got an electric shock from a newly purchased iron. She complained to the
shopkeeper immediately. (
)
(b) John is dissatisfied with the services provided by MTNL/BSNL/TATA INDICOM
for the past few months. He files a case in the District Level Consumer Forum.
(
)
(c) Your friend has been sold a medicine that has crossed the expiry date and you
are advising her to lodge a complaint (
).
(d) Iqbal makes it a point to scan through all the particulars given on the pack of any
item that he buys. (
)
(e) You are not satisfied with the services of the cable operator catering to your
locality but you are unable to switch over to anybody else. (
)
(f) You realise that you have received a defective camera from a dealer. You are
complaining to the head office persistently (
).
5.

If the standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, why are many goods
available in the market without ISI or Agmark certification?

6.

Find out the details of who provides Hallmark and ISO certification.

TAKING THE CONSUMER MOVEMENT FORWARD
India has been observing 24
December as the National Consumers’
Day. It was on this day that the Indian
Parliament enacted the Consumer
Protection Act in 1986. India is one
of the countries that have exclusive
courts for consumer redressal.
The consumer movement in India
has made some progress in terms of
numbers of organised groups and

their activities. There are today more
than 700 consumer groups in the
country of which only about 20-25
are well organised and recognised for
their work.
However, the consumer redressal
process is becoming cumbersome,
expensive and time consuming. Many
a time, consumers are required to
engage lawyers. These cases require

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time for filing and attending the court
proceedings etc. In most purchases
cash memos are not issued hence
evidence is not easy to gather.
Moreover most purchases in the
market are small retail sales. The
existing laws also are not very clear
on the issue of compensation to
consumers injured by defective
products. After more than 25 years
of the enactment of COPRA, consumer
awareness in India is spreading but
slowly. Besides this the enforcement

of laws that protect workers,
especially in the unorganised sectors
is weak. Similarly, rules and
regulations for working of markets are
often not followed.
Nevertheless, there is scope for
consumers to realise their role and
importance. It is often said that
consumer movements can be effective
only with the consumers’ active
involvement. It requires a voluntary
effort and struggle involving the
participation of one and all.

EXERCISES
1. Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
2. What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
3. Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
4. Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.
5. What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986?
6. Describe some of your duties as consumers if you visit a shopping complex in your locality.
7. Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have
to look for and why?
8. What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
9. Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each.
10. By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?
11. Critically examine the progress of consumer movement in India.
12. Match the following.
(i) Availing details of ingredients of a product

(a)

Right to safety

(ii) Agmark

(b)

Dealing with consumer cases

(iii) Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter

(c)

Certification of edible oil and cereals

(iv) District Consumer Court

(d)

Agency that develop standards for
goods and services

(v) Consumers International

(e)

Right to information

(vi) Bureau of Indian Standards

(f) Global level institution of
consumer welfare organisations

13. Say True or False.
(i) COPRA applies only to goods.
(ii) India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive courts for consumer
redressal.

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(iii) When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must file a case in
the District Consumer Court.
(iv) It is worthwhile to move to consumer courts only if the damages incurred
are of high value.
(v) Hallmark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellry.
(vi) The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick.
(vii) A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of
the damage.

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS / ACTIVITIES
1. Your school organises a consumer awareness week. As the Secretary of the
Consumer Awareness Forum, draft a poster covering all the consumer rights.
You may use the clues and ideas given in the poster on page 84 and 85. This
activity can be done with the help of your English teacher.
2. Mrs. Krishna bought a colour television (CTV) against six months warranty. The
CTV stopped working after three months. When she complained to the dealer /
shop where it was purchased, they sent an engineer to set it right. The CTV
continues to give trouble and Mrs Krishna no longer gets any reply to the complaint
she made to the dealer / shop. She decides to write to the Consumer Forum in
her area. Write a letter on her behalf. You may discuss with your partner / group
members before you write it.
3. Establish a consumer club in your school. Organise mock consumer awareness
workshops like monitoring bookshops, canteen, and shops in your school area.
4. Prepare posters with catchy slogans like:
–

An alert consumer is a safe consumer

–

Buyers, Beware

–

Consumers be cautious

–

Be aware of your rights

–

As consumers, assert your right

–

Arise, awake and stop not till ______________________ (Complete it)

5. Interview 4-5 persons in your neighbourhood and collect varied experiences
regarding how they have been victims of such exploitation and their responses.
6. Conduct a survey in your locality by supplying the following questionnaire to get
an idea as to how alert they are as consumers.

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For each question, tick one.

Always Sometimes Never

A

B

C

1. When you buy some item, do you insist on a bill?
2. Do you keep the bill carefully?
3. If you realise that you have been tricked by the shopkeeper, have you bothered to complain to him?
4. Have you been able to convince him that you’ve been
cheated?
5. Do you simply grumble to yourself reconciling that it is
your fate that you are often being victimised so and it is
nothing new?
6. Do you look for ISI mark, expiry date etc.?
7. If the expiry date mentioned is just a month or so away,
do you insist on a fresh packet?
8. Do you weigh the new gas cylinder/old newspapers
yourself before buying/selling?
9. Do you raise an objection if a vegetable seller uses stones
in place of the exact weight?
10. Do excessively bright coloured vegetables arouse your
suspicion?
11. Are you brand-conscious?
12. Do you associate high price with good quality (to reassure
yourself that after all you have not paid a higher price just
like that)?
13. Do you unhesitatingly respond to catchy offers?
14. Do you compare the price paid by you with those of
others?
15. Do you strongly believe that your shopkeeper never cheats
a regular customer like you?
16. Do you favour ‘home delivery’ of provision items without
any doubt regarding weight etc.?
17. Do you insist on ‘paying by meter’ when you travel by
auto?
Note
(i) You are extremely aware as a consumer if your answers for
Qns. 5, 12, 13, 15 and 16 are (C) and for the rest (A).
(ii) If your answers are (A) for Qns. 5, 12, 13, 15 and 16 and the
rest (C), then you have to wake up as consumer.
(iii) If your answer is (B) for all the questions – you are somewhat
aware.

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SUGGESTED READINGS
Books
Abijit Vinayak Banerjee, Roland Benabou and Dilip Mookherjee (eds.),
Understanding Poverty, Oxford University Press, New York, 2006.
Amit Bhaduri and Deepak Nayyar, Intelligent Person’s Guide to Liberalisation,
Penguin Books, New Delhi, 1996.
Amit Bhaduri, Development with Dignity: The Case for Full Employment, National
Book Trust, New Delhi, 2005.
Amit Bhaduri, Macroeconomics: The Dynamics of Commodity Production,
Macmillan, London, 1986.
Bimal Jalan (ed.), Indian Economy, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2002.
CUTS, Is it Really Safe, Consumer Unity Trust Society, Jaipur, 2004.
CUTS, State of the Indian Consumer: Analyses of the Implementation of the United
Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, 1985 in India, Consumer Unity
Trust Society, Jaipur, 2001.
Indrani Mazumdar, Women and Globalisation: The Impact on Women Workers in
the Formal and Informal Sectors in India, Stree, Delhi, 2007.
Jagdish Bhagwati In Defence of Globalisation, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 2004.
Jan Breman and Parthiv Shah, Working in the mill no more, Oxford University
Press, Delhi, 2005.
Jan Breman, Footloose Labour: Working in India’s Informal Economy, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, 1996.
Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen, India: Development and Participation, Oxford
University Press, Delhi, Third Impression, 2007.
John K.Galbraith, Money: Whence it Came, Whence it Went, Indian Book Company,
New Delhi, 1975.
Joseph Stiglitz, Globalisation and its Discontents, Penguin Books India,
New Delhi, 2003.
National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Landmark Judgments on
Consumer Protection, Universal Law Publishing Co., Delhi, 2005.
Tirthankar Roy, The Economic History of India, 1857-1947, Oxford University
Press, Delhi, Second Edition, 2006.

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Government Publications
Ministry of Finance, Economic Survey, Government of India.
NSSO, Key Results of Employment-Unemployment Rounds, National Sample Survey
Organisation, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Govt
of India, New Delhi.
Planning Commission, National Human Development Report 2001, Government
of India, New Delhi.

Other Reports
Reserve Bank of India, Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy, Mumbai.
UNDP, Human Development Report 2014, United Nations Development Programme,
Geneva.
World Bank, World Development Indicators, The World Bank, Washington.

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Notes

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