Question

Kewalram started a sweets shop named ‘Karamati Sweets’ in 1950. The sweets were famous all over India for their good quality, and people would come from far and wide to purchase sweets from him. As he grew old, he could no longer run the shop. So, he sold the shop to one of his neighbours, Bholaram. After a few months, in an attempt to increase revenue, Bholaram started engaging in unfair trade practices such as using adulterated khoya and paneer. He believed that no one would find out because ‘Karamati Sweets’ already had a good image in the eyes of the people. However, soon people started falling sick after consuming sweets purchased from the shop, but they did not know where to go and to whom they should complain. Raghav, a resident of the village who had recently completed his studies, was also a member of a non-governmental organisation called ‘Meri Voice’. He felt that the villagers should be made aware of their rights and the reliefs available to them. He took the initiative to create awareness about consumer rights among the villagers to protect their interests through a series of talks and presentations in the village.
(a) Identify and explain the consumer right discussed in the above para.
(b) Also, identify and explain the consumer right violated by ‘Bholaram’ in the above case.

Hint:

Consumer rights are tools to empower people and protect them from exploitation — know them well for case-based questions.

Answer 1

(a) Right to Consumer Education:
The right to consumer education empowers consumers to be informed about their rights, responsibilities, and remedies. It helps them make intelligent and informed decisions. In this case, Raghav, being an educated member of the NGO, took initiative to educate villagers about their rights and ways to seek redressal. This action reflects the importance of consumer education in preventing exploitation.
(b) Right to Safety:
This right protects consumers against products and services which are hazardous to health and life. ‘Bholaram’ compromised consumer safety by selling adulterated sweets, leading to people falling sick. This is a clear violation of the right to safety, as the consumers were unknowingly exposed to unsafe food items.
Final Answer:
(a) Right to Consumer Education
(b) Right to Safety