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India celebrates National Consumer Day on December 24 to remind every citizen of their rights when they buy goods or services.
This year, the day focuses on the theme of "Efficient and Speedy Disposal through Digital Justice," highlighting how technology is helping people get justice faster and more easily. The day marks the anniversary of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, which first gave Indian consumers legal protections against fraud. According to a release, the government has introduced a powerful digital system called e-Jagriti to make reporting defective products simple. Since its launch in early 2025, this platform has enabled users to file cases and attend hearings from home via phone or computer. "Notably, ten states and the NCDRC have recently recorded disposal rates exceeding 100 per cent," the release said. For example, a man in Tripura who struggled for eight years with a broken refrigerator finally got his money back and extra compensation in just five months thanks to this new digital approach. The new rules under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 have created a three-tier system to help people. There are District Forums for complaints up to Rs 50 lakh, State Commissions for cases up to Rs 2 crore, and a National Commission for very large cases. These offices operate like specialised courts that focus solely on helping consumers. To ensure companies comply with the rules, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was also established. It can prompt companies to recall unsafe products from the market and prevent misleading advertising. Another helpful tool for citizens is the National Consumer Helpline 2.0. This service uses artificial intelligence to communicate with people in 17 languages. It has become very popular, with more than 1.1 lakh complaints being registered every month in 2024. Most of these problems are solved within 21 days. Between April and October 2025, this helpline helped people recover over Rs 27 crore that was stuck with various companies. People can now submit complaints via WhatsApp, which has become a preferred channel for many to seek help. To protect buyers from low-quality products, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the National Test House conduct product quality checks. The BIS Care app allows anyone to check if their gold jewellery is real by typing in a special number. The government also updated regulations in 2025 to ensure medical devices and packaging have clear labels. For online shopping, new rules require websites to show the country of origin for each product, helping consumers make better choices. (ANI)
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