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NCERT Class 10 Social Science Consumer Rights: Exercise Solutions

Point-by-point answers for every question of End-of-chapter exercises in NCERT's Class 10 Social Science book, chapter “Consumer Rights”, written by Shishya. Each question is in our own short words; open the NCERT chapter for the exact wording and figures.

1. Exercises Q1

   Why are rules and regulations needed in the marketplace? Illustrate with examples.

   1. Rules are necessary to protect consumers from unfair trade practices like receiving less weight or hidden charges.
   2. They prevent powerful companies from manipulating markets with false information or selling defective goods.
   3. Regulations ensure that sellers cannot shift responsibility to buyers after a sale is completed.
   4. Examples include forcing companies to admit baby powder claims were false and tobacco causes cancer.

   Answer: Rules and regulations are needed to protect consumers from exploitation, unfair practices, and false claims by powerful producers.

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2. Exercises Q2

   What led to the consumer movement in India? Trace how it evolved.

   1. The movement started because consumers were unhappy with unfair practices and had no legal protection against exploitation.
   2. Food shortages, hoarding, black marketing, and adulteration of food and oil led to the organised movement in the 1960s.
   3. Until the 1970s, groups focused on writing articles, holding exhibitions, and checking ration shops and transport issues.
   4. In 1985, the UN adopted guidelines for consumer protection, which became the international foundation for the movement.
   5. The Consumer Protection Act was enacted in 1986, and the movement has since grown with over 2000 groups in India.

   Answer: The consumer movement in India evolved from dissatisfaction with unfair trade practices and food issues in the 1960s, through awareness campaigns in the 1970s, to legal protection via the 1986 Act and international guidelines.

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3. Exercises Q3

   Explain the need for consumer awareness with two examples.

   1. Consumers need awareness to protect themselves from unfair trade practices and exploitation in the marketplace.
   2. Without legal knowledge, consumers often assume it is their sole responsibility to be careful, leading to continued exploitation.
   3. Example 1: Rampant food shortages, hoarding, and black marketing caused significant harm to consumers.
   4. Example 2: Adulteration of food and edible oil was a major issue that required consumer vigilance.
   5. Consumer movements arose specifically to address these unethical practices and promote consumer interests.
   6. Awareness helps consumers understand their rights and the role of consumer groups in seeking redressal.

   Answer: Consumer awareness is essential to combat unfair practices like food adulteration and hoarding, ensuring consumers can protect their interests and seek legal remedies.

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4. Exercises Q4

   Mention a few factors that lead to the exploitation of consumers.

   1. Producers are often few and powerful while consumers are scattered and buy in small amounts, creating an imbalance.
   2. Large companies use their wealth and reach to manipulate markets and pass false information through media.
   3. Traders engage in unfair practices like underweighting goods, adding hidden charges, or selling adulterated products.
   4. Sellers often shift responsibility to buyers after a sale is completed, leaving consumers without recourse.

   Answer: Consumers are exploited because scattered individual buyers face few, powerful producers, large companies spread false information, traders cheat on weight, price and quality, and sellers refuse responsibility after the sale.

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5. Exercises Q5

   What was the reason for enacting the Consumer Protection Act 1986?

   1. Individual consumers often find themselves in a weak position in the marketplace.
   2. Sellers frequently try to shift responsibility to buyers after a sale is completed.
   3. Exploitation occurs through unfair trade practices like adulterated goods or false information.
   4. Markets do not work fairly when powerful producers manipulate the system against scattered consumers.

   Answer: The Consumer Protection Act 1986 was enacted to protect consumers from exploitation and unfair practices in the marketplace.

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6. Exercises Q6

   Describe some of your duties as a consumer when you visit a shopping complex in your area.

   1. Always ask for and keep the cash memo or bill as proof of purchase to use as evidence if needed.
   2. Check the product's expiry date and ensure it is not damaged or defective before paying.
   3. Look for quality certification marks like ISI or Hallmark to verify the standard of the item.
   4. Compare prices and quality of different brands to make an informed choice rather than being forced.
   5. Complain to the shopkeeper or management if you feel cheated or if the service is deficient.

   Answer: Duties include demanding bills, checking quality and expiry dates, looking for certification marks, comparing options, and complaining about deficiencies.

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7. Exercises Q7

   You buy a bottle of honey and a packet of biscuits. Which logo or mark should you look for, and why?

   1. For the honey, look for the Agmark logo, which certifies agricultural products such as honey, edible oils and cereals.
   2. For the biscuits, look for the ISI mark, which shows the product meets the standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
   3. These marks tell us the quality has been checked; also read the expiry date and the manufacturer's details on both.

   Answer: Agmark on the honey and the ISI mark on the biscuits, because these logos certify that the products meet quality standards.

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8. Exercises Q8

   What legal measures has the government taken to empower consumers in India?

   1. The Indian government enacted the Consumer Protection Act in 1986, commonly known as COPRA.
   2. This legislation was amended in 2019 to further strengthen the position of consumers.
   3. The Act ensures specific rights for consumers, including the right to choice, information, representation, and safety.
   4. It provides a mechanism for settling disputes through Consumer Commissions at three different tiers.
   5. The amended law also holds service providers and manufacturers responsible for deficiencies or defective products.

   Answer: The government empowered consumers by enacting the Consumer Protection Act 1986 (COPRA), which was amended in 2019 to ensure consumer rights and provide a dispute redressal system.

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9. Exercises Q9

   Mention some consumer rights and write a few sentences on each.

   1. Right to safety means consumers must be protected against goods or services that are hazardous to life or property.
   2. Right to information ensures consumers have access to details about quality, quantity, potency, purity, and standard of products.
   3. Right to choice guarantees that consumers have access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices, except in monopolistic situations.
   4. Right to be heard allows consumer interests to be represented in forums that make decisions affecting them.
   5. Right to redressal enables consumers to seek settlement of grievances and compensation for unfair trade practices.
   6. Right to consumer education provides the knowledge and skills needed to make informed choices and protect rights.

   Answer: The Consumer Protection Act 1986 ensures rights to safety, information, choice, representation, redressal, and consumer education.

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10. Exercises Q10

    How can consumers show their solidarity?

    1. Consumers can form or join consumer groups, such as consumer forums and consumer protection councils, which guide people on how to file cases and represent them in commissions.
    2. They can act together: share information about unfair practices, complain jointly, and support a consumer who takes a case to a commission.
    3. They can spread awareness of consumer rights in their area, since the movement works only when consumers take part voluntarily.

    Answer: By forming and joining consumer groups, acting together against unfair practices, supporting one another's complaints and spreading awareness of consumer rights.

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11. Exercises Q11

    Critically examine the progress of the consumer movement in India.

    1. The consumer movement began in the 1960s as a social force to combat unethical trade practices like hoarding and adulteration.
    2. Early organizations focused on writing articles and holding exhibitions to address issues in ration shops and transport.
    3. Consumer groups increased significantly after the 1985 UN Guidelines and the 1986 Consumer Protection Act.
    4. Currently, over 2000 groups exist, but only about 50 to 60 are well organized and recognized.
    5. Consumer awareness is spreading slowly, and enforcement of laws in unorganized sectors remains weak.
    6. The redressal process is often expensive, time-consuming, and requires legal engagement.
    7. Recent amendments include internet buying and mediator settlement, but active consumer participation is still needed.

    Answer: The consumer movement has evolved from informal protests to organized groups, yet progress is slow due to weak enforcement, cumbersome legal processes, and limited consumer awareness.

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12. Exercises Q12

    Match: (i) getting details of a product's ingredients (ii) Agmark (iii) accident due to a faulty scooter engine (iv) District Consumer Commission (v) food fortification (vi) Consumers International (vii) Bureau of Indian Standards — with (a) right to safety (b) dealing with consumer cases (c) certification of edible oil and cereals (d) agency that develops standards for goods and services (e) right to information (f) global body of consumer welfare organisations (g) adding key nutrients to staple foods.

    1. Knowing the ingredients of a product falls under the consumer's right to information.
    2. Agmark is the certification mark used for edible oils and cereals.
    3. An accident caused by a faulty scooter engine relates to the right to safety.
    4. The District Consumer Commission is the authority that deals with consumer cases.
    5. Food fortification involves adding key nutrients to staple foods.
    6. Consumers International is a global body of consumer welfare organisations.
    7. The Bureau of Indian Standards is the agency that develops standards for goods and services.

    Answer: (i)-(e), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(b), (v)-(g), (vi)-(f), (vii)-(d)

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13. Exercises Q13

    True or false: (i) COPRA applies only to goods (ii) India is one of many countries with exclusive authorities for consumer dispute redressal (iii) a consumer who feels exploited must file a case in the District Consumer Commission (iv) going to consumer commissions is worthwhile only if the damage is of high value (v) Hallmark is the certification for standardising jewellery (vi) the consumer redressal process is very simple and quick (vii) a consumer has the right to compensation depending on the degree of damage.

    1. COPRA covers both goods and services, so it does not apply only to goods.
    2. India has specific authorities for consumer dispute redressal, making it one of many such countries.
    3. Consumers can file cases in district, state, or national commissions based on claim value, not just district.
    4. Consumer commissions are useful for all claim values, not just high-value damages.
    5. Hallmark is the certification used for standardising jewellery.
    6. The redressal process involves multiple steps and is not necessarily very simple and quick.
    7. Consumers have the right to compensation based on the degree of damage suffered.

    Answer: (i) false, (ii) true, (iii) false, (iv) false, (v) true, (vi) false, (vii) true

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