The 8 Consumer Rights

In order to safeguard consumer interest, 6 consumer rights were initially envisioned by consumer rights activists of the West, namely:

Right to Safety

Right to Information

Right to Choice

Right to be Heard

The Right to Redress

The right to consumer education

These rights were conceptualised in the developed world's consumer context where consumers are wealthy and completely dependent on the market to fulfil their needs. These rights had to be redefined keeping in mind the realities of a developing country like India. Consequently, two very important rights were added viz.:

The Right to Basic Needs and

The right to a healthy and sustained environment.

These two rights are very closely linked with the realities of developing countries where environment plays a very important role as a resource and support-structure for the people. In a country like India, a large section of the population looks for food security, assured safe water supply, shelter, education and health services. Most consumers relate very little to imported goods stacked in supermarkets or for choice among latest models of cars, as is the case in the developed world. For India's 1 billion population, food security and a safe environment are more pressing needs than any other consumer options and rights. The developing country natural resources also serve as a resource base for the developed world's industrial output.

Right to Basic Needs

Access to food, water and shelter are the basis of any consumer's life. Without these fundamental amenities, life cannot exist. In September 2001, India's stock of foodgrains were around 60 million tonnes, yet one third of the Indian population lives below the poverty line and consumers often go hungry or remain severely malnourished, leading to poor health. The recent starvation deaths in Orissa are a case in point. A very crucial objective of the conceptualisation and existence of consumer rights is to ensure that consumers have an assured food supply, safe and permanent dwellings, basic amenities of life like sanitation and potable water, and power supply. "u can pick up any product & check d information on it. then include this in ur project"Knowing what ingredients are including in the product and whether or not any of these ingredients may be potentially harmful (cause side effects), also figuring out whether or not the cost of a product is worth it or if the consumer (the person buying the product) should be buying a cheaper brand name (if they would be getting the same or near the same value for their money). This can also be applied to products sold in bulk and whether or not the consumer is actually saving money in buying the bulk product rather.