CBSE Class 10 Social Science Consumer Rights Assignment Set 01

Assignment Questions

Question 1. What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market?
Answer:
The following are some ways in which consumers can be exploited in the market:
(a) Supply of faulty goods.
(b) Sale of adulterated goods.
(c) False weighing scales, machines, and other tools are used.
(d) Sale of substandard goods or goods that do not meet the required quality standards.
(e) Advertisements that falsely claim a product or service is of higher quality, grade, or standard.

Teacher's Note:
a) Six ways of exploitation are listed here — pick the number the question marks ask for.
b) Link each one to the matching consumer right it violates.

Question 2. What do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers?
Answer:
To protect and safeguard the interests of consumers, the government must establish rules and regulations. The government must enforce the rules and regulations on a regular basis.

Teacher's Note:
a) Short one-mark style answer — making AND enforcing rules are both needed.
b) Pair with the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) as a concrete example.

Question 3. What could have been the steps taken by consumer groups?
Answer:
Consumer groups should have compelled business organisations or groups to strictly adhere to the government's rules and regulations, and they should have also monitored whether these rules and regulations were fully implemented or not.
They file complaints on behalf of the consumer to seek redressal.
They should stage mock plays to educate people about their rights as consumers and their responsibilities as consumers.

Teacher's Note:
a) Consumer groups act as watchdogs and educators, not just complaint-filers.
b) This is one of the NCERT textbook's own in-text questions — common source for board questions.

Question 4. There may be rules and regulations but they are often not followed. Why? Discuss.
Answer:
There are rules and regulations in place to protect consumers from exploitation, but they are often not followed because the enforcement of these rules is weak, most consumers are not aware of their rights, and the legal process of filing and pursuing a complaint is lengthy and discourages many consumers from using it.

Teacher's Note:
a) This answer was corrected — see the note below the question.
b) Three real reasons to remember: weak enforcement, low awareness, lengthy legal process.

Question 5. 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.
Answer:
(g) She purchases a wall clock from a retail outlet.
(c) She realises that the dealer has given her defective material.
(e) She goes and complains to the dealer and the Branch office, to no effect.
(b) She engages a professional person.
(a) Arita files a case in the District Consumer Court.
(f) She is asked to produce the bill and warranty before the court.
(d) She starts attending the court proceedings.
(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.

Teacher's Note:
a) This is the NCERT textbook's own case-study sequence on Arita — a frequently asked arrange-in-order question.
b) Note the real-world order: complaint to dealer first, consumer court only as a last resort.

Question 6. What is the difference between consumer protection council and consumer disputes redressal commission?
Answer:
The Consumer Protection Council is a non-profit organisation with no legal standing. Consumer courts (Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions) are three-tier quasi-judicial mechanisms established to resolve consumer disputes.

Teacher's Note:
a) The three tiers of consumer courts are District, State and National.
b) A council advises; a commission actually decides cases.

Question 7. The Consumer Protection Act 1986 ensures the following rights which every consumer in India should possess:
Answer:
(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

Teacher's Note:
a) These six rights are the single most important list in this chapter — learn them by heart.
b) The next question gives real-life examples matching each right.

Question 8. 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 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.
Answer:
(a) Right to Safety: Lata was surprised by an electric shock caused by a newly purchased iron. She expressed her discontent to the shopkeeper.
(b) Right to Redressal: For the past few months, John has been dissatisfied with the services provided by MTNL/BSNL/Tata Indicom. He files a complaint with the district consumer forum.
(c) Right to Consumer Education: Your friend was sold a medicine that had crossed its expiration date, and you advise her to file a complaint.
(d) Right to Information: Iqbal makes it a point to read all of the information on the package of any item he purchases.
(e) Right to Choice: You are dissatisfied with the services provided by the cable operator serving your area, but you are unable to switch to another provider.
(f) Right to Representation: You realise that you received a faulty camera from a dealer. You keep complaining to the corporate office.

Teacher's Note:
a) This is the direct application of the six-rights list above — revise them together.
b) A very common matching/case-identification question format in board papers.

Question 9. If standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, why are many goods available in the market without ISI or Agmark certification?
Answer:
Standardisation, without a doubt, ensures product quality, but it is time consuming and expensive to acquire. Millions of small producers are unable to afford it.

Teacher's Note:
a) Cost and time, not fraud, is the main reason — a common misconception to avoid.
b) Contrast ISI (industrial goods) with Agmark (agricultural produce).

Question 10. Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
Answer:
There is a need for rules and regulations in the marketplace because:
Consumers are not given enough information by traders, and they are often harassed by the traders.
Producers spend a lot of money to influence customers, making it harder for them to make the correct decision. As a result, there is a need for consumer awareness.
Consumer awareness is essential since dishonest dealers may start to play with people's health by adulterating food oils, milk, and butter, and many other things.
Because the majority of goods and services are produced by the private sector and their motive is profit making, there is a need for laws and regulations.
For example, it took a very long time for cigarette companies to admit that their product is injurious to people's life and causes cancer.
A company sold powder milk for babies all across the world for years as the most scientific product, claiming it was superior to mother's milk. After years of dispute, the firm finally admitted that it had been making misleading statements.

Teacher's Note:
a) The baby-milk example is a real, well-known NCERT case study — remember it for ‘illustrate with examples’ questions.
b) Profit motive is the underlying reason rules are needed, not just carelessness.

Question 11. What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
Answer:
The consumer movement began as a result of the unfair trade practices of the traders.
Prior to 1980, there was no legal system for the protection of the consumers from exploitation by the sellers.
The consumer movement as a 'social force' in India arose from the need to safeguard and promote consumer interests against unfair trade practices.
In the 1960s, the consumer movement took shape as a result of food shortages, hoarding, and black marketing at high prices.
India has recently seen an increase in the number of consumer groups, due to an increase in the number of cases of consumer exploitation by the private sector.
The government was forced to pass legislation due to the activity of several consumer groups.
This led to the formation of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, also known as COPRA.

Teacher's Note:
a) Timeline to remember: 1960s food shortages → pre-1980 no legal protection → 1986 COPRA.
b) COPRA is the single most important Act name in this chapter.

Question 12. Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
Answer:
The customer must be aware when purchasing or trading anything in the market to avoid being deceived or cheated in the marketplace and getting overcharged for items.
For example, before paying for a product, a person should always check the expiration and manufacturing dates, and if an expired product is found in the shop, a person should file a complaint with the consumer forum against the shopkeeper.
Another example of consumer consciousness is asking for a computerised bill for all the purchases made. This is because, if a consumer is given the incorrect product, the consumer forum needs a bill that serves as proof of purchase.

Teacher's Note:
a) Always ask for a bill — it is the single most practical, exam-friendly tip in this chapter.
b) Checking expiry dates is the easiest example to recall under pressure.

Question 13. Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.
Answer:
Factors which cause exploitation of consumers are:
Lack of awareness of consumer rights among buyers.
Improper and inadequate monitoring of rules and regulations.
Additional charges on goods imposed by traders that were not mentioned earlier.
Traders selling adulterated or defective goods.
Tampering of weights and measures to cheat the customers.

Teacher's Note:
a) Five factors here — group them mentally as ‘lack of awareness’ vs ‘dishonest trader practices’.
b) Pairs well with the ‘why are rules required’ question for a longer answer.

Question 14. What is the rationale behind the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act 1986?
Answer:
The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 (COPRA) was enacted to protect the interests of consumers.
There are no legal requirements for submitting a complaint. A consumer does not need to hire a lawyer or any other professional to obtain legal assistance and to represent him. He can represent himself in a consumer court.
On plain paper, a person can file a complaint with the consumer court. Supporting documents such as a guarantee or warranty card and a cash memo must be attached with the complaint.

Teacher's Note:
a) Key feature: filing a complaint is simple and does not require a lawyer.
b) Always mention that supporting documents (bill, warranty card) must go with the complaint.

Question 15. Describe some of your duties as a consumer if you visit a shopping complex in your locality.
Answer:
The following are some of our duties as consumers:
Always ask for a proper bill.
Check the MRP and make sure you're not overpaying.
Before purchasing anything from the market, make sure that the product is not expired. Check the expiration and manufacture dates.
If you notice that any rule or regulation of the marketplace is being abused, contact the consumer courts right away.
Don't let even a minor discrepancy go unnoticed, since it may lead to the shopkeeper continuing to cheat other consumers as well.

Teacher's Note:
a) Group these as: check before buying, ask for proof, act on any discrepancy.
b) A good 5-mark ‘list your duties’ answer.

Question 16. Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark will you have to look for, and why?
Answer:
While purchasing the above mentioned products, we will look for the Agmark and the ISI mark on them. These logos certify that the product is of the prescribed quality.

Teacher's Note:
a) Agmark = agricultural produce (honey); ISI/FPO = processed/packaged food (biscuits) — know which mark applies where.

Question 17. What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
Answer:
The following are the legal measures taken by the government to empower consumers:
The Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) was enacted by the government to ensure the safety of consumers and to protect them from market exploitation.
The Right to Information Act was passed in 2005 in order to keep the citizens of the country informed and up to date with the functioning of the government and its operations.
Consumer courts were established for persons who wanted to file complaints about consumer disputes.

Teacher's Note:
a) Two Acts to remember by name and year: COPRA (1986) and the RTI Act (2005).
b) Consumer courts are the enforcement mechanism behind both Acts.

Question 18. Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each.
Answer:
A few rights of consumers include:
Right to Information: the RTI Act was passed in 2005 with an aim to make every citizen of the country aware of the functioning of the government.
Right to Choose: 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. No customer can be denied the right to choose what they want to buy.
Right to Seek Redressal: consumers have the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation. If any damage is done to a consumer, they have the right to get compensation depending on the degree of damage.
Right to Represent: this gives consumers the right to present themselves before the consumer court and present their case in the form of law.

Teacher's Note:
a) This overlaps with the six-rights list earlier — use whichever four the question needs.
b) Write one sentence per right, as shown, for easy full marks.

Question 19. By what means can consumers express their solidarity?
Answer:
Consumers can express their solidarity by showing their support for one another, forming small groups to protest against unjust and exploitative trade policies. The government provides financial assistance to such organisations to help them fight cases against traders.

Teacher's Note:
a) ‘Consumer organisations’ and NGOs are the real-world examples of this solidarity.
b) Government financial assistance to such groups is a specific fact worth remembering.

Question 20. Critically examine the progress of the consumer movement in India.
Answer:
In the past few years, the consumer movement in India has progressed speedily. With the passing of consumer rights legislation, the Government of the country has managed to encourage people to become more aware and conscious, and to fight for their rights in the consumer courts.
With the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA), 1986, the government made it more convenient for consumers to complain against any unfair practices performed by the manufacturer or seller of a product.
The public has become more conscious, and adequate action is now taken against unfair practices in the marketplace.

Teacher's Note:
a) A good closing long-answer: progress is real but uneven, especially in rural areas and the unorganised sector.
b) Always anchor a ‘critically examine’ answer to COPRA 1986 as the turning point.