Now, consumer affairs ministry plans podcast to expose fraudulent practices

Posted On 08 May 2024

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New Delhi: As part of the Union government’s drive to educate consumers about fraudulent practices, the consumer affairs ministry will launch a podcast that will help raise awareness about such malpractices, two people aware of the matter said.

Initially, the podcast will be released every Sunday on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube among others, the first person said.

The key objective of the podcast is to reach out to every digitally literate consumer and educate them about their rights and ways to combat fraud, the second person said.

E-filing of complaints

CCPA, under the consumer affairs ministry, also launched e-court facility for State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) in Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. The e-court will facilitate easy e-filing of complaints by consumers for the speedy and hassle-free resolution of their complaints.

Mint was the first to report the launch of a dedicated portal for the CCPA. The launch aimed to clamp down on persistent violations of advertising guidelines and serve as a platform to “name and shame” violators.

Also Read: Govt launches dedicated portal for consumer protection authority, digital courts

Queries emailed to the consumer affairs ministry remained unanswered till press time.

“It’s a much-needed initiative. Any effort made to protect the interests of consumers is always welcome. The officials of the consumer affairs ministry must be appreciated for proactively working in the interest of consumers through the podcast launch,” said Ashim Sanyal, CEO of Consumer VOICE.

Consumer education is a critical component of the Consumer Protection Act, he said.

Protection of consumers

India’s consumer protection regime has been strengthened in recent times. The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 was replaced by the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 to modernize the framework governing consumer protection in the era of globalization, technology, and e-commerce.

The CCPA has plans to bring out separate guidelines on surrogate advertisements, robo calls, misleading ads by coaching institutes for civil services examinations, greenwashing, and dark patterns, among others, to protect consumers.

The consumer protection body has moved the dispute redressal mechanism online at the national and state levels. As of now, most SCDRCs and 10 benches of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) have become operational online.