Here you will find all the questions, solutions, answers, and notes of chapter 19: Consumer Awareness of Social Science for class 10 students studying under Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE). However, the study materials should be used only for references and nothing more. The notes can be modified/changed according to needs.
INTRODUCTION: The act of using up goods and services to satisfy wants is called ‘consumption.’ The one who consumes goods and services is called a consumer. If we look at the consumer in this way, then fundamentally all human beings are consumers.
In the modern philosophy of marketing, a consumer is supposed to be the king and business is expected to provide maximum possible satisfaction to consumers. But in reality, consumers are often exploited. In a country like India, there is a shortage of many products. A few firms enjoy monopoly powers in the marketplace. A large majority of consumers are ignorant and illiterate and do not know their rights. They are poor and there is a lack of unity among them. Due to all these reasons, consumers are often deprived of their rights. They are often exploited through misleading advertisements, poor quality goods, fractional weights and measures, overcharging etc. Thus, consumer awareness is very necessary to avoid exploitation.
I. Multiple Choice Questions
1. The agencies which look into the complaints of the consumers are popularly called:
Answer: (a) consumer courts
2. The organisation which helps guide the consumers on how to file cases in the consumer courts is popularly called :
Answer: (c) consumer forums
5. World Consumer Rights Day is observed on
Answer: (a) March 15
II. Very Short Answer Questions
1. Who is a consumer?
Answer: The one who consumes goods and services is called a consumer.
2. What is meant by adulteration?
Answer: Mixing other matters of inferior or harmful quality with food or drink intended to be sold is called adulteration.
5. What is MRP?
Answer: Maximum retail price is the highest price that can be charged for a product sold.
III. Short Answer Questions
1. State the meaning of ‘Right to be informed’.
Answer: Right to be informed mean that consumers have the right to be informed about the particulars of goods and services that they purchase.
2. Name the three consumer protection measures.
Answer: The three consumer protection measures are:
(i) Legislative measures.
(ii) Administrative measures.
(iii) Technical measures.
5. How ignorance of consumer results in consumer exploitation?
Answer: Consumers generally are ignorant about different aspects of the products namely price, quality, composition, conditions of use, terms of purchase etc. Hence, they are liable to make wrong choice.
IV. Long Answer Questions
1. What is the Consumer Forum? Describe any three features of Consumer Forum.
Answer: The consumer movement in India has led to the formation of various organisations locally known as Consumer Forums or Consumer Protection Councils.
Three features of Consumer Forum are:
I. They guide consumers on how to file cases in the consumer court.
II. On many occasions, they also represent individual consumers in consumer courts.
III. These voluntary organisations also receive financial support from the government for creating awareness among the people.
2. Write a brief note on ‘Consumer Movement’.
Answer: The consumer movement in India has led to the formation of various organisations locally known as Consumer Forums or Consumer Protection Councils. The consumer movement in India has made some progress in terms of numbers of organised groups. At present, there are more than 700 consumer groups in the country, but only about 20-25 are well organised and recognised for their activities. Consumer Welfare Fund was created in 1992 with the objective of providing financial assistance to promote and protect the welfare of the consumer, create consumer awareness and strengthen consumer movement in India, especially in rural areas.
3. What administrative measures are adopted by the Government for consumer protection?
Answer: Apart from ensuring food security to the poor, the need for PDS was felt to control the market forces of demand and supply and to prevent hoarding and black marketing. Under this system, the government procures food grains and other essential items at predetermined prices. The prices of agricultural commodities are determined by the Agricultural Costs and Prices Commission. Then these stored items are distributed among the poor consumers at a reasonable price. The PDS is maintained through the introduction of the rationing system. There is, at present, a network of about 4.7 lakh fair price shops in our country.
8. How does the Government protect the interests of the consumers?
Answer: In order to protect the interest of the consumers, the government undertake the following three measures :
(i) Legislative measures: The government enacted a law called the Consumer Protection Act in 1986 (popularly known as COPRA). The Act provides for the establishment of Consumer Disputes Redressal Agencies at district, state and national levels.
(ii) Administrative measures: Apart from ensuring food security to the poor, the need for PDS was felt to control the market forces of demand and supply and to prevent hoarding and black marketing. Under this system, the government procures food grains and other essential items at predetermined prices.
(iii) Technical measures: Another important measure undertaken by the government for consumer protection is the setting up of institutions for fixing up the standards for products. Indian Standards Institution (ISI) has the responsibilities of laying down the standards for industrial and consumer products.
9. How does the exploitation of consumers take place in the market? Explain with the help of any five facts.
Answer: Exploitation takes various forms. Some common forms of exploitation are given below:
(i) Underweighing and Under- Measurements: The goods being sold in the market are sometimes not measured or weighed correctly. Shopkeepers weigh or measure less than what they should.
(ii) Sub-Standard Quality: The goods sold are sometimes of sub-standard quality. For example, selling of medicines beyond their expiry dates, the supply of defective home appliances etc.
(iii) High Prices: Traders charge high prices by adding charges that were not mentioned before.
(iv) Duplicate Articles: It has also been found that traders, in the name of genuine parts or goods, sell duplicate items.
(v) Adulteration: Traders are found to be involved in adulteration. In order to earn higher profits, adulteration is made in costly items like edible oils, spices etc.
Extra/additional questions and answers/solutions
1. Name some common forms of exploitation in the market?
Answer: Some common forms of exploitation are:
i. Underweight and under-measurements
ii. Sub-Standard quality
iii. High Prices
iv. Duplicate Articles
v. Adulteration
vi. Lack of Safety Devices
vii. False Information
viii. Rough behaviour and undue conditions
18. What are the responsibilities of consumers?
Answer: Consumers have the following responsibilities:
i. Consumers should consider the product’s quality as well as the guarantee of the goods and services. They should preferably buy quality labelled products such as ISI, Agmark, or Hallmark.
ii. Wherever possible, consumers should insist on a cash memo for the items purchased.
iii. Consumer organisations should be formed.
iv. Consumers must file a complaint if they have genuine grievances, even if the product is of low value. They can also seek assistance from consumer organisations.
v. Consumers must be aware of their rights and be able to exercise them.
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