India celebrates December 24 as its
National Consumer Rights Day, also known as National Consumer Day. On
this day in 1986, Consumer Protection Bill became a law when then-president of
India Neelam Sanjiva Reddy signed on the legislation to protect the interest of
consumers. The purpose of the day is to make consumers aware of their rights
and responsibilities.

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Who
is a consumer?

A consumer is anyone who purchases goods or
services and pays for them in return.

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What
is Consumer Rights in India?

The Consumer Protection Act 1986  gives consumers six basic rights: right to
choose the product; right to be protected from all kinds of hazardous goods;
right to be informed about the performance and quality of all products; right
to be heard in all decision-making processes related to consumer interests;
right to seek redressal, whenever consumer rights have been infringed; right to
complete consumer education.

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Why
is National Consumer Day celebrated?

Every year, National Consumer Rights Day is
celebrated under a specific theme. The Union government, in partnership with
the state governments, runs consumer awareness campaigns. In 2019, a virtual
seminar was organised by the Department of Consumer Affairs to explain the
Consumer Protection Act 2019.

Like 2020, this year, too, the National
Consumer Day will be celebrated against the backdrop of the COVID-9 pandemic.

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What
is World Consumer Rights Day?

It must be noted that National Consumer
Rights Day and World Consumer Rights Day are not the same. While the former is
a law in India, the latter is dedicated to global consumers. The world consumer
movement marks 15th March with World Consumer Rights Day every year, as a means
of raising global awareness about consumer rights and needs. While both have
the same purpose, they are observed on different dates.  

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What is the theme for 2021? 

This year’s theme of National Consumer Day is “Tackling Plastic Pollution”.