NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Economics Chapter 5 Consumer Rights

Consumer Rights Class 10 Questions and Answers Provided helps you to answer complex Questions too easily. You can use them while preparing for board exams and all of them are given by subject experts. Reading NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Economics Chapter 5 Consumer Rights familiarizes you with the kind of questions appearing in the board exams. Students are advised to read these solutions on a regular basis to score well.

Consumer Rights Class 10 Questions and Answers Economics Chapter 5

Make your learning experience enjoyable by preparing from the quick links available on this page. Use the Class 10 SST Economics Chapter 5 NCERT Solutions and get to know different concepts involved. All the Solutions are covered as per the latest syllabus guidelines. Knowing the NCERT Class 10 Economics Chapter 5 Questions and Answers helps students to attempt the exam with confidence.

Consumer Rights NCERT Intext Questions and Answers

Let’s Work These Out (NCERT Textbook page 77)

Question 1.
What are the various ways by which people may be exploited in the market?
Answer:
The various ways by which people may be exploited in the market are—

Goods sold in the market are sometimes not measured or weighted correctly.
Sometimes traders add charges that were not mentioned before.
Sometimes adulterated/defective goods are sold.
Electronic goods produced locally lack the required inbuilt safeguards, which may cause accidents.
Sellers sometimes mislead consumers by giving information about the products, price, quality, safety, expiry date, etc.
Consumers are often harassed in getting telephone connections or licensed items.
Many suppliers do not provide satisfactory after-sale service in case of home appliances or electronic equipments.

Question 2.
Think of one example from your experience where you thought that there was some ‘cheating’ in the market. Dicuss in the classroom.
Answer:
A few days ago, I purchased ten bottles of cold drinks. As I was in hurry, I didn’t bother to go through the details about price, batch number, date of manufacture, expiry date, etc. When I came back home, my father took all the bottles one by one and looked at the details very closely. To his utter surprise, one of the bottles was expired nine months ago. He called me and pointed out what mistake I had done. I went to the shopkeeper with that bottle and got it replaced only after wasting at least two hours as it was a peak time.

Question 3.
What do you think should be the role of government to protect consumers?
Answer:
The government should lay down rules and regulations to protect and safeguard the interest of consumers. The rules and regulations should be enforced properly by the government.

Let’s Work These Out (NCERT Textbook page 78)

Question 1.
What could have been the steps taken by consumer groups?
Answer:

Consumer groups should have pressurised the business organisations or groups to strictly follow the rules and regulations that the government has laid down.
They should have also supervised whether these rules and regulations are fully implemented or not.
They should spread awareness among consumers about their rights and duties as consumers.

Question 2.
There may be rules and regulations but they are often not followed. Why? Discuss.
Answer:
The main reason behind this is that consumers are not prompt. They do not want to spend even a bit of their time on such activities. They also avoid to fall into legal procedures. They don’t bother whether the rules and regulations are followed or not.

Let’s Work These Out (NCERT Textbook page 79)

Question 1.
For the following products/services discuss what safety rules should be observed by the producer?
(a) LPG cylinder
(b) cinema theatre
(c) circus medicines
(d) Medicines
(e) edible oil
(f) marriage pandal
(g) a high-rise building
Answer:
(a) LPG cylinder:

The cylinder should be properly sealed and thus ensure that there is no leakage of gas.
Also cylinders should be transported to the godown or customer premises in a safe manner.

(b) Cinema theatre

There should be adequate number of fire extinguishers in the premises.
Well-lighted exits should be there in all areas of emergencies like fire.
Security should be tight to avoid uncalled for situation.

Same as cinema theatre.
Some additional points include safety net for trapeze artist, secured cages for dangerous animals like tigers, lions, etc.

(d) Medicines

They should carry all the details like date of manufacture, date of expiry, batch number, etc.
The contents must be sealed properly.

(e) Edible oil

Same as medicines.

(f) Marriage pandal

There should be adequate number of fire extinguishers in the pandal.
Well-lighted exits should be there in all areas for emergencies like fire or earthquakes.

(g) A high-rise building

Fire safety measures should be there in the building.
The building should be earthquake resistant.
Lifts should be there with all safety features.
Staircases should have handrails.
Well-lighted exits for emergencies.

Question 2.
Find out any case of accident or negligence from people around you, where you think that the responsibility lay with the producer. Discuss.
Answer:
The maid working in my house purchased a pressure cooker last month. It was a local product without any ISI mark on it. The maid was happy that she got the pressure cooker at a low cost. When we told her that she should have bought a branded cooker, she didn’t pay attention. She only said that the cooker was working well. One day she didn’t come to my house.

When my mother phoned her, she told that she had got a head injury. While cooking rice, the cooker suddenly burst and its lid fell on her head with great force. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital where the doctor on duty put a bandage on her head after giving some stitches. The above accident tells us that we should avoid to buy local goods because they may prove dangerous any time.

Let’s Work These Out (NCERT Textbook page 81)

Question 1.
When we buy commodities we find that the price charged is sometimes higher or lower than the maximum Retail Price printed on the pack. Discuss the possible reasons. Should consumer groups do something about this?
Answer:
The possible reason for higher price may be overcharging by the shopkeeper for an unaware consumer. The possible reason for lower price may be due to bargaining done by the customer. Sometimes discounts given by the shopkeeper on certain goods may also be a reason.

Question 2.
Pick up a few packaged goods that you want to buy and examine the information given. In what ways are they useful? Is there some information that you think should be given on those packaged goods but is not? Discuss.
Answer:
The information given on the packaged goods can be useful in the following ways—

Maximum Retail Price (MRP)—The seller cannot ask you to pay more than this amount.
Expiry date and date of Manufacture—This information safeguards you from buying old prod¬ucts.
Ingredients used—One can know what is used in making the product.
Address of Manufacturer—If the product is defective and the shopkeeper does not replace it, you can contact the manufacturer for redressal of your complaint.

Question 3.
People make complaints about the lack of civic amenities such as bad roads or poor water and health facilities but no one listens. Now the RTI Act gives you the power to question. Do you agree? Discuss.
Answer:
Through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, we can gather information from civic authorities about any matter regarding private or public concern. Information is taken even about the roads water and health facilities to pressurise the civic authorities. It has helped immensely in improving the condition. A lot more needs to be done in the this regard.

Let’s Work These Out (NCERT Textbook page 84)

Question 1.
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:
(a) She 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) Arita 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.

Work These Out (NCERT Textbook page 86)

Question 1.
Look at the posters and cartoons in this chapter. Think of any particular commodity and the aspects that need to be looked at as a consumer. Design a poster for this.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 2.
Find out the nearest consumer court for your area.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 3.
What is the difference between consumer protection council and consumer court?
Answer:

The consumer protection council guides consumers on how to file cases in the consumer court. On many occasions, they also represent individual consumers in the consumer courts.
Consumer courts have legal status. They are formed under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. They work to protect the interest of consumers

Question 4.
The Consumer Protection Act 1986 ensures the following as rights which every consumer in India should possess
Answer:

Right to choice.
Right to information.
Right to redressal.
Right to representation.
Right to safety.
Right to consumer education.

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/BSNL/TATA INDICOM 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
(b) Right to redressal
(c) Right to consumer education
(d) Right to information
(e) Right to choice
(f) Right to representation

Question 5.
If the standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, why are many goods available in the market without ISI or Agmark certification?
Answer:
Although standardisation ensures the quality of a commodity, it is time consuming and expensive to avail of it. Also, there are many producers who are small and do their business on a small scale. Such producers cannot afford it. Besides, a lot of people in India are poor who can buy only local goods at low costs.

Question 6.
Find out the details of who provides Hallmark and ISO certification.
Answer:

Hallmark certifies gold products and is provided by Gold Council of India.
ISO certification is given by the International Standardisation Organisation. Its headquarters is in Geneva.

Economics Class 10 Chapter 5 NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why are rules and regulations required in the marketplace? Illustrate with a few examples.
Answer:
(i) Rules and regulations are required for the protection of the consumers in the marketplace. Individual consumers often find themselves in a weak position because of the irresponsible attitude of the sellers.

(ii) Exploitation in the marketplace happens in various ways. For example, sometimes traders indulge in unfair trade practices such as when shopkeepers weigh less than what they should or when traders add charges that were not mentioned before, or when adulterated/defective goods are sold.

(iii) Large companies with huge wealth, power and approach often manipulate the market in various ways. At times false information is passed on through the media and other sources to attract consumers.

For example, a company for years sold powder milk for babies all over the world as the most scientific product claiming this to be better than mother’s milk. The truth was that the company had been making false claims. After long years of struggle the company was made to surrender. Hence, there is a need for rules and regulations for the protection of consumers.

Question 2.
What factors gave birth to the consumer movement in India? Trace its evolution.
Answer:
The factors that gave birth to the consumer movement in India are given below—
(i) Consumers were at great loss due to unethical and unfair trade practices in the marketplace. It was felt necessary to protect and promote the interests of consumers against such practices.

(ii) Consumers were fed up with rampant food shortages, hoardings, black marketing, adulteration of food and edible oil. These factors gave birth to the consumer movement in an organised form in the 1960s.

(iii) Till the 1970s, consumer organisations were largely engaged in writing articles and holding exhibitions. They formed consumer groups to look into the malpractices in ration shops and overcrowding in the road passenger transport.

(iv) However, India saw a sudden increase in the number of consumer groups in recent times because consumer exploitation by the private traders had aggravated. These groups are very active and have stimulated the consumer movement in the country.

(v) Various organisations locally known as Consumer Forums or Consumer Protection councils have also come into existence. The activities of these consumer forums have forced the Indian government to enact the Consumer Protection Act 1986, popularly known as COPRA.

Question 3.
Explain the need for consumer consciousness by giving two examples.
Answer:
There is a need for consumer consciousness because traders and sellers may exploit ignorant consumers. When we as consumers become conscious of our rights, while purchasing various goods and services, we will be able to discriminate and make informed choices. This calls for acquiring knowledge and skill to become a well-informed consumer.

The following examples can explain the need for consumer consciousness—
(i) The ISI and Agmark logos are quality certifications on classes of products. Consumers need to look for such certifications while purchasing items requiring these marks.

(ii) When we buy medicines, on the packets, we as consumers must look for ‘directions for proper use’ and information relating to side effects and risks associated with the usage of that medicine.

Question 4.
Mention a few factors which cause exploitation of consumers.
Answer:
Some of the factors which cause exploitation of consumers are—

Lack of awareness among consumers
Limited supply of goods/products
Misleading advertisements
Limited competition
Compromising attitude of consumers.

Question 5.
What is the rationale behind the enactment of Consumer Protection Act, 1986?
Answer:
Consumer Protection Act, 1986, popularly known as COPRA is enacted to safeguard the interests of consumers and to protect them from exploitation. Under COPRA, a three-tier quasi-judicial machinery at the district, state and national levels was set up for redressal of consumer disputes.

Question 6.
Describe some of your duties as consumers if you visit a shopping complex in your locality.
Answer:
As consumers we have some duties which we need to follow while purchasing something

We should check expiry dates of the products to be bought
We should not pay more than the Maximum Retail Price or MRP printed on the products.
We must not forget to take a cash memo for the items purchased.
If we buy a product and find it defective well within the expiry period, we should ask for replacement.
We should register a complaint with a consumer forum in case the dealer refuses to take the responsibility for an adulterated or defective product.

Question 7.
Suppose you buy a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet. Which logo or mark you will have to look for and why?
Answer:
While buying a bottle of honey and a biscuit packet, the logo or mark we will have to look for is ISI or Agmark. Honey being an agricultural product should have the Agmark mark on it. The biscuit packet is a food product and therefore, it should carry the ISI mark.

The logos like ISI and Agmark certify the quality of goods in the market. Only those producers are allowed to use these logos who follow certain quality standards set by the organisation that issue these certifications.

If the bottle of honey or a biscuit packet carries one of these logos on it, it means that the product is of good quality and therefore, there is no risk in purchasing it.

Question 8.
What legal measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India?
Answer:
The following measures were taken by the government to empower the consumers in India— 4
(i) The Monopolistic and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act was enacted in 1984 to ensure the consumers that there are no monopolies of the traders in the marketplace.

(ii) The Consumer Protection Act, popularly known as COPRA was enacted in 1986 to correct business conduct which may be unfair and against the interests of consumers at large.

(iii) Consumer courts have been set up at the district, state and national levels to provide justice to the people who are treated unfairly in the marketplace.

Question 9.
Mention some of the rights of consumers and write a few sentences on each.
Answer:
Some of the rights of consumers are—
(i) Right to safety—Safety is everyone’s right. While using many goods and services, we as consumers, have the right to be protected against the marketing of goods and delivery of services that are hazardous to life and property. Hence, producers need to strictly follow the required safety rules and regulations.

(ii) Right to be informed—Consumers have the right to be informed about the particulars of goods and services that they purchase. Consumers can then complain and ask for compensation or replacement if the product proves to be defective in any manner.

(iii) 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.

(iv) Right to seek redressal—Consumers have the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and exploitation. If any damage is done to a customer, he/she has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of damage. He/she can move to consumer courts to get justice.

(v) Right to representation—COPRA has enabled us as consumers to have the right to represent in the consumer courts. What this means is that a consumer can engage a professional person before filing a case.

(vi) Right to consumer education—Consumers need to become conscious of the rights and duties while purchasing goods and services.

Question 10.
By what means can the consumers express their solidarity?
Answer:
The consumers can express their solidarity by forming consumer groups that write articles and hold exhibitions to highlight traders’ exploitation. These groups guide consumers on how to file cases in the consumer court. These are the voluntary organisations that receive financial support from the government for creating awareness among the people. Consumers’ active participation in the struggle against traders’ unfair practices will further strengthen consumer solidarity.

Question 11.
Consumers can also express their solidarity by forming Resident Welfare Associations. If any unfair trade practice is meted out to their members, they take up the case on their behalf.
Answer:
Critically examine the progress of consumer movement in India.
(i) The consumer movement in India has made some progress as the numbers of consumer groups and their activities have increased. Today there are more than 700 consumer groups in the country of which only about 20-25 are well organised and recognised for their work.

(ii) The existing laws are not effective as far as compensation for defective goods is concerned.

(iii) The consumer redressal process is becoming difficult, expensive and time-consuming. Many a time consumers are required to engage lawyers.

(iv) After more than 25 years of the enactment of COPRA, consumer awareness in India is spreading but slowly. Besides this, the enactment of laws that protect workers, especially in the unorganised sectors is weak.

(v) Rules and regulations for working of markets are often not followed. It is necessary to make consumers aware of their rights and role. It is, therefore, said that consumer movement can be effective only with the consumers’ active involvement.

Question 12.
Match the following:
(i) Availing details of ingredients of a product – (a) Right to safety
(ii) Agmark – (b) Dealing with consumer cases
(iii) Accident due to faulty engine in a scooter – (c) Certification of edible oil and cereals
(iv) District Consumer Court – (d) Agency that develop standards for goods and services
(v) Consumers International – (e) Right to information
(vi) Bureau of Indian Standards – (f) Global level institution of consumer welfare organisations
Answer:
(i) (e)
(ii) (c)
(iii) (a)
(iv) (b)
(v) (f)
(vi) (d)

Question 13.
Say True or False.
(i) COPRA applies only to goods.
(ii) India is one of the many countries in the world which has exclusive courts for consumer redressal.
(iii) When a consumer feels that he has been exploited, he must file a case in the District Consumer Court.
(iv) It is worthwhile to move to consumer courts only if the damages incurred are of high value.
(v) Hallmark is the certification maintained for standardisation of jewellery.
(vi) The consumer redressal process is very simple and quick.
(vii) A consumer has the right to get compensation depending on the degree of the damage.
Answer:
(i) False
(ii) True
(iii) True
(iv) False
(v) True
(vi) False
(vii) True

Additional Projects/Activities

Question 1.
Your school organises a consumer awareness week. As the Secretary of the Consumer Awareness Forum, draft a poster covering all the consumer rights. You may use the clues and ideas given in the poster on page 84 and 85. This activity can be done with the help of your English teacher.
Ans.
Draft the poster yourself.

Question 2.
Mrs. Krishna bought a colour television (CTV) against six months warranty. The CTV stopped working after three months. When she complained to the dealer/shop where it was purchased, they sent an engineer to set it right. The CTV continues to give trouble and Mrs Krishna no longer gets any reply to the complaint she made to the dealer/shop. She decides to write to the Consumer Forum in her area. Write a letter on her behalf. You may discuss with your partner/group members before you write it.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 3.
Establish a consumer club in your school. Organise mock consumer awareness workshops like monitoring bookshops, canteen, and shops in your school area.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 4.
Prepare posters with catchy slogans like:
(i) An alert consumer is a safe consumer
(ii) Buyers, Beware
(iii) Consumers be cautious
(iv) Be aware of your rights
(v) As consumers, assert your right
(vi) Arise, awake and stop not till (Complete it)
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 5.
Interview 4-5 persons in your neighbourhood and collect varied experiences regarding how they have been victims of such exploitation and their responses.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 6.
Conduct a survey in your locality by supplying the following questionnaire to get an idea as to how alert they are as consumers.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

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