Mysuru: Two first-year LLB students from JSS Law College, Mysuru, M. Nikhil and N. Khushi, will be participating in a National Seminar organised by the Centre for Consumer Studies at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, on April 24 and 25. They will present a research paper titled “India’s Consumer Movement is in ICU.”

Paper synopsis

The title “India’s Consumer Movement is in ICU” is not meant to sensationalise but to highlight the serious crisis confronting the country’s Consumer Movement. It reflects the authors’ intent to draw attention to the challenges at hand.

The paper traces the trajectory of the Consumer Movement before and after the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of 1986. The Act initially led to a boom in consumer activism, with several NGOs emerging across the country. Though efforts were made to bring them under one umbrella, they met with limited success.

In its early years, Consumer Forums received media attention for landmark rulings. However, over time, they began functioning like Civil Courts, losing their edge. Meanwhile, the CPA empowered consumers to challenge issues beyond individual grievances — such as corruption in the Public Distribution System (PDS) — ensuring access to subsidised goods for the poor.

Economic liberalisation and market competition further strengthened consumer choice. Some NGOs promoted the idea of citizens as “masters, not servants” while engaging with Government services.

The IT revolution and mobile penetration led to Direct Benefit Transfers, which curbed PDS corruption to an extent, though many entitlements remain hard to access. Meanwhile, the rise of e-commerce has triggered a spike in consumer fraud.

The 1986 Act was replaced in 2019 with a more comprehensive version, but its implementation has fallen short due to persistent inefficiencies in Consumer Commissions.

Compounding this is the Movement’s failure to attract younger generations to take over from its pioneers. The paper explores key strategies to revive the Consumer Movement and restore its relevance in the current era.