The Consumer Protection Act, 1986. popularly known as COPRA, has been enacted to safeguard the interest of the consumers and protecting them against exploitation. It has led to the formation of the three-tier Consumer Courts at the district, state and national levels.

The need for consumer awareness was felt because both the manufacturers and traders can go to any extent out of their selfishness. They can charge high prices, and resort to underweight and under measurement methods. Their lust for money may lead to loss of money and health of consumers.

The following measures can save consumers from exploitation:
(a) Consumers should be actively involved in consumer movement.
(b) Consumer should be fully aware of their rights and should file cases in the consumer courts to book the guilty shopkeepers or traders.
(c) Cash memos from all purchases done should be duly taken, in order to ensure consumer's right for redressal, (in case of any purchase turning out to be a faulty one).

Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted in 1986 to protect the interest of consumers in India. It makes provision for the establishment of consumer councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumers disputes and for matters connected therewith.
Advantages:
(a) It allows redressal of consumer queries.
(b) It allows the consumers to enjoy various consumer rights.
(c) It allow consumers to pressurise the producers as well as government to ensure moral business conducts.

(i) In India, the consumer movement as a 'social force' originated with the necessity of protecting and promoting the interests of consumers against unethical and unfair trade practices.
(ii) Whenever a complaint regarding goods or service is made, the seller tries to shift all the responsibility on to the buyer.
(iii) Rampant (unchecked) food shortages, hoarding, black marketing, adulteration of food items gave birth to the consumer movement in an organized form in the 1960s.
(iv) Till the 1970s, consumer organizations 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 only..
(v) More recently, India witnessed an upsurge in the number of consumer groups. They make consumers aware of their rights and duties and guide them to redress their grievances.
(vi) There are today more than 700 consumer groups in the country of which only about 20-25 are well organized and recognized for their work.
(vii) Under the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA), a three-tier quasi-judicial machinery at the district, state and national levels was set up for redressal of consumer disputes.
(viii) The district level court deals with the cases involving claims up to Rs. 20 lakhs, the state level courts between Rs. 20 lakhs and 1 crore and the national level court deals with cases involving claims exceeding Rs. 1 crore. If a case is dismissed in district level court, the consumer can also appeal in state and then in National level courts. ​​​​​

(i) Many a times, consumers are required to hire lawyers. These cases require time for filing and attending court proceedings. Also a lot of money and resources have to be spend on the lawyers fees, paperwork etc.
(ii) High most purchases, cash memos are not issued, therefore it is difficult to gather evidence in case a consumer is cheated.
(iii) The existing laws are also not very clear on the issue of compensation to consumers injured by defective goods.
(iv) Also, enforcement of laws that protect workers in the unorganized sectors is weal.

(i) Consumers should learn to be well informed to avoid exploitation and unfair trade practices that happen in the market place in various ways. For example, sometimes shopkeepers weight less than what they should or when traders and charges that were not mentioned before or when adulterated and defective goods are sold to ignorant consumers.
(ii) At times false information is passed on through the media to attract consumers. 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 and replacement if the product proves to be defective in any manner. One can also protest and complain if someone sells a good at more than MRP or can bargain with the seller to sell than the MRP.
(iii) 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 the knowledge and skill to become a well informed consumer.

These days rules have been made and it is mandatory for the manufacturers to display complete information about the ingredients used, price, batch number, date of manufacture, date of expiry and the address of the manufacturer on their products. When buying medicines, we find 'direction for proper use' and when buying garments, information on 'instructions for washing' are some examples about consumers' right to relevant information.
The advantages of the right to be informed are as follows.
(a) On the basis of this right, consumers can now lodge a complaint and ask for compensation or replacement, if the product is found defective in any manner.
(b) On account of RTI Act, today, the consumer is empowered to ask for any relevant information related to his queries speedily.
(c) Serious follow up of the matter as per the act also benefits the consumer, who gets lawfully what he desires.

Consumers are exploited in the market in a number of ways. Individual consumers often find themselves in a difficult situation to protect their interests. Certain rules and regulations are, therefore, required for the markets to work in a fair manner, where the producers are few and powerful and consumers are scattered and purchase in small quantities. Some examples showing exploitation of consumers are:
(a) Sometimes traders indulge in unfair trade practices such as underweight and under measurement, adulteration, hoarding etc. Adulteration in vegetable oils, spices, milk, ghee etc. are common during the festive seasons.
(b) Whenever a complaint regarding goods or service is made, the seller tries to shift all the responsibility on the buyer.
(c) Producers may create artificial scarcity by hoarding so as to sell the products at a higher price and maximize their profits such as cereals, vegetables, food grains etc. are stored by the wholesaler and released in the market after a long time.

The logo related to certifying the quality product i.e. Agmark, FPO (Food Processing Organisation), etc.

A producer is a person or group of person who produce either goods or services or both by creating utility.

Consumer movement arose out of dissatisfaction of the consumers as many unfair practices were being indulged in by the sellers.

The scope of consumer protection act has widened with the amendment in 2003, wherein the use of good by a person exclusively for the purpose of earning his livelihood, by the means of self-employment is recognised as a consumer.

MRP stands for Maximum Retail Price.

ISI