Posts
Consumers India
Issue 3 October, 2013
Consumers India is a non-profit organization set up by former officers of Department of Consumer Affairs and other senior officers of Government of India, with a view to use their knowledge and experience for the benefit of consumers.
The organization was registered on 18.05.2007 under Societies Registration Act, 1860. It is also registered under Sections 12A read with section 12AA and 80 G (5) (vi) of Income Tax Act, 1961.
The Department of Consumers Affairs in Govt. of India has permitted it to use the name ‘Consumers India’ under “Emblems and Names Act, 1950”.
Consumers India has taken up several important campaigns with a view to safeguard interests of large number of consumers. Some of them relate to ‘Unethical Medical Practices’, ‘Misleading Advertising’, ‘Ageing with Dignity’, ‘Access to Affordable Medicines’, ‘End criminalization of Politics', ‘Justice for all…Just Now’, ‘I am a city changer’, ‘Junk the junk food’ etc.
Further details may be seen on the following Blog
Happy Diwali
This Diwali we wish for you
A shower of good health
And happiness unlimited
With smart shopping!
Let Diwali not lead to
DIWALA!!!
Major activities during the month of October related to
1. Appeal to NHRC to enforce judgment regarding free treatment of poor patients in private hospitals
2. Launch of Internship Programme in Collaboration with GIZ (German Development Cooperation)
3. Talk on All India Radio (FM Gold) on Pharma Purchase Policy
4. Presentation on ‘Young People and Consumer Rights – Successes and Challenges’ in the 1ST Stakeholder Dialogue on ‘Empowering Young Indian Consumers’ organised by GIZ
5. Appeal to PM for reinvigorating the regulatory framework to safeguard consumers from medical negligence
6. Appeal to Finance Minister to exempt senior citizens from income tax on pension
7. Debate in Bharti College on “We the youth have power to make it a better world”
8. Entries invited for on-line Photography Contest for the Quarter ending December, 2013
Brief details regarding each of these activities are given in the following paragraphs.
Appeal to NHRC to enforce judgment regarding free treatment of poor patients in private hospitals
As per news paper reports appearing in Times of India on 9th October, 2013,50% beds for poor are vacant in 45 private hospitals. This too at a time when most city hospitals are flooded with cases of dengue and there is a crisis of beds!
Consumers India had raised this issue at length in its letter dated July 26, 2013, while sharing the major findings emanating from ‘A Study of Implementation of Supreme Court Judgment regarding treatment of poor patients in private hospitals’, carried out by Shagun Sinha, Aishini Mandal, and Aman Chaudhary during internship with Consumers India.
It is a matter of grave concern that even after Supreme Court’s mandate, Govt of NCT of Delhi is not able to ensure that facilities earmarked for the poor are actually provided to them!
Consumers India has appealed to NHRC and others to ensure that immediate and effective steps are taken to enforce this crucial judgment in letter and spirit.
For further details in this regard, please see the following link:
Launch of Internship Programme in Collaboration with GIZ (German Development Cooperation)
The Autumn Batch of Internship Programme is being organised by Consumers India in Collaboration with GIZ (German Development Cooperation). The programme was flagged off with two full days of Orientation Workshop on 24-25 October, 2013 in India International Centre, New Delhi.
The programme started with welcome by Dr Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India and Dr Poonam Pande, Technical Expert, MoCA-GIZ Project "Consumer Policy and Cosumer Protection, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Development Cooperation). The Inaugural Address by Major General Dr J K Bansal,Member, National Disaster Management Authority (in the rank of Minister of State in GOI) set the tone for two meaningful days ahead.
Some of the highlights of the workshop are
1. Release of Booklet ‘Guidelines for Internship Programme’ by the esteemed guests in the inaugural session
2. Talk by distinguished speakers like Prof Sri Ram Khanna, Managing trustee of VOICE, Principal Investigator, National Consumer Helpline, Prof of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi on ‘An Overview of Consumer Movement’ and Dr Chandra M Gulati, Editor, Monthly Index of Medical Specialties (MIMS) on ‘Unethical Practices of Pharma Companies’.
3. Learning with Fun through ‘Consumer Protection Quiz’ by members of Consumer Club in Kamla Nehru College, University of Delhi.
4. Experience sharing and presentation of study by a few successful interns from earlier batches.
5. Talk on subjects like ‘You can make a difference’ by Dr Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India, ‘Future of Consumer Dilemmas’ by Dr Roopa Vajpeyi, University Academic and Consumer Activist, ‘Access To Justice’ by Dr G S Tiwari, General Secretary, Consumers India and ‘Right to Information (RTI)’ by Shri S K Virmani, Consumer Activist and IT expert.
With a batch of 23 bright students from leading Educational Institutions like IITs at Delhi, Khargpur, Roorkee and BHU, IIM-Indore, BITS Pilani, IIFT and Delhi University, to name a few, Consumers India is looking forward to brilliant studies on important consumer issues.
Further details can be seen on
Talk on All India Radio (FM Gold) on Pharma Purchase Policy
Dr Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India participated in a discussion on Pharma Purchase Policy in All India Radio (FM Gold) on 31st October, 2013. The programme was organised in the wake of Union Cabinet decision for procuring 103 medicines from Pharma PSUs by Central Govt and its organizations as also State Govts under centrally sponsored schemes like NRHM. The price of medicines included under the scheme would be fixed by NPPA.
The issues relating to public health, drug pricing and affordability were discussed in this programme. While welcoming this move, Dr Jayashree Gupta said that actual impact of such a decision would be felt by consumers if these medicines become available at similar prices at Pharmacy outlets all over the country.
For further details pl see
Presentation on ‘Young People and Consumer Rights – Successes and Challenges’ in the 1ST Stakeholder Dialogue on ‘Empowering Young Indian Consumers’ organised by GIZ
With over 50% of India’s population being under the age of 25, no movement can be successful without meaningful involvement of youth. Consumers India has successfully involved youth with its concerns. Dr Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India shared some of the ways in which it has harnessedthe energy of youth in different age groups.
For details in this regard, please see the following link:
Appeal to PM for reinvigorating the regulatory framework to safeguard consumers from medical negligence
‘India records 5.2 million medical injuries a year’ due to medical errors and adverse events. The biggest sources of medical mishaps are from medications, hospital acquired infections and blood clots that develop in legs from being immobilized in the hospital. Approximately 3 million years of healthy life are lost in India each year due to medical errors, as per the landmark report by an Indian doctor from Harvard School of Public Health!
Consumers India has been raising issues relating to unethical medical practices, including medical negligence time and again. The Medical Council of India (MCI) and State Medical Councils are empowered to take disciplinary action when prescribed Code of Ethics is not observed by the doctors. They are even empowered to debar doctors from practicing medicine. Had they acted on their mandate, medical errors could have been substantially reduced!
Consumers India has appealed to Prime Minister again to take immediate and effective steps to safeguard the health and well-being of consumers by reinvigorating the regulatory framework to deal with the rights of patients.For details in this regard, please see the following link:
Appeal to Finance Minister to exempt senior citizens from income tax on pension
Consumers India has reiterated its appeal to Finance Minister to revamp the present system of taxation of senior citizens and make their life easier by exempting them from the liability of paying income tax and filing returns if they do not have income other than pension and interest on fixed deposits. The study titled ‘Is it justified to tax pension and interest on fixed deposits of senior citizens?’ carried out by Gunjan Jain and Gaurav Kumar Singh, both BA LLB students at DS National Law University, Visakhapatnam during internship with Consumers India has provided valuable inputs for this campaign.
Further details in this regard may be seen on the following link:
Debate in Bharti College on “We the youth have power to make it a better world”
‘The Future We want’ is currently engaging attention of the entire world since new set of development goals, which will be our guiding force beyond 2015 are being considered by United Nations in consultation with all stake-holders. Consumers India has also launched ‘Creating the Future we want’ campaign,with a view to make it a better world with the involvement of youth, in collaboration with Human Rights Group, SUM, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations. In this context a Debate on the subject “We the youth have power to make it a better world”was organised in Bharti College on 31st October, 2013. The event was marked by highly enthusiastic participation by the entire college. Prizes were given to five best performances.
For details regarding ‘Creating the Future We Want’ Contests please see the following link
Entries invited for on-line Photography Contest for the Quarter ending December, 2013
The theme for online photography contest is ‘Live Healthy, Be Happy’.Participants can visit
using their face book account and upload an original photograph taken by them relating to the theme of the contest, along with a caption/slogan and their particulars. Prizes and Certificates will be given to top three participants for quarters ending December, 2013 on the basis of number of ‘Likes’ earned by them. Minimum no of ‘Likes’, required to qualify for the prize is 25. For complete details please see the following link:
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Appeal to all to carry forward these campaigns
Consumers India has taken up important campaigns for the health and well being of large number of consumers. We wish more and more consumers to participate, take advantage of and carry forward these campaigns.
You can do it by following four simple steps:
· Forward such News Letters to people in your mailing list.
· Join and promote the Face Book Page and Twitter account of Consumers India
· Join Consumers India Group on Face Book.
· Initiate your own campaigns on ‘causes’ ‘avaaz’ or ‘change.org’. Try to get as many signatures as you can!
Link to Consumers India Face Book Page is given below:
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Call National Consumer Helpline for Advice
Deptt of Consumer Affairs in GOI has set up
National Consumer Helpline,
which provides
expert advice to consumers facing problems.
For assistance please call
1800-11-4000 (Toll Free)
011-27006500,
27662955, 56, 57, 58 (normal call charges applicable)
SMS your name and city to 8800939717 from your mobile.
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Dr (Mrs)Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India
& Chairperson, Human Rights Group,
SUM, An NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of United Nations,
Former Additional Secretary to Government of India &
Chairperson & Managing Director
Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited, A Govt. of India enterprise
& Chairperson, Human Rights Group,
SUM, An NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of United Nations,
Former Additional Secretary to Government of India &
Chairperson & Managing Director
Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited, A Govt. of India enterprise
E 7/16, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057