PIB Analysis : 30th July

PIB Analysis for UPSC CSE

  1. Consumer Protection Bill
  2. Community innovation

1 . Consumer Protection Bill


Context : Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill 2019

Salient Features of the Bill

  • Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA): Executive Agency to provide relief to a class of consumers. The CCPA will be empowered to-
    • Conduct  investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute Complaints /Prosecution
    • Order recall of unsafe goods and services
    • Order discontinuance of Unfair Trade Practices and Misleading  Advertisements
    • Impose penalties on Manufactures /Endorsers /Publishers of Misleading Advertisements
  • Simplified Dispute Resolution process
    • i) Pecuniary Jurisdiction enhanced to-
      • District Commission –Up to Rs1 crore
      • State Commission- Between  Rs1 crore and Rs 10 crore
      • National Commission –Above Rs.10 crore
    • ii) Deemed admissibility after 21days of filing
    • iii) Empowerment of Consumer Commission to enforce their orders
    • iv) Appeals only on question of law after second stage
    • v) Ease of approaching consumer commission
      • Filing from place of residence
      • E-filing
      • Videoconferencing for hearing 
  • Mediation
    • An Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism
    • Reference to Mediation by Consumer Forum wherever scope for early settlement exists and parties agree for it.
    • Mediation cells to be attached to Consumer Forum
    • No appeal against settlement through mediation
  • Product Liability
    • A manufacturer or product service provider or product seller to be responsible to compensate for injury or damage caused by defective product or deficiency in services
    • The Basis for product liability action will be:
      • Manufacturing  defect
      • Design defect
      • Deviation from manufacturing specifications
      • Not conforming to express warranty
      • Failing to contain adequate instruction for correct use
      • Services provided arefaulty, imperfect or deficient

New Bill- Benefit to Consumers

  • Presently Consumer only have a single point of access to justice, which is time consuming. Additional swift executive remedies are proposed in the bill through Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
  • Deterrent punishment to check misleading advertisements and adulteration of products
  • Product liability provision to deter manufacturers and service providers from delivering defective products or deficient services
  • Ease of approaching Consumer Commission and Simplification of Adjudication process
  • Scope for early disposal of cases through mediation
  • Provision for rules for new age consumer issues: e-commerce & direct selling

2 . Community innovation


Context : In yet another step to foster innovation in India, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), flagship initiative of NITI Aayog is all set to launch a new milestone program for community innovation 

About the initiative

  • The new initiative aims to encourage the spirit of innovation in the country.
  • Purpose of the new initiative is to make innovation ecosystem socially inclusive as well as to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure for innovation across the country.
  • New program has been specifically designed for underserved, unserved regions of Tier 1 or Metro cities, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, Smart Cities, Aspirational districts, North-East, Jammu and Kashmir as well as the rural and tribal regions of India.

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