Kohima, March 15 (MExN): The Kohima Law College in collaboration with Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) celebrated World Consumer Rights Day with the theme ‘Fair and responsible AI for consumers’ at Kohima Law College, Kohima.
More than 150 participants attended the function in traditional attire to show respect to their consumer rights while seeking protection from unfair means of practices and exploitation by the unscrupulous traders.
In keynote address, NVCO president & Asst. Professor Kezhokhoto Savi said that the 2024 theme – As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives.
It is crucial that AI system are developed and used ethically, with accountable and inclusive ensuring that consumer protection keeps pace with technological advancement, he said.
The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is considered to be historic milestone in the consumer movement in the country. However, India has taken several initiatives to protect consumer rights, ensuring that individuals are safeguarded against unfair business practices and have access to effective redressal mechanism, he said.
Henceforth, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 have solely replaced the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and introduced significant changes to enhance consumer protection.
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 will empower consumers and held them in protecting their rights through its various notified Rules and provisions like Consumer Protection Councils, Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions, Mediation, Product Liability and punishment for manufacturers or sale of products containing adulterated spurious foods, he said.
The Act include establishment of the Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA) will empowered to conduct investigations into violation of consumer rights and institute complaints prosecution order recall of unsafe goods and services, order discontinuance of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisement, impose penalties on manufacturers/endorsers/publishers of misleading advertisement.
Savi further said that it is important to know the basic rights of consumers such as; a) the right to be protected from all kinds of hazardous goods and services b) the right to be fully informed about the performance and quality of all goods and services c) the right to free choice of goods and services d) the right to be heard in all decision making processes related to consumer interests e) the right to seek redressal whenever consumer rights have been infringed & f) the right to complete consumer education.
A short skit was presented by the final year students of LLB showing the shopkeeper selling eatables already expired and got sick for drinking cold drink which was already expired.
The shopkeeper denied being not aware but the victims file a complaint before the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
A short presentation on Food Safety was presented by Wangshimeren Pongen based on the Food Safety & Standard Act and another presentation was done by Vikeduo Kire on Food Security based on the National Food Security Act.
The function was chaired by Rhonbeni Kikon while closing remark was delivered by Sujata, Asst. Professor Kohima Law College.
