NewzVille Desk
Today is World Consumer Rights Day . The day is observed annually on 15 March, serves as an essential reminder of the need to uphold consumer rights and protection. The day is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers and encourage those rights to be respected and protected.
World Consumer Rights Day was first observed in 1983. This date was chosen to commemorate President John F. Kennedy’s address to the US Congress on 15 March, 1962, where he became the first world leader to formally recognize consumer rights.
The theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2025 is, ‘A Just Transition to Sustainable Lifestyles.’ This theme reflects the urgent need to make sustainable and healthy lifestyle choices available, accessible, and affordable for all consumers – while ensuring that these transitions uphold people’s basic rights and needs.
This year’s campaign highlights the pathways needed to achieve sustainable lifestyles and call for stronger consumer protection and empowerment worldwide.
The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, has introduced several new initiatives and policies to empower consumers, strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms, and ensure a transparent and fair marketplace.
In 2024, major developments included improvements in e-commerce regulations, digital consumer protection, product safety standards, and sustainable consumption initiatives.
The E-Daakhil portal was introduced in 07 September 2020 as inexpensive, speedy and hassle-free mechanism for filing consumer complaints. E-Daakhil is an innovative online platform designed to streamline the consumer grievance redressal process, providing an efficient and convenient way for consumers to approach the relevant consumer forum, dispensing the need to travel and be physically present to file their grievances. Since its inception, E-Daakhil has been a game-changer in promoting consumer rights and ensuring timely justice.
The Department has revamped the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), making it a central platform for grievance redressal at the pre-litigation stage.
Available in 17 languages, including Hindi, English, and regional languages, the helpline allows consumers to register complaints via the toll-free number 1915.
Complaints can also be filed through the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM) portal, which provides multiple channels such as WhatsApp, SMS, email, the NCH app, web portal, and the Umang app for ease of access.
