Q.In India, the consumer protection act was initiated in the year ______.

The correct option is 1986 — the year India's first Consumer Protection Act was enacted.

Consumer protection means safeguarding buyers against unfair trade practices, defective goods, poor services and exploitation by sellers. To give this protection a legal backing, the Government of India enacted the Consumer Protection Act in 1986.

This Act was a major step because it clearly recognised consumer rights (such as the right to safety, information, choice and redressal) and set up a three-tier quasi-judicial machinery — the District Forum, State Commission and National Commission — where consumers could file complaints easily and cheaply. …