Q.Describe the rights and responsibilities of a consumer as per CPA 1986.

The Consumer Protection Act gives a consumer six rights — safety, information, choice, to be heard, to seek redressal, and to consumer education — and also expects responsibilities such as being well-informed, insisting on a bill and warranty, buying standardised goods, reading labels, acting honestly and complaining about genuine defects.

Context

The question refers to the Consumer Protection Act, 1986; the current AP Intermediate commerce syllabus follows the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (which replaced the 1986 Act). The set of consumer rights is essentially the same under both, so the answer below holds either way. This closely follows the NCERT/CBSE commerce treatment of consumer protection.

Rights of a Consumer

1. Right to Safety – The right to be protected against goods and services that are hazardous to life and property (e.g. electrical appliances, medicines, food).
2. Right to be Informed – The right to full information about the quality, quantity, purity, standard, price and date of manufacture/expiry so that a buyer can make an informed choice.
3. Right to Choose – The right to access a variety of goods and services at competitive prices, free from pressure to buy a particular brand.
4. Right to be Heard – The right to have one's complaint heard and given due consideration at an appropriate forum.
5. Right to Seek Redressal – The right to get relief against unfair trade practices or defective goods/deficient services, including compensation.
6. Right to Consumer Education – The right to acquire the knowledge and skill needed to be an informed consumer throughout life.

Responsibilities of a Consumer

1. Be aware / seek full information – Gather information about the quality and price of goods before buying, instead of relying only on advertisements.
2. Insist on cash memo / bill and warranty – Always obtain a receipt and the guarantee/warranty card, as these are proof of purchase needed for redressal.
3. Buy standardised goods – Prefer goods with quality certification marks such as ISI, Agmark, Hallmark or FSSAI. …