'Only 15% are aware of Consumer Protection Act'

The Department of Commerce at the St Aloysius College, in collaboration with the Centre for Consumer Studies (CCS), Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, organised a seminar on 'Consumer protection-issues and challenges'.

Dr Ravindranath Shanbhog, president of the Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi, who is a pioneer in the consumer protection movement in which he was actively involved for seven years prior to the implementation of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, expressed his views on the definition of the word "consumer" and the difference between the words "customer" and "consumer".

He also highlighted the fact of human rights violation in prison and other government offices.

Chief guest Dr Suresh Misra in his address mentioned that the Consumer Forum is a government funded body which receives only 30% of financial aid, and the rest is raised by the Forum.