Consumer Awareness

Govt opens portal for private labs to seek recognition as test centres

The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched an online portal enabling private industries, laboratories and testing facilities to apply for recognition as Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs), marking a shift towards public-private partnership in India's legal metrology framework. Applications can be submitted through https://doca.gov.in/gatc until November 30, 2025, the department said in a statement. The initiative follows amendments to the Legal Metrology Government Approved Test Centre Rules, 2013, notified on October 23, 2025, which, for the first time, allow private sector participation in verifying weighing and measuring instruments used in trade and commerce. Recognised GATCs will be authorised to verify 18 types of instruments, including water meters, sphygmomanometers, clinical thermometers, automatic rail weighbridges, tape measures, load cells, beam scales and counter machines. Organisations must have proper testing and calibration facilities linked to national .

Ecom platforms under govt lens over extra charges for COD services

The minister added that a detailed investigation has been initiated and steps are being taken to scrutinise these platforms closely

Nearly 4,000 GST complaints filed in first week of reforms, says govt

The Consumer Affairs Ministry said the National Consumer Helpline received 3,981 GST-related complaints in the first week of reforms, mainly on milk pricing and electronics

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Govt partners with Meta on digital consumer protection initiative

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs on Tuesday announced a partnership with tech company Meta to launch a consumer awareness campaign called "Be an Empowered Consumer" aimed at enhancing digital literacy and protection for online consumers. The initiative, unveiled by Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan, will operate under the government's existing "Jago Grahak Jago" (Wake Up Consumer) campaign framework, an official statement said. "Consumer awareness is key to a sustainable and secure digital experience," Joshi said at the launch event, adding that the collaboration would extend the department's consumer protection efforts to remote areas of the country. The joint campaign will focus on educating Indians about recognising online threats and promoting better digital safety habits, including using strong passwords, verifying online information, and reporting suspicious activity. During the announcement, the minister also revealed

Consumer protection: Doctor can't be blamed for patient's negligence

The National Commission ruled that a doctor who had followed the acceptable line of treatment could not be accused of negligence because the treatment did not succeed

I-T dept to assist food ministry in tracing false beneficiaries of PMGKAY

The income tax department will share data with the Food Ministry to weed out ineligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). Under the PMGKAY, free ration is provided to poor families who do not pay income tax. The government has budgeted Rs 2.03 lakh crore towards PMGKAY in FY26, higher than Rs 1.97 lakh crore in the revised estimates for the current fiscal. In an office order, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the Director General of Income Tax (Systems) will be the authority to furnish information to the Joint Secretary Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. As per the sharing mechanism, DFPD shall furnish the Aadhaar Number or PAN along with the Assessment Year(s) to DGlT (Systems), New Delhi. If the PAN is provided or the provided Aadhaar is linked with PAN, DGIT (Systems), New Delhi shall furnish the response to DFPD regarding the threshold income as per the I-T department ...

Govt issues draft rules to make e-com accountable, seeks comments by Feb 15

The government has rolled out draft guidelines for e-commerce platforms, mandating self-regulatory measures to protect consumers from fraudulent practices amid the fast-growing digital shopping landscape in India. The draft guidelines, titled 'E-commerce-Principles and Guidelines for Self Governance', have been prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry's supervision, seeking stakeholder comments by February 15. "...the rise of e-commerce has introduced new challenges, particularly in terms of consumer protection and trust. The importance of clear and effective rules and norms for self-governance in e-commerce cannot be further emphasized in this context," the draft stated. The framework introduces three-phase principles covering pre-transaction, contract formation, and post-transaction stages for e-commerce operations. Under pre-transaction requirements, platforms must conduct thorough KYC of business partners, especially third-pa

CCPA questions Ola Electric's 99% resolution rate for 10,000 complaints

Ola Electric came under scrutiny by the Department of Consumer Affairs after customers complained about its EV after-sales service

Tomato prices to cool down soon: Consumer affairs secretary Khare

Relief may be in sight for Delhi-NCR residents reeling under soaring tomato prices, which have crossed Rs 100 per kg mark, with increased supplies expected from Maharashtra in the coming days, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Thursday. The government will continue selling tomatoes at a subsidised rate of Rs 65 per kg in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai through the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), Khare told reporters. The price surge comes as supplies from key southern states Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have been disrupted due to retreating monsoon rains causing crop damage and pest infestation. This supply crunch, coupled with festive season demand, has pushed prices northward. "While weekly arrivals have been impacted, we expect supplies from Maharashtra to improve shortly, which should help stabilise prices in the national capital," Khare said, adding that the government is maintaining strict vigilance on price movements. Since October 7, NCCF has s

Heavy rain damage covered under policy for 'flood' and 'inundation'

The National Commission concluded that the policy's coverage for flood and inundation would include losses caused by heavy rains

Police department held liable for lapsed policies

The National Commission dismissed the police department's defence of discontinuing the premium deductions based on oral instructions, without obtaining a written confirmation

Force majeure plea must be backed by evidence

The National Commission relied on past Supreme Court judgments to conclude that failure to hand over timely possession entitled the allottee to a refund along with interest

Consumer affairs secretary warns e-commerce sites on dark patterns

The government has been working towards eliminating the usage of dark patterns by e-commerce platforms

Revive policy or accept surrender value

The National Commission noted that if the policyholder wanted reinstatement, he should have made a written request and cleared the premiums

Basic fire policy doesn't cover self-ignition

The National Commission, on reviewing the Fire and Standard Perils Policy, found that spontaneous combustion is excluded unless additional coverage for it is specially purchased

Typo can't be basis for denial of claim

The State Commission concluded the insurer could not take advantage of a typographical error on the bank's part to repudiate a legitimate claim

Illegal construction can lead to claim denial

Since the insured didn't oppose the illegal addition to the structure, the National Commission held the claim for loss of stock had been rightly repudiated

Doctor liable to penalty for causing disability

The National Commission observed that evidence indicated Dr Gupta was conducting private practice while employed with a government Primary Health Centre, which was a serious misconduct

Consider consequences before stopping EMI

The National Commission observed that once proceedings before the Debt Recovery Tribunal were completed, Ahmed could file a fresh complaint if a deficiency in service existed