National Consumer Day

The government has declared 24 December as 'National Consumer Day', since the President gave his assent on that day to the enactment of the historic Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Besides this, 15 March is observed as 'World Consumer Rights Day' every year.

Consumer v/s Customer

Normally people will use terms 'Consumer' and 'Customer' in the same sense but under Consumer Protection Act both these terms have different meanings. A consumer is protected under this Act but not the customer. In a general sense, if you buy a product for any commercial purposes you are not a consumer, but if you buy the product purely for your own consumption, you are a consumer.

You can visit the following page on www.consumerdaddy.com for a very interesting article on this subject - CLICK.

On this page you will also find a quiz where you can test your understanding of these two terms.

Is Prime Minister a customer?

I am an ordinary customer. No product or service provider bothers about me. I face un-scheduled, un-announced long power cuts. Due to these power cuts, I get no water. This spoils my day. The routine in my household goes haywire.

I wonder whether Prime Minister also faces these problems. Is he a customer like me and suffers like me? Or service providers consider serving him a privilege? Is Sonia Gandhi or any other VIP treated like an ordinary customer and made to suffer like me?

It is said that India is a democracy. It is also said that in a democracy all are equal. But it is not true in Indian democracy. Will a day come in Indian democracy, when Prime Minister will also suffer due to long power & water cuts like me?