Consumers must get healthy lifestyle choices at affordable cost: Pralhad Joshi

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that there was a need to make sustainable and healthy lifestyle choices available, accessible and affordable for all consumers while ensuring that this transition upholds the people’s basic rights and needs.

He further stated that a sustainable lifestyle is the key to addressing the interconnected crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It presents an opportunity for ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwaas and Sabka Prayas’ delivering a solution that benefits both the people and the planet, the minister said.

Addressing the World Consumer Rights Day 2025 event here, the minister said that the Centre has been at the forefront of fostering sustainability through responsible consumer policies. He quoted Prime Minister Narender Modi as saying, “The Government of India is not only focusing on consumer protection but also consumers prosperity”.

The Centre’s Department of Consumer Affairs organised a Webinar on the theme ‘A Just Transition to Sustainable Lifestyles’ on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day. The webinar aims to raise awareness and foster dialogue on integrating sustainability into everyday consumer choices without compromising economic and social fairness

The minister further stated that the Government is empowering consumers through eco-labelling programmes, protection from unfair trade practices in the e-commerce sector, strengthening the regulatory framework against greenwashing and giving more power to consumer grievance platforms.

Joshi commended the efforts of the Department of Consumer Affairs and CCPA for issuing guidelines for the prevention of misleading advertisements, dark patterns, greenwashing, and misleading advertisements in the coaching sector. He also congratulated the Department for enacting the Consumer Protection E-commerce Rules, 2020 and taking proactive actions and launching initiatives for the protection of consumers in e-commerce.

The Minister appreciated the initiative of the E-Daakhil portal and later on e-Jagriti as a major step towards consumer protection. He highlighted the initiatives of BIS recognising quality control orders, hallmarking of gold jewellery and recalling substandard products ensuring consumer gets quality products. He praised the BIS for issuing 180 QCOs covering 769 products and appreciated its steps for successfully implementing eco-mark schemes and standards for packaging material to identify and promote environment-friendly products and sustainable packaging.

The minister also underscored the importance of consumer awareness by appreciating the ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ awareness programme and Jagriti mascot. “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are needed to be made part of our life for a sustainable consumer practice, he said adding that it is necessary for consumers to understand their shared responsibilities towards society by following Mahatma Gandhi who talked about a zero-carbon lifestyle and calls for picking the most sustainable options in daily life choices.

He further highlighted that the Prime Minister has given a call for the Mission LiFE which envisions replacing the prevalent ‘use-and-dispose’ economy — governed by mindless and destructive consumption — with a ‘circular economy’, which would be defined by mindful and deliberate utilisation.

Nidhi Khare, Secretary, the Department of Consumer Affairs said in her welcome address that stainability should not be costly rather it should be affordable to each class of society. Thus, there is a need for a just transition to sustainable lifestyles, she said adding that the manufacturers of high-end goods should make products sustainable for consumers.

She further said that the Department has initiated discussions on the Right to Repair, focusing on democratising repair information, services, and spare parts, as well as empowering consumers with knowledge for minor repairs. This global movement is gaining momentum in promoting consumer rights.

The Secretary said that the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) 2.0, which is a one-stop cost-free centre for easy and hassle-free resolution of consumer grievances has seen rapid growth, and now NCH 3.0 will aim to reduce resolution time from 45 to 7 days, the Secretary said. To ensure product quality, the Bureau of Indian Standards and Legal Metrology regularly conducts market surveys, promoting the availability of high-quality products for consumers, she added.

–IANS

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