ABSTRACT:
Consumer Protection in India has gathered momentum since 1986. This was the year in which the Consumer Protection Act was passed. Quite naturally, this marks a watershed and since then the role of the Government in protecting consumers has been steadily growing. The code for the consumer movement is as old as trade and commerce itself. It therefore, comes a no surprise that Kautilya, the great thinker and author of Arthashastra has made considerable references to protection of consumers in this book. Kautilya makes references to protection of consumers against malpractices and exploitation by trade and industry. He also writes with great insight on problems of short weighment and measures as well as adulteration. He recognized the need for punishment for these offences. It can thus be seen that problems that we are tackling today existed many centuries back. Not only was it known to exist but be practitioners of public management recognized the need to do something about these problems. Gandhiji was not only a great leader but also a forward looking thinker. His empathy with the weak, neglected and marginalized is well known. He very clearly recognized the importance of keeping the consumer in sharp focus while undertaking economic actions. His famous quotation bears repetition: "A consumer is the most important visitor in or premises. He is dependent on us, we are dependent on him. He is not an interruption to our work; he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider to our business; he is a part of it. We are not doing him a favour b y serving him; he is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so" Thus the idea of consumer satisfaction and consumer protection is not new in India and has continuously been recognized as an important issue.