consumer awerness

ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHANDIMANDIR

ECONOMICS PROJECT

ON

CONSUMER AWARENESS

SUBMITTED BY

LALIT KUMAR

14

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to our teacher _ as well as our Principal________ who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic

Consumer awareness, which also helped me in doing a lot of Research and ,I came to know about so many new things.

I am really thankful to them. Secondly i would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finishing this project within the limited time.

I am making this project not only for marks but to also increase my knowledge.

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO HELPED ME.

CONSUMER AWARENESS

Consumer awareness is making consumers aware of their rights to be safe, to have choices, to have access to product information and to be heard when they have

something to say. Consumer awareness is making the consumer aware of His/ Her rights. Consumer awareness is a marketing term. It means that consumers note or are aware of products or services, its characteristics and the other marketing P's (place to buy, price and promotion).

Need for consumer awareness

We need it so, we will not be misled by producers; it explains if what we buy is worth to our money. And not harmful to us and to environment .Many people are ignorant of their rights to get protected against the exploitation by so many others. So when there is a forum for such redress of grievances there seems to be no such exploitation by many; and becomes a rare one. So in order to get a clear picture of the level of exploitation of consumers, the awareness is required.

Awareness on the part of consumer is necessary for two reasons.

(1) One needs to know his/her responsibilities and obligations as a consumer, to get the best out of the product/service that was purchased. (2) One needs to know his/her rights as a consumer, to get an effective redressal in case of deficiency of service / defective product.

Benefits of consumer education to individuals:

It encourages critical thinking, which helps consumers function more efficiently in the marketplace. It promotes self-confidence and independence. It imparts life skills which contribute to success in everyday living. It fosters values such as distinguishing between needs and wants, paying bills, saving money, planning and budgeting. It improves the quality of life as well as environment.

Consumer education benefits society because it: Enhances citizen awareness. Promotes a stable society.

Consumer education benefits business because: It satisfies customers. It increases sales.

The ordinary citizen today depends on products, design and construction of which he or she may not understand. In this situation, reassurance is an over-riding need; reassurance that the product is reliable and will meet the expectations of the consumers in terms of performance, safety, durability etc. Need For Consumer Awareness

It has been observed that the people for, whom various schemes have been taken up by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), in fact, do not get benefit as expected. This is mainly because they are not fully aware of these schemes and their benefits.Also, only knowledgeable and alert consumers aware of their rights and responsibilities can protect themselves effectively. The need of the hour is, therefore, to educate the common consumers particularly those in rural areas who are more susceptible to exploitation. Once they are educated and made aware of the schemes that have been drawn up for their benefit and also the redressal forum that is available, the benefit of various schemes, in true sense, will reach the common consumers of the country.

It is, therefore, our bounden duty to play our part jointly and effectively in disseminating various schemes to the common consumers of the country. In this regard, the role of the voluntary consumer organizations, consumer activists, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and media cannot be ignored. The first and the foremost step for a consumer to prevent himself from cheating is to keep his eyes and ears open. Know or be aware of what is happening around you. Read the cases of various scams, thefts, burglaries, phishing scams etc. in that are highlighted in your local newspaper and also seen on television. This will keep you informed and conscious of what is going on and what can unfortunately even happen with you. Learn from the mistakes of your neighbors. If a shopkeeper has given a malfunctioning gadget to your neighbor, do not make the mistake of going to that shop. If somebody stole important mails from their mailbox, do make it a point to collect all your crucial mails directly from the post office.

Questionnaires on consumer awareness

1

1. Name- Sub Maj Hemant Kumar Mishra2. Address - # 419 Sec-C Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?

YES- NO-5. Do you read the nutritional labels on food products?

YES- NO-6. Have you ever cross checked the weights of the products mentioned on the item?

YES- NO-7. Do you compare the price of goods you buy, at other stores?

YES- NO-8. Do you check the M.R.P. (Maximum Retail Prices) before buying the products?

YES- NO-9. Generally, do you believe everything you read on labels?

YES- NO-10. Have you ever come across adulteration in foodstuffs?

YES- NO-11. Have you ever filed a case in the consumer court?

YES- NO-12. Was your complaint to the supplier/shopkeeper attended by him to your satisfaction?

YES- NO-13. Are you aware of consumer courts, for redressal of grievances of consumers?

YES- NO-

1.Name-Nb/Sub Ramachandran2. Address- # 417 Sec- C Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation- Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?


YES- NO-6. Have you ever cross checked the weights of the products mentioned on the item?

YES- NO-7. Do you compare the price of goods you buy, at other stores?

YES- NO-8. Do you check the M.R.P. (Maximum Retail Prices) before buying the products?



YES- NO-

11. Have you ever filed a case in the consumer court?



YES- NO-2

3

1. Name - Nb/Sub Amritlal2. Address - # 418 Sec-C Candimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?


YES- NO-6.Have you ever cross checked the weights of the products mentioned on the item?

YES- NO-7.. Do you compare the price of goods you buy, at other stores?

YES- NO-8. Do you check the M.R.P.(Maximum Retail Prices) before buying the products?






YES- NO-

4.

1. Name-Sub Gulam Ghous2. Address - # 421 Sec-C Chandimandir Cantt3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

5

1. Name-Sub Maj Ramesh2. Address - # 423 Sec- C Chandimandir Cantt3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

6

1. Name - Hav Balbir Singh2. Address - # 810/2 Sec-C Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?









YES- NO-

13. Are you aware of consumer courts, for redressal of grievances of consumers?

YES- NO-

7

1. Name-Hav Sujan Singh2. Address - # 810/6 Sec- C Chandimandir Cantt3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

8

1. Name-Hav Santosh kumar2. Address - # 810/7 Sec- C Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

9

1. Name - Hav Niranjan Mishra2. Address - # 725/C Chandimandir Cantt3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

10

1. Name - Sub B.S Rana2. Address - # 680/C Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Serving in Army4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

11

1. Name - Mahindero Devi2. Address - # 422 Sec- C Chndimandir Cantt.

3. Occupation - Housewife4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

12

1. Name - Jaswinder Kaur2. Address - # 534/7 Sec- D Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Housewife4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

13

1. Name - Neeraj Pandey2. Address - # 342 Sec-D Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Teacher4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

14

1. Name - Sheema Sharma2. Address - # 564/D Chandimandir cantt.3. Occupation - Housewife4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

15

1. Name - Rakhi Randhawa2. Address - # 408/D Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Accountant4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

16

1. Name- Renu Choudhary2. Address - # 387/D Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Housewife4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

17

1. Name- Rani Devi2. Address - # 659/C Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Housewife4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

18

1. Name - Ambika Rawat2. Address - # 953/C Chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Housewife4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

19

1. Name- Swati Rana2. Address - # 665/C Chandimandir cantt.3. Occupation - Housewife4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

20

1. Name - Suman kumari2. Address - # 530/C chandimandir Cantt.3. Occupation - Teacher4. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?










YES- NO-

Framing a sample

10 male 20

10 female

Data consist of total 20 people out of which 10 are male and 20 are female.

Collection of data

Direct Personal Investigation (DPI)

According to this method, the investigator obtains the data by a personal interview or observation i.e. he contacts the source of information directly and personally. He will contact each and every possible source of information .This is called Direct Personal Investigation (DPI).

Merits The information collected through it will be more accurate. It is possible to get supplementary information which may prove to be more helpful

in interpreting the results. The response will be more.

There is uniformity in the collection of data. The communication gap can be filled by choosing the right words for the questions

which are to be asked by the investigator from the respondents.Demerits

It is very costly method. It is very time consuming. The chances of personal bias are greater. It requires extra personal qualities of the interviewer i.e., tactfulness, courage,

courtesy etc. It can give wrong results. It can be used only when area of investigation is small.

Classification of data

DATA RELATED TO MALE

1. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?

YES- 6 IIII I NO- 4 IIII2. Do you read the nutritional labels on food products?

YES- 3 III NO- 7 IIII II1. Have you ever cross checked the weights of the products mentioned on the item?

YES-2 II NO- 8 IIII III4. Do you compare the price of goods you buy, at other stores?

YES- 5 IIII NO- 5 IIII5. Do you check the M.R.P.(Maximum Retail Prices) before buying the products?

YES-1 I NO- 9 IIII IIII6. Generally, do you believe everything you read on labels?

YES- 8 IIII III NO- 2 II7. Have you ever come across adulteration in foodstuffs?

YES- 2 II NO- 8 IIII III8. Have you ever filed a case in the consumer court?

YES- 1 I NO- 9 IIII IIII

9. Was your complaint to the supplier/shopkeeper attended by him to your satisfaction?

YES- 4 IIII NO- 6 IIII I10. Are you aware of consumer courts, for redressal of grievances of consumers?

YES- 5 IIII NO- 5 IIII

DATA RELATED TO FEMALE

1. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?

YES- 2 II NO- 8 IIII III2. Do you read the nutritional labels on food products?

YES- 4 IIII NO- 6 IIII I2. Have you ever cross checked the weights of the products mentioned on the item?

YES- 1 I NO- 9 IIII IIII I4. Do you compare the price of goods you buy, at other stores?

YES- 1 I NO- 9 IIII IIII I5. Do you check the M.R.P.(Maximum Retail Prices) before buying the products?

YES- 9 IIII IIII I NO- 1 I6. Generally, do you believe everything you read on labels?

YES-3 III NO- 7 IIII II7. Have you ever come across adulteration in foodstuffs?

YES- 5 IIII NO- 5 IIII8. Have you ever filed a case in the consumer court?

YES-2 II NO- 8 IIII III9. Was your complaint to the supplier/shopkeeper attended by him to your satisfaction?

YES- 7 IIII II NO- 3 III10. Are you aware of consumer courts, for redressal of grievances of consumers?

YES- 6 IIII I NO- 4 IIII

Presentation of dataTable No. - 1

Title- Consumer awareness

Headnote- Number of household aware of consumer rights

Extent of awareness

Parameter of awareness

Number of household showing awareness

Number of household lacking awareness

Male Female Male FemaleExpiry date of the food items 6 2 4 8Nutritional labels , food products 3 4 7 6Weights of the products 2 1 8 9Price of goods 5 1 5 9M.R.P.(Maximum Retail Prices) 1 9 9 1Read labels 8 3 2 7Adulteration in foodstuffs 2 5 8 5File a case in the consumer court 1 2 9 8Complaint to the supplier 4 7 6 3Redressal to consumers court 5 6 5 4

Footnote- Data shows number of male & female aware of consumer rights taken from above questionnaire in whole number.

Source- Direct personal investigation, primary source of data

Statistical toolTable No. - 1

Title- Consumer awareness

Headnote- Number of household aware of consumer rights

Extent of awareness

Parameter of awareness

Number of household showing awareness

Number of household lacking awareness

Male Female Male FemaleExpiry date of the food items 60% 20% 40% 80%Nutritional labels , food products 30% 40% 70% 60%Weights of the products 20% 10% 80% 90%Price of goods 50% 10% 50% 90%M.R.P.(Maximum Retail Prices) 10% 90% 90% 10%Read labels 80% 30% 20% 70%Adulteration in foodstuffs 20% 50% 80% 50%File a case in the consumer court 10% 20% 90% 80%

Complaint to the supplier 40% 70% 60% 30%Redressal to consumers court 50% 60% 50% 40%

Footnote- Data shows number of male & female aware of consumer rights taken from above questionnaire in percentage.

Source- Direct personal investigation, primary source of data

ConclusionMy project is based on a very familiar topic i.e. consumer awareness.

My survey was conducted in Army area, according to which 70% male are aware of their consumer rights as compared to female which are 30%. This is because most of people come from rural sector in search of work. The consumers are generally not aware of their rights and duties and I area which I am living female are less aware of their rights.

Consumer awareness is an important project. It is very much helpful towards the consumers. The meaning of consumer and consumer awareness, current situation of consumers in country , need of consumer awareness and consumer protection act, Critical analysis of consumer protection act. All

these are necessary for consumer awareness.

consumer awerness

Economy & Finance