Posts
Welcome to the second Monthly Online Newsletter of Consumers India. We will briefly share with you our activities during the month of September, 2013.
Major activities during the month related to
1. Appeal to NHRC to impose exemplary punishment to those guilty of administering Hepatitis B vaccine instead of polio vaccine to children in Hooghly District of West Bengal
2. Conclusion of Summer Batch of Internship and Announcement of new batch in collaboration with GIZ (German Development Cooperation)
3. Announcement of winners of on-line Photography Contest for the quarter ending September, 2013
4. Advocacy regarding medical waste
5. Talk on Misleading Advertisements in Kamla Nehru College
6. Talk on All India Radio (FM Gold) on Unethical Medical Practices
7. Write up titled ‘Has Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) been able to fulfil its mandate?’ posted on blog and promoted through Facebook page and other social media
8. Write up titled ‘Plastic Bags –A Bigger Threat than Atom Bomb’ posted on blog and promoted through Facebook page and other social media
9. Write up titled ‘Genesis of Consumer Movement’ posted on blog and promoted through Facebook page and other social media
10. Letter to RBI Governor to protect consumers from credit card fraud
Brief details regarding each of these activities are given in the following paragraphs.
Appeal to NHRC to impose exemplary punishment to those guilty of administering Hepatitis B vaccine instead of polio vaccine to
children in Hooghly District of West Bengal
As per news paper reports appearing in Indian Express etc on 17th September, 2013, 67 children fell sick and were admitted to Hospital due to administration of Hepatitis B vaccine instead of polio vaccine in Hooghly District of West Bengal. It is a matter of grave concern that such gross violations of human rights are happening in our country even after 66 years of independence!
Access to health care is a basic human right, which has been guaranteed by our constitution. It is also obligatory for our country, being a proud signatory to various international conventions like ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, ‘Convention on the Rights of the Child’ etc.
Consumers India has appealed to National Human Rights Commission to make full use of the powers vested in them and impose exemplary punishment on all those who are directly or indirectly guilty of playing with the lives of children by administering wrong vaccine.
The issues relating to unethical medical practices, including medical negligence have been raised by Consumers India time and again. For example, in letter dated 21st March, 2013, it was highlighted how cases of medical negligence are rising and the State Medical Councils, which are mandated to ensure that medical ethics is followed by doctors, are promoting unethical practices with their indifferent and careless attitude.
For further details in this regard, please see the following link:
Conclusion of Summer Batch of Internship and Announcement of new batch in collaboration with GIZ (German Development Cooperation)
The Internship Scheme was launched by Consumers India on 15th September, 2012 with a view to meet increasing demand from youth for involvement with Consumers India, and it is going on in full swing. Important consumer issues have been studied by students during internship under the able guidance of distinguished mentors. Several issues, highlighted by interns in their studies, have been taken up with the concerned authorities at the highest level. The Summer Batch of Internship was concluded with Debriefing Meeting on 28thSeptember. A total of 8 studies have been completed by 24 interns in this batch. Following studies were completed by interns during September 2013:
1. Time Bound Delivery of Govt Services relating to Ration Card, Death & Birth Registration and SC/ST Certificate - in Theory and Practice
2. Time Bound Delivery of Selected Govt Services relating to Online Booking of Community Halls and Parks - in Theory and Practice
3. Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: A Critical Analysis of Consumer Cases relating to Medical Negligence
4. Truth About Misleading Advertisements relating to Shampoo
For complete list of studies completed so far and issues taken up with the authorities, please see the following link:
Applications Invited for Internship Programme in Collaboration with GIZ (German Development Cooperation)
Consumers India was flooded with applications from all over the country as soon as Internship Programme in Collaboration with GIZ (German Development Cooperation) was announced with 3rd October being the last date for receipt of applications. The major highlights of this programme are:
· Internship will start with two days of Induction Programme on 24-25 October, 2013 (9.30 AM to 5 PM) in a central location in Delhi.
· To facilitate participation of outstation students in internship programme, support will be provided for
Ø To and fro travel (limited to AC 2 tier fare by train or bus - on the basis of ticket/receipt)
Ø Accommodation on sharing basis for 3 nights (October 23-24-25) will be arranged for outstation students on request, to be fully paid by Consumers India.
For complete details in this regard, please see the following link:
Announcement of winners of on-line Photography Contest for the Quarter ending September, 2013
Consumers India has invited educational Institutions all over the country to participate in ‘Creating the Future we want’ contests, with a view to make it a better world with the involvement of our youth. ‘The Future We want’ is currently engaging attention of the entire world since new set of development goals, which will be our guiding force beyond 2015 are being considered by United Nations in consultation with all stake-holders. While last date for painting and slogan contests is 30th November, 2013, prizes for on-line Photography Contest are decided on quarterly basis. It was organised on the Subject: ‘Live Healthy, Be Happy’ through Consumers India page on facebook. Children from different parts of the country enthusiastically participated in the contest. Prize winners were announced for the quarter ending September, 2013 on the basis of number of ‘likes’ earned by them. Their list is as under:
First Prize: Amar Nath Reddy, Class 8, Army Public School, R.K Puram, Secunderabad with 49 likes
Second Prize: Priyanka Choudhury, Class-9, Army Public School, Narangi, Assam with 35 likes
Third Prize: Christopher Edwards, Class 8, Army Public School, R.K Puram, Secunderabad gets with 26 likes.
Certificate of Appreciation: Dharanidhar Reddy also from Army Public School, R.K Puram, Secunderabad with 11 likes
Prize winning photographs can be seen on the facebook page of Consumers India as per following link:
Entries invited for on-line Photography Contest for the Quarter ending December, 2013
For complete details please see the following link:
Advocacy regarding medical waste
Consumers India has appealed to National Human Rights Commission as also to Chief Minister of Delhi to safeguard the health and well being of our consumers from the wide-spread menace of hospital waste. The findings emerging from the study undertaken by Aditi Chaturvedi, B Tech in Electronics & Communication from DCE and Bhanu, B Com (H) student of Delhi Universityduring internship with Consumers India were brought to their notice.
Hospital wastes are causing widespread damage to human health and environment due to spread of infection and disease through vectors, unauthorized recycling of disposable items, reaction due to use of discarded medicines, indiscriminate disposal of incinerator ash/ residues and percolation of radioactive drugs into the soil and ground water, to name a few.
The findings of the study were further confirmed by Hindustan Times, which reported on 24th August, 2013, that the National Green Tribunal has said that nine hospitals in Delhi are flouting with impunity rules laid down for safe disposal of highly infectious biomedical waste. These hospitals have failed to improve their waste disposal standards despite repeated instructions from the tribunal.
Environment and Forest Minister of Government of India also informed Rajya Sabha that 5 prominent hospitals of Delhi have been found to be flouting the parameters prescribed under the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998, as per report appearing in Times of India on August 30, 2013.
Sustained efforts are required from policy to implementation level to protect our consumers from the hazards of hospital waste.
Full text of this letter as also extracts from the study can be seen on the following link:
Talk on Misleading Advertisements in Kamla Nehru College
Dr Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India addressed students of Kamla Nehru College of Delhi University regarding ‘Misleading Advertisements’ on 26thSeptember, 2013. She told them about the various ways in which consumers are fooled by touting unsubstantiated claims and need for consumers to make well-informed decisions to safeguard their health and well-being.
For further details, please see the following link:
Talk on All India Radio (FM Gold) on Unethical Medical Practices
Dr Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India participated in a panel discussion on unethical medical practices in All India Radio (FM Gold) on 18thSeptember, 2013. The programme was organised in the wake of reports regarding 67 children falling sick due to administration of Hepatitis B vaccine instead of polio vaccine in Hooghly District of West Bengal.
Write up titled ‘Has Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) been able to fulfil its mandate?’ posted on blog and promoted through Facebook page and other social media
Has TRAI been able to protect interests of telecom consumers? A group led by Srishti Agarwal, a student of Lady Shree Ram College of Delhi University has studied this subject during internship with Consumers India. They found that81.5% people still receive some form of Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) every day. 50% of the total respondents have reported that a Value Added Service (VAS) has been activated on their phone without their explicit consent.
For the full text of this Study Report please see the following link:
Write up titled ‘Plastic Bags –A Bigger Threat than Atom Bomb’ posted on blog and promoted through Facebook page and other social media
“Our next generation faces a threat greater than atom bombs” were the words of Supreme Court Justices in May 2012, when they gave orders to the government to impose a nationwide ban on plastic bags in the country. Has Govt been able to implement Supreme Court orders and save humans and animals from the menace of plastics? A group comprising Neharika Sobti, B Com (H) student of SRCC, DU and Siddhant Sharma, law student of Amity University have studied this subject during internship with Consumers India. They found that 95% people still use plastic bags, though 60% say that plastic should be completely banned!
To get further insight into how plastics are playing havoc with our lives, please see the following link:
Write up titled ‘Genesis of Consumer Movement’ posted on blog and promoted through Facebook page and other social media
‘Consumer-protection’ policy has an ancient genesis, dating back at least to Roman times with the adoption in Roman law of various implied warranties against latent defects in the sale of goods, and evolving in the latter part of the last century to encompass weights and measures legislation, regulation dealing with adulterated food, dangerous drugs, and various forms of “quackery” on the part of Purveyors of goods and services, says Shri B.K. Taimni, Former Member, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Early part of the middle of last century witnessed ceaseless campaign in consumer’s interest by Ralph Nader, the great consumer Activist of USA. It was perhaps in this background, that on 15th March 1962, the then President John. F. Kennnedy of USA made a historic Declaration at the US Congress regarding basic consumer rights. Even now, March 15th is observed as ‘Consumer Rights Day’ globally.
Later, on 16th April, 1985, United Nations General Assembly adopted guidelines for consumer protection, which are far more comprehensive.
For full text of the write up by Shri B.K. Taimni, please see the following link:
Letter to RBI Governor to Protect Consumers from Credit Card Fraud
Consumers India has appealed to Governor, Reserve Bank of India to take concrete steps to safeguard consumers from the traumatic experience of credit card frauds. While welcoming Dr Raghuram G Rajan at the helm of Reserve Bank of India, Consumers India invited his attention to the financial and mental trauma suffered by consumers due to indifferent response of banks and need to develop sensitivity in them towards such frauds.
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We welcome you in our fold.
Dr (Mrs)Jayashree Gupta, President, Consumers India
& Chairperson, Human Rights Group,
SUM, An NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of United Nations,
Former Additional Secretary to Government of India &
Chairperson & Managing Director
Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited, A Govt. of India enterprise
& Chairperson, Human Rights Group,
SUM, An NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of United Nations,
Former Additional Secretary to Government of India &
Chairperson & Managing Director
Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited, A Govt. of India enterprise
E 7/16, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057