THREE DECADES OF CONSUMER PROTECTION OF RIGHTS ACT: RURAL INDIA NEEDS FOCUSED ATTENTION

India has been observing December 24 each year since 1986 as “National Consumer Rights Day”, when the Consumer Protection Act [CPA], 1986 came into force on this day. Despite the implementation of the CPA has completed three decades in the country, the rural India has yet to understand the meaning of consumer's rights & the procedure to protect the right enshrined in the CPA,1986. This has its significance because according to the National Council of Applied Economic Research survey report there are 720 million consumers across the villages and according to the National Sample Survey Organization report there are small & marginal farmers [S&MFs] accounting for 85% of total agricultural holdings in the country. It is against this background this development perspective article briefly but precisely deals with the need to create desired level of awareness among S&MFs as consumers and effectively implement the provisions of the CPA, 1986 for the benefits of farmers and women engaged in agriculture in the light of the importance of agriculture, significant number of farmers and women engaged in agriculture, poor quality of goods and services resulting into the serious issues of land degradation, inefficient use of farm resources, declining farm productivity and rate of return on farm investments.