National Consumer Rights Day- 24 December

 

Be alert and ensure your rights as Consumer
 Our Money, Our Rights

National Consumer Day is celebrated every year in India on- 24 December. Do you know you have the right to safety, information, choice, hearing, redress, and education...? 

No...?  

This is why national consumer day is observed to spread more and more awareness among consumers regarding their rights.

http://www.mahendras.org

Are you aware of your rights as a consumer?

• As a consumer, you have the right to education and to update yourself with all the new schemes launched by the government.
  
  
• You have the right to be heard in the consumer forum.
  
  
• You also have the right to be protected and seek redressal against traders using unfair means and unfair practices. 

Ok, let's talk about this:-
we all hear about e-portals scamming and looting people of hard-earned money on the false pretext of giving them a job with handsome pay. The people who availed of theory services became consumers and since there was a deficiency in the service the consumers had the right to approach consumer forums for redressal.

http://www.sentinelassam.com

As per Consumer, there are some other rights you should know about:- You have the right to have access to a variety of goods at fair prices and also the right to be safe from hazardous goods.

 So these are our rights made by the government for our benefits but as a responsible consumer, there are some duties we should perform...

let me tell you about them:-

Your duties as a consumer

Duties of consumers are very essential to be followed as it saves one from further issues. 

Let me tell you about this:-

if an individual has the right to be safe from the purchase of hazardous goods correspondingly the seller has the duty to not sell goods that pose a threat to the consumers. 

So there are some duties of every Consumer:-

 

• As a consumer, it is our duty to pay for the services or goods purchased or used.
  
  
• It is our duty as a consumer to check weights, balances, prices, etc., and read the labels carefully.
  
  
• And also we must update ourselves about the various schemes of consumer protection.
  
  
• Our duty includes not falling into the trap of misleading information and advertisements.
  
  
• Not to buy goods from black markets.
  
  
• To be an ethical consumer and procure the bills, receipts, etc. for the goods and services purchased. If a consumer fails to take them then he or she might find it difficult to file a complaint and prove the defect in the good.
  
  
• We must gain knowledge about consumer rights and duties and to spread awareness about the same.
  
  
• And also it is our duty to file a complaint in case there is a defect in the goods or services so purchased.

 

These Consumer rights are applicable in every sector including the health sector. So suppose you need physiotherapy treatment then you have the right to:-

• Choice of providers and plans
  
  
• Access to emergency services
  
  
• Participation in treatment decisions
  
  
• Respect and non-discriminative care from doctors
  
  
• Complaints and appeals

 

I hope you learned about National Consumer Rights Day and will become a wise and responsible consumer.

Energy Conservation Day- 14 December

On 14th December, we celebrate energy conservation day not only in India but all over the world. In India, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power forefront, celebrates energy conservation day every year.

OBJECTIVE 

• This day is to remind us to imbibe good practices in our day to day life to conserve energy.
  
  
• To make people aware of the importance of energy conservation and saving it by using less energy.
  
  
• To sensitize people about the global energy crisis and motivating them to reduce energy wastage.

WHY SAVE ENERGY?

The first reason for saving energy is the crisis of natural resources with the increasing population.

Secondly, with the increasing usage of fuels as the source of energy, there is a significant increase in harmful gases like CO2 in the atmosphere which ultimately leads to global warming and many other climatic changes. 

Thirdly, the direct impact of high energy consumption is on our pockets, the more you consume energy, the higher the bill! 

Therefore going green and saving energy is the ultimate survivor. 

Eco-friendly growth ensures the sustainability of resources like lakes, trees, and animals for future generations.

How is it celebrated in India?

National Energy Conservation Awards Programme is also organized by BEE, to recognize and encourage the various organizations who have achieved efficient utilization and conservation of energy.

http://www.presidiumsonipat.com/

Poster, slogan, and quiz competitions are organized in schools and colleges to make students aware of energy conservation. Several institutes, the community, even politicians urge the people to take the pledge to conserve energy in order to make the campaign more effective.

What should we do? 

Technical modifications
 

A) One should discourage the use of fossil fuels, coals, and natural gas and use renewable resources like solar energy 

B) Use of energy-efficient appliances like CFLs instead of bulbs etc. 

C) Invest in energy-efficient appliances

D) Use programmable thermostats that can adjust the heat or cold automatically when we are sleeping or out of our homes. 

During this pandemic time, when all of us are spending much of our time inside our homes, it's obvious that we are consuming much more energy sources which are surely more costly.

Therefore it is the time when we should make some energy-efficient improvements in our homes.

So there are multiple BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATIONS you can make to reduce energy and water consumption. Here are a few simple suggestions:

• Turn off the lights when you are not in the room.
  

  

  https://www.recyclereminders.com/

  
  
• don't use the dishwasher and washer/dryer until it's full.
  

  

  https://fi.pinterest.com/

  
  
  
• Unplug the electronics when not in use- such as charger, tv, etc.
  
  

  

  http://electronicsbeliever.com/

  
  
  
• Use fans in the summer as much as possible. As 50 degrees can feel like 46 degrees with an overhead fan running and this allows you to run AC less, therefore reducing power consumption and bill.
  
  

  

  https://www.bijlibachao.com/

  
  
  
• You can also cut short the usage of high energy demanding appliances by performing household tasks manually, such as hang-drying your clothes instead of putting them in the dryer or washing dishes by hand.
  
  

  

  https://www.energyly.com/

  
  
  

Save Today. Survive Tomorrow

World Human Rights Day

 Speak Up and Stop Discrimination

Human Rights Day is observed annually across the world on- 10 December. This date was chosen to honor the worldwide organization General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on 10 December 1948, the first international diction of human rights. 

On sixteen February 1946, the protection Council of the global organization discovered a Commission on Human Rights underneath the place of Mrs. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt to organize the text of the Declaration. General Assembly adopted it on 10 December 1948, referred to as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. it contains an extended list of:-

1. civil or social, political, economic, and cultural rights as equality before the law, 
   
   
2. protection against impulsive arrest and detention, 
   
   
3. freedom of thought and expression, 
   
   
4. freedom of peaceful assembly and association, 
   
   
5. right to possess property, 
   
   
6. prohibition of slavery and maltreatment, 
   
   
7. right to possess status,
    
8. right to vote, 
   
   
9. right to free education and free participation in cultural life and specifically, 
   
   
10. prohibition of any activity, against this declaration.

THE DAY IS WIDELY KNOWN TO:

*Promote awareness relating to human rights among the parents

*Emphasize the endeavors of the world organization General Assembly therefore on the progress the human rights conditions.

*Get on and celebrate in co-operation to the discussion and highlight the actual problems with the human rights.

*Encourage the vulnerable cluster of people like women, minorities, youth, poor, disabled person, etc. to need throughout this event and in political decision-making.

A step against dirty politics – International Anti Corruption Day

Corruption is dishonest or immoral behavior &/or activities, or it’s the process of making somebody corrupt. It is a serious crime that causes deterioration of the social and economic development in all societies. 

Neither any country nor any community or religion is immune from corruption. Corruption is found in all parts, whether it is a political, social, or economic institution. It causes government instability and slows down the economic development of a country.

In December 2003, the United Nations took the first step to fight against this serious crime. They passed a law called the - United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). 

This law was drafted on 31st December 2003 and came into effect from 14th December 2005. 

Since then, December-9 is celebrated as International Anti Corruption Day every year.

Steps by INDIA

• The central vigilance commission is an independent body that advises and assists the executive matters relating to corruption.
• Related legislation like the Right to Information Act, Prevention of Corruption act, The Judges Inquiry act, etc.
• Ratification of United Nations Conviction Against Corruption in 2011.
• Introduction of E-governance and direct benefit scheme. 

How is it Celebrated?

The objective of International Anti-Corruption Day-- political leaders, government, legal bodies, and educational institutions work together against the practice of corruption by promoting the event and its issues. 

Various activities that promote the day include :

• Dance - drama and musical plays to publicize the message of fighting against corruption.
• Speeches by those who suffered because of the corruption, or fought against it.
• Essay writing competition on this malpractice.
• Distribution of Posters, Flyers, and other materials to increase awareness of the levels of corruption.
• Various organizations hold some special recognition ceremony to pay tribute to the people who fought against corruption or devised ways for the common people to do so

Conclusion

Attitudes on corruption are changing. As recently as ten years ago, the topic of corruption was only whispered around. 

Today there are signs of growing intolerance towards corruption, and more politicians and chief executives are being tried and convicted if found indulging in such malpractices.

-Written by:

Ms. Gunjan Malhotra (Batch- 2017)