SC Seeks Centre, States’ Response On Consumers’ ‘Right to Know'

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took up the plea filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, which argues that this right is essential for consumers to make informed choices and protect themselves from unfair or restrictive trade practices. The petition urges authorities to mandate that every distributor, trader, and shop owner prominently display their registration details, name, address, phone number, and number of employees, on a board at the entry to their premises.

“Right to know helps consumers avoid falling prey to fraudulent or deceptive distributors, dealers, traders, sellers, and shop owners who might misrepresent a product or disappear after a sale,” the plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, states. It further contends that having access to these details is crucial when a consumer needs to file a complaint and seek redress through consumer forums.

The petition emphasises that transparent disclosure fosters a fair and competitive market, enabling consumers to make informed decisions. It also asserts that consumers have the right to know a product’s quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard, manufacturing date, expiry date, and BIS or FSSAI certification, as well as the identities of all intermediaries involved in the sale.