The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is focussing on Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Consumer Care’ during the first 100 Days of the Government of India.
Briefing the press on the thrust of the Department, Smt Nidhi Khare, Secretary, DoCA said that enhancing consumer rights, price monitoring of essential food items and improving food distribution systems across the nation were given priority by improving the institutional processes. She briefly highlighted the following key accomplishments:
1.Expansion of Price Monitoring System (PMS) App: The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) monitors the daily retail and wholesale price of identified essential food items through daily retail and wholesale prices reported by the Price Reporting Centres under the Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supply Department in the States and UTs.
On August 1, 2024, the Union Minister launched revamped price monitoring app PMS App 4.0, which now includes 16 additional food commodities such as Jowar (whole), Bajra (whole), Ragi (whole), Maida (wheat), Suji (whole), Black Pepper (whole), Coriander (whole, dry), Cumin Seed (whole), Red Chillies (dry, loose with stem), Turmeric powder, Banana, Desi Ghee, Butter (pasteurized, salted), Eggs (farm eggs, medium size), Besan, Brinjal. The total number of food commodities under the Price Monitoring System has increased from 22 to 38, improving market oversight.
Year-on-year inflation rate (3.65%) based on All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of August, 2024, is second lowest in the last five years. Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) based Food inflation for August 2024 is the second lowest since June, 2023.
2. Onion Procurement for Buffer Stock: a quantity of 4.70 LMT of Rabi-2024 onion has been procured by NCCF and NAFED for the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) buffer against target of 5 LMT. Monitoring of procurement and disposal is being conducted by SupplyValid to ensure transparency and accountability in Onion Operations. Government has started sale of onions through NCCF, NAFED at Rs. 35/kg from 5th September, 2024 to stabilize onion market prices and to provide relief to consumers. Retails disposal is being done in major consumption centres across the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore etc. Further, bulk disposal has also been initiated by the government.
3. Procurement of Pulses under PSS and PSF: a quantity of 2.47 LMT of Masur (R-24) and 43,125 MT of Chana(R-24) has been procured under PSS at MSP and a quantity of 11,000 MT of Chana (R-24) procured under PSF at market rates. Further, a quantity of 2.51 LMT of Summer Moong (2024) procured under PSS at MSP. NAFED and NCCF are continuously registering farmers on their respective portals for the procurement of Tur, Urad, Chana, and other crops to ensure remunerative prices in on going and further operations.
4. Approval of PM-AASHA Scheme: The Union Cabinet, on 18.9.2024, has approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA). The integration of the Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (POPS), and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) under PM-AASHA will ensure improved implementation. The integrated PM-AASHA Scheme aims to control price volatility and ensure affordable essential commodities for consumers while offering fair prices to farmers. The PSF scheme has been extended to protect consumers from price volatility in essential agri-horticultural commodities, including pulses and onions. Strategic buffer stocks maintained to prevent hoarding and speculation. PSF interventions also include subsidized retail sales of Bharat Dals, Bharat Atta, and Bharat Rice.
5. USA Drone Certification, EV Battery Testing and Quality Testing of fertilizers by National Test House:
- NTH Ghaziabad has achieved a significant milestone by receiving provisional approval from the Quality Council of India (QCI) as a Certification Body for Type Certification of Drones, making it the first Central Government entity to offer this certification specifically for drones.
- NTH is committed to delivering these services at competitive fees among the lowest in the industry and with a quicker turnaround than its competitors. Recently, NTH has entered into a MoU with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to enhance the Standards & Labelling (S&L) Program. This collaboration designates NTH as a Referral Laboratory for disputed samples, provides training for BEE officers and involves reviewing existing programs while addressing technical concerns.
- To further bolster its capabilities, NTH is establishing advanced testing facilities for “ElectricVehicle Batteries and Charging Stations” in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, with the Bengaluru facility’s foundation stone laid on August 22, 2024. Additionally, NTH continues to engage in “quality testing of Fertilizers” as a Third Referee Analysis in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India deploying modern equipment across its labs to ensure efficient and accurate testing services.
6. Standardization, Conformity Assessment, Hallmarking Test and Management of Lab Infrastructure by BIS:
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is committed to ensuring the development of robust standards across industries, fostering uniformity and interoperability. Our focus on conformity assessment plays a critical role in reducing trade barriers, enhancing product safety, and boosting consumer confidence. Market surveillance is integral to our approach, guaranteeing that certified products continue to meet established standards even after reaching consumers, thus safeguarding their interests and ensuring long-term compliance with safety regulations. As part of our initiative, BIS set an ambitious target to grant 1,500 new product certifications, while also aiming to conduct 40,000 market surveillance inspections and 15,000 factory audits. We are pleased to report significant progress, with 3,516 new product certifications already granted and extensive surveillance efforts resulting in 27,314 market checks and 20,242 factory inspections.
To date, BIS has published a total of 22,268 standards along with harmonizing 6,549 ISO standards and 2,566 IEC standards along with international standards reflecting our dedication to meeting with international benchmarks. Additionally, the automation of XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) machines has been successfully implemented as of September 1, 2024. This advancement allows for faster and more accurate analysis of material composition, enhancing quality control in metallurgy and ensuring adherence to industry standards.
BIS’s ongoing efforts in product certification and market surveillance not only promote safety and quality but also strengthen consumer trust and foster a competitive marketplace. We remain dedicated to continuous improvement and collaboration with stakeholders to enhance compliance and ensure the highest standards across all sectors.
7. Installation of Time Dissemination Equipment at RRSLs:
Precise time is essential for country’s strategic and non-strategic sectors. Considering the importance of dissemination of Indian Standard Time (IST), the project has been undertaken by the Department of Consumer Affairs in association with National Physical Laboratory and ISRO. The project aims to create technology and infrastructure to disseminate IST from five sites across India. Under the 100 days achievement, it was decided to install the timing equipment at Regional Reference Standard Laboratory, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, which has been installed. At other three RRSLs these instruments are being installed. The project includes Dissemination of Indian Standard Time (IST) through 5 RRSLs (Regional Reference Standard Laboratories) and Establishment of one DRC (Disaster Recovery Centre) at RRSL, Bengaluru linked with BIPM (International Bureau of Weights & Measures).
It is most critical for Strategic sectors, Navigation, Digital archiving, Transportation, International Trade, National Security, Weather forecasting, disaster management, Power grids, Exploring underground resources, Electronic transactions and cybercrimes.
8. Signing of Safety Pledge by e-commerce platforms to ensure consumer care:
In alignment with the idea espoused by the Hon’ble Prime Minister at the B20 Summit India 2023 that businesses must consider a paradigm shift from “consumer rights” to “consumer care”, the DoCA finalized a “safety Pledge” in consultation with all the stakeholders as part of its one of the 100 days action plan to prioritize consumers safety. The safety pledge is a voluntary commitment of online platforms with respect to the safety of goods sold to consumers. The objective of this pledge is to serve as a public commitment by e-commerce platforms to prioritize consumer safety, enhance confidence among consumers while shopping online, encouraging platforms to go beyond their legal obligations to improve consumer safety and augment innovation and new approaches to promote safety compliances. The principles of Safety Pledge is detecting and preventing the sale of unsafe products co-operating with statutory authorities responsible for product safety, raising consumer product safety awareness amongst third party sellers and empowering consumers on product safety issues.
