Pushpa Girimaji is a writer and a specialist in consumer law and consumer safety.
Articles by Pushpa Girimaji
Service charge imbroglio should be resolved soon
New Delhi: The Union ministry of consumer affairs is under pressure from consumers to bring a law to scrap the service charge being forcibly imposed by the hospitality industry and thereby end a vexatious issue hanging fire for more than a decade
Published on Jun 13, 2022 05:27 PM IST
Regulation needed to get consumers refund for faulty products
New Delhi: Despite a law protecting consumers against defective goods, getting a replacement or a refund for such goods has become an extremely uphill task for consumers
Published on Jun 13, 2022 03:04 PM IST
On the shelf, but out of stock: How etailers fox consumers
New Delhi: Why do online shops display goods that are not available, promise to have them delivered and then renege on their promise? I am referring here particularly to those selling grocery items, where this kind of practice seems rampant
Updated on Jun 13, 2022 03:01 PM IST
SC order on telecoms empowers consumers courts, customers
New Delhi: The February judgment of the Supreme Court, upholding the right of the consumer to sue telecom companies before the consumer court, finally brings the curtain down on an issue that agitated consumers since 2009, when another order of the apex court ousted the jurisdiction of the consumer courts to hear complaints against telecom companies
Published on Jun 13, 2022 02:57 PM IST
A labelling system for junk food
With celebrities endorsing junk food, we really need a warning label strong enough to counter the influence wielded by them and keep consumers off food that is unhealthy and not in their best interest
Published on Apr 25, 2022 04:38 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
A need to make electric water heating rods safe
In the third week of February this year, a 65-year-old resident of Chennai met an unexpected and tragic end
Published on Mar 21, 2022 05:26 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
Guidelines needed for warning labels on products
New Delhi: It’s now more than a decade since the apex consumer court emphasized the importance of warning labels on products and cautioned that those manufacturers who failed to realize this responsibility would be held liable for the consequences
Published on Mar 15, 2022 06:28 PM IST
How unintended judicial interpretations clogged consumer courts
Poor draftsmanship of a law can lead to unintended consequences and even judicial interpretations contrary to the legislative intent
Updated on Mar 07, 2022 06:11 PM IST
Creating safer roads for two-wheelers
The latest amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, aimed at protecting young children travelling on two-wheelers, is a highly welcome move
Published on Feb 20, 2022 05:16 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
SC to decide whether consumers laws govern educational services or not
New Delhi: Given the fact that even three and a half decades after the Consumer Protection Act came into being, there has been no clarity on whether educational services come under the ambit of the Consumer Protection Act, the decision of the Supreme Court to examine the issue in depth and bring a finality to the question is highly welcome
Published on Feb 13, 2022 09:02 PM IST
Covid-19: A mask will help, but only if worn properly
New Delhi: As Covid-19 once again holds us in its vice-like grip, it’s time for a re-look at the latest scientific studies to determine the best protection against the pandemic and here I refer particularly to the face masks
Updated on Feb 09, 2022 09:24 PM IST
Covid price wars are here, but check is it really cheap
The sharp rise in Covid-19 cases once again forces consumers to stay home and shop for even daily essentials like fruits and vegetables from the safety of their homes
Updated on Jan 09, 2022 06:01 PM IST
Unit price on packages to help consumers make better choice
In a major policy shift pertaining to pre-packed goods, the government has done away with mandatory standard pack sizes that governed the sale of these goods for over 44 years and introduced instead, unit pricing
Published on Jan 09, 2022 05:22 PM IST
Time to read the fine print of consumer law to punish unfair trade practices
New Delhi: The hospitalisation of 16 children and the death of three of them, following administration of a cough syrup containing dextromethorphan during September-October this year in Delhi and another equally tragic incident involving 15 children and the death of nine of them in Jammu and Kashmir last year from an adulterated cough expectorant, throw up serious questions about the safety and efficacy of cough medications for children
Published on Jan 01, 2022 05:01 PM IST
Drug prescriptions should be legible to avoid errors
New Delhi: A couple of years ago, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court imposed a penalty of ₹5,000 each on three doctors in three separate cases for illegible handwriting
Published on Dec 19, 2021 05:24 PM IST
ATM withdrawal: Need to clearly define terms of use
A court’s interpretation of a law or a rule or even terms and conditions of a contract, can well have far reaching implications for consumers
Published on Dec 05, 2021 05:13 PM IST
A costume guide for a safe Diwali
This Diwali, as you decorate your home with traditional diyas or aromatic candles, pay utmost attention to fire safety
Published on Nov 04, 2021 03:27 PM IST
A need for designing better closures for eye drops bottles
Ophthalmic solutions or eye drops are probably one of the most fast moving pharmaceutical products
Published on Oct 25, 2021 05:05 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
Upward rounding off of retail bills: Overcharging or a matter of convenience?
Why should there be so much fuss over adding 50 paise to a bill , one may well ask. Well, individually, it does seem like a small amount, but to a business, it adds up to a huge profit and to consumers as a class, the loss is substantial
Published on Oct 04, 2021 06:05 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
Are frequent adjournments killing the spirit of consumer law?
Prakash Krishna Rao was 64 when he first approached the consumer court for resolution of his complaint
Published on Sep 12, 2021 11:51 PM IST
‘Please wait while we connect you to...’: Customer service takes a back seat with interactive voice response systems
I am yet to come across a consumer who likes those automated answering services that businesses employ in the name of customer service
Published on Sep 04, 2021 05:34 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
SC order on filling up consumer forums a welcome intervention
At a time when public confidence in the consumer justice delivery is at an all time low and consumer courts in the country are plagued by huge vacancies and infrastructural deficiencies, the Supreme Court’s suo motu intervention and direction to the Union and state governments to fill up all vacancies in eight weeks, brings a ray of hope
Published on Sep 04, 2021 05:34 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
Negligence on part of banks may prove costly to customers
Negligence by banks takes many forms and here is a case where a bank failed to pay the income tax authorities, the advance tax deposited by the customer, resulting in his having to pay heavy penalty
Updated on Aug 09, 2021 11:47 PM IST
Make sure you give correct details for buying insurance policy
Whenever you buy an insurance policy, make sure that you do not misrepresent facts, as that could really jeopardize your claim and cause you immense financial loss
Updated on Aug 09, 2021 11:42 PM IST
New rules leave no room for ambiguity on shelf life of pre-packed foods
It has taken the food regulator a very long time to remove the ambiguities in the shelf life information on pre-packed foods and uphold the consumer’s right to information, informed choice and safety
Published on Jul 26, 2021 05:11 PM IST
By Pushpa Girimaji
Consumers should get front-row seats in tribunals
New Delhi: The union ministry of consumer affairs should ensure that the first row of seats in every consumer tribunal in the country is reserved for consumers who seek redress before these commissions without the assistance of advocates
Published on Jul 04, 2021 11:49 PM IST
Legal intervention needed to protect interest of customers of wedding industry
New Delhi: The pandemic has exposed the unfair contract terms deployed by wedding businesses to deny refunds to consumers who were forced to cancel their bookings on account of Covid-19
Published on Jun 27, 2021 11:02 PM IST
Hallmark on gold jewellery mandatory but checking cheating by sellers to remain a challenge
Hallmarking of gold jewellery has finally become mandatory , even if only in 256 of the 718 districts in the country
Published on Jun 21, 2021 11:29 PM IST
Know your N95 mask for credible protection from Covid virus
New Delhi: As deadly variants of the coronavirus take away precious lives and the threat of a possible third wave looms large, there is a sudden scramble for face masks that give the best protection against the killer virus and the choice obviously falls on masks that filter 94 to 95% airborne particles, even as tiny as 0
Published on Jun 13, 2021 10:31 PM IST
Frequent fires: Hospitals need to watch health of their electrical infra
Frequent hospital fires have put at risk the lives of Covid-19 patients in healthcare facilities across the country, calling for urgent preventive measures
Published on Jun 02, 2021 03:44 PM IST