The recent Consumer Voice study on the Insurance sector showed that the private companies have scored better ranks as compared to the government owned companies in terms of quality of services offered. The study found that the overall ranking of the PSU's across all the sectors, needed improvements and PSU's required to improve their service quality levels in order to increase their market share and maintain their customer base.

The recent report of the NGO, Toxics Link, concluded that several unbranded toys in India contained dangerous levels of polyvinyl chloride and heavy metals like lead and cadmium that are hazardous to health. With the Indian market for toys worth a whopping $1.5 billion (nearly Rs 700 crore) and growing, it means that millions of children are exposed to dangerous and toxic toys every day. In this issue we focus on toxic and unsafe toys which could have serious consequences to the health of our children.

Words like spam, virus, phishing and Nigerian email frauds have a very recent origin. Despite their recent origin, these varied forms of e-frauds are some of the most common frauds which confront consumers over the internet and telecom networks. Today consumers have to be wary of transactions and dealings over the web or telephone because of the dangers of phishing or email frauds. Atreyee Majumder takes a look at the various threats to security of personal and financial information over the Internet, and why consumers need to be careful while transacting on the web.

Research has shown that many of the drugs in the market (irrespective of whether they are over-the-counter drugs or prescription drugs) have several unintended side effects on innocent patients. But what is most disconcerting from a consumers point of view is that the safety recommendations given by manufacturers and ‘drug-bans’ appear to be relevant only for drugs and pharmaceutical products in the export market. Drugs banned in several countries are openly available in India. Potential health risks to the domestic consumers continue to be discounted.

Government Services elicit a large number of complaints from their consumers. This fortnight we focus on the initiatives of the Department of Public Grievances which have a stated aim to redress grievances of the public and consumers of Government services.

It is that time of the year where a majority of the citizens and especially the salried class are worried about filing their tax returns. Unfortunately, the percieved harassment of honest tax payers, unnecessarily complicated Tax System and lengthy procedures more often than not contribute to the citizens dilemma about the system. In this newsletter, we provide you with essential information on filing your IT returns with peace and ease. Please note that this year, you could also file your IT returns through the post office.

This is the time of the year when students and parents turn to consultants who call themselves education consultants or counselors for advice and assistance in getting admission to colleges in India and the West. Unfortunately, educational counselors may not be acting in your interest but acting in the interest of hefty commissions that they earn from colleges that want to solicit students for revenue for. Some could be outright frauds.

The last two months witnessed the historic legal battle between the Andhra Pradesh (AP) and US seed giant, Monsanto on the issue of pricing of Bt cotton. This legal battle was unprecedented since it was probably the first time a State Government took on a Multi National Company on the pricing of a patented product. It is expected that this case would spur more and more State Governments in moving courts in furtherance of consumer interest.

The Department of Posts which was probably the largest government monopoly about a decade back unwittingly introduced competition by permitting courier services to operate against the state owned postal services. Because of their efficiency and consumer friendly approach, the private courier service operators have more or less captured the market from the Postal Department. Now a Bill has been proposed seeking to bar private couriers from accepting light weight letters.

The mushrooming of ATMs has meant more convenience for the banks’ customers. Initially most banks did not charge for ATM services but charges have now been introduced for services. Customers are now feeling cheated

Have India’s electricity regulators at the central and state levels been successful in combating the systemic woes that have been plaguing the power sector since independence? Find out more….

With GM technology making it possible to cross the species boundaries that have existed over millions of years, what are the dangers to consumers from this new untested technology? Do we know all we need to know… Find out more!!

On the 7th of February 2005 the Supreme Court of India issued notices to 12 respondents, in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed at the apex court to stop the menace of unsolicited marketing calls that are becoming an increasingly common problem for all cell phone users and consumers.

With an alarming number of Counterfeit, Adulterated and Spurious products available in the market today - what is its impact on consumers and what can be done to stop this menace??? - Find out more...

With increased number of medical negligence cases the doctors are increasingly becoming apprehensive and overcautious resulting in escalating cost of health services. Do they also require protection....

Should Access Deficit Charge be levied by TRAI in lieu of USO charges already being levied?

With bribery existing at every level of the society, is it possible to say no and how?

Incharge of the overall administration of the country, Civil Services are increasingly being plagued with the menace of corruption..find out more!!

Water - the most basic of our requirements, but gradually becoming the most unaccessible - what needs to be done??

Know more about the Conditional Access System, which has been introduced in certain parts of the metro cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and the entire Chennai. Find out how far is the Conditional Access System consumer friendly?

Recently the Government of India announced a ban on one of the e-group on yahoo on Sept'2003. The ban was under the notification no. G.S.R. 181(E) dated 27.02.2003 and notification no. G.S.R. 529(E) dated 7.7.2003 under the provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000. The two notifications designate the Computer Emergency Response Team - India (CERT-In) as the authority for blocking of websites and further prescribed the procedure for blocking of the websites and the grounds under which it could be done. Due to application of the order of banning by various ISP's certain ISP’s banned the complete yahoo domain.

However the Information Technology Act does not provide for means of blocking information for which purpose the two notifications have been enacted. The powers manifested in the Computer Emergency Response Team - India through the two notifications exceed the ambit of the powers conferred by the legislature on the executive. These powers curtail the online consumers' right to information guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. The consumers all over the country were affected by the said ban.

Consumer Experience with Solar Geysers and Cookers &
Development of Quality Service Model