A public interest petition has been filed in the Supreme Court urging the recognition of consumers’ fundamental “right to know” about the quality, certification, and sources of goods they purchase. The plea also seeks mandatory disclosure by all distributors and shop owners of their identity and contact details to curb unfair trade practices.
The petition, filed by advocate and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, is scheduled for hearing today before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
Filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, the petition argues that consumers must be empowered with access to vital product and seller information to safeguard themselves from deceptive or unethical commercial behavior.
“Right to know helps consumers avoid falling prey to a fraudulent or deceptive distributor, dealer, trader, seller and shop owner, who might misrepresent a product or disappear after the transaction,” the plea stated. It emphasizes that transparency not only protects buyers but also promotes a fair and competitive marketplace.
Specifically, the plea seeks a declaration that consumers have the right to be informed about product quality, potency, purity, certification (including BIS and FSSAI), manufacturing and expiry dates, as well as the full contact and registration details of sellers and traders, in line with Sections 2(6), 2(9), 2(10), and 2(11) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Additionally, the petition requests that the Centre and state governments mandate every distributor, trader, and shop owner to prominently display their registration details—including name, address, phone number, and number of employees—at the entrance of their premises.
“The essence of the right to know is consumer empowerment,” the plea asserted, adding that access to this information is critical for initiating complaints and seeking redressal before consumer forums in case of disputes.
