The Supreme Court has allowed a six-week extension to several states and Union Territories to submit their official responses to a petition seeking the formal recognition of a consumer’s right to know details regarding product purity, quality, and seller identity.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued the order on Wednesday while hearing a public interest litigation aimed at curbing unfair trade practices and protecting buyers from commercial exploitation. The court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter after three months.
During the proceedings, petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay informed the bench that only a few jurisdictions—specifically Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands—had submitted their replies so far. The apex court had originally agreed to examine the plea in July last year, at which point it issued notices to the central government, state administrations, and Union Territory authorities.
Mandate for Business Information Displays
Filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, the petition urges the judiciary to affirm that consumers possess an inherent right to clear information regarding a product or service’s price, standard, quantity, potency, purity, and official certification.
To enforce merchant accountability, the litigation requests directions instructing central and state authorities to mandate that all shop owners, traders, and distributors display their registration details prominently on visible boards at entry gates. These displays would be required to feature the business name, address, contact telephone number, and total employee count in bold lettering.
Consumer Protection Objectives
The petition contends that full transparency is essential to prevent buyers from falling victim to deceptive traders or fraudulent entities that misrepresent goods or vanish after completing sales transactions.
It further highlights that readily available information about sellers, dealers, and distributors is critical for consumers who need to identify responsible parties when filing formal complaints and seeking redressal through consumer dispute forums.
