Report 2010-11

Faculty Convenor: Dr. Sheetal Kapoor

Student President: Smriti Thakur

The aim of the Consumer Club at Kamala Nehru College is to educate the students to act as healthy consumers by making them aware about their rights and redress mechanisms and to act as beacons for the society. Consumer Club was established on 29^th November 2005 and our college is the pioneer in Delhi University to launch it. Consumer Club released its fourth Annual bulletin, ‘Awaken’. This issue brings forth a spectrum of articles, events organized by the club. The various programmes organized by the club are as follows:

 Orientation Day: Consumer Club Orientation Programme was held on the 5^th August 2010. Dr. Roopa Vajpayee, Editor, Consumer Voice spoke on role of Consumer Clubs and welcomed all the volunteers who joined the Consumer Club.

 Seminar on Mediation: On 21st October 2010, Consumer club, Kamala Nehru College invited Ms Neena Bansal, Session Judge, Delhi High Court to speak on MEDIATION- A Step towards empowerment and social harmony on behalf of Delhi Dispute Resolution Society (regd.). The discussion began with discussing about consumer grievances, consumer awareness and consumer redressal. It was said that though courts are an integral part of our system, everything can’t be taken to court. So a recent trend in India is ADR mechanism i.e. alternate dispute redressal mechanism which is alternative to court. Present judicial system is adjudiccatory, overburdened and non friendly. Obligation of mediation as a legal profession is to prove as a healer of human conflicts, fast and cheap. If matter is pending in court all court fees is refunded.

Transparency in ADR system

·                     Access to process

·                     Right to self determination

·                     Right to active participation

·                     Confidentiality of information

Mediation centers earlier only took pending cases. Mediation helps in restoring relationship and harmony in society at no cost. It is confidential and respectability is maintained. It is also face saving take care of emotions, sentiments and bridging of relationships.

Mediation addresses underlining interest. It gives human judgment and not a legal one. Judgment is not imposed from outside. Parties agree to judgment by mediators which parties follow voluntarily. It is a tool of self empowerment and self introspection.

It has no formality. Just walk in. Document is signed in presence of mediator so it has a semi binding. Parties also sometimes approach court with the result and its made into a court order. Mediation does not have a statute. Both judges and lawyers act as mediators. Legal people take training for 40 hrs to act as mediator. Mediation is like meditation. Mediation talks not only legal language but also spirituality. Delhi is the leader. Only Delhi has mediation centers till now. But immediate response in other states to implement it

 Role of CSR in Business

 On 9^th November, Consumer Club invited Mr. Anurag Batra, Mrs. Mohini Daljeet Singh, Mr. Bejon Misra, and Dr. Amita Joseph to speak on Corporate Social Responsibility in Business. The talk was opened by our Principal, Dr. Minoti Chatterjee who rightly said that what we earn from society, therefore we owe some amount back to it.

Mr. Anurag Batra, Chairman, Exchange for media, said that CSR is at a nascent stage in India with less than 1% being spent on it. Tata leads CSR activities with a score of 63, while the others have scores around 35, though corporate India has now started embracing CSR.

Mrs. Mohini Daljeet Singh, Head, Max India Foundation, joined it three years back and it has now reached a point of development where it can give back to society. She shared her viewsby telling about how Max India Foundation focus is on the health of the underprivileged. It has over 240 NGO partners and has conducted health camps at over 264 locations and has above 1 lakh beneficiaries to whom it has provided treatment at very less cost or for free.

Dr. Amita Joseph of Business and Community Foundation spoke on the components of CSR which include governance ethics, good management practices, customer satisfaction and relationships, equal opportunity, environmental performance, respect for Aboriginal people, and barriers to CSR at corporate and country level. Corporate Social Responsibility may be pursued for different reasons, some of which are customer loyalty, reputation of the organization, improved relationships and benefits to employees.

Mr.Bejon Misra, International Consumer expert and Founder, Consumer Online Foundation opined that CSR is an honest commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to create quality product and service at affordable prices accessible to all, while improving profitability for shareholders, quality of life for the workforce and their families, as well as the local community and society at large.

Though profit is a very sweet word, profiteering is bad. We need leaders who need not be pushed into Corporate Social Responsibility but who do it by their own will because it would make community happy and it’s ultimately the community that contributes to making the organization a success.

Corporate Social Responsibility is the buzzword, millions are being spent all over the world to emphasize the issue. Ultimately, CSR is a shared wealth and not selfish wealth.

Tribute to Late Mr. Manjunath Shanmugam

Late Mr. Manjunath, an IIM Lucknow alumnus was a true consumer activist. He laid his life while trying to stop petrol station owner selling adulterated petrol. On his death anniversary, .i.e. 19^thNovember 2010, consumer club members and members of Shanmugam Trust paid homage to the noble soul by organizing a candlelight vigil. This has been an annual feature of club and the participation has been increasing year by year.

 Documentary Screening on RTI

On the 27^th January 2010, Consumer Club invited Miss Hema Narang from Prabodh, an  NGO screened a documentary film featuring renowned activist Mr. Arvind Kejeriwal, who showed how they were discrepancies in the claims made by the government and the actual work done by them, in some of the areas in Delhi. This session ended with a question and answer round in which queries of students were answered by Miss Hema Narang.

 Consumer Club Stall at ULLAS’11

 Every year, the Consumer Club, Kamala Nehru College sets up a stall at the Annual College festival ULLAS. The poster making competition held ahead of the fest received an overwhelming response by the students. The poster making competition was on the topics, Green Marketing and Consumers: Assert Your Rights and Discharge your Responsibility.

The honorable guest Mr. Amar Nath, from Doordarshan was very pleased with the display and appreciated the work of the Club. The 1^st prize was awarded to Pallavi Mehta B.COM honors 3^rdYear and the second prize was given to Smriti Thakur from B.Com Prog 3rd year.

Quality and Standardization- Role of BIS

 On 24^th March, 2011, Consumer Club, Kamala Nehru College invited Mr. Vijay K Singh, Deputy Director, BIS to speak on the “Quality and standardization- Role of BIS”

Standards are everywhere whatever thing you might think of. There can be no presentation sans standards. ‘Standards’ are tangibly just documents which establish requirement guidelines or characteristics for products, processes and services. Standards are dynamic in nature, drawn through consensus among all stakeholders. Standards are in India for almost everything except for certain controversial products like guthka etc. Standard and regulation is a perfect marriage. There is an emerging priority in international standard, public security second hand goods and services.

 Other Activities

Volunteers of Consumer Club along with Dr. Sheetal Kapoor went to the launch of partnership of safe medicine India’s website launch safemedicinesindia.org, at the Indian Habitat Centre on the 7^th December 2010. It is an NGO associated with taking initiatives to reduce rampant duplication on medicines and ensuring removal of fake medicines from the market.

Also, volunteers form the Consumer Club alongwith Dr. Sheetal Kapoor. Ms. Mamata Bhushan, Ms. Rupali Khanna went to Scope Auditorium on the 23^rd December 2010 to celebrate National Consumer Day, which was presided by Justice Ashok , president VOICE and Professor K.V. Thomas , Minister of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The theme of the talk was “Discharge your responsibility and Assert your Rights”. There was also Nukkad Natak by the winning teams of the Nukkad Natak Competition held by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs viz. Guru Tegh Bahadur College( Dekh bager mat kharid), Miranda House (adhikar do samaan do) and Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College(Samajh kar Chal Grahak).

Students also visited the Health Fair in the American Embassy on 4^th February 2011.

Nukkad Natak team of the consumer club participated in the Nukkad Natak  organized by VOICE and Ministry of Consumer Affairs at Pragati Maidan.

Students also participated in the Poster making competition organized by Ministry of Consumer Affairs at Miranda House.

 

Report 2011-12

 

The aim of the Consumer Club at Kamala Nehru College is to educate the students to act as healthy consumers by making them aware about their rights and redress mechanisms and to act as beacons for the society. Consumer Club was established on 29^th November 2005 and our college is the pioneer in Delhi University to launch it. Consumer Club released its fourth annual bulletin, ‘Awaken’. This issue brings forth a spectrum of articles, events organized by the club. The various programmes organized by the club are as follows:

1.  Orientation Day: Consumer Club Orientation Programme was held on 5^th August 2010. Dr. Roopa Vajpayee, Editor, Consumer Voice spoke on role of Consumer Clubs and welcomed all the volunteers who joined the Consumer Club.

2. Seminar on Mediation: On 21st October 2010, the Consumer Club invited MsNeenaBansal, Session Judge, Delhi High Court to speak on Mediation- A Step towards empowerment and social harmony on behalf of Delhi Dispute Resolution Society (regd.).

3. Role of CSR in Business

On 9^th November, Consumer Club invited Mr. AnuragBatra, Mrs. MohiniDaljeet Singh, Mr. BejonMisra, and Dr. Amita Joseph to speak on Corporate Social Responsibility in Business. The talk was opened by our Principal, Dr. MinotiChatterjee who rightly said that what we earn from society, therefore we owe some amount back to it.

Mr. AnuragBatra, Chairman, Exchange for media, said that CSR is at a nascent stage in India with less than 1% being spent on it. Tata leads CSR activities with a score of 63, while the others have scores around 35, though corporate India has now started embracing CSR.

Mrs. MohiniDaljeet Singh, Head, Max India Foundation, joined it three years back and it has now reached a point of development where it can give back to society. She shared her viewsby telling about how Max India Foundation focus is on the health of the underprivileged. It has over 240 NGO partners and has conducted health camps at over 264 locations and has above 1 lakh beneficiaries to whom it has provided treatment at very less cost or for free.

Dr. Amita Joseph of Business and Community Foundation spoke on the components of CSR which include governance ethics, good management practices, customer satisfaction and relationships, equal opportunity, environmental performance, respect for Aboriginal people, and barriers to CSR at corporate and country level. Corporate Social Responsibility may be pursued for different reasons, some of which are customer loyalty, reputation of the organization, improved relationships and benefits to employees.

Mr.BejonMisra, International Consumer expert and Founder, Consumer Online Foundation opined that CSR is an honest commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to create quality product and service at affordable prices accessible to all, while improving profitability for shareholders, quality of life for the workforce and their families, as well as the local community and society at large.

4. Tribute to Late Mr. ManjunathShanmugam

Late Mr. Manjunath, an IIM Lucknow alumnus was a true consumer activist. He laid his life while trying to stop petrol station owner selling adulterated petrol. On his death anniversary, .i.e. 19^th November 2010, consumer club members and members of Shanmugam Trust paid homage to the noble soul by organizing a candlelight vigil. This has been an annual feature of club and the participation has been increasing year by year.

5.   Documentary Screening on RTI

On the 27^th January 2010, Consumer Club invited Miss HemaNarang from Prabodh, an  NGO screened a documentary film featuring renowned activist Mr. ArvindKejeriwal, who showed how they were discrepancies in the claims made by the government and the actual work done by them, in some of the areas in Delhi. This session ended with a question and answer round in which queries of students were answered by Miss HemaNarang.

6.   Consumer Club Stall at ULLAS’11

Every year, the Consumer Club, Kamala Nehru College sets up a stall at the Annual College festival ULLAS. The poster making competition held ahead of the fest received an overwhelming response by the students. The poster making competition was on the topics, Green Marketing and Consumers: Assert Your Rights and Discharge your Responsibility.

The honorable guest Mr. Amar Nath, from Doordarshan was very pleased with the display and appreciated the work of the Club. The 1^st prize was awarded to Pallavi Mehta B.COM honors 3^rd Year and the second prize was given to Smriti Thakur from B.Com Prog 3rd year.

7.      Quality and Standardization- Role of BIS

On 24^th March, 2011, Consumer Club, Kamala Nehru College invited Mr. Vijay K Singh, Deputy Director, BIS to speak on the “Quality and standardization- Role of BIS”

8. Other Activities

Volunteers of Consumer Club along with Dr. SheetalKapoor went to the launch of partnership of safe medicine India’s website launch safemedicinesindia.org, at the Indian Habitat Centre on the 7^th December 2010. It is an NGO associated with taking initiatives to reduce rampant duplication on medicines and ensuring removal of fake medicines from the market.

Also, volunteers form the Consumer Club alongwith Dr. SheetalKapoor. Ms. MamataBhushan, Ms. RupaliKhanna went to Scope Auditorium on the 23^rd December 2010 to celebrate National Consumer Day, which was presided by Justice Ashok , president VOICE and Professor K.V. Thomas , Minister of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The theme of the talk was “Discharge your responsibility and Assert your Rights”. There was also NukkadNatak by the winning teams of the NukkadNatak Competition held by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs viz. Guru TeghBahadurCollege(Dekhbager mat kharid), Miranda House (adhikar do samaan do) and Atma Ram SanatanDharm College(SamajhkarChalGrahak).

Students also visited the Health Fair in the American Embassy on 4^th February 2011.

NukkadNatak team of the consumer club participated in the NukkadNatak  organized by VOICE and Ministry of Consumer Affairs at PragatiMaidan.

Students also participated in the Poster making competition organized by Ministry of Consumer Affairs at Miranda House.