The Supreme Court issued notice on a plea seeking directions to the Centre to formulate a law compelling e-commerce sites and business houses selling goods to declare the country of origin of products to facilitate Boycotting Chinese Products.
The Bench consisting of CJI SA Bobde , Justice AS Bopanna, and Justice V Ramasubramanian in Divya Jyoti Singh v. Union of India sought Centre’s reply on this plea filed by Advocate Divya Jyoti Singh who has urged that the country of origin for products should be easily visible to customers so that customers can make informed decision.
The plea sought this direction in a bid to further the movement to boycott China which had gained steam in India in the wake of the tension along Indo-China border in Ladakh. The petitioner says that revealing the country of origin for products will help in boycotting Chinese goods. The plea says,
“There is a wave flowing in the country for boycotting the Chinese products, by non-disclosure of the ‘Country of Origin’ on the web-portals, these giant business houses/ e-commerce portals are not only playing with the patriotic feelings of the Indians but also are proving fatal in the efforts of each and every citizen of India in boycotting the Chinese products and also are blocking the way in promoting the local manufacturers/brands as called for by our Prime Minister so that the country becomes self-reliant as is the need of the hour.”
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The petitioner further prayed for an amendment of Section 2 (9) of the Consumer Protection Act to add that the consumer’s rights shall also include the right of the consumer to know the ‘Country of Origin’ in the e-commerce portals.
Section 2(9) of the consumer Protection Act states that a consumer’s rights include “the right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods, products or services, as the case may be, so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices.”
The petitioner argued that there is a large influx of “junk” which is made and imported from China and that “consumers are still kept in dark by not disclosing the Country of Origin.”
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Read Order here:
