Consumer Protection Bill 2018 – Salient Features In Brief

The Consumer Protection Bill, 2017 which was approved by the Union Cabinet last year (as already discussed in our previous titled "India: The Union Cabinet Approves The Consumer Protection Bill, 2017"¹, dated January 15, 2018) is reportedly² scheduled to be taken up during this Budget session, which is to commence tentatively from January 29, 2018, as there is a need to update the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (hereinafter referred to as the 'Act'). The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 (hereinafter referred to as the 'Bill') is slated to be the next big thing for the consumers. The said Bill was originally drafted in 2015 and placed before the Lok Sabha (Lower House) in 2016 and subsequently sent to the Standing Committee on Food and Consumer Affairs. The Bill is important because the new Bill is expected to completely overhaul the current laws stipulated under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.