New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS): The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued 325 notices for violation of consumer rights, misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, imposing penalties amounting to Rs 1.19 crore to date, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, B.L. Verma, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the Department of Consumer Affairs is continuously working for consumer protection and empowerment of consumers by enactment of progressive legislations. With

“With a view to modernise the framework governing the consumer protection in the new era of globalization, technologies, e-commerce markets etc. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was repealed and Consumer Protection Act, 2019 was enacted,” he said.

To safeguard consumers from unfair trade practices in e-commerce, the Department of Consumer Affairs has also notified the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

On Tuesday, the Parliament was informed that the CCPA imposed penalties of Rs 61.60 lakh on 19 coaching institutes and issued notices to 45 coaching centres for misleading advertisements.

In November, the regulator had issued "Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector, 2024" in order to prevent coaching centres from making false or misleading claims and advertisements to promote the sale of goods or services and engage in deceptive or unfair practices.

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH), administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs, has emerged as a single point of access to consumers across the country for their grievance redressal at a pre-litigation stage.

As many as 1,004 companies, who have voluntarily partnered with the NCH, as part of the ‘Convergence’ programme, directly respond to these grievances according to their redressal process, and revert by providing feedback to the complainant on the portal. Complaints against those companies, who have not partnered with the NCH, are forwarded to the company’s email ID for redressal.