CONTENTS Preface vii-ix 1. Emergence of Rural India 1-36 1.1 Rural Development in India: Institutional Framework 1.1.1 Ministry of Rural Development 1.1.2 District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) 1.1.3 Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) 1.1.4 Training of Rural Development Functionaries 1.1.5 Information, Education and Communication (IEC) 1.2 Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) 1.3 Rural Employment 1.3.1 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005 1.3.2 Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) 1.3.3 Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) 1.4 Rural Industries 1.5 Rural Housing 1.5.1 Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) 1.5.2 Rural Housing Activities of Housing Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) 1.6 Education and Training in Rural Areas 1.6.1 Eleventh Plan Targets and Special Focus Areas: 1.7 Rural Health and Family Welfare 1.7.1 National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) 1.7.2 Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) 1.7.3 National Nutrition Mission (NNM) 1.8 Rural Sanitation and Cleanliness 1.8.1 Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) 1.9 Rural Electrification 1.9.1 Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), 2005 1.10 Rural Water Supply 1.10.1 Swajaldhara 1.11 Rural Transport 1.11.1 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) 1.12 Rural Telephony 1.13 Rural Women Welfare and Empowerment 1.14 Scheduled Caste Sub-plan and Tribal Sub-Plan 1.15 Disability Persons 1.16 Older Persons 1.16.1 National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) 1.16.2 Annapurna Scheme 1.17 BharatNirman: The Six Components 1.17.1 Electricity 1.17.2 Roads 1.17.3 Drinking Water 1.17.4 Telephones 1.17.5 Irrigation 1.17.6 Housing 2. Consumer Behaviour: Theoretical Settings37-52 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Lifestyle of Consumers 2.3 Inter-disciplinary Dimensions of Consumer Behaviour 2.4 Existing Literature on the Subject 3. Rural Marketing: Field Surveys53-66 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Concepts Defined 3.2.1 Consumer 3.2.2 Consumption 3.2.3 Consumerism 3.2.4 Consumer Welfare 3.2.5 Consumer Movement 3.2.6 Behaviour 3.2.7 Communication 3.2.8 Market 3.2.9 Rural Market 3.3 Methodological Issues 4. Profiles of Sampled Areas67-90 4.1 Socio-economic Characteristics of Uttar Pradesh 4.1.1 Agriculture 4.1.2 Industry 4.2 Demographic Profile 4.3 Transport and Communication 4.3.1 Transport 4.3 2 Communication 4.4 Employment 4.5 Finances 4.6 Education 4.7 Caste System 4.8 Social Welfare Schemes 4.9 Language 4.10 Social Relations 4.11 Western Uttar Pradesh 4.11.1 Agriculture 4.11.2 Industry 4.11.3 Population 4.11.4 Employment 4.11.5 Transport and Communication 4.11.6 Finance and Earnings 4.11.7 Education 4.12 Ghaziabad District 4.12.1 Sampled Area 5. Characteristics of Consumer Behaviour 91-115 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Characteristics of Buying Behaviour 5.2.1 Problem of Recognition 5.2.2 Awareness 5.2.3 Understanding 5.2.4 Attitude 5.2.5 Conviction 5.2.6 Trial 5.2.7 Purchase Decision 5.3 Factors Affecting the Consumer Behaviour 5.3.1 Personal Factors 5.3.2 Psychological Factors 5.3.3 Attitudinal Factors 5.3.4 Cultural Factors 5.3.5 Social Factors 5.3.6 Information Factors 5.3.7 Self-image Factors 5.3.8 Marketing and Advertising Factors 5.3.9 Display Factors 5.3.10 Salesmen's Influence 5.4 Rights of Consumers 5.4.1 Right to Fair Dealing 5.4.2 Right to Satisfactory Quality Goods 5.4.3 Right to Know the Price of the Product or Commodity 5.4.4 Right to Daily Information of the Retail Price of Essential Commodities 5.4.5 Right to Know the Date of Expiry 5.4.6 Right to Have Goods at Fair Prices 5.4.7 Right to Select or Choose 5.4.8 Right of Information 5.4.9 Right to be Heard 5.4.10 Right to be Consulted 5.4.11 Right to Seek Redressal 5.4.12 Right to be Educated 5.4.13 Right to Good Environment 5.5 Problems of Consumers 5.5.1 Adulteration 5.5.2 Short Weights and Measures 5.5.3 Lack of Safety and Quality Control 5.5.4 Unfair Warranties or Guarantees 5.5.5 Imitation Manufacturing 5.5.6 Sales Gimmicks 5.5.7 Conspicuous Consumption 5.5.8 Evil Practices of Multinationals 5.5.9 Massive Profiteering 5.5.10 Sub-standard Quality 5.5.11 Unreasonable Price 6. Communications and Rural Marketing Strategies 116-127 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Communication Process and its Impact 6.2.1 Advertising 6.2.2 Personal Selling 6.2.3 Publicity and Public Relations 6.3 Rural Marketing Strategy 6.3.1 Lack of Adequate Understanding of Rural Consumer 6.3.2 Inadequate Data on Rural Market 6.3.3 Poor Infrastructure 6.3.4 Low Level of Literacy 6.3.5 Poor Reach of Mass Media in Rural Areas 6.3.6 Producer Marketing Strategy 6.4 Problems in Rural Marketing 7. Strategies for Protection of Consumers 128-154 7.1 Protection of Consumers 7.2 Administrative and Legislative Measures 7.2.1 Sale of Goods Act, 1930 7.2.2 Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 7.2.3 Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 7.2.4 Essential Commodities Act, 1955 7.2.5 Trade and Merchandise Mark Act, 1958 7.2.6 Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 7.2.7 Standards of Weight and Measures Act, 1976 7.2.8 Contract Act, 1982 7.2.9 Consumer Protection Act, 1986 7.2.10 Law of Touts 7.2.11 Information Technology Act, 2000 7.3 Complaints and Grievances 7.4 Consumer Protection Act, 1986 7.4.1 Special Features of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 7.5 Jurisdiction of the National Commission 7.5.1 Pecuniary Jurisdiction 7.5.2 Territorial Jurisdiction 7.5.3 Revisional Jurisdiction 7.6 Composition of the State Commission 7.7 Jurisdiction of State Commission 7.8 District Forum 7.8.1 Composition of District Forum 7.8.2 Procedure for Selection 7.8.3 Tenure of Members 7.8.4 Jurisdiction of the District Forum 7.8.5 Be Happy Consumer 7.8.6 Redressal of Consumer Grievances 7.8.7 Who Can File Complaint? 7.8.8 Procedure on Receipt of Complaint: 7.8.9 Findings of the District Forum 7.8.10 Relief Available to the Consumers 7.8.11 Appeal 7.9 Role of the Government in Consumer Protection 7.10 Result of Survey of the Study Area 8. Conclusions and Suggestions155-174 8.1 Changes in Consumer Behaviour 8.2 Rural Consumers in India 8.3 Study Area 8.4 Role of Communications 8.5 Problems in Rural Marketing 8.6 Consumer Protection in India 8.7 Findings of the Study 8.8 Suggestions Appendix 175-194 Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12) on Consumer Protection and Competition Policy Index 195-200