Education as an Instrument to Promote Consumer's Satisfaction by Raising Levels of Awareness

Awareness of consumers about market and product is essential protection of consumers against cheating and wrong choice-making. Consumer awareness is a very comprehensive phenomenon, the roots of which touch every aspect of development. A vigilant and well-aware consumer is an asset to the nation. The consumers must have education and awareness in a globalised world. According to the 2011 census, 69% of the total population is living in rural areas, which are unaware and ignorant about their rights. Due to unawareness, rural consumer in India is exploited in so many ways. In the liberalised and globalised world, it is necessary to protect the rural consumers about their rights enabling them to make decisions based on information about the goods and services.

In this context, education can play an important role, by either formal or non-formal approach. Various methods may have to be adopted to make the programme effective and interesting. Good consumer education material resources are made available by government departments, consumer organisations, environmental protection groups, etc.

Looking into the account of present status of consumer education, some steps have to be taken to improve the consumer awareness. In rural areas, meetings and awareness camps should be organised by school- and college-level students. More advertisements should be given on TV, newspaper, magazines, etc. for creating awareness of rural consumer. More emphasis may be given on the training through block level. Specific projects should be sanctioned for the consumer's welfare by different institutions and so on.