New Delhi (The Hawk): The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed all ride-hailing companies to become convergence partner in the National Consumer Helpline, to enable better grievance redressal for consumers and also compliance with Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and E-commerce Rules, 2020.The direction was given during a meeting chaired by Secretary DoCA, Shri Rohit Kumar Singh with major online ride-hailing platforms, to discuss major issues which affect consumers in this sector.Furthermore, all online ride-hailing platforms were advised to respond to the concerns of commuters with utmost priority and take remedial steps to ensure adequate protection of consumer rights.The meeting was attended by major ride hailing platforms including Ola, Uber, Rapido, Meru Cabs and Jugnoo.Ms. Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, Mr. Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary and Mr. Vineet Mathur, Joint Secretary, also attended the meeting.Ms. Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, highlighted major issues which affect consumers while availing services through these platforms. Major categories of consumer grievances as per the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) were highlighted during the meeting. As per the data received from NCH, deficiency in services occupied 56% of the overall grievances during the period 01.04.2021 to 01.05.2022.The major grievances highlighted during the meeting were:Deficiency in service<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Lack of proper response from customer support</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Pre-ticked boxes including add-on services such as insurance with the ride charges, without obtaining consent by explicit and affirmative action.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Driver refusing to take payment by online mode and insisting for cash only.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Higher amount charged despite going on the same route previously at a lesser charge</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Unprofessional driver behaviour</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Driver refusing to switch on AC when the consumer is promised AC ride on the app.</li></ul>Inaccessible customer support<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">No customer care number&nbsp;is provided on the platform.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">No details of grievance officer&nbsp;is&nbsp;mentioned on the platform to which consumers can address their grievance.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Automated pre-written support message is given to consumers without redressing the grievance.</li></ul>&nbsp;Unreasonable levy of cancellation charges<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">User is not shown the amount of time within which cancelling a ride is permitted.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Cancellation Charges are variable and inconsistent.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Amount of cancellation charge is not displayed prominently on the platform before booking the ride.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Drivers, not willing to take the ride and forcing users to cancel the ride, which entails undue cancellation charges to be borne by the consumer</li></ul>&nbsp;Fairness of the algorithms that calculates the charges for the user<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">If it is learnt that in case someone is using the OTA services consistently for going from point A to point B, the charges for him may be higher than somebody who is using it between the same two locations for the first time.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Users are not shown the algorithm or method used by the company to charge different fares for the same route from two individuals.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Due to this, users are forced to take rides at arbitrary fares which are much higher than what is charged ordinarily for the same route</li></ul>&nbsp;It may be mentioned that grievances registered on NCH are at a nascent stage as not all consumers register their grievance on NCH.During the interactions, the companies claimed to have a robust mechanism of redressal of consumer grievances. They however assured that concerns raised in the meeting will be duly taken into consideration. As regards the cancellation charges, they stated that it is levied to compensate the drivers for efforts made towards fulfilling the order.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed all ride-hailing companies to become convergence partner in the National Consumer Helpline, to enable better grievance redressal for consumers and also compliance with Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and E-commerce Rules, 2020.

All ride-hailing platforms directed to become convergence partner in the National Consumer Helpline

Delhi: A majority of the Indian consumers are bullish about their financial situation in the next one year, but have raised concerns over rising cost of goods and services, which is affecting their purchasing decisions, according to an EY report.Moreover, uncertainty around managing rising living costs is driving over 80 per cent in India to save more money, said the findings of the ninth edition of the EY Future Consumer Index for India.The Index for India reaffirms the "positive outlook" of the Indian consumers as 77 per cent expect positive changes in the financial situation, in the next one year.This is better than their global counterparts which stand at 48 per cent, the report said.However, the survey which was conducted over 1,000 Indian consumers in February 2022, "raises concern over the rising cost of goods and services that is impacting their ability to purchase goods and is affecting their purchasing decisions," it said."Emerging markets are feeling the pinch strongly, with 62 per cent citing 'affordability' affecting their choices (South Africa 77 per cent, India 64 per cent, Brazil 63 per cent, China 42 per cent), compared with 45 per cent of respondents from developed markets (the US 50 per cent, Canada 52 per cent, the UK 42 per cent, France 40 per cent)," said a statement from EY on the findings of the report.In India, this impacts lower-income earners the most (72 per cent), followed by the high-income group at 60 per cent, and the middle-income group at 58 per cent, it said."Uncertainty around managing rising living costs is driving over 80 per cent in India to save more money than in the past, with 50 per cent of all respondents have made it a goal already to save rather than spend," it said.Moreover, health and wellness continue to be the focal point and Indian consumers are willing to pay a premium for high quality and organic food, even amidst inflationary pressure."More than half (54 per cent) of the respondents in India have made physical health and wellness a goal for the next 2-3 years."80 per cent of the Indian respondents shall be more cautious about physical health in the long-term, followed by mental health at 78 per cent," the report said.EY India Partner &amp; National Leader – Consumer Product and Retail sector Angshuman Bhattacharya said experience seeking consumers are less loyal, and with increasing price sensitivity and an inflationary environment, companies would need to toil harder to retain them."This calls for FMCG companies to look at their revenue and margin waterfalls and squeeze outspends across the value chain to drive profitability,” it said.The consumer priorities have shifted to better self and better environment, post-pandemic, he said."This behavioural change will drive the buying decision in the long-term."Customers are getting increasingly environmentally conscious and are asking the brands that sell to them, to demonstrate the values that align with their own.”The EY Future Consumer Index tracks changing consumer sentiment and behaviours across time horizons and global markets, identifying the new consumer segments that are emerging.The ninth edition of the EY Future Consumer Index surveyed 18,000 consumers across the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Mexico, South Africa, Chile (new), Argentina (new) and Thailand (new) between January 28 and February 15, 2022.—PTI

A majority of the Indian consumers are bullish about their financial situation in the next one year, but have raised concerns over rising cost of goods and services, which is affecting their purchasing decisions, according to an EY report.

Rising cost of goods, services affecting purchasing decisions in India: EY report

New Delhi:&nbsp;Who doesn't love a good cup of coffee? Whether it be an early morning aperitif to start your day or something to relax that hardened body after a busy day in the office, or maybe a simple hot cuppa to have on a rainy day. Coffee has been consumed for centuries. Many swear by it as well.Coffee by itself is a known concoction of a multitude of chemicals, the most famous being caffeine, other chemicals present include chlorogenic acid, putrescine, among others. Manufacture of coffee entails the usage of multiple chemicals, fertilisers, insecticides, among others. Thus simple coffee is a powerhouse of chemicals.Many have asked me whether coffee can cause cancer. Conventional wisdom would say that excessive consumption would somehow be associated with the dreaded disease. Anything in excess would be deleterious, why should coffee be different.However, studies suggest something else, a few studies done on the topic show that coffee is not associated with cancers in general. A few studies have been associating coffee with the risk of bladder cancer and lung cancer, but no conclusive evidence has been obtained.In colorectal cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer, coffee has also been shown to have a protective effect.Now, one must understand that none of these is absolute, and a lot more studies are needed regarding this to prove a protective or destructive association conclusively. Polyphenols present in coffee are known to have a beneficial effect in preventing cancer and other diseases such as hypertension and heart disease; while acrylamide present is known to be carcinogenic with an association seen with lung and bladder and blood cancers.A study published in 2020 did a meta-analysis of all the previous studies done to try and search for the association between cancer and coffee consumption. After studying a total of 36 different papers on the same, they came to the conclusion that coffee was in fact protective against endometrial cancer, liver cancer, melanomas, oral cancer and pharyngeal cancers. Coffee had some association with urinary bladder cancers and a possible association with lung cancer. The International Agency for Cancer Research also agreed upon the above findings with regard to the reduced risk of cancer with a special emphasis on liver cancer and endometrial cancer. They could find no positive association between any cancer forms conclusively.Finally, I would like to share my opinion on the whole conundrum of coffee and cancer. The most common answer I would give my patients who ask these questions would be that coffee is safe! It had been consumed by our ancestor's eons back and continues to be consumed now. Any item consumed in excess is harmful, and coffee is the same. Small quantities make no difference. Many studies carried out to try to find associations between certain items and diseases, and some may be overstating that association as well. We should not read too much into each article we find, rather critique it with a stable head. Over a nice hot cup of coffee!—IANS

Who doesn't love a good cup of coffee? Whether it be an early morning aperitif to start your day or something to relax that hardened body after a busy day in the office, or maybe a simple hot cuppa to have on a rainy day. Coffee has been consumed for centuries. Many swear by it as well.

Is your coffee giving you cancer?

New Delhi: Coffee chain operator Tata Starbucks Ltd has reported a 76 percent growth in revenue to Rs 636 crore for 2021-22 and ''significantly'' reduced its net loss, driven by normalization of operations following the easing of COVID-related restrictions.Its revenue growth was led by higher realization from existing stores and new stores added during the financial year ended on March 31, 2022, as per the latest annual report of Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL).''Revenue from Operations at Rs 636 crores, grew by 76 percent and net loss declined significantly,'' TCPL said while sharing details of the performance of its JV. However, it did not specify the net loss for FY22. It ''saw a strong recovery since re-opening following the second wave of the pandemic'' and accelerated its store openings during the year with 50 new stores, the highest number of store openings in a single year so far. The company now has 268 stores across 26 cities.Formed in 2012, Tata Starbucks is a 50:50 joint venture between Starbucks Corporation and Tata group's FMCG arm Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL). ''During the financial year 2021-22, the Company has invested several Rs 86 crore towards equity capital,'' TCPL added. ''As COVID restrictions eased through the year, robust sequential recovery of sales was achieved and added 50 new stores with expansion into 8 new cities. The new stores are a mix of landmark store openings viz., Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Jio World Drive in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, and Brahmaputra Riverfront in Guwahati, and smaller footprint stores,'' it said. Moreover, the loyalty program My Starbucks Rewards' member base witnessed a growth of 21 percent last year. It boasts of a loyalty base of close to 1.1 million customers. ''Tata Starbucks focused on innovation, digital and deep customer connections to navigate this pandemic and make the Starbucks experience as engaging and personalized as ever,'' it added.Its delivery vertical continues to perform well even after the easing of dine-in restrictions. ''The business was able to deliver breakeven at the operating profit level before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA),'' it said. As COVID restrictions eased through the year, Tata Starbucks witnessed a robust sequential recovery of sales in the business and by March, the store operation index reached 95 percent, it said. ''We also saw an increase in average daily transactions on our delivery channel with the restrictions, and the levels stabilized higher versus pre-COVID even as the restrictions eased,'' the company said.—PTI

Coffee chain operator Tata Starbucks Ltd has reported a 76 percent growth in revenue to Rs 636 crore for 2021-22 and ''significantly'' reduced its net loss, driven by normalization of operations following the easing of COVID-related restrictions.

Tata Starbucks revenue up 76 pc to Rs 636 cr in FY22

Deoria: A 30-year-old man and his niece ended their lives following family opposition to their relationship. The two allegedly consumed sulfas (a pesticide) in Barhaj police circle. Circle Officer (Barhaj) Pancham Lal said Sachin was in love with his niece Soni but their family members were against the relationship. Sachin asked Soni to come to a field where both of them consumed pesticide, police said. While Sachin collapsed in the field, Soni rushed back home and died during treatment. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. —IANS

A 30-year-old man and his niece ended their lives following family opposition to their relationship.

Man, Niece Commit Suicide Over Objection To Relationship In UP

New Delhi (The Hawk) : To safeguard interest of consumers, the Department of Consumer Affairs under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has omitted the Rule 5 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), Rules 2011 defining the Schedule II prescribing the pack sizes of various types of commodities. A new provision has been introduced to indicate the unit sale price on pre packed commodities, which will allow easier comparison of the prices of the commodities at the time of purchase.Earlier, the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured or pre-packed or imported was required to be mentioned in the package. Representation from Industry and associations in this respect has been received to remove this ambiguity.For reducing compliance burden and removing the ambiguity of declaration of date on pre packed commodities for consumers, the declaration has now been required to the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured for the pre packed commodities.The provisions of declarations of MRP has been simplified by removing illustrationand providing for making the mandatory declaration of MRP in Indian currency inclusive of all taxes. This has allowed the manufacturer/packer/importer to declare the MRP on the pre packed commodities in a simplified manner.&nbsp;Rules for declaring the commodities sold in pre packed commodities in numbers have been eased out for reducing the compliance burden for manufacturer /importer/packer. Earlier suchdeclarations could be denoted as ‘N’ or ‘U’ only. Now the quantities can be expressed in terms of the number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word which represents the quantity in the package. This will remove the ambiguity of declaration of quantity sold by number in pre packed commodities.

To safeguard interest of consumers, the Department of Consumer Affairs under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has omitted the Rule 5 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), Rules 2011 defining the Schedule II prescribing the pack sizes of various types of commodities. A new provision has been introduced to indicate the unit sale price on pre packed commodities, which will allow easier comparison of the prices of the commodities at the time of purchase.

Centre amends Legal Metrology Rules 2011 for ease of doing business 

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today shared the data from the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). From 01.01.2020 to 13.07.2022, 8740 grievances were registered by consumers against major cab aggregator companies for deficiency in services, inadequate consumer grievance redressal mechanism, cancellation by drivers etc. These complaints have been taken up with the respective cab aggregators for redressal.The Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 notified under Consumer Protection Act, 2019 require all e-commerce entities to establish a consumer grievance redressal mechanism, appoint a grievance officer for consumer grievance redressal and display the name, contact details and designation of such officer on its platform. The grievance officer is required to acknowledge the receipt of any consumer complaint within forty-eight hours and to redress the complaint within one month from the date of receipt of the complaint. Based on various complaints registered by consumers on NCH, notices have been issued to two major online ride hailing platforms. The notices raise multiple issues of violation of consumer rights and unfair trade practices by the platforms.

The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today shared the data from the National Consumer Helpline (NCH).

8740 Grievances Registered On National Consumer Helpline Against Cab Aggregators

San Francisco:&nbsp;Dell Technologies has announced that it is going to discontinue its Mobile Connect platform, and it will no longer be available for download.Dell Mobile Connect is software available on all Bluetooth-enabled Inspiron, Vostro, G-Series, Alienware, and Consumer XPS devices with Windows 10 or above that syncs user's phone's texts, calls, and notifications to their computer."This software requires the Dell Mobile Connect or Alienware Mobile Connect companion app to create a wireless PC-Smartphone integration," the company said in a statement."With the app, Dell users can remotely interact with their mobile phone from their computer to reply to SMS messages, make and receive phone calls, and more," it added.For the US, Canada and Japan, the app will no longer be available for download from November 30 and will be discontinued on January 31, 2023.Meanwhile, for other countries, the app will no longer be available for download from July 31 and will be discontinued on November 30.The company recommends uninstalling Dell Mobile Connect or Alienware Mobile Connect from both Dell computer and mobile devices by the regional discontinue date.To uninstall the app from a mobile device, users must follow the app removal instructions from the device manufacturer.To uninstall the app from a Dell computer, first users need to select Start, then select settings, go to apps then apps and features, from there, choose Mobile Dell Connect or Alienware Mobile Connect, then select Uninstall. —IANS

Dell Technologies has announced that it is going to discontinue its Mobile Connect platform, and it will no longer be available for download.

Dell to retire ‘Mobile Connect’ platform in January 2023

New Delhi: Dominated by house-cleaning robots, global consumer service robotics market posted 25 per cent shipment growth (year-on-year) last year, a report showed on Tuesday.The consumer robot market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27 per cent over the next four years, according to Counterpoint's IoT service."House cleaning robots, which mainly comprise robot vacuums, is the most dominant category in the robotics industry, capturing over two-thirds of the total consumer service robotics market," said senior research analyst Anshika Jain.Covid-19 has positively impacted the robot vacuum industry, resulting in increased demand from residential users.With advances in AI, the prices of components and software are also coming down, making the robots more affordable," said Jain.Within the consumer robotics market, the personal and education category is set to take the highest share of 54 per cent by 2025.&nbsp;"The category offers the best near-term opportunity due to the rising need for elderly care (especially in combatting isolation), social security and new ways of learning for children," said Research VP Peter Richardson."We estimate that the market opportunity of Personal and Education robots will exceed $4.5 billion by 2025 with substantial further growth expected beyond 2025 due to the aging population in many countries and increasing focus on STEM-based learning," Richardson added.Personal and education robots had the lowest average selling price (ASP) of around $279, followed by house cleaning robots ($626).In house cleaning category, the leading players are iRobot, Ecovacs, Roborocks.The consumer service robots market holds tremendous potential in the coming years due to evolving use cases, the report noted.&nbsp;"Medical robots still seem a risky proposition as they need a lot of upfront capital expenditure, and the R&amp;amp;D outcomes are unpredictable," it added.—IANS

Dominated by house-cleaning robots, global consumer service robotics market posted 25 per cent shipment growth (year-on-year) last year, a report showed on Tuesday.

 House-cleaning robots lead global consumer robotics market

New Delhi: The Department of Consumer Affairs has constituted a committee to develop a framework on checking fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce.Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been established, w.e.f July 24, 2020 to regulate matters, inter alia, relating to false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the interests of public and consumers as a class, said the Minister of State, Consumer Affairs, Ashwini Choubey in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The CCPA has issued 24 notices for unfair trade practices against e-commerce companies and issued two Safety Notices to alert and make consumers cautious against buying household goods like pressure cookers, helmets, etc. that do not conform to the Bureau of Indian Standards, said the reply. The CCPA has notified the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements on June 9, 2022. These guidelines provide for; (a) conditions for an advertisement to be non-misleading and valid; (b) certain stipulations in respect of bait advertisements and free claim advertisements; and, (c) prohibition of surrogate advertisements. The Ministry is looking to develop a framework to keep a check on fake reviews posted on e-commerce websites to protect consumer interest. Earlier, the consumer affairs ministry along with other stakeholders, including the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) held a meeting with stakeholders, including e-commerce entities, to discuss how paid, unverifiable reviews make it challenging for consumers to recognise genuine reviews. --IANS

The Department of Consumer Affairs has constituted a committee to develop a framework on checking fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce.

Govt panel to develop framework on checking fake, deceptive reviews in e-commerce

New Delhi: Consumers are worried over their income growth prospects, while businesses are very confident about their profit margins, as per a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
While the consumers' spending outlook is bleak, businesses appear very confident on maintaining a strong order book. Although consumers are highly concerned over job outlook, employers are much more optimistic, the report said.
Never ever in the past has there been such wide divergence between the current assessment of the businesses and consumer sectors.&nbsp;
The current situation index of CCS almost halved to 50 in 2HCY20 and 1HCY21 from 100 in the pre-Covid period (i.e., 1HCY19). It has recovered since then, albeit, stayed very low at just 76.6 in 1QFY23. In contrast, the current assessment of businesses also plummeted to 56.5 in 1QFY21 from 108 in the pre-Covid period. However, it recovered dramatically to 100.6 in 2QFY21 and has been above 110 during the past four quarters.
As far as expectations are concerned, although the fall was not so large, consumers continue to remain considerably less optimistic than the pre-Covid period. In contrast, Indian businesses are the most optimistic in the past two decades, since when this data has been available.
Consumers' category may remain cautious, as their financial position deteriorated significantly. If so, the expectation of a strong order book may actually reflect a shift in the market share (from the unlisted/unorganized/small to listed/organized/large companies), rather than the general broad-based improvement in the real economy, the report said.
The Reserve Bank of India conducts Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS) and Industrial Outlook Survey (IOS) to make such informed expectations.
IOS provides an assessment of business situation of companies in the manufacturing sector and CCS renders an assessment of the consumer sentiments of the respondents based on their perceptions of the general economic conditions and own financial situation.&nbsp;
—IANS

Consumers are worried over their income growth prospects, while businesses are very confident about their profit margins, as per a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

 Consumers worried over income growth prospects, job outlook

Lucknow: An undergraduate student of a private university here consumed poison after receiving rape and death threats from six of her batch mates, including three girls.
The matter came to light on Monday when a video of the girl went viral on social media in which she narrated her ordeal from the hospital bed.
DCP East Zone, Prachi Singh, said that based on the complaint given by the girl's brother, an FIR under the charges of rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult and criminal intimidation has been lodged against the six students and a probe is underway.
According to the FIR, the girl, who belongs to Mau, is a student of B.Com III and resides in the hostel of the university. On September 5, she was allegedly thrashed by her roommate, a B.Tech III student, over some dispute related to a phone call. The accused also broke her phone.
The girl then lodged a written complaint with the chief warden of the hostel following which she was allotted a separate room.
However, this infuriated the accused student and she along with five friends, two girls and three boys, intercepted her in the college canteen on September 8 and humiliated her with life and rape threats.
The brother claimed in the FIR that his sister slipped into depression after the humiliation and consumed a poisonous substance on September 9. The hostel warden rushed the girl to a nearby private hospital on Ayodhya Road and informed her family.
Her brother arrived in the city on the following day. The girl has been discharged after treatment from the hospital. —IANS

An undergraduate student of a private university here consumed poison after receiving rape and death threats from six of her batch mates, including three girls.

Girl Consumes Poison After Rape, Death Threats From Classmates

New Delhi (The Hawk): It is safe to consume milk from cattle infected by Lumpy Skin Disease, which is a non-zoonotic infection and not transmissible from animals to humans, according to a senior official of Indian Veterinary Research Institute.
Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has spread in more than a dozen states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.
The disease has affected 16.42 lakh cattle in 197 districts and has killed 75,000 cattle between July and September 11, 2022, according to data maintained by the Department of Animal Husbandry.
LSD is a contagious viral disease that affects cattle and causes fever, nodules on the skin and can also lead to death. The disease gets spread by mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps by direct contact among the cattle, and through contaminated food and water.
Speaking to PTI, on safety and quality of milk from the infected cattle, IVRI Joint Director Ashok Kumr Mohanty said LSD is a non-zoonotic disease and not transmissible from animals to humans.
"It is safe to consume milk from the infected cattle. There is no problem in the quality of milk even if you have it after boiling or without boiling," Mohanty said.
However, milk production in the infected cattle gets affected depending on the severity of the disease and immunity level of the animal, he added.
Mohanty said there can be a localised impact on milk production but it is difficult to quantify right now in the absence of accurate data on the spread of the infection in cattle across the country.
"When cattle are infected, the animals become weak due to nodule formation, fever and other symptoms. This severely affects milk production. When the animal is dying, its entire body system is affected," he said. The disease and its impact on milk output can be arrested if cattle are vaccinated on time. If cattle are infected for the first time and not vaccinated, then milk production can get reduced up to 40-50 per cent, he added.
On vaccination, Mohanty said till now, states are using 'goat pox' vaccine to control the spread of LSD even though a new vaccine has been developed and is expected shortly after regulatory approvals.
Elaborating further, Amit Kumar -- a scientist at IVRI working on the goat pox vaccine -- said this vaccine is effective in controlling the spread of LSD in cattle.
The goat pox vaccine doses were given to LSD infected cattle in the Eastern and Southern states in the last two years. LSD has been contained in those states and it has not resurfaced this year, he said. "LSD has gone severe this year in 4-5 states of Western India because goat pox vaccine doses were not administered," Kumar said.
Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board that manufactures animal and human vaccines, and Hester Biosciences are two companies which are manufacturing goat pox vaccine and there is enough supply, he said.
On the new vaccine, Mohanty said it has been developed by two institutes of agri-research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently. ICAR has contacted five companies for commercialisation of this vaccine. IVRI, an ICAR institute based out of Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand, does research on animal viruses and viral diseases of livestock and poultry. It also has a mandate of production of antigens, diagnostic sera, vaccines, etc besides conducting epi-zootiological and pathological studies on viral diseases. —PTI

It is safe to consume milk from cattle infected by Lumpy Skin Disease, which is a non-zoonotic infection and not transmissible from animals to humans, according to a senior official of Indian Veterinary Research Institute.

Safe To Consume Milk From LSD-Infected Cattle: IVRI Official

Wisconsin: A recent research of thousands of people finds a significant difference in the amount of water people consume around the world and throughout their lives, clearly refuting the oft-repeated concept that eight, 8-ounce glasses of water cover the human body's daily needs.
"The science has never supported the old eight glasses thing as an appropriate guideline, if only because it confused total water turnover with water from beverages and a lot of your water comes from the food you eat," says Dale Schoeller, a University of Wisconsin-Madison emeritus professor of nutritional sciences who has been studying water and metabolism for decades. "But this work is the best we've done so far to measure how much water people actually consume on a daily basis -- the turnover of water into and out of the body -- and the major factors that drive water turnover."
That's not to say the new results settle on a new guideline. The study, published in the journal Science, measured the water turnover of more than 5,600 people from 26 countries, ages ranging from 8 days to 96 years old, and found daily averages on a range between 1 liter per day and 6 liters per day.
"There are outliers, too, that are turning over as much as 10 liters a day," says Schoeller, a co-author of the study. "The variation means pointing to one average doesn't tell you much. The database we've put together shows us the big things that correlate with differences in water turnover."
Previous studies of water turnover relied largely on volunteers to recall and self-report their water and food consumption, or were focused observations -- of, say, a small group of young, male soldiers working outdoors in desert conditions -- of questionable use as representative of most people. The new research objectively measured the time it took water to move through the bodies of study participants by following the turnover of "labeled water." Study subjects drank a measured amount of water containing trackable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. Isotopes are atoms of a single element that have slightly different atomic weights, making them distinguishable from other atoms of the same element in a sample. "If you measure the rate a person is eliminating those stable isotopes through their urine over the course of a week, the hydrogen isotope can tell you how much water they're replacing and the elimination of the oxygen isotope can tell us how many calories they are burning," says Schoeller, whose UW-Madison lab in the 1980s was the first to apply the labeled-water method to study people.
More than 90 researchers were involved in the study, which was led by a group that includes Yosuke Yamada, a former UW-Madison postdoctoral researcher in Schoeller's lab and now section head of the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition in Japan, and John Speakman, zoology professor at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. They collected and analyzed data from participants, comparing environmental factors -- such as temperature, humidity and altitude of the participants' hometowns -- to measured water turnover, energy expenditure, body mass, sex, age and athlete status.
The researchers also incorporated the United Nations' Human Development Index, a composite measure of a country that combines life expectancy, schooling and economic factors. Water turnover volume peaked for men in the study during their 20s, while women held a plateau from 20 through 55 years of age. Newborns, however, turned over the largest proportion daily, replacing about 28 percent of the water in their bodies every day.
Physical activity level and athletic status explained the largest proportion of the differences in water turnover, followed by sex, the Human Development Index, and age. All things equal, men and women differ by about half a liter of water turnover. As a baseline of sorts, the study's findings expect a male non-athlete (but of otherwise average physical activity) who is 20 years old, weighs 70kg (154 pounds), lives at sea level in a well-developed country in a mean air temperature of 10 degrees C (50 Fahrenheit) and a relative humidity of 50%, would take in and lose about 3.2 liters of water every day. A woman of the same age and activity level, weighing 60 kg (132 pounds) and living in the same spot, would go through 2.7 liters (91 ounces). Doubling the energy a person uses will push their expected daily water turnover up by about liter, the researchers found. Fifty kilograms more body weight adds 0.7 liters a day. A 50% increase in humidity pushes water use up by 0.3 liters. Athletes use about a liter more than non-athletes.
The researchers found "hunter-gatherers, mixed farmers, and subsistence agriculturalists" all had higher water turnover than people who live in industrialized economies. In all, the lower your home country's Human Development Index, the more water you go through in a day.
"That's representing the combination of several factors," Schoeller says. "Those people in low HDI countries are more likely to live in areas with higher average temperatures, more likely to be performing physical labor, and less likely to be inside in a climate-controlled building during the day. That, plus being less likely to have access to a sip of clean water whenever they need it, makes their water turnover higher." The measurements will improve our ability to predict more specific and accurate future water needs, especially in dire circumstances, according to Schoeller.
"Look at what's going on in Florida right now, or in Mississippi -- where entire regions have been exposed by a calamity to water shortages," he says. "The better we understand how much they need, the better prepared we are to respond in an emergency."
And the better we can prepare for long-term needs and even notice short-term health concerns, the researchers believe. "Determining how much water humans consume is of increasing importance because of population growth and growing climate change," says Yamada. "Because water turnover is related to other important indicators of health, like physical activity and body fat percent, it has potential as a biomarker for metabolic health." —ANI

A recent research of thousands of people finds a significant difference in the amount of water people consume around the world and throughout their lives, clearly refuting the oft-repeated concept that eight, 8-ounce glasses of water cover the human body's daily needs.

Study Examines Amount Of Water People Consume Over Their Lifespan

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has resolved 99.5 per cent of complaints related to electricity received through helpline 1912 in the last five and a half years.
Launched in 2017 to offer one stop solution to the electricity consumers, the toll free number received over one crore complaints of people, almost all of which were redressed amicably, said a government statement on Thursday. On helpline 1912, consumers can complain about any kind of problem related to electricity, and can also give suggestions.
According to the figures provided by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd, from April 1, 2017 till now, 1,11,74,861 complaints related to bills, meters, connections, electricity supply, electricity theft and suggestions etc. were received from all over the state on this toll free number, of which 1,11,18,534 complaints were resolved in a time-bound manner. Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Chairman M Devraj has given instructions to make this service more effective.
Officials told to keep in touch with customers until their problems were resolved.
Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Chairman M Devaraj has directed officials to make the 1912 toll free number more interactive and effective. He said that officials must ensure that the toll free number is activated immediately and consumers are contacted until their problems are resolved.
Ever since the formation of the government in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, problems related to electricity have been resolved on a priority basis. It is worth mentioning that on the instructions of the Chief Minister, maximum power supply facility has been provided in every area of the state without any discrimination, and even those who were deprived of power for decades in the state were getting regular electricity today.
Most complaints resolved in Dakshinanchal
As per official figures of UPPCL, 1640339 complaints were received from Dakshinanchal Discoms of which 1636335 (99.76%) were settled while 4004 are pending. Similarly, 5226012 complaints were received in Madhyachal, out of which 5205500 (99.61%) were resolved. In Paschimanchal, 1326502 complaints were received, of which 1306067 (98.46%) were redressed. In Purvanchal, out of 2973974 complaints, 2962609 (99.62 percent) and in KESCO, out of 8034 complaints, 8023 were resolved.
Redressal of 100 percent complaints related to power bills
In the matter of complaints related to electricity bill, a total of 956073 complaints were received in the entire state and all were resolved amicably. Maximum complaints were registered in Madhyanchal (530315), while 184831 complaints were registered in Purvanchal, 155546 in Dakshinanchal and 85381 in Paschimanchal.
Meanwhile, 1167500 complaints related to meters were received, of which 97.28% (1135779) were disposed of whereas 1747 complaints are pending in Dakshinchal, 9895 in Madhyanchal, 12126 in Paschimanchal, 8448 in Purvanchal and five in KESCO.
Complaints regarding smart meter and supply resolved
Similarly, 56256 complaints related to smart meters were received in the entire state, out of which 55921 (99.40%) were disposed off in a time-bound manner. On the other hand, 302976 complaints related to connections were received, of which 300518 (99.19%) were resolved. Action was taken on 7495070 complaints (99.98 percent) out of 7496696 complaints related to power supply. Out of 11285 service related complaints, action was taken on 10809 (95.78%). Similarly, 1079080 calls regarding information or suggestion were received, of which 1073560 (99.49%) were disposed.
Maximum action on electricity theft in Madhyachal
On helpline number 1912, 104995 information related to electricity theft was received, of which 90804 (86.48%) were disposed. Most complaints were settled in Madhyanchal. A total of 50690 complaints related to power theft were received here, out of which 45548 (89.86%) were redressed.&nbsp;
Similarly in Paschimanchal, 19867 complaints were received, of which 14121 (71.08%) were resolved. Similarly, action was taken on 92.56 percent complaints in Dakshinchal and 88.54 percent in Purvanchal. Action was taken on 100 percent power theft complaints in KESCO. —ANI

The Uttar Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has resolved 99.5 per cent of complaints related to electricity received through helpline 1912 in the last five and a half years.

Yogi Govt Resolves 99.5% Of Consumers' Complaints Related To Power Supply Received On Helpline 1912

New Delhi (The Hawk): Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of cases filed against adulterated, subpar, or misbranded food products.
According to official statistics, during 2020–21, the relevant food safety authorities in various parts of the country filed a total of 24,195 civil cases and 3,869 criminal cases; in 2021–22, this number grew to 28,906 civil cases and 4,946 criminal cases.
In 2020–21, the food safety authorities analysed 1,07,829 samples, of which 28,347 samples were determined to not meet the required criteria. Similar to this, 1,44,345 samples total were analysed in 2021–2022; of these, 32,934 were determined to be non–confirming.
Out of the total samples analysed in 2020–21 and 2021–22, according to government data, 5,220 and 4,890 samples, respectively, were deemed hazardous.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the nation's top authority on food safety, has the responsibility of establishing science-based standards for food products and enforcing laws governing their production, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure that wholesome, safe food is available for human consumption.
No individual may start or operate a food business without a licence, according to Section 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006. States and UTs routinely conduct comprehensive surveillance drives to monitor food business operators.
Officials stated that the state and UT governments are largely responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the FSS Act 2006, Rules, and Regulations enacted thereunder. According to the requirements of the FSS Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations, the Food Safety Officers of states/UTs begin criminal action against the defaulting Food Business Operators (FBOs) while authorities analyse samples.
Protein powder and other products used for medical purposes are covered by the FSS (Food or Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods Special Dietary Use, Foods for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Foods and Novel Foods) Regulations, 2016, which outline the rules for their regulation in the nation.
The FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Laws, 2011, which govern the articles of food covered by these regulations, include generic labelling requirements.
According to officials, labelling provisions for particular food product categories have been specified under the said regulations because these products are intended for specific physiological conditions or general health maintenance and must be taken by the specific targeted group according to the regulated usage levels.
These requirements provide that the objective, target consumer group, physiological or disease issues they address, and suggested usage time should all be specified on the label of such food products.
Each type of food item's label, accompanying leaflet, or other labelling and advertisement should also include sufficient information about the item's nature, purpose, and specific usage instructions and safety precautions. The format of the information should also be suitable for the intended consumer.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of cases filed against adulterated, subpar, or misbranded food products. According to official statistics, during 2020–21, the relevant food safety authorities in various parts of the country filed a total of 24,195 civil cases and 3,869 criminal cases; in 2021–22, this number grew to 28,906 civil cases and 4,946 criminal cases.

Consumer Alert! Food adulteration and mislabeling instances rise sharply

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of cases filed against adulterated, subpar, or misbranded food products.
According to official statistics, during 2020–21, the relevant food safety authorities in various parts of the country filed a total of 24,195 civil cases and 3,869 criminal cases; in 2021–22, this number grew to 28,906 civil cases and 4,946 criminal cases.

New Delhi News: The Supreme Court has said that consumer courts cannot decide complaints involving highly disputed questions of facts or the cases involving tortious acts or criminality like fraud or cheating.

A bench comprising justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M. Trivedi said: "The proceedings before the commission being summary in nature, the complaints involving highly disputed questions of facts or the cases involving tortious acts or criminality like fraud or cheating, could not be decided by the forum/commission under the said Act."

The bench further added, "the deficiency in service, as well settled, has to be distinguished from the criminal acts or tortious acts. There could not be any presumption with regard to the wilful fault, imperfection, shortcoming or inadequacy in the quality, nature and manner of performance in service, as contemplated in Section 2(1)(g) of the Act".

The bench added that the burden of proving the deficiency in service would always be upon the person alleging it.

A complainant had alleged that the City Union Bank had transferred Rs 8 lakh of demand drafts to an incorrect account . The complainant filed a complaint in the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) in 1999.

The state commission found the bank and its official guilty of deficient service and ordered the bank to pay Rs 8 lakh along with compensation of Rs 1 lakh towards mental agony, loss and hardship to the complainant.

The chairman and managing director, City Union Bank and others moved the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) against the state commission order, but its appeal was dismissed in February 2007. An appeal was filed by them in 2009 before the apex court challenging the NCDRC order.

The counsel, representing the chairman and managing director, City Union Bank and others, submitted that state commission and the national commission had committed an error in not appreciating the fact that in absence of any fault, imperfection, shortcoming or inadequacy in the performance, which was required to be maintained by the appellants' bank, it could not be presumed that there was deficiency in service as defined under Section 2(1)(g) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

The counsel further argued that if any fraud was committed, such disputes would not fall within the jurisdiction of the state commission or the national commission to decide.

The counsel for complainant submitted that when the two forums have consistently held the appellants liable for the deficiency in service, the apex court should not interfere with the same.

He further submitted that the bank would be vicariously liable for the acts of its employees and there was a clear deficiency in service on the part of the bank.

The bench said: "So far as the facts of the present case are concerned, even if the allegations made in the complaint are taken on their face value, then also it clearly emerges that there was no wilful fault, imperfection, shortcoming or inadequacy in the discharge of the duty on the part of the employees of the appellants' bank, which could be termed as deficiency in service under Section 2(1)(g) of the said Act."

The bench noted that some disputes were going on amongst the directors of the company and one of the directors, if allegedly had committed fraud or cheating, the employees of the bank could not be held liable, if they had acted bona fide and followed the due procedure.

The bench said: "In the instant case, respondent-complainant having miserably failed to discharge his burden to prove that there was a deficiency in service on the part of the employees of the appellants-bank within the meaning of Section 2(1)(g) of the Act, his complaint deserved to be dismissed, and is accordingly dismissed. The orders passed by the State Commission and the National Commission are therefore quashed and set aside. The appeal stands allowed accordingly." IANS

The Supreme Court has said that consumer courts cannot decide complaints involving highly disputed questions of facts or the cases involving tortious acts or criminality like fraud or cheating.

SC: 'Consumer courts can't decide cases involving tortious acts'

Lucknow: In a major relief to power consumers, the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has announced that power tariff will remain unchanged for 2023-24.
This would be the fourth year in a row that the power tariff in the state has not been increased -- the last revision was done in 2019-20.
The development also assumes much significance in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls due next year.
The power consumers, essentially in the urban areas, would thus continue to pay their electricity bills as per the earlier slabs.
The electricity regulator which held separate public hearings in all distribution companies junked the proposal put forth by the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) suggesting an average tariff hike of 16 per cent. The UPPCL had proposed a tariff hike of 18 per cent for urban domestic consumers, 16 per cent for industries, around 12 per cent for agricultural and 17 per cent for lifeline category consumers (rural/ urban poor who are provided power at a low rate).
UPERC chairman Raj Pratap Singh said that tariff was not increased because the expenditure suggested by the UPPCL was "not prudent enough" and therefore the proposed tariff hike was uncalled for.
The UPERC has also abolished subsidized power for employees of UPPCL -- both serving as well as retired. The UP Electricity Regulatory Commission abolished their LMV-10 type category from the tariff schedule bringing them at par with the other domestic consumers. Meanwhile, amid prolonged power outages, the state government has issued fresh directives to the district authorities for ensuring an uninterrupted power supply in the state. At the same time, the energy department may continue with its drive to enhance capacity of power equipment to overcome the issue of overloading. —IANS

 In a major relief to power consumers, the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC)

Relief For UP Consumers, No Hike In Power Tariff

Gurugram: Gurugram District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Raheja Developers Ltd. to refund Rs 28,60,483 of the deposit amount paid by a customer to book an apartment in their project, along with a compensation of Rs 1.55 lakh and litigation expenses. In the June 6 order, the Forum, presided by Sanjeev Jindal, president and members Jyoti Siwach and Khushwinder Kaur said, "If the opposite party - Raheja Developers- fails to refund the full deposit amount with an interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of deposit within next 45 days, it will have to pay an interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum till the realisation of the amount." The complainant, Nand P Rohera, Pradeep Nandlal Rohera and Namrata Pradeep Rohera of New Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi jointly had booked an apartment measuring 1,920 sqft in Raheja Developers Ltd. project named 'Raheja's Shilas in Raheja's Atharv' costing Rs 89,38 lakh. The complainants paid Rs 28,60,483 through different cheques till June 28, 2011. However, due to the death of one of the allottees Pradeep Nandlal Rohera on June 1, 2015, the remaining two joint owners faced financial crises and requested the developer to revoke the Flat Buyer Agreement-Raheja Shilas on July 27, 2011, as they were not in a position to pay further due installments and request to return the full amount paid by them. However, the developer refused to refund the money and replied that the matter of refund, if any, could only be proceeded as per thr terms and conditions of the Agreement to Sell following which the complainant approached the consumer forum. Meanwhile, the builder proceeded ex-parte on August 29, 2022, by not opting to appear before the forum. The complainants further averred that as per Clause 4.2 of the "Flat Buyer Agreement-Raheja's Shilas" relating to "Possession Time and Compensation", the seller had to give possession of the said Apartment to the purchaser within 24 months from the date of execution of the said agreement with the free grace period of 6 months, in case the construction was not completed within the time frame. The said agreement further stated that if the builder failed to complete the construction of the said apartment within 24 months with a grace period of 6 months from the date of execution of the said agreement, then, the seller was liable to pay the purchaser the compensation at Rs 7 per sq ft of the super area per month for the entire period of such delay. Though, as per the "Flat Buyer Agreement-Raheja's Shilas" the possession of the subject flat/apartment had to be given latest within 30 months thereby including the free grace period of six months plus 24 months from the date of execution of the agreement but, since then, even after the lapse of more than 9 years, the builder had failed to deliver the possession of the Apartment till the present day. "Where the possession of the subject unit has not been delivered within the stipulated period, and, further, there was no possibility of it to be delivered in the near future, then in those circumstances, the complainants were not bound to accept the delivery of the possession in future, and therefore, they certainly become entitled to the refund of their deposited money along-with interest," the court observed. The forum ordered that the complainant be refunded Rs 28,68,483 (deposited amount) with 9 per cent interest per annum from the date of deposit and along with a compensation of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 55,000 as litigation expenses.—IANS

 Gurugram District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Raheja Developers Ltd

Consumer Forum Asks Raheja Developers To Refund Full Deposit With Rs 1L Compensation

Mumbai: Domestic equities continued with its weakness on account of subdued global cues and hawkish commentary from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Nifty witnessed selling pressure for the second consecutive day to close with a loss of 115 points (-0.6 per cent) at 19,428, while Sensex fell 365.53 points (-0.56 per cent) to 65,322.65 Except for PSU bank and consumer durables, all other sectors ended in red, said Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Retail Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services. "The results season is now coming to an end. Overall, the earnings have been in the expected lines. In the absence of any major trigger and uncertain global cues, we expect the market to consolidate in the range. Investors on Monday will react to India’s IIP data, which will be released later on Friday," he said. The market would trade cautiously ahead of India’s inflation data to be released on Monday, which is expected to rise in July on account of high vegetable prices. On account of the Independence Day holiday on Tuesday, the market might remain lackluster, he added. Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said the domestic market continued to experience selling pressure, with banking stocks extending their decline in reaction to the RBI's liquidity absorption measures. The escalating concerns about inflation further weighed down domestic market sentiments. Despite the US CPI coming in lower than expected and the UK GDP beating estimates, global sentiment remained unfavourable, he said. Most of the sectoral indices were in the red while Nifty PSU Bank outperformed with gains of 1.25 pert cent, said Vaibhav Vidwani, Senior Research Analyst at Bonanza Portfolio. HCL Technologies, Titan Company, Power Grid Corporation, UltraTech Cement and Reliance Industries were the top gainers in the Nifty, while the losers were IndusInd Bank, NTPC, SBI Life Insurance, Divis Labs and UPL.—IANS

Domestic equities continued with its weakness on account of subdued global cues and hawkish commentary 

The Hawk

Tag : Consume

All ride-hailing platforms directed to become convergence partner in the National Consumer Helpline

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Tag : Consume

All ride-hailing platforms directed to become convergence partner in the National Consumer Helpline

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