Vol.

XI, Issue III

March 2010

03/2010

Visit us at: www.consumer-voice.org

Rs 50

Standing Loss (kWH/24 hr)

0.753*

EER (w/w)
Appliance/Type
Brand
Mode/Year
Capacity
Power

: Geyser
: YYYY
: ABC/2007
: XX
: XX

*Under test conditions, when tested in accordance with XXX.

Actual electricity consumption will depend on how the appliance is being used.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

3.11*

EER (w/w)
Appliance/Type

: XX/Window

Brand
: YYYY
Model/Year
: ABC/2007
Cooling Capacity (W) : XX
Power Consumption (W) : XX
Variable Speed Compressor : Yes/No
Heat Pump
: Yes/No

*Under test conditions, when tested in accordance with XXX.

Actual electricity consumption will depend on how the appliance is being used.

165*
ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION

580*

UNITS PER YEAR

Appliance/Type

: Refrigerator

Brand
Model
Type
Gross volume
Storage volume

: ABC
: XYZ 270/2007
: Frost Free
: 270 liters
: 260 liters

*Under test conditions, when tested in accordance with XXX.

Actual electricity consumption will depend on how the appliance is being used.

E
BE

E
BE

Contents
REPORT

Direct to
Rural Homes

COMPARATIVE TEST

Exploring new dimensions

Microwaves:
Ovens or Hot Cases

PAGE 26

Comparative test of 11 brands

of Microwave Ovens brings the
intelligent buys out
PAGE 06

REPORT

COMPARATIVE TEST

Creamy Delicacies
Comparative test of 9 brands of Ice creams
& 2 desserts brings you a comprehensive
report.

Wool:
All you wanted
to know!
PAGE 29

HEALTH

Bt Brinjal:
Temporary Relief

PAGE 11

Beware of GM food
PAGE 19

USER TEST

Antibacterial Soap
No Protection

Health

8 brands of Liquid Handwashes

were user tested to identify the
Best buys for our consumers

Womanly
Confusion

PAGE 15

Sift Fact from Fiction

PRODUCT REVIEW

Oil Tradition now

in Shampoo!

PAGE 32

FINANCE

Cost and Innovation:

The Fig Leaf Argument

Product review of Garnier Fructis, Fortifying shampoo 2-in-1: Effective or Not

PAGE 22

Indian experiences with regulators

REPORT

PAGE 34

World Consumer
Rights Day
Special Report
PAGE 24

Legal File

PAGE 37

READERS PAGE

PAGE 40

Editor: Roopa Vajpeyi

Chief Editor
Prof PK Ghosh
Mg. Editor
Prof Sri Ram Khanna
COO
Ashim Sanyal
Online
Manjari Khare
Sapna Saini

Editorial
Amrita Dalela
Keertana Sharma
Arun Sagar
Archana Kumari
Technical
H Wadhwa
KC Choudhary
Mohd. Azim Khan
Sheeba Parveen

ACCOUNTS
Monender Singh
Sanjay Kumar
Legal
HK Awasthi
Deepa Monappan

Marketing
Pranay Sheth
Ramanjeet Kaur
Ashu Bhagat
Dinesh Kumar
Ashutosh Massey

ManagerBraille
Dipendra Manocha

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Consumer voice

March 2010

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Editor's Mailbox
Bank Charges
I have the following queries:
1. Schedule Bank (icici/hdfc etc) are charging heavy
bank charges towards their customer such as Quarterly
Average balance Rs. 750/- cheque return Rs.350/- plus
Service tax. Are these charges reasonable?
2. Sweet seller sell their sweets @ Rs.300/400 per
kg and they pack 1 kg sweets in containers, which
cost between Rs. 5 to 7 Rs. and weigh around 40 to
50 gms. Sellers weigh these along with the sweets,
which means inflated charges for the consumer. Is this
justified?
Raj Prakash Gupta
Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar (U.P.)

Editor responds
Dear Mr. Gupta,
It is our constant endeavour to educate consumers about their
rights and responsibilities, and we have learnt that it is a two way
process. It is as important for consumers to know their rights as it is
to be alert about their responsibilities. I consulted our legal desk to
address your queries and this is what they came up with:
In response to the 1st query, as per RBI Guidelines, the banks have
been given discretion to fix their charges according to the quality of
service given to customer, and there is nothing that you or I could
do in regard to this.
Query 2- As per Rule 11 of the Standards of Weights and Measures
(Packaged Commodity) Rules 1977 in declaring the net quantity of
the Commodity contained in a package, the weight of wrappers
and materials other than the commodity shall be excluded, hence
it is for the consumer to insist that the shopkeeper should weigh
the sweets box separately before weighing sweets. Therefore it is
clear that here consumer action is required and many a times it is
for us as consumers to see that the market follows the rules set
for it, just as it is for consumers to follow the rules that are
meant for them.

Don't Mess With Nature

March 2010

To see more logon to: www.consumer-voice.org

Editor responds
Dear Mr. Kurian,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us and our
readers.
I consulted our technical expert about it and we feel that your
mail actually contains all the lessons one needs to learn from
My Pressure cooker experience
your experience. First is, that it is always mandatory for consumers to follow instructions for safe use, while using any product.
I read the Consumer Voice test report on Pressure Cookers
In your case the pressure cooker was not properly locked and
and wish to share my own experience:
the accident occurred. At our end we are recommending to
If you go through the Prestige and Hawkins cookers, you will
the Bureau of Indian Standards that they make it mandatory
notice that there is a design fault in the Prestige cooker. In
for all manufacturers to incorporate safety latches into the
case of Hawkins, pressure will not foam unless it is properly
cooker designs so that consumers are not at risk, if they forget
locked whereas in the case of Prestige, pressure will build
to lock the cooker lid securely.
up even it is half locked. Hawkins cooker will not work if it
It has been our experience that consumers complain to us
is half locked. In my case, the cover of my Prestige pressure
and to the manufacturers but then do not wait for the issue
cooker was half locked by mistake. After a few minutes of
to be resolved all the way through and accept individual setputting it on fire, due to high pressure lock slipped back and
tlement offered by the manufacturer. This works for individual
lid came out and the cooker exploded.
consumers but does not help the issue to get resolved. It is
Since the Prestige cooker is an ISI marked product, I wrote
we feel part of consumer responsibility to help get the comto them that the design is faulty but before making further
plaint addressed, so that manufacturers improve the product
correspondence, manufacturers representative visited my
and consumer safety is assured. We are here to support
house and they replaced the cooker with brand new cooker
valid consumer complaints and take it up with
with accessories with a request not to follow the case further.
involved stakeholders on behalf
It appears that the manufacturer knows this problem.
of consumers.
Kurian

Consumer voice

Editorial
The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing
which stands in the way... William Blake
I travel along certain routes, everyday, on my way to office. I am familiar with trees that
line the streets and their flowering and fruiting seasons and the birds that nest on electric
poles or the stray moth or butterfly that hovers, even at peak traffic time during spring,
on the Gulmohar or the Amaltaas. Over the years all of us have been witness to mass
butchering of trees, vanishing fields and disappearing cattle, but the one that turned my
stomach last week, was the spectacle of an avenue of mutilated and murdered Neem trees,
with a girth of at least 6 to 8 feet. They lay decimated while people were busy chopping and
cutting, tying and bundling the wood. The wealth of green Neem leaves lay squandered on the road, where the
rushing roadside traffic crushed them.
Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, tells the story of Sher, a tiny village in Tibet, which has survived
for a thousand years. It is true sustainability, when a village can survive that long in its ecosystem, despite its
precarious location on a narrow shelf along a steep mountainside. This village gets just three inches of precipitation
a year, of which, every drop is gathered into a traditional irrigation system. Annual temperatures average near
freezing and in winter the mercury can dip further. Locally spun and woven wool from the local sheeps extra-thick
coat makes clothes and blankets that help villagers get through the excruciatingly cold winters.
The stone-and-wattle houses need to be repaired, and willow trees planted along the irrigation canals provide
the roofing. Whenever a branch is cut for roofing, a new one is grafted to the tree. A willow tree lasts around
four hundred years, and when one dies a new one is planted. Human waste is recycled as fertilizer for herbs,
vegetables, and fields of barley or the local staple, tsampa. Root vegetables are stored for the winter, as in many
hilly regions of India.
Goleman thinks of the brand of wisdom that has kept that tiny Himalayan village alive for these centuries as
ecological intelligence, Ecological intelligence lets us apply what we learn about how human activity impinges on
ecosystems so as to do less harm and to live sustainably in our niche these days the entire planet.
Modern life diminishes such skills and wisdom. The routines of our daily lives are completely disconnected
from their adverse impacts on the world around us. Yet at the same time the global reach of industry and
commerce means that the impacts of how we shop and live extend to the far corners of the planet. Consumption
today, destroys natural resources at a rate that far exceeds our planets carrying capacity.
The threats surrounding us demand that we hone a new sensibility and the capacity to recognize the hidden
web of connections between human activity and natures systems. This awakening must result in a collective eye
opening, a shift in our most basic assumptions and perceptions, one that will drive changes in commerce and
industry as well as in our individual actions and behaviours.
The Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner reinvented the way we think about IQ by identifying several other
varieties of intelligence besides the ones that help us to survive in a competitive world. These other intelligences
allow us to collectively adapt to the challenges we face as a species.
Modern technologies and our dependence on a world supported by them have blunted our survival skills and
destroyed the networks of dependence, created through generations of local wisdom that lets native peoples
find ways to live in harmony with their part of the planet. Collaboration and the exchange of information are vital
to amassing the essential ecological insights and necessary database that may allow us to act for the greater
good.
When it comes to our collective ecological goals, the rules, according to Goleman might boil down to:
Knowing your impacts, favouring improvements and sharing what you learn.
Ecological intelligence today must translate to an awareness of the true consequences of what we do and
buy, and then help all of us make conscientiously balanced choices, and to share what we learn.
The shared nature of ecological intelligence makes it synergistic with social intelligence, which gives us the
capacity to coordinate and harmonize our efforts. We have to acquire a new sensitivity to an unfamiliar range of
threats and learn what to do about them. Thats where ecological intelligence enters the picture.
If each of us follows those three simple rules, then together we might create a force that improves the future
for all humanity. Signs of this shift in collective consciousness are amply visible in the global efforts towards
exploring how to evolve sustainable approaches to consumption.

March 2010

(Roopa Vajpeyi)
Editor

Consumer voice

Comparative Test

Microwaves

Ovens or Hot cases

Today no urban kitchen is considered complete without a microwave oven. A convenient gadget
to heat or re-heat food in a hurry or make instant snacks like popcorn etc. Working urban
women find microwave ovens very handy. However, microwaves can cause safety concerns like
sparking, short-circuits etc. Health concerns like radiation leakage also nag consumer minds. Our
test of 11 brands of microwave ovens brings you a complete report.

icrowave ovens are now increasingly being used by the

masses. The demand for microwave
ovens has been increasing day by
day. These are available in different
sizes starting from 11 liters, but the
most commonly sold microwaves
ranges from 2030 liters capacity.
Microwaves not only cook or
heat food, they can be also used for
various purposes. Keeping all those
requirements in mind, Consumer
VOICE tested 11 brands of the microwave ovens of convection type.
This is the first time ever you can
see a microwave test in India.
Consumers will be surprised to
know that Indian brands beat the
imported brands in the test!

March 2010

In the overall quality, performance and safety tests, Kenstar,

Videocon and Panasonic topped.
Panasonic was expensive among
all the brands tested but is still a
good buy.
Safety Issues: All the brands
passed in radiation leakage test
since no significant amount of Microwave leakage was observed.
Kenstar, Videocon, Panasonic,
Onida, Electrolux, Godrej, Whirlpool and Samsung were the safest among all, thus consumer can
rely upon their usage for years.

Consumer voice

Brand & Model of Indian/MNC Brands

Microwave Ovens & Ranks

Overall Score, %

1. KENSTAR OM 25DCE Indian

81.32

2. VIDEOCON EC2275S Indian

81.23

3. PANASONIC NN-C 784 MF

MNC

81.03

4. SAMSUNG CE 1031L

MNC

78.85

5. ONIDA Power Convection 25 XL Indian

78.70

6. ELECTROLUX EM25EC85 SL

MNC

77.85

7. GODREJ GMC E 09 MRGX Indian

77.47

8. LG MC 7688 DP

MNC

77.03

9. WHIRLPOOL Magicook 25C

MNC

76.67

10. IFB 25 SC2

MNC

76.48

11. HAIER HR 25EC

MNC

75.15

Comparative Test
Capacity
v/s
Usable
Cavity Volume: The gross volume
for which the microwave ovens are
rated is not the volume that can be
utilized for any of the functions of
the microwave oven. It is the usable volume that is useful for consumers; which is atleast 37% less
than the rated volume. Larger the
disc/rotating disc area, higher the
usable volume of a microwave
oven. Electrolux has the largest
usable volume (63.8%) followed by
Panasonic (63.5%), LG (63.0%)
and Samsung (61.25%), as compared to others. Brands Haier, Godrej, IFB and Onida had the lowest usable cavity volume. Brands
tested declared their overall capacities were almost same, but usable
cavity volumes were not declared
by any of the brands.

Performance Tests
VOICE conducted various performance tests namely cooking
(Egg Custard, Cakes and Minuted
Meat), Uniform Heating and Defrosting primarily. The tests revealed that brands Kenstar, and
Videocon were the top performers. IFB and Onida were the lowest performers amongst the brands
tested.

Cooking Performances

Key Findings
No significant microwave leakage found, thus all are safe.
Usable cavity volume of the actual volume consumer gets to use microwave ovens
as compared to gross volume.
Microwaves are the most efficient kitchen appliance in terms of time and power
consumption as per the gas consumption.
Brand Kenstar is cheapest amongst all brands tested and is the intelligent buy in
terms of overall performance followed by Videocon.
LG performed well in this parameter followed by Haier, Godrej
kenstar and Videocon. IFB and
Panasonic were lower performers.
Cake: To evaluate heating
(baking) uniformity of a cylindrical, thick, expanding food a Cake
was cooked in the microwave ovens as per method provided in Indian standard. Godrej performed
well in this parameter followed by
Kenstar and LG. Whirlpool, Samsung, and 'Haier' were mediocre
performers.
Minuted Mutton: The test
was conducted to evaluate cooking
uniformity of thick minuted mutton. In this test, brand Electrolux
performed the best, followed by
Samsung Godrej and 'Panasonic'.
IFB and Kenstar were the lower
performers.
Defrosting: Test was conducted to evaluate the uniformity
of defrosting of a thick food item
(minced meat). Brands LG, Panasonic, Onida and Electrolux performed quite well respectively.

Minuted Mutton test

Uniform Heating Test: The

equal distribution of EM (electric
magnetic) wave was used to heat
the liquid, having 25 small cubicles
of a tank, to judge whether the
temperature difference among the
tanks not exceeding 20o C. Samsung performed highest followed
by brands Kenstar and Videocon.
Brands Onida and IFB were left

Heating Performances
The purpose of this test is to
evaluate the temperature evenness
and heating time, when the oven
is used for heating beverages, as
most of the consumers use microwave ovens for heating purpose.
They just heat their food in it. Panasonic and Kenstar performed
exceedingly well in this parameter.
Ease of Use: In terms of Convenience and Ease of use, which is
very vital for consumers for a long
lasting use of this appliance, most of
the brands were very convenient to
use & maintain except brand Haier
that was difficult as compared to
others. But brands Samsung & Panasonic were quit simple to operate
& use. Brand Onida and Panasonic
has given a colorful & comprehensive Recipe cooking book enabling
for regular/specific cooking applications especially Onida for Indian
foods.
Input Power: Input power is
the power drawn by an electrical
appliance for its normal operation
for which it is designed & rated. Input Power was measured in microwave, grill and convection modes
where most of the brands didnt
meet these requirements ( 10%
of declared value). LG performed
highest among the brands tested
followed by Whirlpool and Godrej.

Consumer voice

March 2010

Egg Custard Test: To evaluate

the cooking uniformity of a large
rectangular piece of food, with
moderate thickness, egg custard
was chosen to carry out the test.

behind in terms of uniform heating

tests.

Comparative Test
Radiation Hazards
Microwave ovens should be so
designed that excessive microwave
leakage is prevented. The microwave leakage should not exceed 5
mW/cm2.
All the brands passed this important safety test. Kenstar, Videocon,
Panasonic, Onida, Electrolux, Godrej
and Whirlpool were found safest to
use. There was minor leakage in LG
and Haier but within limits.
Power Output: In terms of power output Videocon and Onida have
performed at par/very close to their
rated power. Whirlpool was lowest
among all, in terms of power output.

Noise Level Test: Microwave

ovens should not produce any excessive and unusual noise. 'Haier',
'Kenstar' and 'Panasonic' had higher noise among the brands tested.
'LG' & 'Godrej' were less noisy followed by Videocon.
Efficiency: Except Videocon,
IFB, Onida, Panasonic and Samsung, all the brands had efficiency
at less than 50% level. Efficiency
was measured between the microwave power output v/s their
rated powers. None of brands
tested declared its efficiency. Videocon (62.96%) followed by Onida
(52.52%) and Samsung (51.74%)

Useful Microwave Ovens

Microwave ovens are generally used for time efficiency, rather than for cooking
quality, although some modern recipes prepared in microwave ovens rival recipes
using traditional ovens and stoves.
People, who want fast cooking, can use microwave ovens to prepare food or to
reheat stored food (including pre-cooked frozen dishes) in only a few minutes.
Microwave Ovens can also be used to defrost items that will later be cooked by
traditional methods, cutting the time it takes to defrost foods naturally.
Roasting can be done easily in microwaves.
It is faster than conventional methods of cooking.
Nutrients are retained in the food. Protein foods dont brown when cooked in a
microwave. This reduced oxidation means that nutrients like vitamin A and E are
less likely to be destroyed.
Food heated quickly in a microwave retains more nutrients than foods kept hot for
a long time, such as those simmered on a stove.
Potentially dangerous micro-organisms in food tend to thrive in temperatures
between 5C and 60C. When you use a microwave oven, food can be thawed,
cooked and served quickly. So it spends less time in the dangerous temperature
zone.
It is also economical to use Microwave ovens as even a most time consuming
recipe of minced meat could be cooked in 30 35 mts. Chicken and Fish Curry
could take about 25% less time. Overall, it still takes lesser time as compared to
cooking on Gas stove etc.
No Frying/Smoking/Fuming takes place so it is a relatively clean form of cooking.

March 2010

Very convenient to use as microwave cooking gives no smoke/fumes and spillage

during cooking of boiled items.
Microwave costing requires least consumption of cooking oils/fats as no frying is
involved.
It will always serve you hot and ready food since some key cooking test were conducted and found to be quite useful.

Consumer voice

Cake test
gave the higher efficiency as compared to others and with Electrolux
(44.66%) and Whirlpool (45.7%)
gave lower efficiency among all the
brands tested.
Endurance Test: The door
system, hinges, microwave seals
and other associated parts, should
withstand wear as expected in normal use. Compliance was checked
by subjecting the door system to
a total of 10,000 cycles. All microwaves passed in this test.
Other Tests: The compliance was checked for other safety
tests i.e. protection against electric
shocks, electrical strength, Stability
and Mechanical hazards where all
the brands passed. However, leakage current was higher in Godrej,
Whirlpool, Samsung and Electrolux
microwave oven which is not good
as users may suffer shock during
operation.

The Test
The comparative testing was
done for Microwave Ovens of convention type. The testing was carried out in an independent accredited laboratory as per our finalized
test programme mainly based on
relevant Indian standard IS: 11676
and related standards. Brand tested
were mainly of 25 liters capacity or
nearest capacity available.

What is a Microwave Oven?

Microwave Oven is an appliance
that cooks food by means of high-

Comparative Test
Think before buying:
If you want to buy a new microwave oven, youve probably discovered that the range
of models and options can be confusing. What is the best size and power capacity for
your needs?
Consider the capacity according to your requirements such as family size, social pattern and the usage profile: whether you would use just for heating food, baking, or
grilling. Also consider the type of foods you would like to cook.
frequency electromagnetic radiation.
It is relatively a small box like oven
that raises the temperature of food
by subjecting it to a high-frequency
electromagnetic field.
The microwaves are absorbed
by water, fats, sugars, and certain
other molecules, in the food being
cooked whose resulting vibrations
produce heat. The heating thus
occurs inside the food, without
warming the surrounding air. This
process greatly reduces cooking
time. Baking and other tasks that
may require an hour or more in a
conventional oven, can be completed
in minutes in a microwave oven.
There are three basic types of
microwave oven available in the
market:
1. Standard: These heat only
with microwaves and can be used
for all sorts of everyday tasks such
as defrosting, reheating and general
cooking.
2. Microwave with a Grill:
This is a microwave with a grilling
option, which allows browning
and crisping of the food after its
cooked.

This is a microwave, grill, and

convection oven rolled into one.

Microwave Radiation
Leakage: Myth or Reality
Our rigorous testing has
established that there was no
major microwave radiation leakages
found before, during and after the
various performance tests. Also on
completion of 10000 times opening
& closings of oven door during
endurance, test there was no
radiation leakage thus all qualify to
be safe for in-house kitchen usage
even for over 6-10 years of regular
use.
Depending on the model you
buy, a microwave oven can:
Brown, roast, and grill foods
like a conventional oven
Prepare specific recipes using a
pre-programmed touch keypad

4. Do not operate the oven with a

kitchen towel or a napkin, always
use gloves when removing dish
from oven.
5. Do not rinse the turntable by
placing it in water just after
cooking.
6. Do not cook eggs in their shell
as these will explode.
7. Do not attempt deep fat frying
in your oven.
8. Remove the plastic wrapping
from food before defrosting.
9. If smoke is observed, switch
off or disconnect the oven from
the power supply and keep the
oven door closed.
10. Liquid or other foods must not
be heated in sealed containers.
11. Do not cover the ventilation
slots.
12. Read
instruction
manual
carefully before use supplied by
manufacturer.
13. Avoid or use Minimum amount
of aluminium foil for cooking
wrapped food.

Cook entire meals without

overheating your kitchen
Automatically shut off when a
sensor determines the food is
done.

Safety Precautions
1. Look for Microwave specific
cookware.
2. Never use metal
trimmed utensils
microwave oven.

March 2010

3. Combination: This is a
normal oven, which heats with
microwaves, also by convection
(Convection - heat is supplied
by an electric element and a fan
that circulates heated air around
the food, just as in an ordinary
convection oven).

In the convection mode, hot air is

circulated through the oven cavity
with the help of a fan, which bakes,
browns and delivers the crispy
food. Convection microwaves are
more expensive than conventional
microwave ovens.

3. Do not operate oven when

empty (except Prep-heat mode)
it is best to leave a glass of
water in the oven when not
in use. The water will safely
absorb all microwave energy, if
the oven is accidentally started.

or metal
in your

Egg custard test

Consumer voice

10

Consumer voice

28

28

28

25

25

25

26

25

25

25

Videocon

Panasonic

Samsung

Onida

Electrolux

Godrej

LG

Whirlpool

IFB

Haier

9500/8900

11900/10600

10000/9700

10490/9500

9490/9200

10990/8000

9490/9300

10990/9800

15990/14500

8290/8000

9990/8000

MRP./Retail
Price, Rs.

6.2

6.1

6.8

5.9

6.3

6.7

6.1

6.1

Packaging,
Marking &
Finish

4.47

4.67

4.17

4.04

4.68

4.5

4.36

4.5

4.47

4.62

Ease
of
use &
Dimensions

2.0

2.12

2.24

2.52

2.0

2.72

2.16

2.50

2.68

2.32

2.52

Usable
cavity volume*

1.43

1.64

1.63

1.83

1.81

1.56

1.62

1.64

1.53

1.71

1.47

Noise
level

Physical & General Tests, 18%

4.32

5.6

3.51

5.8

Radiation
leakage;
Radio
& TV
Interfere

12.14

12.27

12.69

12.78

13.12

12.27

13.02

13.03

12.94

13.05

12.43

16

Microwave
power
output;
Input
&
Standby
power

4.06

5.69

3.5

5.36

3.2

3.7

5.8

3.63

5.08

5.44

5.47

Protection
against
electric
shock; IR
& Leakage
Current
at OT, IR
& Electric
Strength

2.29

2.67

2.35

2.38

2.38

2.63

2.55

2.04

2.58

2.23

2.77

Temp.
rise &
Moisture
resistance

Safety Tests, 38%

Endurance;
Stability &
Mech.
Hazard

2.79

3.06

2.74

2.86

2.90

2.67

3.15

3.10

3.02

3.77

2.98

Efficiency

8.66

5.96

8.22

7.26

7.47

7.93

6.01

9.27

7.75

9.11

8.97

12

Uniform
heating

2.65

3.75

3.45

2.73

2.20

3.27

3.61

3.40

3.82

3.59

3.80

Heating

13.58

12.69

13.10

14.24

14.55

14.18

13.52

12.94

13.29

13.60

13.83

18

Cooking

Performance Tests, 44%

COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE SCORE OF MICROWAVE OVENS

, 71-90- Good
, 51-70- Average
, 31-50- Poor
, upto 30 Very Poor
Rating: >90 Very good
Note: The above scores are based on the actual performance w.r.t. assigned weightage.
*The usable cavity volume was the actual optimum usable space of the rotating glass disc that was considered for evaluation.
Cooking performances were conducted on 3 types of foods namely Egg Custard, Cake and minced Meat to judge
various defined merits/demerits.
Uniform Heating (Single square tank, Double square tank & Multiple cups test) was conducted in square tank setup to measure & verify temperature differences
and uniformity of heating within a liquid load.
Heating performance was to judge & evaluate the temperature evenness while heating the liquids.

25

Capacity ,
liters

Kenstar

Weightage,%

Brands

Parameters

March 2010

3.36

3.16

3.48

3.64

3.36

3.52

3.60

3.00

3.64

2.84

3.36

Defrost

74.75

76.48

76.67

77.15

77.47

77.85

78.70

78.85

81.03

81.23

81.32

100

Overall
score,
%

Comparative Test

Comparative Test

Creamy
Delicacies
I

ce cream is an enormously popular food. These are actually purchased based on consumers preferences, choices and needs. Consumer
VOICE chooses family pack size of
about 1 litre for comparative testing.
To make people aware about the ice
creams, Consumer VOICE took 11
brands of the most popular flavour,
i.e. Vanilla. For evaluation of these
brands based on National Standards, other consumer expectations
and inherent substances normally
found in its raw material, we finalized the test programme considering various key parameters. The Ice
cream brands were gone through
the microbiological and sensory
tests to judge the consumer acceptability of product.
The microbiological parameters
covered pathogenic and other bacterial contamination tests, which
were conducted to judge the quality of ice cream in term of microbial safety. It has been found that 3
brandsNirulas, Vadilal and Verka could not qualify to be fully acceptable from microbiological safety
point of view.

The Ice-cream Scoop

ery books. However, few people

know why certain ingredients and
a time consuming preparation process are required. The answer is that
ice cream is an extremely complex,
intricate and delicate substance.
In term of inherent quality of
the products, in respect of various
key parameters, brand Amul fulfills all the requirement on quality
and safety, and is top performer
followed by brand Heritage and
Metro. Brands Kwality Walls and
Vadilal after examining their labels. It was noticed that these
brands are actually frozen desserts,
thus these brands (were deviating
from labeling requirement) should
distinctly mark on label and recommend to those who are restricted to
consume milk fat and protein.

mass in term of its volume. Thus,

low value for money consumers
gets especially if you compare with
the traditional kulfis made of boiled
milk. About total fat, brand Mother
Dairy was the top performer indicating high level of milk cream
contents. In term of taste that attracts most of the consumers about
this product, brands Amul, MTR
Cream Bell and Verka were the
tastier among all the brands but
brands Kwality Walls, Vadilal and
Nirulas were less tasty. In overall
performance, brands Amul,
Metro, Heritage and MTR
are recommended
b e s t

Sweet and Creamy

Since ice creams are emulsified and whipped with air, due to
which their ratio between volumes
by weight is more and consumers
get just over 50% of the whole

March 2010

Most people are very familiar

with the appearance, taste and
texture of ice cream and there are
many recipes for making it in cook-

Who doesnt want to have ice creams? From the age

of 5 years to the age of 80 years, everyone loves ice
creams and in any season. Ice creams are sold in many
varieties of packaging variants and flavours across the
world. After a survey, Consumer VOICE revealed that
the most selling variant and common variety is Vanilla
flavour. Consumer VOICE tested 9 famous brands of
ice creams and 2 desserts of Vanilla flavour.

Consumer voice

11

Comparative Test
for consumption. Brands Nirulas,
Vadilal and Verka are advised to
go for preventive steps to minimize
microbial contaminants to take care
of their production and supply chain
to avoid recurrence and thus care
for human safety.

Over-run (fluffing) in Ice

Cream
The determination of over-run
in frozen and hardened ice cream is
a complex problem to solve because
the weight of mix is unknown and
has to be determined. The overrun in ice cream depends upon the
amount of air whipped into the mix,
during the freezing process.

Volume v/s Weight of IceCreams

As per the Indian Standards,
net weight of ice cream and frozen
dessert should be minimum 525
gm/litre and for medium fat frozen
dessert, it should be minimum 475
gm/litre. However, brands Baskin

The Difference

Ice cream is a frozen dairy product prepared by suitable blending and processing
of cream and other dairy products together
with sugar and flavour, with or without
stabilizers or colour, and with the incorporation of air during the freezing process.

Frozen Dessert means the product obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix prepared with milk fat and edible vegetable
oils & fats having a melting point of not
more than 37oC in combination.

Robbins, Kwality Walls and Heritage were found underweight.

Brand Amul topped in terms of
weight/volume (620gms/1000ml).

Brief of Key Parameters

Moisture: This generally refers to the presence of water and
should be minimum. But brand
Kwality Walls was found with a
higher moisture content, among all
the tested brands.
Milk Fat: Butter-fat or milk
fat is the fatty portion of milk. Ice
cream consists of milk fat. The fat
component adds richness of flavour, contributes to a smooth texture with creamy body and good
meltdown, and adds lubrication to
the palate as it is consumed.
Frozen dessert consists of vegetable fat instead of milk fat. Vegetable fats are used extensively as
fat sources in frozen dessert.

March 2010

Ice Creams

Rank

Amul

Metro

Heritage

Mother Dairy

MTR

Verka

Cream Bell

Baskin Robbins

Nirulas

Frozen Desserts
Kwality Walls

Vadilal

12

Consumer voice

The value of milk fat in ice

cream and vegetable oil / fat in
frozen dessert should not be less
than 10% and in case of medium
fat frozen dessert, it should be in
between 510%. The test shows
brand Mother Dairy has the highest total fat percentage, whereas,
brand Heritage was found to be
the lowest amongst all.
Protein: These modify the
texture of the ice cream and frozen dessert in other ways, making
it chewier, and giving it body. Proteins also help to emulsify the fats,
keeping the fat globules suspended
in the mix.

Acidity as Lactic Acid: Acidity of a packaged product is related

to the shelf life of the product. If
acidity (lactic acid) is lower than the
minimum limit, microbes may grow,
will allow contamination of the
product, and reduce the shelf life of
the product. All the brands conform
the maximum limit in the test.
Sucrose: This ingredient gives
sweet taste and uniform texture to
the product. Besides thick density,
it also acts as a preservative. The
sugars give the product its characteristic sweetness and palatability and enhance the perception of
various fruit flavours. Brand Metro
was found with higher sucrose and
brand Nirulas was found with lower sucrose content, in the test.
Synthetic Colour: Colour is
one of the main reasons why people
enjoy the ice cream. A food colour
is substance that is added to food
product to change its colour. Except
brands Baskin Robbins and Nirulas, all the brands were free from
synthetic colour, which is good for
consumer.
Saccharine: It is an artificial
sweetener. It has effectively no
food energy and is much sweeter
than sucrose, but has an unpleasant bitter or metallic aftertaste,
especially at high concentrations.
Each brand passed this test, as no
brand is added with saccharine.
Vegetable Fat: Vegetable fats
and oils are lipid materials derived
from plants. Ice cream expected to
be free from vegetable fat. How-

Comparative Test
count more than the limit thus not
safe for consumption.

Key Findings
Brand 'Amul' topped the overall test and is
good to buy for consumers.
Brand Amul and MTR were found excellent in sensory panel test.
Brand Amul gave max amount of IceCream in terms of volume by weight i.e. 620
gms/ltr. All the other remaining brands are below 600 gms/ltr.
All the brands were free from Saccharine & vegetable fat.
All the brands were free from pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus,
Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria monocytogens. But the brands Nirulas, Vadilal
and Verka had Anaerobic spore count and Coliform count more than the maximum permissible limit thus not safe for consumption.
Brands Baskin Robbins, Kwality Walls and Heritage were found underweight.
Brand Cream Bell, Nirulas, Vadilal Verka and 'Mother Dairy' were found
with higher yeast & mould count.
Brand Cream Bell and 'Nirula's' were found with standard plate count higher
than the maximum limit.
Except brands Baskin Robbins and Nirulas no other brand was found with
added synthetic colour.

As per the Indian Standard total plate count in ice cream should
not be more than 2.5x105. Brand
Cream Bell and Nirulas did not
meet the requirement and found
with total plate count more than
the maximum limit.
Yeast and Mould Count:
Brands Cream Bell, Nirulas, Vadilal, Verka and 'Mother Dairy' were
found with highest yeast and mould
count, which should be absent.

Good for Consumers

All the brands tested, were
found to be free from, artificial
sweeteners, vegetable fats, transfat, starch, gelatin etc.

Ice Cream Facts

Brand Baskin Robbins had the best packing and got highest weightage.

The amount of fat and air in the ice

cream determines its quality.

Brand MTR was packed with a lowest quality of packing material among all the
brands tested.

Super Premium ice creams have

16% fat.

Brand Cream Bell and Vadilal did not mention volume.

Average ice creams have 12%

14% fat.

Brand Baskin Robbins did not mention MRP on their packing.

Cheap ice creams have upto 50%

air.
ever, frozen dessert consists of vegetable fat instead of milk fat.
Trans Fat: Trans Fatty acids
are unsaturated fatty acids. Just like
saturated fats, they also raise the
level of bad cholesterol in blood. All
the brands were free from trans fat.

Standard Plate Count: Microbiological contamination is a very

serious issue for all food products.
We conducted this test for Standard
Plate count, Yeast & Mould, Coliform count, S. aureus, Salmonella,
Shigella, Listeria monocytogenes
and Anaerobic spore count. Microorganisms are responsible for
many foods born disease. Due to
improper or poor hygienic condition
during processing of ice cream, microorganisms occur in the finished
product. Brands Nirulas, Vadilal
and Verka had Anaerobic spore

General rule: The heavier the ice

cream the better it will be - because it has less air added.
When buying ice cream, if you
want to compare ice creams - compare the weight. Ice cream can be
sold at a lower price when a greater amount of the ice cream is just
air!
When making ice cream at home,
be sure to read and be familiar
with the directions for your particular appliance.
The faster the freeze, the smoother
the texture of the ice cream.
Never let ice cream melt and refreeze.
Store ice cream covered so it does
not absorb flavors from other
foods.

Consumer voice

13

March 2010

Cholesterol: Cholesterol plays

a central role in many biochemical
processes, which is best known for
the association of cardiovascular
disease. Cholesterol especially bad
one also increasing the risk of nervous system problems, brain synapse
connectivity, gall bladder stones
and perhaps even cancer. These
cholesterols are inherently found
in the milk fats processed from animal milk. Brand Mother Dairy was

found with higher cholesterol content however brand Kwality Walls

was found with lower quantity of
cholesterol.

14

Consumer voice

1
1
1
1
4
1
16
18
100

1
1
1
1
3.14
1
15.86
16.31
87.78

99/1008
9.82
2.6
4.5

6.33
9.02
2.42
6.96
6.16
1.91
4.57
2

Amul

1
1
1
1
3.61
1
15.16
15.05
85.84

58/525
11.04
2.6
4.5

5.35
8.9
2.41
6.95
7.14
1.65
4.52
2

Metro

1
1
1
1
3.44
1
15.5
15.14
85.54

90/650
13.84
2.6
4.5

2.57
10.86
2.7
5.25
7.48
1.84
5.66
2

Heritage

1
1
1
1
2.8
1
13.3
15.44
84.89

99/657
15.06
2.6
4.5

4.61
9.84
2.54
7.03
7.46
1.65
5.12
2

Mother
Dairy

1
1
1
1
3.6
1
15.2
16.45
84.45

70/525
13.33
2.5
4.5

4.64
8.58
2.36
5.76
6.3
1.84
4.72
2

MTR

1
1
1
1
3.14
1
12.3
15.16
82.35

60/540
11.11
2.6
4.5

5.8
9.26
2.46
6.64
6.38
1.82
4.29
2

Verka

1
1
1
1
3
1
11.6
15.77
81.45

99/485
20.41
2.8
4

5.22
9.44
2.48
6.39
6.7
1.3
4.75
2

Cream
Bell

Rating: >90 Very good

, 71-90- Good
, 51-70- Average
, 31-50- Poor
, upto 30 Very Poor
Note: The above scores are based on the actual performance w.r.t. assigned weightage.
*Sensory panel tests include Taste & odour, Body & texture, Colour & appearance and overall accepatability parameters.
**Microbiological tests include Standard Plate Count, Yeast & Mould, Coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Shigella.

Starch
Vegetable Fat
Gelatin
Trans Fat
Cholesterol
Phosphatase Test
Microbiological Tests**
Sensory Panel Tests*
Overall Score

Saccharin

Wt.%

3
5

7
12
3
8
8
2
6
2

Brand

Ice Cream

1
1
1
1
3.2
1
15.93
14.79
81.23

3416/2100
162.66
2.9
4

3.86
8.94
2.41
6.59
3.24
1.61
5.82
1.94

Baskin
Robbins

1
1
1
1
3.33
1
9.5
14.67
77.79

125/263
47.52
2.9
4.5

5.43
9.4
2.48
6.63
4.49
1.91
4.63
1.92

Nirulas

COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE SCOre OF Ice creams & Desserts

MRP, Rs./Weight, gm
Unit value per 100 gm, Rs
Packing
Marking
Physico-chemical
Net Weight/Volume
Total Solids
Moisture
Total Fat
Protein
Acidity
Sucrose
Synthetic Colour

Parameters

March 2010

1
1
1
1
3.8
1
16
14.26
81.39

99/600
16.5
2.6
4.5

3.75
8.46
1.95
7.66
4.3
1.3
4.81
2

Kwality
Walls

1
1
1
1
3.62
1
10.2
14.26
77.64

80/390
20.51
2.6
4

4.62
8.52
2.35
5.22
6.68
1.91
5.66
2

Vadilal

Frozen Dessert

Comparative Test

User Test

Antibacterial Soap

No Protection

Urban consumer, out and about, has anxieties about touching

or coming into contact with various surfaces during the day
and picking up germs or bacteria along the way. Hand
washing, in any case is an Indian habit that has stood us in
good stead, but now with pandemics being the order of the
day, a more rigorous hand washing routine is seen as a must.
Most companies are cashing in on this and pushing a variety of
hand wash, anti bacterial, germ combating soaps and
liquids into the market and consumer homes. It was observed
in the VOICE office washroom that most people avoided using
soap cakes, because these were perceived to be unclean as a
number of users were constantly putting them to use. However,
when these were replaced with liquid hand wash, everybody felt
that it was a comparatively more sanitary product. Consumer
VOICE tested 8 brands of anti bacterial liquid handwash.

With all current concerns

about bird flu and now H1N1
not to mention a desire to avoid
the common cold and intestinal
complaintsits tempting to reach
for the soap labeled antibacterial
the next time you hit the super-

Antibacterial Soap No
Protection from Swine Flu
The ingredients in antibacterial
soaps triclosan or triclocarban
have some serious toxicity concerns.
These chemicals pollute rivers and
streams, are toxic to wildlife, can
enter and accumulate in peoples
bodies, and disrupt hormone systems
(triclosan interferes with thyroid
hormone, whereas triclocarban has
a testosterone-like effect).

Triclosan Use is Bad

Triclosan is a toxic pesticide
thats marketed as an antibacterial
agent but is powerful enough
to threaten childrens health and
pollute mothers breast milk.
According to a study by
researchers at the non-profit
Environmental Working Group
(EWG), triclosan has been linked
to cancer in lab animals. Triclosan
disrupts the endocrine system by
blocking the tadpoles and dolphins
developments.
The bottom line is: Dont use
antibacterial soaps! Do wash your

Consumer voice

15

March 2010

ost consumer goods with

antibacterial
properties,
marketed
aggressively,
are
unnecessary, and may even
contribute to antibiotic-resistant
super germs. Its better to avoid
them.

market shelves. Sales of antibacterial

hand soaps and antiseptic hand
gels have been soaring in recent
years with aggressive company
marketing.

User Test
hands frequently with regular
soap and water, and do use hand
sanitizers when youre not near a
sink!
Its useful to remember that
triclosan, like other pesticides, is a
poison. Its poisonous to bacteria.
We may be far removed from
bacteria, way up in the evolutionary
branches of life, but the common
chemistry of living things means
that chemicals that affect one form
of life often affect others too.
Why is triclosan used so widely?
People buy it. And marketers sell
it. The markets worth is estimated
at $1 billion in the US alone and
now the increasing popularity of
this product amongst consumers
can mean more earnings for the
industry by putting consumer and
environmental health at risk.
Broad-spectrum antiseptics like
alcohol kill bacteria in a completely
different way than triclosan does.
Since alcohol kills bacteria by
physically rupturing the cell wall
and many other components, its

The six basic claims for not using Triclosan in

consumer products:
Triclosan doesnt work in consumer products.
Triclosans widespread use increases the chances of harmful bacteria becoming
resistant to the drug.
Triclosan builds up in the body.
Triclosan may disrupt human hormones.
Triclosan can react with other chemicals to form dioxin and chloroform, which
are known to be toxic.
Triclosan contaminates water, affecting marine wildlife and ecosystems.
almost impossible for bacteria to
evolve resistance.

Whats a Concerned
consumer to Do?
Most experts agree that the best
way to prevent the transmission of
disease is to simply practice proper
hand-washing techniques with
plain soap and water. This means
washing with soap and warm water
for at least 20 seconds and drying
with a clean towel to further aid in
removing bacteria.

Hand gels/sanitizers
If water is not available, try an alcohol-based hand gel.
If used properly, these can be at least as effective as hand
washing in destroying bacteria and viruses for maximum
effectiveness of alcohol-based hand gels:
The hands must not be visibly soiled; otherwise, the
alcohol-based hand gel wont work as well.
The hand gel must contain between 60 and 70 percent
alcohol. (Look for one that also contains a moisturizer,
since alcohol can be very drying to the hands.)

March 2010

It takes the alcohol about 15 to 20 seconds to rupture the

bacterias cell wall. Therefore, you must use enough of the
gel that it takes at least 15 to 20 seconds of rubbing to dry;
otherwise, it wont be as effective.

16

Consumer voice

How We Tested?
We did a detailed survey of the
most-sold and most-used antibacterial liquid hand washes
easily available in the market.
We chose 8 brands most-sold,
and easily available in the Indian
market for our user tests.
We distributed samples of
different liquid hand washes to
different users and asked them
to compare.
Users were also provided with a
questionnaire.

User Test

Consumer Observation
Godrej Protekt: provides a choice in original,
blossom and citrus types, although ingredients
listed are the same and fragrance is not specified
except in its name on front label. Packaging looks
the same except in the colour of the plastic bottles.

liquid anti
purchased 8
E
IC
O
V
er
put them to
Consum
washes and
nd
g
ha
al
ri
te
bac
an interestin
s. There is
test by user hand washes available
uid
the
array of liq
found that
t. We have
ke
the
ar
m
ng
e
ri
th
in
e ente
r family ar
e.
products fo
al
sc
t on a large
Indian marke

Good Look: It has a transparent bottle and liquid but the colour is a turquoise
blue, which is the same as those of toilet cleaners, hence a little off putting for
most consumers. The packaging or the bottle shape is also a little inconvenient, as it
requires a lot of space on the hand basin. Calls itself Good Look but doesnt live
up to its name. The name is also not perceived to be appropriate to its function.
Dettol: bottle says Original, though other variations, if any are not easily available.
It also says 10 times better but doesnt specify than what. Dettol also has the
provision for the refill pack. This brand is seen as one of the trusted brand.
Lifebuoy: Like dettol, Lifebuoy is perceived as an old trusted brand of products.
It retains its colour range of red and white (other fragrances are available in other
colours). Thus, providing continuity of association in consumer minds. It has as
attractive differently shaped bottle as compared to most others. Also has provision
for a refill.
Savlon: Simple, no nonsense bottle claims to be just a "liquid handwash" for gentle
protection. Does not list any parabens. Also seen as a trusted brand.
Externa: Handwash claims to provide "germ defense" with triclo-activities, which
most consumers are not familiar with. Also, includes a cautionary note, unlike most
brands.
Palmolive: Palmolive has a fragrance similar to their shaving gel, which did not
find easy acceptance with female users. It has a transparent, attractive bottle with
transparent liquid, perceived by some users to be preferable to the creamy type.
Many consumers are similarly attracted to transparent cake soaps.

Consumer voice

March 2010

Santoor: Experiments with the bottle design and shape, but that does not
seem to add to its profile. Most consumers chose to discard it prior to
use and wanted brands that they are more familiar with in the
antibacterial range.

17

User Test
Antibacterial Liquid Handwash at a Glance
Price
(Rs.)

Label Claim

Comments

55

10 times better
protection against a
wide range of germs

No negative effect, fresh fragrance,

makes skin soft after use, less lather,
good colour, easy to apply, easy wash
off, excellent to use.

200ml

45

Proven protection
from germs with
goodness Neem &
lemongrass

Fresh fragrance, feel after use is soft,

no negative effect, sufficient lather,
easy to apply, easy wash off, good to
use.

Jhonson &
Jhonson Savlon
Liquid Handwash

250ml

55

Gentle protection

Skin becomes soft after use, fresh fragrance, sufficient lather, easy to apply,
easy wash off, very good in using.

Externa Hand
Wash

250ml

65

Germ defence, active

clean

Make skin soft after application, fresh

fragrance, no negative effect, sufficient
lather, good colour, easy to apply.

Wipro Santoor
Soft Hand Wash

250ml

55

Gentle moisturizing,
Germ protection,
Maintain skin pH
balance

Good packaging, no negative effect,

pleasant fragrance, makes skin soft
after use, good smell, easy to apply.

Godrej Protekt
Hand Wash

250ml

55

Anti bacterial, kills

germs

Fragrance is unpleasant, no fresh

feeling after wash, sufficient lather, no
negative effect, easy to apply.

Palmolive Naturals Liquid Hand

Wash

55

Remove germs

Good colour, easy to apply, pleasant

fragrance, attractive packaging but
harsh on the skin and not easy to
rinse off.

85

Good Look antibacterial liquid handwash

formulated for sensitive soft and gentle
hand. Combination
with triclosan to
protect skin and
intensive act against
dryness. Leaving
hands delicately
cared clean soft
and healthy, fruity
fragrance.

Attractive packaging, soothing fragrance, no negative effect, and texture

is sticky. Sufficient lather, not easy to
wash off.

S.No.

Name
Dettol Original
Liquid Hand
Wash
Lifebuoy Hand
Wash Care

Good Look Antibacterial Liquid

Handwash

Weight

250ml

250ml

500ml

Star Rating (Total 5):

March 2010

Safety

Excellent

Health

Very Good

Price/ Special Offers

User reviews-Fulfilling user explanation

Advertisement/ label claim: True or not

18

Consumer voice

Good

Average

Poor

Rating

Health

Bt Brinjal:
Temporary Relief

The questions about GM technology that are relevant to consumer safety, whether they be
farmers or average consumers are the concern of consumer organizations like VOICE. The very
first one of these is: Are genetically modified crops safe to consume , especially on a daily basis?
Are the current sources of research available for ready reference about the viability of GM foods,
trustworthy? In the absence of labelling how are consumers to choose between GM and the
indigenous varieties? Is it even possible to label hundreds of varieties of seasonal vegetables
available in the unorganized sector? and the most vital one: why brinjal of all the vegetables,
which is not only indigenous to India but currently, around 2500 varieties are grown across the
country. Brinjal is second only to the potato in terms of the total quantity produced.
What is Bt Brinjal?
Bt Brinjal is created by inserting
a gene from bacteria into Brinjal.

Controversy of Bt Brinjal:

astra Hybrid Seed Company Ltd.

(Mahyco). Monsanto, a USA company has 26% stake in Mahyco. All
the currently available information
is produced by these MNCs.
On October 14th, 2009 The
Genetic Engineering Approvals
Committee (GEAC) gave its observations on Bt Brinjal in following
terms: ..as this decision of the
GEAC has very important policy implication at the national level, the
GEAC decided its recommendation
for environmental release may be
put up to the Government for taking final view on the matter.

Another area of concern is that

as a general rule Genetically Modified (GM) crops should not be cultivated in the place of its origin, as
it could lead to the loss of original
varieties by cross pollination with
GM varieties. For brinjal India is the
country of origin.

Complete Report was uploaded

on the Ministry website for
public comments up to
December 31, 2009. During
January and February
2010
Shri
Jairam
Ramesh, Minister of
State (Independent
In
Charge)
of
Environment
and Forests held
consultations
in

Entry & Exit of Bt Brinjal:

Genetically Modified (GM) Bt
Brinjal was developed by Mahar-

On February 9th, 2010 Minister imposed a moratorium on the

release of Bt Brinjal, theme of his
decision is as follows:
India isnt the first country to
ban the use of genetically modified
foods. In 2008, Monsanto lost an
appeal in French courts against a
ban on GM corn.

March 2010

This is said to give the Brinjal

plant and the brinjal itself, an effective built-in protection against Shoot
Borer. These are factors which can
be addressed through more conventional means while concerns about
possible adverse impact on human
health, bio-safety of consumers,
biodiversity of nature and livelihoods
of farmers remain unanswered by
the current hype about the product.

different locations with scientists,

agriculture
experts,
farmers
organizations, consumer groups
and NGOs.

Consumer voice

19

Health
It is my duty to adopt a caunous, precaunonary principlebased approach and impose a
moratorium on the release of
Bt-brinjal, till such time independent scientific studies establish, to the satisfaction of both
the public and professionals,
the safety of the product from
the point of view of its longterm impact on human health
and environment, including the
rich genetic wealth existing in
brinjal in our country.

In May 2001, Sri Lanka also

banned the importation of genetically modified foods. Regulations
in Italy, Greece, France, Denmark
and Luxembourg have enforced de
facto moratoriums on Genetically
Modified Organisms (GMO), while
other countries in the European
Union have limited GMO field testing, imports and marketing.

nature. To minimize environmental

effects, and to reduce any effect
from naturallyoccurring genotypic
variation within a crop variety, each
trial site should be replicated. An
adequate number of plants should
be sampled and the methods of
analysis should be sufficiently sensitive and specific to detect variations
in key components.

Codex Alimentarius Guideline

for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant DNA Plants says The
location of trial sites should be representative of the range of environmental conditions under which the
plant varieties would be expected to
be grown. The number of trial sites
should be sufficient to allow accurate assessment of compositional
characteristics over this range.
Similarly, trials should be conducted
over a sufficient number of generations to allow adequate exposure
to the variety of conditions met in

Codex Alimentarius Guideline

for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant DNA Plants says The
location of trial sites should be representative of the range of environmental conditions under which the
plant varieties would be expected to
be grown. The number of trial sites
should be sufficient to allow accurate assessment of compositional
characteristics over this range. Similarly, trials should be conducted over
a sufficient number of generations
to allow adequate exposure to the
variety of conditions met in nature.
To minimize environmental effects,
and to reduce any effect from naturallyoccurring genotypic variation
within a crop variety, each trial site
should be replicated. An adequate
number of plants should be sampled and the methods of analysis
should be sufficiently sensitive and
specific to detect variations in key
components.
It appears that the current
standards by which the Genetic
Engineering Approvals Committee
(GEAC) has formulated the decision
to approve Bt-brinjal do not match
Codex norms. India is a member
country of Codex Alimentarius
Commission.

March 2010

Consumer VOICE supports the

moratorium on Bt brinjal for reasons of consumer and environmental safety and health.
Food Consultant:
Ashok Kanchan

20

Consumer voice

Contents

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Consumer voice

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21

Product Review

Oil Tradition
Now

In Shampoo
But will it work?
Find out...

Taking the Indian tradition of oiling hair before shampooing or washing them, Garnier
oil+shampoo aim to capture the Indian womans imagination. When Consumer VOICE decided
to focus on this product, there was much enthusiasm among its young workforce of working
women, overloaded, always in a hurry, but wanting to keep with trends and wanting to look
their best all day long. Hair is a big feminine issue, and most of us are familiar with bad
hair days. Frequent washing is however, perceived to cause hair damage, especially when not
preceded with the oil routine. The Garnier Fructis oil+shampoo appears to be a heaven sent
solution to hair woes. The Indian women also battles between the allure of long hair and short
manageable hair. Long hair requires complicated care routines and such a product was needed.
But is it going to be a successour story will tell.

March 2010

Age-old Tradition of Oiling

In the Indian tradition, a womens hair is considered her crowning glory. Women have historically
been identified with long, thick lustrous locks that cascade down to
their waist. Hair is associated with
strength and beauty. So what is the
secret of beautiful hair? In India,
oiling your hair and scalp always
precedes washing it. Many people
naturally associate the application
of oil with being greasy. Nothing
could be more untrue. Hair treat-

22

Consumer voice

ments using oil provide deep conditioning and help cleanse micro
dust particles that cause dandruff,
irritation, infections, and even
certain types of alopecia or hair
loss. Also, applying oil to the scalp
promotes relaxation, a process
which in itself is extremely important for healthy hair.

putting the health of their hair at

risk. Since ancient times in India,
there are few methods of reducing
white hair, hair loss and dandruff.
Hair oiling is a tradition in India
from many centuries. As a solution
for many hair problems, hair oiling
in India is a tradition still followed
by most women.

http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008
/08/12/beauty-secrets-from-indiaoiling-your-hair/

Hailing from Indias Ayurvedic

traditions, adding some drops of
bay and lavender essential oils to
some of sesame, almond, olive,
coconut, mustard, amla or soybean

In todays fast-moving world of

stress and multitasks, women are

Product Review
OIL Profile of Oil+ Shampoo
Avocado Oil: is a nourishing oil for the skin and hair. Avocado Oil is
said to be rich in essential and trace minerals and Vitamin A. Its properties and texture make it especially suitable for use in hair care. Due
to its aroma and thick, oily consistency, Avocado Oil is typically used
at a low ratio (highly diluted) in blends and formulations.
Source: http://www.aromaweb.com/vegetableoils/avocadooil.asp
Olive Oil: is routinely for hair and skin care. It is a favorite among all
the health conscious people. It has been widely used in soaps making
them mild and skin friendly. The customer is spoiled for choice, but the
labels on olive oil bottles can be quite confusing: extra virgin, virgin, 100 per cent olive oil, refined olive oil , pomace olive oil, and
so on. Virgin olive oils come only from the olive, by way of mechanical
or other physical means, under thermal conditions that do not alter
the oil in any way. Extra-virgin olive oil is most expensive and flavourful and is the highest quality of olive oil. Olive-Pomace oil come from
the ground flesh and pits left after pressing, and processing involves
use of solvents and other physical methods. The oil can be crude or
refined. The stuff marketed as Olive Pomace Oil is actually a blend of
refined olive pomace oil and virgin oils.
Source: http://beta.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/article109588.
ece
Shea Butter: lubricates and moisturizes the skin and hair, and improves elasticity while greatly reducing years of skin and hair damage.
The Shea Butter oils penetrate quickly, and are beneficial for hair,
scalp and skin.
Source: http://www.healthlifeline.com/servlet/the-Shea-Butter-Oil/
Categories
oil and massaging into your scalp
is beneficial to the health of your
hair. Scientifically, the purpose for
this practice is increasing the flow
of blood to the roots of your hair.
After using these oils, a wait of

about half an hour is recommended

before washing hair.

given to the users came up with a

mix of comments.

User Comments

Some users have long hair, they

said, I think this would not go for
me. I have long hair and after using this, I could feel dryness in my
hair. Using this shampoo makes
my hair unmanageable. We could
not use this shampoo, without hair
oiling.

Overall performance of the

shampoo Garnier Shampoo+Oil

How to oil our hair

Heat oil to a warm temperature before applying it on your hair
Make partitions while oiling your hair. Rub oil in each partition.
Massaging is more important than the quantity of oil you use
Massage with your fingers at least for 1015 minutes after oiling your hair
Avoid washing your hair immediately after oiling.
If your hair is very dry you should oil it at least once a week

For real conditioning by oil massage, wrap a moist, women towel around your hair
for quick results. Alternatively, you can also keep the oil on doing the right before
the wash. Taking care of your hair pays rich dividends.

All the users felt that its packaging is very attractive, it has very
good fragrance and is easy to apply
and use.

Consumer voice

23

March 2010

Rub oil on the roots of your hair. it helps to improve blood circulation and make
hair silky and strong.

Some users have short hair,

they said, Using this shampoo
make our hair feel softer, shinier
and manageable. We can even try
to shift to this shampoo from the
one we are already using.

World Consumer Rights Day Special

Special Report

"Saare Jahaan Se NiraAla"

Indian Consumer!

Our Many and Varied

Stories:

Amazing Diversity of Food

Taboos:

Our history goes back 5,000

years and so do our epics that
contain every emotion, possibility
and philosophy that humans have
ever managed to come up with. Not
to mention a frightening amount
of maths, if were considering
the ages that make up the four
yugas. Add to that the epics of
Islam and Christianity, local folk
traditions and tales that simply
emerge from our fertile brains,
and were wondering why our TV
channels need to import bad reality
shows from phoren and inflict them
on us. We are the master myths
myths of the world!

We have vegetarians who will

eat all vegetables but wont touch

bargepole and non-vegetarians

who think green veggies are a form
of mould. We know how to get the
flattest food to be flavourful. Long
live the Indian spice box!

Ability to Adapt Other

Cuisines to Our Tastes:
Hot and Sour Chinese soup has
desi tadka. Sandwiches arent thinly

Bargaining:
Worry about being cheated,
who us? Thats because we
dont see bargaining only as a
legitimate means of lowering prices.
We see it as a sport. So we will
not move an inch from the 'thela
wala' even if the sun is blazing
down at 53 degrees. We want that
30 paise off our kilo of apples and
that is that. We also get to hear the
music of several dialects into the
bargain!

March 2010

Were Child-friendly:
Aside from the fact that we love
children so that were soon going
to produce enough to populate the
entire world, everything in our lives
is geared towards their happiness.
So much so that our parents never
want us to leave home.

24

garlic or onion, we have eggetarians

who will only eat vegetables and
eggs, we have chickenatarians who
only eat vegetables and chicken
but not eggs, we have fishitarians
who will not touch dairy with a

Consumer voice

sliced and lightly buttered

slices of bread with slivers
of cucumber. We add green
chutney and sliced aloo and
beetroot. We invented Chicken and
Veg Manchurian, developed Udipi
pizzas, concocted onion omelettes,
created veg kheema, de-Japanesed
Japanese food by cooking up
gajjar-ka-sushi. Our taste reigns
supreme!

World Consumer Rights Day Special

We Survived the Recession:

Thats because even though we
are clambering up the conspicuous
consumption ladder just like those
who drove their economies to the
brink of extinction, unlike them
we have a culture of caution and
saving that pulled us through when
entire countries had to declare
bankruptcy. We save any and
everything and we might just
end up saving the planet
as well!

deep and our nostrils fill with the

delicious scent of wet earth. Now
that the climate change is here
who knows when the mania will
there into a myth.

Raddiwalas:
When people start making
noises about our carbon credits
ours, for heavens sake, when we
are the most frugal people on this

Special Report
Jugaad:
Nothing in India need only be
what it was originally meant to
be. A motorcycle can be attached
to a cart and become a baelgaadi, a tangle of wires could
become a satellite dish. We find
solutions to everyday problems
without having to call in the
experts, who we cannot afford in
any case!
Sustainability is Our Second
Name:
When the whole world is
looking for sustainable solutions to
todays problems, weve access to
our traditional knowledge where
it is possible to find an answer to
the most chaotic of post modern
situations.

Weddings and Family

Occasions:
Our weddings are attended by
family, relatives, friends, past and
present neighbours, people who
invited you to their or their siblings
weddings, past and present
colleagues,
random
strangers
because we like to celebrate with
people. If however, our homes are
filled with the population of only
one small country, like Bangladesh,
were just having a family dinner.
Community and family are important
to us!

Our Fasts and Festivals:

Monsoon Mania:
planet are always trying not only
to save but also to re-cycle, re-use,
repair and re-invent everything.
India is a country where recycling
has always been a business, thanks
to the raddiwala.

With apologies to
Hindustan times Brunch

Consumer voice

25

March 2010

Who needs marijuana or

Ecstasy? The monsoon is what we
get high on. After a long summer
spent fantasizing about the bluster
of Monsoon, we see the sky begin
to darken, then the first drops of
rain hit the earth, then we breathe

Our lunar calendar to allow

us to swing between fasting and
feasting. Our fasts help us deal
with fast food binges and our
feasts allow us to travel across the
country to combine spirituality with
leisure! Where else would you be
allowed to combine visits to the
abode of gods if all you needed was
a break!

Report
Of the total 134 million TV
households in the country,
50% are in the rural areas,
as per the figures released
by television audience
measurement agency TAM
Media Research. Not just
that, 30% of the 70 million
TV households in rural
India do not have access to
cable and satellite (C&S) TV.
The data further identifies
two trends. One, the market
for digital TV is bigger in

March 2010

lear the mist. It is not meant

for just urban folks! That
was one of the instructions given
to the team who drove a float van,
with a big dish mounted on it,
through the hinterland of Andhra
Pradesh last year. Giving a demo
of Reliance ADAG groups directto-home or DTH service Big TV,
the campaign lasting for 30 days
notched up 5,000 subscribers, says
the company. Strange as it may
seem, the companys on-ground
activities attempted to dispel the
myth that DTH was targeted at only
the cosmopolitan television viewer
with deep pockets living in the big
metros.
Airtel, which started its DTH
services in October 2008, had
initially focused on the metros,
launching a high-decibel campaign

26

Consumer voice

endorsed by celebrities of all hues

to attract customers. But failing to
garner too many subscriptions, it,
too, went in for a change of strategy
in April last year. The focus on tier
2 and tier 3 cities has worked well
for the company, with 1.5 million
subscribers added in the period
since then.
Tata Sky, which started with the
aim to win over cable homes in the
urban centres too has strengthened
its focus on the rural markets.
In the last one year or so, all
the DTH operators in India have
been aggressively marketing their
products in the non-metro cities.
For the market leader, Essel Group
owned Dish TV India going rural was
natural. With not many channels,
especially the popular ones, on

rural areas, and is growing

at a much higher rate than
in urban areas. And two,
bulk of this digital TV is
DTH. 20 million households
watching TV through a DTH
connection and growing.
Are you one of them? We
bring you excerpts from
an indepth article Direct
to Rural Homes by Rahul
Sharma.

Report
based independent provider of
information pertaining to the media
and entertainment sector, the
combined loss of the entire DTH
industry in 200809 stood at $450
million.

board, it could not take the cable

operators head on in big urban
cities when it started its services.
So it set up a distribution network
in small towns and cities to capture
the market there. Six years down
the line, the company with around
250 channels on offer, however, is
yet to break even on full basis.

Its ARPU is one of the lowest in

the world and which the MPA report
says, is not sustainable. The
FICCI-KPMG 2009 report on media
and entertainment sector points to
ARPU between $34 per month in
India compared to $6080 in the
US, the UK and Australia or $21 for
most big players in Asia-Pacific.

The Story So Far

Today, there are six players
in the market with a combined
subscriber base of around 20 million
and nearly 1 million new subscribers
signing up every month. Besides
the afore-mentioned Dish TV, Tata
Sky, Airtel Digital TV and Dish
TV, theres Sun Direct, which has
primarily concentrated on the DTH
market in the south and the latest
entrant, Videocon d2h, promoted
by consumer durables company
Videocon Group. Interestingly,
all of them except for this new
entrant, either have a broadcasting/
entertainment business (as in the
case of Dish TV and Sun Direct)
or a telecom company (examples
are Airtel Digital TV, Tata Sky) or
both (as in Big TV), the benefits of
which are being leveraged to the
maximum.

Going Rural

The entry of big companies

meant that the consumers were
bombarded
with
high-decibel
advertising campaigns, which has
helped them mop up subscribers.
But this also meant a price war
and ARPU (average revenue per
user) nose diving. Though this has
been good news for consumers,
the companies are taking a huge
hit. With the companies heavily
subsidizing, and in some cases,
giving the set-top box (STB), which
receives the signals from the DTH
operator, literally for free, the cost of
customer acquisition has remained

That is where the rural market

comes into picture. As figures
indicate, there is a huge number of
cable dark and cable underserved
areas, most of them in rural India.
These small cities, towns and
villages have seen higher incomes
and new aspirations. Around 15%
of people in rural India can be
equalized to the urban upper middle
class. All companies can address
that very well, said S Sivakumar,
chief executive, agri business,
ITC, at a marketing conference
organized by All India Management
Association recently. In addition,

high, between Rs 3000 and

Rs 4000, say industry sources.
According to a report by Media
Partners Asia (MPA), a Hong Kong

Consumer voice

27

March 2010

Price Wars

In such a scenario, operators had

to aggressively look at expanding
the market base and raise ARPU
through means other than hiking
subscriber fees. However, the urban
market, especially the metros, was
already saturated with multi system
operators (MSOs) ready to give a
tough fight to DTH players. MSOs
are upgrading their networks and
adding competitive services to
rival the DTH operators while still
offering popular local content to
viewers, says Alan Dishington, GM,
NDS India, a company that supplies
technology to both DTH and cable
companies.

March 2010

Report

cable operators in these regions do

not have the muscle to take on the
big corporate players from the DTH
arena.

offering tailor-made packages,

especially
language
channel
packages that suit rural consumers
interest.

All of these have helped DTH

operators taste success in the
rural areas encouraging them to
aggressively promote their services
to the small town TV viewer.

Rural has the potential to

push volumesbut there is still
one hurdle for DTH companies as
average revenue per user continues
to suffer.

So far the marketing campaigns

of DTH operators have focussed
on sound and picture quality,
flexible payment structure and
new interactive services. The DTH
players are now looking at costeffective subscription packages
to woo consumers in small
towns. DTH players such as Airtel
Digital TV, Big TV or Tata Sky are
also banking on their pre-paid
mobile and fixed line customers
in tier II and tier III cities to bite
the bait, and have schemes where
new DTH subscribers get free talk
time on their phone connections
or other such freebies. Others
are working on low-cost STBs and

Creating Differentiators

28

Consumer voice

To increase ARPU, the operators

have been busy developing and
selling interactive or value added
services (VAS) that includes the
entire gamut of applications
ranging from interactive features to
movies on demand. These services
are charged and hence open up
an additional revenue stream for
the company, besides drawing
subscriptions. A point to consider
over here has been that even
among the interactive services
being offered, there are very few
which target the rural consumer
specifically.

The Indian market is a very

different market compared to others
though content exclusivity is what
has driven DTH growth worldwide,
its also true that nowhere in the
world has DTH grown so fast as in
India. Also, no country has had as
many as six DTH players.

The Road Ahead

While in 2005 there were
just a million households in India
watching television through a DTH
connection, four years later, the
figure jumped to 20 million. DTH
sector globally is expected to have
160 million subscribers by 2014.
India is expected to account for
20% of global market share at 32
million subscribers by then, says
Mohit Ralhan, head media and
telecom, Barings Private Equity.
And rural India is expected to be
the focal point of this growth.
Edited & Excerpted from
The Financial Express:
Brand Wagon 16 Feb 2010

Report

Wool
all you wanted
to know!

he wool Industry in India was

an unorganized industry until
the economic liberalization
of Indian economy in the 1990s.
After the opening up of the
economy, the industry witnessed a
stupendous growth.

What is Wool?
Wool is a fibre, which comes
from domesticated sheep. After it is
collected, the fibre can be dyed as

it absorbs colours well and it sheds

water better than any other yarn.
When washed it retains its original
shape and texture. It should
preferably be hand washed.

Consumer voice

29

March 2010

The Indian Wool Industry is

an important industry since it is
one of the prominent sources of
livelihood for the rural India and
it collectively represents small,
medium, and large-scale units.
The wool Industry however is
relatively small in comparison to
other textile industries in India but
it is the 7th largest in the world.
The main wool producing states
of India are Rajasthan, Punjab,
Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka,
Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh Uttaranchal,
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and
Haryana.

Come winter and our markets are full of winter range of clothes,
specially woollen brands. There is a large variety available but
the consumer must know some basic facts about wool, before
investing in costly woollens. This fabric is very resistant to
wrinkling. It is improved by moisture and is well known for its
warmth. The hilly areas of the country have a rich collection
of woollen textiles. Among the wool products, Pashmina and
embroidered shawls of Kashmir are famous examples of the
woollen textile Industry. The Pashmina shawls and stoles
are also popular abroad because of the soft texture and the
embroidery or Sozni work done on them using woollen threads.
Amritsar and Ludhiana are the major states of Punjab famous
for their woollen blankets.

Report
Wool in Indian History
Sheep rearing, spinning and
weaving of wool has always been a
part of Indian life. The weaving and
bleaching of wool was traditionally
tended by shepherds and wool is
regarded as ceremonially pure for
performing religious functions.The
ancient civilization of the Indus
Valley revealed that our ancestors
were well versed in the art of wool
weaving, spinning, felting and
tailoring.

Shahtoosh Wool: Growing trade in Shahtoosh wool is being banned. Some

20,000 of the wild animals that live on Tibetan Plateau are killed each year-either
shot in herds by automatic weapons or caught in leg-hold traps-for their prized
coats. Dispelling fairytale myths that shepherds follow Chiru herds to pluck their
precious hair from the bushes they brush against while grazing. Shahtoosh wool
is the ultra-fine under fleece of the endangered Tibetan antelope. Listed under
schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, hunting of the Tibetan
antelope and trade in its derivatives was banned in India in 1986. Prior to this ban,
Shahtoosh, produced exclusively by artisans based in Srinagar, was believed to be
a derivative of a mountain goat. Meanwhile, the antelope, endemic to the Chang
Thang plateau in Tibet and Ladakh in India, was persecuted in large numbers for
Shahtoosh, reducing its numbers to a mere 75,000 today as against a million at
the turn of the last century.

During Muslim period, India

was famous for fine Kashmir
Woolen fabrics. In early British
days, some attention was paid to
Pashmina Shawls from Kashmir
and Punjab etc. and stray attempts
were made to improve indigenous
sheep by crossing with imported
breeds.

Source:http://www.wti.org.in/current-news/100111_shahtoosh_trader_convicted.html

India has been famous for

shawls and carpets, which were
exported in large numbers to
European countries during the
medieval period. These were greatly
appreciated and highly prized for
their fine texture and excellent
workmanship. Apart from costly
luxury articles, a variety of other
woollen goods such as blankets,
patties, tweeds etc. also used to
be prepared from indigenous wool
for everyday use.
TIPS when buying woollens?
When buying woollens its best to check
them for the following features:
Water resistance
Odour resistance
Flame-retardance
Durability
Stretch

March 2010

Crease-resistance
Easy care
Non-static
Colourfast

30

Consumer voice

Synthetic Fibres of Wool

Nylon is lightweight, strong, and
elastic, resists abrasion, does
not stretch or shrink (except at
high temperatures,) and is easy
to wash. It usually combines
with wool to impart its strength
and elasticity to the wool.
Polyester is the most common
type of synthetic fibre. Fabric
made from it retains its shape
and is sometimes added to
wool.

Acrylics are the most common

synthetics in knitting yarns.
They are resilient, moderately
strong, and somewhat inelastic,
feel good to the hand and
are light in weight. Acrylics
are easily made to imitate
natural fibres so they are
sold as alternatives to
wool. However, acrylics
cannot
wick
away
moisture
from
the body so their
warmth
diminishes
when wet. The fibre
burns readily unless
treated and will shrink
in moist heat.

Metallics are best used

as a knit-along with
another, stronger yarn.

Note: The addition of synthetic

fibres in northern garments makes
them easier to wash and maintain
and allows the greater scope in
design.
How to Take Care of Your
Woollens
Taking care of your woollens
isnt a difficult task but there are
some dos and donts that need
to
be followed.

Report
Dos
Always follow the instructions
for washing given on the label.
Use only a
detergent.

mild

soap

or

How to Store Winter Clothes

Keep your clothes moth-free.

Brush your garment daily after

wearing.

Hand-wash or dry-clean all of your

winter clothes prior to storage. This
will help in eliminating any skin, hair
and stain residue.

Take your garment out in the

Sun often.

Place folded or rolled garments in large airtight plastic containers.

Dry clean it before storing it.

Store clothes in sealed plastic garbage bags if containers are not

available.

Use a moth repellent agent

when storing.
Use luke warm water of a
constant temperature to wash
your woollens.
Donts
When washing your woollen
never use household bleach.

Hang winter coats and suits on hangers, and then store them in
garment bags. If hanging is not possible, lay the garments flat
in an area that is safe from water and preferably away from a
carpet, which may contain pesky carpet beetles.
Wrap the woollen clothes between newspapers which will help
absorb all residual moisture.
Put the traditional neem leaves and dried red chillies beneath
the container.

Never twist your woollens.

Mildew can form on your woollen
if left in damp condition.
You should never pull or wring
out a wool garment while it is
wet. Wool loses about a quarter
of its strength when it is wet.
You should lift it gently from the
water and squeeze out as much
water as possible.

How to Wash Wool

Make sure your woolen item
really needs to be washed.

Spot clean if needed.

Use the right product. There
are products specially made for
washing wool.
Wash in a sink or a shallow tub
by soaking and squishing, being
careful not to rub the wool
against itself or it will felt.
Take care if you use a
washing machine and follow
the instructions given on the
garment. If it is not a readymade garment, it is best to
hand wash it.
Dry flat in desired size/shape,
after squeezing out all water by
wrapping and rolling it in a thick
cotton towel.
The Mark
Woolmark

of

ownership and licensing of the

Woolmark one can enjoy the
commercial benefits of a unique
worldwide quality endorsement.
The value of the Woolmark
brand is well established the world
over in clothing, interior textile and
home laundry sectors. By joining
the Woolmark programme you
become a valued member of our
global network.
Woolmark Helps to:
Develop new product ranges.
Source new customers
suppliers.
Access testing and
assurance services.

and

quality

Find market information.

Develop branding and marketing
solutions.

Excellence:

Woolmark is the worlds best

known textile fibre brand. Its the
customer assurance of quality,
its the guarantee of fibre content
and quality specification. Through

March 2010

Pashmina Wool: Pashmina is

made from the fine inner fleece of
sheep. This wool is harvested from
one source, the Himalayan mountain
goat. The goat can be found in
Kashmir and Nepal primarily.
Because of the minimal collection
amount, pashmina wool is usually
blended with silk to produce the
light, almost shiny cloth. The highest
grade of pashmina wool tends to be
an 80% pashmina, 20% silk blend.
However, most commonly 70/30
blends are used and marketed. The
higher the silk blend, cheaper the
pashmina.

Soak woolen items in cold

water for a few hours before
washing.

Consumer voice

31

Health

Womanly Confusion
Sift Fact From Fiction

With childhood we leave all our fairy tales and imaginary

stories behind but do weis the question. Especially, when
it comes to health, many of us automatically cling to myths
without even wanting to check the facts. Not knowing what
can harm or infect you, can actually puzzle and confuse you
as consumers. We try to decode some common womens
health myths and help you to sift fact from fictions on the
International Women's Day.

March 2010

Myth: I can lose weight if I

eat low-fat food.
Fact: This widespread belief
is responsible for the frustration
on the part of the dieters when
they dont lose weight and some-

32

Consumer voice

times become even fatter on lowfat foods. Remember low fat is not
necessarily low calorie food. You
can even gain weight if you eat low
fat versions of your favourite high
fat foods. Many diet surveys have

concluded that those people who

eat three or more low-fat products
each day, they consume more calories than those who eat no reduced
fat foods. This is because most people who eat low fat substitutes are
tempted to have more in proportion. For e.g. cup of low-fat vanilla
ice cream is only about 40 calories
less than the regular version. But
one is tempted to have more. Similarly, it happens with low-fat biscuits and other sweets. One must
keep this in mind that low-fat substitutes when consumed in excess
provide extra carbohydrates. There
is no storage for carbohydrate in
our body and therefore all the excess that arrives must be converted
to fat and stored. So there you are,

International Women's Day Special

if you are watching your weight,

count your calories because calories still count. An average woman
needs between 16002000 calories
a day to maintain her weight.
Myth: I only need to worry
about cholesterol if I am overweight.
Fact: It is true that overweight
women are at a higher risk for
having elevated cholesterol levels,
there are also plenty of slim women
who have cholesterol problems.
Cholesterol is not the only thing to
be calculated or to take care of. The
weight isnt the only thing that matters when it comes to your cholesterol. Your genes and lifestyle, what
you eat, how active you are, also
play a vital role. So be sure to get
your cholesterol checked regularly,
even if youre at a healthy weight.
Myth: Natural foods and
supplements are healthier.
Fact: This is a wrong assumption. Most vitamins, mineral supplements and herbal remedies that
you grab because of their health
benefits are not regulated and are
not required to prove that they are
safe or effective. You have come
across tall claims. All this research
is in its infancy and nobody knows
how much doses are appropriate
and how much is too much. No side
effects have been mentioned and
there is no guarantee that what you
are buying actually has these ingredients. So before you start any supplement, talk to your doctor/health
care professional.
Myth: I should join the
gym/aerobic class to work out
in order to get any exercise
benefit.

Myth: I am at a risk of dying of cancer especially breast

cancer.
Fact: We normally ignore our
most serious health risk. One out
of every two women dies from
heart disease and stroke. A very
less number of women know the
facts about heart disease. So if
you are amongst those who do
not know the facts about this disease, its time to buck up. However
for most who are conscious, most
breast cancer prevention measures
like going vegetarian (with eating
lots of vegetables, fruits and whole
grains), quitting smoking, exercising, have low-fat diet and maintaining weight will also protect against
heart disease.
Myth: I have a lower risk of
breast cancer because nobody
in my family has it.
Fact: Family history of cancer definitely increases your risk.
Sometimes, the cause may be a
genetic mutation. And such genetic
changes can be transmitted to you
from either side of the family. Preventive measures undertaken now
can protect you later. Go for annual breast examinations and do
monthly breast self-exams. Lifestyle
choices, such as eating a diet rich
in fruits/vegetables, limiting alcohol
and fat, and exercising regularly
may help you to reduce your risk of
breast cancer.

Myth: Antiperspirants and

deodorants can cause breast
cancer.
Fact: The rumor indicated that
when you used deodorant or an
antiperspirant and then cut yourself while shaving, a chemical could
leak into the skin, causing breast
cancer. There is a false assertion
that antiperspirants keep a person
from sweating out toxins, resulting in spread of cancer-causing toxins via the lymph nodes. However,
sweat glands are not connected
to lymph nodes. Many women still
go without wearing deodorant because of the myth. Probably more
research that is scientific is required
to prove this but for now stick to
your brand of antiperspirant, with
of course minimal usage. Excess of
anything is bad.
Myth: Being menopausal is
being beyond feeling sexual
desire or being desired.
Fact: Sexuality like all other aspects of your life gets better with
age. In fact you no longer have to
worry about an unplanned pregnancy and contraception. For most
women, desire for sex does not really change. Sexual desire results
from a complex interplay between
your unique psychological make-up,
social and cultural conditioning and
hormones. Vaginal dryness could
be taken care with factors advice.
All the rest depends on a positive
attitude and working towards it.
Final Advice: Always look for
information and educate yourself
about your health concerns. Talk
to your doctors freely and openly.
Exchange information and experiences with woman you know but
do not go blindly by what anyone
says because even though you are
all woman, yet you all have your individual physical characteristics and
family histories.

Consumer voice

33

March 2010

Fact: You can gain health benefits from daily physical activities
without even working up a sweat
or going to the gym. Scientific evidence has concluded that 30 min-

utes of moderate exercise daily

was enough to reduce your risk of
chronic disease and provide health
benefits. Not only this, you can
even combine a 15-minute stroll
with 5 minutes of walking upstairs
and 10 minutes of gardening. Your
main aim should be to burn a minimum of about 150 calories a day.
This can be achieved by walking for
12 miles, gardening, swimming,
bicycling or by playing sports like
tennis/badminton.

Health

Finance

Cost and Innovation:

The Fig Leaf Argument

will grow and look you in the eye.

And they grow very fast these days.
And this stock is taller too. Policing
is costly in terms of time, effort and
family happiness.
Monika Halan

India is moving from a central

command economy to free markets. Were experimenting with
a variety of regulatory structures
as we go. There are regulators in
sectors including telecom, electricity, aviation and drugs, to name a

March 2010

egulating junk food, TV hours,

time on the internet and phone
are parent bugbears. Parenting experts talk about starting small and
not using either size or presence
to regulate. Because the parent is
larger, it tends to use the advantage
of size to get the kid to follow rules.
And because the parent will police
or catch it doing what it is not supposed to, the kid will use the hours
without the parent to break the
rules. We all did and so will they. But
both size and presence have downsides. Size is a transient advantage
and, at some point, the knee-high

What seems to work are broad

guidelines with very clear rules. Defined outcomes if this, then that
and an implementation of the
rules with a benevolent eye on a
one-off blowout. Then policing reduces from moment to moment to
occasional footprint checks.

34

Consumer voice

few. The financial sector has five.

Regulators for microfinance, real
estate and municipal services are
on their way. Free markets move
towards equilibrium only in textbooks. The real world sees painful and expensive blowouts of free
markets gone awry. Effective regulation protects the interests of all
the participants in the market the
firm, the consumer and the investor.
Writes Rick Bookstaber, the author
of A Demon of Our Own Design:
Markets, Hedge Funds, and the
Perils of Financial Innovation on his
blog (http://bit.ly/M3IZE), Capitalist regulation forces the producers
to recognize all of their costs.
Two popular arguments used
in the US against regulation have

Finance
been around costs and innovation
that regulation raises costs and
crushes innovation. Again good in
textbooks and big firm funded conferences, but we know that innovation on Wall Street led to products
that took a legal and advanced
math degree to decifer, which need
not have been bad if the products
had worked. We know that the
only people they worked for were
the bankers and the top management of the Wall Street firms and
not the consumers or employees
both paid. Before the innovation
argument is used against tighter
regulation in India, there needs
to be discussion on what this innovation means and what its aim
is. Innovation in life insurance polices in India is mainly in designing
products that hide costs and this
innovation will lead to a blowout,
creating deep fissures in trust people have in insurance. We can live
without such innovation.

The Indian experience with

regulators has been mixed and

were muddling along, deciding as

we go with each regulator in isolation. There is no shared regulatory
philosophy in India so that some
micromanage and clear advertisement texts, others look the other
way when a blowout happens. Still
others complain that the firms they
regulate dont listen. And some are
busy fighting among themselves
over turf or with their boss, the ministry. The good part is that it is still
early days on the free-market road
since the socialist overhang has ensured that every two steps forward
were followed by a step back. This
means that we can still do some core
thinking about how India needs to
look at regulation as more and more
sectors get freedom.

tion. The home. Quite surprisingly

the micro lessons of a home tend
to work well at the macro level as
well. As a commentator on Bookstabers blog wrote: Do we scold
or praise the mother who restricts
her son from eating like there is no
tomorrow? Do we scold or praise
the father who, when teaching his
son/daughter how to drive, admonishes them when they get reckless?
Do we scold, or praise the teacher
who sets clear rules of discipline in
the classroom, so everyone has a
chance to begin to learn?

A good place to look for ideas

would be in the smallest unit that
needs some rules in order to func-

Monika Halan works in the area of financial

literacy and financial intermediation policy.
She is consulting editor with Mint and can be
reached at expenseaccount@livemint.com

The answer is obvious, isnt it?

Therefore, pray tell why this basic
common sense logic, shouldnt apply to Wall Street? I rest my case.

Consumer voice

35

March 2010

The second myth is around

cost. Tight regulation raises costs
so that the poor cant afford products and services. A top official at
the US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) told me while
arguing against zero commissions
in financial products: Zero commissions will make products and
service more expensive for those at
the far end of the consumer chain.
It is a refrain I am hearing in India
as well. The bleeding heart argument for that old retired couple, as
it is turned away from the full-regulatory cost bearing financial institution and is snared by unregulated
sharks. Maybe we need more work
on the unregulated entities than to
reduce the regulatory cost for those
that anyway act like unregulated
sharks.

Assessment of Quality of Services

Customer Satisfaction of
& Domestic
Airlines-2010

Study Report

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Govt. of India has sponsored a VOICE Society study on the Assessment of
Quality of Service and Customer Satisfaction in Domestic Airlines Sector under "JAGO GRAHAK JAGO" Campaign.
Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India, extended support to this venture.
The study is based on the perceptions of domestic airlines travellers (consumers) interviewed on the quality
of service provided by different domestic airline operators in India. We chose nine domestic airlines who play a
major role in the air traffic movement in India.

VOICE conducted a survey of 3715

passengers in order to understand
their perception of quality of domestic airline they have used in
the last 12 months.
Only those passengers were considered who have traveled at least
6 times on various airlines in the
last 12 months.

11.2% passengers prefer to fly on

the airline that meets time commitment.
(i) Safety reputation, (ii) Suitability of the airline timings was
indicated as the second and third
reason for airline travelling.
Booking of the tickets through
travel agents is still the main
mode of booking tickets reported
by nearly 44% of respondents.
However, (40%) also indicated
that they book their airline tickets
directly through the airline.

Interviewed passengers had taken 34,936 flights in the last one year.
Average number of flights taken by each respondent has been estimated at
nearly 9.4 flights in one year with a maximum of 135 flights.
3104 respondents, who had taken 21507 flights in one year, mostly travel for
business purposes.
The average number of flights per person has an estimated range of 7 flights
with maximum of 100 flights in one year.

Every 10th respondent who travelled in the last one year had some
problem with the airline services
Airline passengers are demanding a lot.
Airline operators are also responsive in terms of redressing complaints of their clients.
Over 9 out of 10 complaints received by the airline operators were addressed
and 86% of complainants reported their problem was completely solved.
Problems:
Improper handling of the baggage.
Loss of baggage.
Respondents revealed that they do not get their money refunded after their
flights cancellation.
Delay in refund of money.
Money deducted twice while booking the tickets.

Frequent flyers have many more tales to tell. Read Consumer VOICE April 2010 issue for information on a
blurred line between LCCs & FSCs!! Airlines will also be ranked based on consumer satisfaction parameters.

Legal File

VOICE Society & SEBI

Hold a Workshop on Financial Awareness and Diligent Investment

for Consumer/Investor

SEBI and Voice Society

organized
a
workshop
on
Financial Awareness and Diligent
Investment on 23rd January 2010
at the Conference Hall of Arun Vihar
Community Centre, NOIDA (UP).
Management institutes, members of
AVCC, members of the Society from
Ghaziabad, NOIDA and members of
the Governing Council and college in
Delhi, NCH and CCC were invited.
Mr. Ashim Sanyal, COO of
VOICE Society conducted the

sessions. The main speakers at the

workshop were
1. Sri Jeewan Prakash, Advocate,
Supreme Court
2. Sri Rakesh Bhanot, AGM, SEBI,
New Delhi
3. Sri R.P Tulsian, Reader, Delhi
University
4. Col. S.N. Agarwal (Rtd.), GC
Member, VS
The workshop was attended by
several people including defence

officers and others. They were

given kits containing useful reading
materials.
Useful interaction during and
after the workshop helped all participants to understand the stock
market investments better.
A series of such workshops are
planned and will also cover educational institutions to spread awareness on investments.

FORM IV (See Rule 8)

Statement about ownership and other particulars about newspaper CONSUMER VOICE

5. Editors Name: Dr Roopa Vajpeyi

1. Place of Publication: 441 (Basement), Jungpura, Mathura Road, New Delhi-110 014

a) Whether citizen of India: YES

2. Periodicity of Publication: Monthly

3. Printers Name: Dr KL Madhok

Nationality: Indian

a) Whether citizen of India: YES

b) If a foreigner, the country of origin: NA

Nationality: Indian

b) If a foreigner, the country of origin: NA

Address: D-203. Saket, New Delhi-110 017
6. Names and addresses of individuals who own
the magazine and partners or shareholders
holding more than one percent of total capital: VOICE SOCIETY.
441 (Basement), Jungpura, Mathura Road,
New Delhi-110 014

I, Dr KL Madhok hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my
knowledge and belief.

a) Whether citizen of India: YES

Date: Feb 27, 2010

b) If a foreigner, the country of origin: NA

S/d.
Dr KL Madhok
Signature of Publisher

Address: 441 (Basement), Jungpura, Mathura

Road, New Delhi-110 014

4. Publishers Name: Dr KL Madhok

Nationality: Indian

Address: 441 (Basement), Jungpura,

Mathura Road, New Delhi-110 014

Consumer voice

March 2010

37

World Consumer Rights Day Special

Legal File

All is
Well?
Dr. Premlata

ne more year is over. We will

be again celebrating World
Consumer Rights Day on 15th
of March. Now is the time to
pause and see-if all is well with
Consumers.

March 2010

Achievements
Actually, there is no reason for
consumers to worry because things
are going really well for consumers
at this time. Since the inception
of the welfare law, 3 amend we
could get three amendments done
to the Consumer Protection Act
and each time it moved a step
forward towards achieving more.
With special features added to the
Act by Amendment 1991, Forum
could function in the absence
of one member also. In another
amendment, in 1993, apart from
defect in goods, for the first time,
services were also brought under
the purview of Consumer Forums,
meaning thereby that service
provider could be held responsible
for deficiency in services. Numbers
of services were defined and
housing, education, electricity,

38

Consumer voice

medical services and fixed deposit

matters were brought under the
purview of this Act. Not only this,
Supreme Court held in number
of cases that Section 3 of the Act
provides an additional remedy to
the consumer inspite of the fact,
other remedy is available to the
consumer in other laws. Pecuniary
jurisdiction was also raised to twenty
lacs by the Amendment 2002,
whereby unfair trade practices
became the subject of Consumer
Forums. Forums could pass interim
orders and many other features
were added to the Act enhancing
the strength of consumer forums.
First class magistrates powers
were also granted to these forums
for compliance of orders. Surely
Consumers will become king one
day.

Landmark Judgements
The obvious result was that
a lot of hue and cry was created
over the authority of the forums
amongst big business houses.
Ever since the Act has come into
force, at one hand the Apex Court

has given a broader definition and

wider scope to the act through
its various pronouncements, and
on the other hand it also faced
numerous problems and several
attacks on the authority of these
forums. Even the Act itself was
challenged before the court of law
in a case of Vishwabharti House
Building Co-operative Societies v/s
Karnataka State and others and its
legal validity was questioned when
a big businessman was ordered to
be sent to jail for non-compliance of
its order. The questions were raised
before the Supreme Court as to
whether Lok Sabha is empowered
to pass such an Act by which
Consumer Forums run like parallel
courts alongside the Civil Courts
with much more discretionary
powers. The matter was finally
resolved by the Apex Court in
2002 and held that the Consumer
Protection Act is a valid law passed
by the Lok Sabha as per the
Constitution, which was competent
to pass such a welfare Act. Further,
the forums constituted under this
Act are competent to perform

World Consumer Rights Day Special

their work assigned to them in all

respects. These forums can also
invoke the provisions of Section
27 of the Act for execution of their
order and send the defaulter to
jail, if necessary.
It was as back as in 2002
in J.J. Murchant case, where
Supreme Court made it ample
clear that Consumer Foras can
take evidence, cross examine
through affidavits, can appoint
local commissioner etc. and if
matter otherwise falls under their
jurisdiction, they must adjudicate
the same. This case is an example
in which doctors had used all their
efforts tools and weapons to get rid
of the vigilant watch of Consumer
Forums, but it did not work in
their favour as the Supreme Court
ultimately did not agree to their
arguments and held Consumer
Foras competent to decide medical
negligence cases.
If we go back to the case of
New India Insurance Co. Ltd. v/s
Srinivasan, decided in 2002 by the
Supreme Court, it was held that
Consumer Foras need not go into
the technicalities of Civil Procedure
Code or Indian Evidence Act, and
Foras may go by the summery
procedure laid down in the Act
in Section 13, thus giving them
ample discretionary powers, at
times more than Civil Courts.

In Ms Kalawati v/s United

Vaishya thrift and co-operative
society case also, objections were
taken by co-operative societies
referring to the clauses in their
act, which bar the courts from
interfering in their functioning.
Supreme Court rejected their
argument
stating
Consumer
Forums are not courts, hence not
barred by their act.

What More?
Inspite of all positive aspects
discussed above, much more
remains to be done. If we
remember the courageous steps
taken by the housewives of
Mumbai, in 1949, when they
came out on the roads to protest
against the quality of goods, we
today need to show similar zeal
for price fixation. Government is
serious about the gap between
manufacturing cost and MRP and
is working on it, several areas like
pharmacy/pricing of medicines has
been, to some extent, brought
under control but we all have to
join hands, NGOs need to play
their role.

False/Frivolous Complaints
Very little is being done to
discourage false and frivolous
complaints resulting in a huge
backlog in this area. Section 26 of
the Act is required to be brought
into action and practices of filing
complaints either for the sake of
compensation or to escape from
some other liability should be
strictly dealt with.
While dealing with the case
filed against statutary bodies,

it was suggested by the Apex

Court in 1993, in the case of MG
Gupta v/s Lucknow Development
Authority that erring officer causing
harassment to the public at large
must be penalized by deducting
compensation money from his
account. This aspect has not been
seriously translated into practical
action and bribery continues to the
only way to move files.
A big barrier, which comes
in the way, is the provision that
Consumer Forums cannot interfere
in the statutary functioning of
the autonomous bodies. It is an
established law that autonomous
bodies have freedom to diagram
their strategies, decide their annual
programme of development for
their respective area and fix their
budget, get approvals, allocate
funds under different heads, and
also make schedules for their every
activities. But consumers concern
is who to hold accountable if
such a body does not follow its
own schedule or planning and at
times neither its funds are used
nor its activities designed by itself
are translated into reality. They
are answerable to none but their
chair but at the same time ultimate
sufferer is public at large who funds
their salaries and other expenses.
Sewer is kept open causing a child
to lose its life inspite of funds
allocated for maintenance; roads
are full of pits leading to accidents,
while the responsible official to take
care of these areas is performing
statutary duty, hence cannot be
questioned.
Someone
has
to
take
responsibility for making it all work
and work well.
Dr. Premlata
The author is Member,
Consumer Forum, Delhi

Consumer voice

39

March 2010

Universities,
colleges
and
educational institutions appear
to be upset about interference
of Consumer Courts in their
functioning and time, and again
holding meetings, as and when
there is a case decided against their
interest by the consumer redressal
commissions. Even the Education
Ministry is in a fix as to how to
distinguish the demarcation line
between the statutary functioning
of autonomous bodies working for

education and the interference

of consumer courts. However,
by now Universities are out from
Consumer Forums jurisdiction for
their statutary functions.

Legal File

Readers Page
Net Banking Services
I had applied for net banking service 3 months before. The company
did nothing yet. I am looking for compensation by the bank for delay
to open my service. Is it possible to look forward to compensate by the
bank. Kindly help me if I could register a complaint with any Consumer
Forum/Court?
Shrikant Sadan
Uttar Pradesh

No action is been taken against LIC agent

An LIC agent forged my deceased fathers signature in order to surrender the policy which was to be claimed. My mother is the nominee
in this policy. But still after complaining to the branch senior division
manager, zonal office, they have given me a form of open title nomination. My father was expired on 19 April 2008. Its almost 20 months
and I am still following up to get the policy claimed. LIC has not been
helpful instead they are burdening me.
Amar Pitroda
Maharashtra

HP is not highly potential

I had purchased a Compaq Pressario Laptop a cobrand of HP on January 11, 2009. The product is well
within the warranty period. The DVD/CD drive is not
working. I called up HP customer service and they
lodged a complaint. They did all the troubleshooting
and at the end they said the drive needs to be replaced. They asked me to visit the service center, Industrial Area Kirti Nagar, New Delhi. They refused to
replace it and said that they would keep the laptop
with them and repair it and if not possible, they would
replace it. For this I had to give laptop to them for
57 days. Then they would call me to let me know if
it is complete. All this is in spite of the fact that I was
promised home service in case of any defect.
Partho Mukherjee
Delhi

Consumer voice

March 2010

Consumer VOICE responds

Since you are not getting proper response from
any quarter of LIC, we would suggest that you
may lodge your complaint with the office of Insurance Ombudsman, 3rd floor, Jeevan Seva, Annexe,
SV Road Santacruz (W), Mumbai. You have to enclose the copy of the correspondence which you
have already made with LIC. There is no fees.

Oral promise makes no sense. You will be bound by the terms

and conditions of the company. In fact when you have deposited your laptop with the service centre it would have been
better if you had written to the Nodal Officer of the company
for non-working of laptop. However, since you have already
given the laptop to the service centre, we would advise you
to send a letter by Regd. post to the Nodal Officer HP of your
area to issue instructions to the service centre where you have
given your laptop. Since the laptop has not been functioning properly before expiry of warranty period and you have
been reporting to the service centre the company is bound to
repair or replace the same. As a matter of fact in our opinion
whenever a service centre is not giving satisfactory answer to
the customers, it is better to take the matter with the Nodal
Officer of the company directly and immediately.

I had made full and final payment before due, with reference to statement.
I had also sent letters to withdraw my services from 1st Sept, 2007. After
many requests and reminders to withdraw all services of SBI Card with effect has been unheard and non responsive. I have been receiving mail for
outstanding dues and phone call claiming from SBI Card in recent times.
The nature of call suggests and encourages me to take the matter to legal/
regulatory authority. Kindly anticipate resolving this issue at the earliest.

40

You should lodge your complaint with the Nodal

Officer of the concerned bank asking why this facility has not been issued to you. Since this is an
additional facility provided by the banks for their
customers convenience there is no question of
any compensation.

Consumer VOICE responds

Non responsive SBI Card

Biswajit Nayak
Delhi

Consumer VOICE responds

Consumer VOICE responds

Please send a letter by registered post to a Nodal
Officer of SBI card for sorting out the issue of your
payment and the outstanding shown by the bank.
You can also write that if the bank initiates any
action for alleged outstanding amount you will
claim compensation from them by lodging the
complaint before the Consumer Forum.

Readers Page
Complaint against builders
I have booked a flat and got the same registered in June 2008, almost after 1.5 yrs
of registration I have still not got possession of the flat. Also on registration documents the builders have not mentioned the possession date. We have been paying
interest on the money, which we have paid to the builders. We have also observed
that from last 6 months the work is not happening at the site. When we visit the
builders office they told us that they will give us the possession of the flat within
30 days but never turned up. Please guide me how can I nail down this builder and
get either the flat or appropriate compensation.

Consumer VOICE responds

You may send a registered notice
to the builder asking for possession
within 30 days and in case the builder fails to reply then you can take up
the matter with consumer forum of
proper jurisdiction.

Mandar Jadhav
Maharashtra

Legal action against Airtel Communication

I had an Airtel postpaid number. Because of the non-payment, it got disconnected. I cleared all my dues after sometime and was told that the number
will be replaced to prepaid connection and I would be provided by a new
SIM at Rs.220. I gave them all the documents they needed. This number is
not activated yet despite numerous calls to Shanmuga Cell Communication,
Airtel customer care and Mr. Ramakrishna (whose number was given to
me by Shanmuga Cell Communications in Chennai). I had also posted all
the documents to Ramakrishna by Indian postal service too. Where should I
contact now? Please let me know, if I can take any legal action?

Consumer VOICE responds

You may write to the Nodal Officer of the
Airtel giving details of your number and payment, saying that you have already submitted
all the required documents. Delay in activation
after submission of all the documents would
amount to deficiency in service on the part of
service provider. Any consequential loss or harassment would be at their cost and liability.

Zulfiqar Ahmed
Tamil Nadu

Delay/no response for refund of

advance rental paid
My complaint number is being registered
for Tata Indicom. I have paid advance rental
amount for four month before the installation
of broadband at my room at Kotla, Mubarkpur. Then I was told by them that broadband
service is not possible at my room. Now one
month is passed I have not got my refund.
What should I do?
Gurpreet Singh
Delhi

Consumer VOICE responds

Taking advance rent or providing services and thereafter saying that
the service is not available in the area amounts to unfair trade practice
on the part of the company. We would suggest that you may lodge
your complaint to Nodal Officer of your area for redressal of grievance.
The Nodal Officer is expected to redress the grievance within ten days.
He should intimate within three days from date of receipt of complaint,
the unique complaint number to the consumer. If decision does not
come within this time limit, you may go to the appellate authority to
decide the appeal within three months.

Unfair services of airlines

Consumer VOICE responds

Please take up the matter with General
Manager GoAir for the harassment metted
to you. It is strange that they are not either
refunding the money or booking the ticket
and putting so many pre-conditions. This is
unfair on the part of airlines and does not
speak about their high standard ethics.

Vinod Pavecha
Karnataka

Consumer voice

41

March 2010

I had booked a ticket between Bangalore and Ahmedabad for November and
apparently had to cancel the same. After cancelling I had requested them to
refund the money, they came back saying I cannot get any refund of the same
but I can book a ticket within one year for that amount. Later when I was trying
to book a ticket with the coupon number that I was provided with from GoAir.
It was also asking me for some pass code to book a ticket. I got back to GoAir
for providing me with the same. Its 3 weeks now and I am still to get reply from
them. Can you please give some insight to get this resolved?

Readers Page
I lose for your Banks fault
I have a joint bank savings account at your Salt Lake City, Kolkata. On 3rd November
2009, I had deposited a Cheque of The west Bengal Co-operative Bank. On the time
of deposit, I asked bank executive about the clearing timing of outstation cheque. He
informed me, it takes 15 days. I found that cheque has been returned due to negligence of Co-operative Bank, because they didnt endorse the cheque for the time
of honour. Co-operative Bank charged on returning, which I have to pay the drawee.
After proper presentation, Co-operative Bank doesnt credit the amount till today.
On 17th November 2009, I again deposited another Cheque of Allahabad bank. The
Co-operative Bank again doesnt credit the amount till today. I also had issued a
cheque to Deutche bank Card dated 08/12/09. But Co-operative Bank returned that
instrument and Deutche bank charged my card cheque returned + interest + late payment. Sir, in this above matter I found all the fault of Co-operative Bank. I have been
charged and caring a loss of amount. Kindly suggest.

Consumer VOICE responds

Please write to the Nodal Officer of
the Co-operative Bank to credit the
amount within three days because
for any delay on their part you cannot be penalised. As per guidelines of
Supreme Court outstations cheques
should be credited within 20 days
depending upon the distance. Failing
which bank become liable for payment
of interest on delayed credit. Moreover,
this amount to deficiency in services
under the law on the part of the bank.

Tanmoy Roy
West Bengal

Can I refund booking amount?

Consumer VOICE responds

I booked a flat in Sonepat with Parsvnath Developers. Due to the bank

loan I could not continue this flat. Now I am asking for refund of the 5%
of the booking amount. They are not refunding this amount and telling
me that this has been forfeited. Please advice.

Forfeiture of amount depends upon the

terms and conditions of your agreement
with the developers. Please check the
agreement first to move further.

Mr. Badar Afaq

Haryana

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