India’s rapidly expanding digital marketplace is creating new challenges for consumer protection, prompting stronger regulatory scrutiny of dark patterns, misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices and the online sale of hazardous products.The Department of Consumer Affairs is pursuing a combination of enforcement measures, digital grievance redressal, legal metrology reforms and various other initiatives to strengthen consumer rights while improving ease of doing business.In this conversation with Anoop Verma, Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, discusses the CCPA’s action against digital platforms and coaching institutes, efforts to secure refunds for consumers, measures to stabilise essential commodity prices and the proposed Repairability Index.She also explains how regulatory reforms, greater transparency and cooperation with state administrations can strengthen consumer confidence and accountability across India’s evolving marketplace.Edited excerpts:The CCPA has taken action against several major digital platforms for using dark patterns and has also encouraged companies to conduct self-audits. How effective have these interventions been in changing platform behaviour, and what further enforcement measures are being considered?
We are already seeing changes in the way platforms interact with consumers. For example, IndiGo replaced its confirm-shaming wording with neutral text following a CCPA notice, while BookMyShow removed a pre-ticked ₹1 donation after being directed to do so. So far, we have imposed penalties totalling ₹30 lakh on eight platforms. These include Rapido, which was penalised ₹10 lakh, Zepto ₹7 lakh, PhysicsWallah ₹5 lakh, Anuj Jindal ₹3 lakh, FirstCry ₹2 lakh, and PharmEasy, McAfee and SpiceJet ₹1 lakh each.There has also been a broader response from the industry. Following our advisory of June 5, 2025, 26 platforms, including Flipkart, Myntra, Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, BigBasket, Meesho, MakeMyTrip, Tata 1mg, PharmEasy and Ajio, audited their interfaces and submitted self-declarations. The 13 dark patterns identified in the 2023 Guidelines have now become a compliance checklist for platforms, rather than merely an enforcement tool.However, a self-declaration is only a statement made by the platform. It is not a certificate issued by the CCPA. The real test is whether complaints from consumers on the National Consumer Helpline actually decline.Going forward, we will use consumer complaint data to identify platforms for suo motu scrutiny and verify their declarations against their live applications and websites. Our enforcement will continue to focus on sectors such as quick commerce, ride-hailing, travel, ed-tech and subscription services. Where a platform declares compliance but continues to use dark patterns, we will treat that false declaration as an aggravating factor while determining the penalty.The CCPA has issued 66 notices to coaching institutes and imposed penalties of approximately ₹1.6 crore for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices. What impact have these actions had, and how is the government ensuring truthful disclosures about results, faculty, fees and placement outcomes?
Our objective is to move the coaching sector away from unverifiable claims towards advertising based on accurate and transparent disclosures. We have issued 66 notices to coaching institutes across the country and imposed penalties amounting to ₹1,59,60,000 on 34 institutes. We have also directed them to discontinue misleading advertisements.The Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector, 2024, issued on November 13, 2024, apply to coaching centres as well as endorsers. They establish clear requirements for advertisements featuring successful candidates. Institutes must disclose the rank secured by the candidate, the course taken and its duration, and whether the course was paid or free.Written consent must be obtained before using a candidate’s name or photograph. Institutes cannot promise guaranteed selection or job security, nor can they create false urgency to pressure students into enrolling. Claims relating to faculty, fees, selection rates and refund policies must be accurate and verifiable. Disclaimers must appear in the same font size as the main claim. Any success claim that cannot be verified is considered a misleading advertisement.We are enforcing these requirements through complaints received on the National Consumer Helpline, our own monitoring and action taken through District Collectors. We will continue to act wherever violations are identified.The CCPA has asked District Collectors and Magistrates to inspect coaching institutes and ensure compliance with consumer protection guidelines. How is the Department working with state administrations to prevent misleading claims, address student grievances and secure timely refunds?
The National Consumer Helpline serves as the central point where students can raise grievances and seek refunds. The CCPA has written to District Collectors and Magistrates across all states and Union Territories, asking them to ensure compliance with the 2024 coaching guidelines, conduct inspection drives and refer student grievances to the National Consumer Helpline at 1915.Under Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, District Collectors have the authority to inquire into or investigate violations of consumer rights, including cases referred by the CCPA. This enables us to extend the reach of national consumer protection enforcement to the district level.We have also achieved results in securing refunds. Between September 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024, refunds amounting to ₹1.56 crore were secured for more than 600 aspirants through the National Consumer Helpline. Subsequently, between April 25, 2025, and October 15, 2026, refunds of ₹1,34,38,519 were secured against 964 dockets in the private education sector.Our approach is also preventive. We act against misleading claims through notices, penalties and directions to discontinue advertisements. Under Section 20 of the Consumer Protection Act, the CCPA can also direct reimbursement of prices paid.For students facing such problems, the process is straightforward. They can call 1915 or register a complaint through the National Consumer Helpline portal or mobile application. The complaint docket is forwarded to the institute concerned. If the matter remains unresolved, it can be escalated to the CCPA or the appropriate consumer commission.The CCPA has taken action against online platforms facilitating the unauthorised sale of regulated explosive substances. What safeguards are being introduced to ensure that e-commerce platforms verify the credentials of sellers and buyers before allowing such products to be listed or sold?
If an online platform lists a regulated explosive substance without verifying who is selling it and who is buying it, the platform is facilitating an unlawful sale. We have made this clear through our enforcement orders. Substances such as ammonium nitrate, PETN, picric acid and gunpowder can be sold only by licensed persons under the Explosives Act, 1884, and the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012.The marketing of such hazardous goods violates consumer rights under Section 2(9)(i) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and constitutes an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47). The CCPA takes action under Section 18 of the Act, read with the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.So far, four final orders have resulted in penalties totalling ₹40 lakh, with ₹10 lakh imposed in each case. These involve Dial4Trade for ammonium nitrate, ExportersIndia.com in cases involving ammonium nitrate and PETN, and picric acid, and JustDial for ammonium nitrate. Proceedings have also been initiated against IndiaMART, TradeIndia, Sigma-Aldrich India and Ibuychemikals.We expect platforms to verify the seller’s valid PESO licence before allowing a listing to go live. The licence number should be checked and displayed on the listing. The identity and licence status of buyers must also be verified before an enquiry or order is accepted. Technology has an important role here. Platforms should use keyword and category filters to block or flag restricted substances, supported by human review of flagged listings. They must also ensure prompt removal of such listings when a complaint or notice is received.Ultimately, platforms must take responsibility for what they host. Simply claiming to be an intermediary cannot protect a platform that facilitates the listing of hazardous substances.The Department has introduced legal metrology reforms, including decriminalisation of specified offences, Improvement Notices, Government Approved Test Centres and the e-Maap portal. How are these measures improving regulatory efficiency while ensuring that consumer interests remain protected?
We are adopting a balanced approach. Our objective is to simplify regulatory processes and promote ease of doing business while maintaining strong consumer protection. Under the Jan Vishwas reforms, we have decriminalised specified offences to promote proportionate enforcement and reduce the burden of criminal proceedings for certain violations. At the same time, appropriate deterrents remain in place for serious and repeat offences.We have also introduced Improvement Notices, which provide businesses with an opportunity to rectify specified non-compliances within the prescribed legal framework. Licences have been replaced with simplified registrations that are perpetual in nature. Another important initiative is the expansion of Government Approved Test Centres. These centres make verification facilities more accessible, allowing businesses to obtain the required services more conveniently and efficiently.The e-Maap portal is helping us deliver legal metrology services digitally. It improves transparency and simplifies the processing of applications for approval of Government Approved Test Centres and the issuance of verification certificates. At the same time, our focus on consumer protection remains unchanged. We continue to enforce requirements relating to accurate weighing and measurement, mandatory declarations on packaged commodities and action against fraudulent measurements and unfair trade practices.The objective is to make regulation simpler for honest businesses while ensuring fair trade, accurate measurements and strong consumer confidence.The Department monitors essential commodity prices and undertakes market interventions through buffer stocks and distribution networks. How effective have recent interventions been in controlling price volatility in onions and pulses, and what measures are being taken to protect consumers from sudden price increases?
The Department of Consumer Affairs monitors the prices of 41 essential commodities across 579 centres in the country. This helps us assess price trends, identify regional variations and take timely measures to protect consumers from undue price increases. In the case of pulses, the overall availability position remains comfortable. This is supported by domestic production, substantial government stocks, ongoing procurement and an established import framework.Pulses production reached approximately 274 lakh metric tonnes in 2025–26, an increase of 6.7% over about 257 lakh metric tonnes in 2024–25 and nearly 13% over 242 lakh metric tonnes in 2023–24. Chana production alone increased from approximately 111 lakh metric tonnes to 125.14 lakh metric tonnes.Higher domestic production has strengthened availability, while government buffer stocks provide an additional cushion to meet emerging requirements. Prices of major pulses have remained broadly stable, and the recent firmness in some prices is largely consistent with normal seasonal demand ahead of the festive period.We are continuously monitoring domestic availability, prices, buffer stocks, import inflows, landing prices, international market trends and overseas supply conditions. We are also assessing the progress of Kharif pulse crops and will closely monitor Rabi sowing, taking evolving weather conditions into account.Our import policy provides flexibility to respond to changing market conditions. Imports of tur and urad remain under the free category until March 31, 2027. Yellow peas can also be imported without quantitative restrictions until that date, subject to a 30% import duty, while chana and masur attract a 10% import duty.For onions, our approach involves procurement for buffer stocks and calibrated releases during periods of seasonal shortages. Procurement from producing states is undertaken at a market-price-linked Minimum Assured Procurement Price, based on the maximum and modal prices prevailing over the preceding three trading days.Prices typically rise during the period between the Rabi and Kharif harvests as stored Rabi onions are depleted. We therefore release onions from government buffer stocks in a regulated and targeted manner to improve availability and stabilise prices. For 2026–27, we initiated the sale of buffer onions at ₹35 per kilogram through NAFED and NCCF ahead of the festive season. We have also adopted a hybrid transportation system using rail rakes and trucks to improve logistical efficiency.So far, 30,000 metric tonnes of onions have been dispatched to 164 cities and centres, including Tripura, through 19 rail rakes and 544 trucks. Distribution takes place through wholesale and retail channels, including mobile vans.We have seen a moderation in prices following these interventions. All-India mandi prices declined by approximately 5%, from nearly ₹3,600 per quintal in September 2026 to ₹3,415 per quintal in October. In Maharashtra, mandi prices declined by about 11%, from ₹3,823 to ₹3,400 per quintal over the same period.A moderating trend in retail onion prices has also been observed across approximately 400 reporting cities since the commencement of buffer stock releases.
