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30 sept 2024 Agartala, Sept 30: Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Monday stressed the need for raising more awareness on the Consumer Protection Act. With the changing times, the scope of business has expanded, and consumer protection has become inevitable, he said at an event in Agartala. He was addressing a state-level consumer awareness seminar and launch of Consumer Clubs inlOO schools and 18 colleges organized by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan. The Chief Minister also handed over smart ration cards to a few consumers and launched free distribution of Maida, Sooji and Sugar through PDS for the upcoming Durga Puja. As decided by the Food department, the Chief Minister launched distribution of puja grants of Rs. 2000 to the workers. Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Sushanta Chowdhury, Justice Arindam Lodh of the High Court of Tripura and president of Tripura State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mayor Dipak Majumder, Special Secretary to Food department Ravel Hamendra Kumar, Director Nirmal Adhikary and other officials were present. The Chief Minister advised the consumers to collect cash memo in case of any purchase so that they could easily avail legal benefit. He also emphasized the importance of such awareness programmes in educating the people regarding relevant matters including fraud in online purchase. Justice Lodh appreciated the initiative in view of raising awareness on the Consumer Protection Act in this digital era. Chowdhury in his address said, small in size, Tripura holds a significant position in the country in terms of PDS. He highlighted the initiative of digitizing the PDS and other plans to further strengthen this sector. Source: Tripura Times

08 Oct 2024 With October marking the beginning of Cybersecurity Awareness, it’s a crucial time to revisit best practices for staying safe online. Let’s look at a comprehensive set of cybersecurity strategies, aimed at helping individuals navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape with confidence. From leveraging biometric authentication to practicing good password hygiene and being cautious of phishing attempts, these practical recommendations ensure that consumers are well-equipped to protect themselves from common cyber threats. Below is a detailed guide on how to stay secure in today’s online world: Cybersecurity Pro Tips: Face Scans and Fingerprints are Safer Than Passcodes: use features like Face ID or fingerprint scans for your devices as much as possible. These are safer than passcodes and devices have good built-in protections for this sensitive information. Use Multi-Factor Authentication: Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible. This gives an important extra layer of security that makes it harder for cybercriminals to access your accounts. If you can’t use something more secure like secure authenticator applications or physical hardware security keys, use your phone number it’s safer than using nothing. If you use MFA for only one thing, use it for your email: that’s what attackers want the most. Think Before You Share Publicly: Think twice before sharing any information publicly — cybercriminals can use it to access your accounts or to convince someone that they’re you. Think about those cute surveys on Facebook with questions about your first car, city you were born in: these are the same kinds of info cybercriminals can use to pretend they’re you and log into and take over your accounts. You Don’t Always Need (to keep) the App: Don’t feel pressured to download an app every time: you can often use the service’s website just as well. Apps collect much more data than websites, including your location, your contact list and other info you might not want to share. If you do download an app, think about deleting it when you’re done using it: you can always reinstall it next time you need it. Beware of Apps You Get Outside of the Big-Name App Stores: Apps from app stores and websites  that aren’t the official big names ones like Google Play, Apple’s App Store, Samsung’s Galaxy Store can be very risky. The official stores have security and privacy standards that can identify malicious activity. Always stick to official sources for downloading apps or, if they’re not on the official app stores, download the app from the developer’s official website or use the app’s web version. Be On Your Guard for Unexpected Q EmajJs and Text Messages: Phishing continues to be one of the most effective tactics cybercriminals use to compromise consumers. If you get an unexpected q .emaiJ or text message, ignore it or at least don’t interact with it (don’t open attachments, don’t click on links). If you think it might be legitimate, reach out directly to who you think sent it and check with them. Question Urgency in Emails and Calls: Cybercriminals use urgency to get you to let your guard down and make bad decisions. If someone contacts you saying they’re from a trusted organization like the IRS, police or your bank and need you to take action quickly or something bad will happen, stop and question it. Go to the trusted source like the number on the back of your credit card to independently validate the request. Practice Good Password Security: Every account should have its own unique complex password. A strong password is at least 12 characters long with a mix of numbers, upper- and lower-case letters, and punctuation characters. Passwords should not be based on any personal information, and the best ones use a phrase rather than single words. If these passwords are too tough to juggle, try a password manager to stay organized. Keep Everything Updated and Run Security Tools. Make sure all your apps and devices are always fully updated. Be sure to have some sort of security software on all of your phones and computers (even if you have a Mac). Get Rid of End-of-Life Devices and Software: Everything from operating systems to services to Wi-Fi routers “go stale” and must be replaced eventually. For example, it might surprise you, but your internet router is typically only supported with patches and updates for a few years after you get it. Attackers love out-of-date devices. When something is “out of support” it’s stale: get rid of it and replace it with something fresh. Back up Your Data: While ransomware groups are mostly after businesses that can pay higher ransoms, they still go after people at home. It’s still important to have your data backed up so that you don’t have to consider paying a ransom. Put Your Mind at Ease Regarding These Cybersecurity Concerns Part of staying secure requires being able to filter out the noise and prioritize the security actions that matter. Here are things not to worry about. Focus your energy on real risks, not exaggerated threats. Public Wi-Fi is Safer Than You Think: Contrary to outdated advice, public Wi-Fi is generally safe due to encryption used by most websites and apps. Use it freely at airports or coffee shops, but avoid sensitive activities. Beware of Fearmongering Around New Tech Features: Not every new technology is as risky as it’s made out to be. For example, Apple’s NameDrop feature is generally safe and requires specific conditions to function. However, if you’re concerned, you can easily turn it off in settings. Stop Stressing Over Public Chargers: The risk of “juice jacking” (data theft from public chargers) is extremely low. Don’t worry about using public phone chargers — just focus on real, more prevalent threats. Source: Cityair News

09 Oct 2024 The central Delhi District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has directed an insurer to reimburse Rs 13,525 as medical expenses to a consumer, and said the clause of a minimum 24 hours’ hospitalisation for medical claims is to be “interpreted harmoniously” with facts of a case, including emergency treatment. As the claim rejection caused mental agony and harassment to the the United India consumer, Insurance Company Ltd also had to pay Rs 5,000 compensation to him, the commission said. The commission, comprising its president Inder Jeet Singh and member Rashmi Bansal, was hearing the complaint of Raja Harpal Singh, who said that his wife’s mediclaim was repudiated by United India Insurance on the grounds that hospitalisation in the case lasted less than 24 hours. In a recent order, the commission said that according to the medical records, the complainant’s wife was admitted to hospital in an emergency, given medical treatment and then discharged on the doctor’s advice. “The complainant has proved that his wife was admitted to the emergency ward on March 31 , 2023, at 4:09 AM… The Opposite Party or OP (United India) in its repudiation letter also mentions the time and date of discharge as 6:06 PM on March 31, 2023. It is apparent that hospitalisation is about 13-14 hours, which is less than 24 hours,” it said. The commission said that though clause 15 of the policy mentioned a minimum of 24 hours of hospitalisation to claim the insurance benefit, this clause was “general”, “based on traditional practice” and did not consider “subjective factors”. It said, “There is diversification of the technology in all spheres of life. The medical sciences and its branches are advanced with technology. To put it in simple words, the advancement in technology means speed, accuracy in process and results as compared to traditional or manual tasks etc.” “Thus by the use of advanced equipment and tools in medical diagnosis, tests, reports, evaluations, treatment, management and post-care procedures, the hospitalisation timings of patients are reduced substantially,” the commission added. The commission said the complainant’s wife required hospitalisation in the emergency ward and at the time of hospitalisation, the duration of treatment or stay in the hospital was not known. “The reason for hospitalisation is a medical compulsion, one would always desire not to stay for a longer period in hospital. When there is quick treatment and recovery, then why the patient would stay in a hospital for over 24 hours at the perils of health risk and inflate the bills,” it asked. The commission said the clause needed to be “construed harmoniously with other clauses of policy”, including that of emergency hospitalisation. “The opposite party was not to reject the valid claim simply by the strict literal meaning of 24 hours of clause 15. It is to be interpreted harmoniously with the facts, features and circumstances of this case of treatment in an emergency …” it said. The commission said the insurer could not reject the claim by ignoring the “material factors” of the case and without a “subjective assessment” of a patient’s needs. “Further, it is not rewriting of the contract but to make its construction and interpretation harmoniously with the objective of insurance policy for the purposes of this case of complainant,” it said. The commission concluded that the clause of 24-hour hospitalisation was not invoked properly and that the rejection of the claim was not justified. So deficiency in service and the complainant suffering inconvenience and harassment for non-settlement of the claim was established, said the commission. It directed the insurer to reimburse Rs 13,525 as medical expenses along with Rs 5,000 as compensation for causing mental agony and harassment to the complainant because of claim rejection and Rs 3,000 as litigation costs. Source: Udayavani

30 Sep 2024 Reinforcing its commitment towards illicit tobacco trade prevention, Philip Morris International’s (PMI)affiliate, IPM India intensifies its efforts to tackle the menace to safeguard India’s economic interest & protect consumers. The illicit tobacco trade is a major threat and growing challenge worldwide. As part of its continued efforts towards tackling the illegal trade menace, PMI’s strategy focuses on five critical areas research & intelligence, protecting the supply chain, partnerships, cooperation with law enforcement, and raising awareness. The organization supports and helps law enforcement agencies by inspecting and authenticating seized products and performing forensic evaluations. Additionally, profiles illicit products, shares intelligence on emerging routes and trends shaping the black market, and trains officials on the innovative authentication and security features of products. India has witnessed a significant rise in illicit in recent years and it only seems to rise with time. As per the reports, the total loss to the Govt. of India estimated for 2022, on account of the illicit markets in the tobacco industry is crore, up from crore in 2012, an increase of 46%. FICCI Cascade study 2022 highlights the overall market for illegal cigarettes in India is estimated to be at crore. As per the recent reports, throughout 2023-2024, law enforcement agencies have seized illegal cigarettes across many Indian cities- Guwahati, customs officials, and railway authorities confiscated over 11 lakh sticks on multiple occasions, with the Assam Rifles also making seizures. Visakhapatnam saw the police and customs seize over 21 lakh sticks, while in Vijayawada, the tally reached over 103 lakh sticks, including 75 boxes. Hyderabad’s police force seized 267 cartons and 4.5 lakh sticks. Additionally, Lucknow’s customs officials seized over 2.12 lakh sticks and a substantial number of packs and boxes. Expressing concern over the rise of the illicit tobacco trade, Navaneel Kar, Managing Director, IPM India said, “Eliminating illicit trade has been a longstanding priority for us and continues to be an integral part of our efforts to drive operational excellence and build a sustainable future. In India, PMI has contributed significantly over the past decade, partnering with law enforcement and investigative agencies in the fight against the trade of illegal cigarettes. Public-private partnerships based on an inclusive approach by governments, the private sector, and civil society are vital to helping combat the trade. Interconnected systems and advanced technologies such as digitally verified track-and-trace systems, holograms, QR codes, and RFID tags are essential for monitoring and detecting counterfeit products.” Source: Times Of India

03 Oct 2024 The right-to-repair movement, which advocates for consumers’ ability to fix their own devices, has gained momentum globally, but its progress in India remains slow despite the launch of a dedicated portal in December 2022. In a tech-driven world, consumers often prioritise convenience and instant gratification, sometimes at the expense of privacy and the right to control their devices. As highlighted by a 2019 Washington Post article that exposed Chrome’s extensive use of tracker cookies, privacy concerns are often overshadowed by the dominance of tech giants and the pervasiveness of their products and services. The right-to-repair movement seeks to empower consumers by providing them with the information, tools, and spare parts necessary to repair their own devices, reducing reliance on manufacturers and authorised repair centres. Challenges from Tech Giants However, major tech companies like Apple and Microsoft have historically resisted the right to repair, often making it difficult for consumers to access repair information and genuine parts. Their business models often prioritise selling new devices rather than facilitating repairs. Progress in the West In recent years, legislative efforts in regions like California and the European Union have forced tech companies to embrace the right to repair to some extent. The EU, in particular, has implemented regulations that require manufacturers to provide spare parts, tools, and repair information at reasonable prices, while prohibiting practices that hinder independent repairs. India’s Right to Repair Portal India’s Department of Consumer Affairs launched the Right to Repair portal in December 2022, covering sectors like farming equipment, mobile devices, consumer durables, and automobiles. While the portal lists major tech brands like Samsung, Apple, HP, Lenovo, Boat, Xiaomi, and LG, it currently focuses on providing customer care details and official blogs rather than comprehensive repair information and resources. The Way Forward India’s right-to-repair movement is still in its early stages. To effectively empower consumers, the country needs to implement more robust regulations, similar to those in the EU, that ensure: Availability of Spare Parts and Tools: At reasonable prices from manufacturers. Access to Repair Information: Including manuals, schematics, and software updates. Source: Business Today