The Aware Consumer State Awards 2020
The fifth edition of ‘The Aware Consumer State Awards’ was held on the occasion of the World Consumer Rights Day on 15thMarch, 2020, just before the country went into complete lockdown on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also held in the backdrop of the new Consumer Protection Act, 2019 which was in the works and was notified later in July.
The survey advanced to trying to account for the wide disparities in population demographics, geography, administration and other structures, both within the states and among the states and union territories. The states and union territories were grouped into three categories –
- Big States (18)
- North-East and Hill States (11)
- Union Territories (7)
This ensures rationality, equity and a level-playing field in the rankings of the consumer-friendly states and union territories. It should be noted that a similar classification has been adopted by the Prime Ministers’ Awards for Excellence in Public Administration and Good Governance Index, instituted by the DARPG, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.
Theme: The Sustainable Consumer and Sustainable Development Goals
Sub-Themes: The states were ranked on the four key indicators of:
- Digital Website Presence
- Public Infrastructure and Utilities
- Judiciary and Public Security
- Commerce and Industry
These indicators assessed the states on important aspects like disposal of consumer court cases, villages and towns being declared open defecation free, access to potable water, ease of doing business, official websites and the information found on them.
Top 5 Consumer-Friendly Big States of India
- Kerala
- Haryana
- Telangana
- Madhya Pradesh
- Odisha
Top 5 Consumer-Friendly North East and Hilly States of India
- Himachal Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- Sikkim
- Assam
Top 5 Consumer-Friendly Union Territories of India
- Delhi
- Lakshwadeep
- Pondicherry
- Chandigarh
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
This presents a more comprehensive view of the consumer protection mechanism in place across the country even as it encourages the states to vie for improvement and recognition.