The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, organised a Regional Workshop on Consumer Protection for Eastern States today in Patna, Bihar, bringing together key stakeholders from Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha to strengthen consumer grievance redressal and improve the functioning of Consumer Commissions.

The workshop focused on reducing case pendency, improving compliance of consumer commission orders, using digital tools for faster justice, and addressing emerging challenges such as dark patterns and unfair trade practices in digital market

Strong push for digital consumer justice

In her keynote address, Smt. Nidhi Khare highlighted the major reforms undertaken by the Department to modernise the consumer grievance redressal system across the country.

She underlined the growing role of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH 2.0) as a pre-litigation platform that provides multi-lingual access, online complaint filing and faster resolution through technology. The Secretary also detailed the nationwide rollout of E-Jagriti

(CONFONET 2.0) a single integrated digital platform for Consumer Commissions’-Jagriti brings together e-Daakhil, online case management, video conferencing, data dashboards and AI-based tools, creating an end-to-end digital workflow for consumer cases.

She stated that E-Jagriti marks a shift from fragmented systems to a transparent, efficient and real-time digital ecosystem, enabling better monitoring and quicker disposal of cases. Emphasising its importance for Eastern India, she said that digital platforms can greatly improve access to consumer justice in rural and geographically dispersed districts of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha. She urged State and District Consumer Commissions to make full use of video hearings, automated case tools and performance dashboards to reduce delays and ensure timely execution of orders.

Focus on agriculture and price stability

Smt. Khare also spoke about the need to strengthen domestic production and procurement of pulses, noting a shift in household consumption from cereals towards pulses.

Referring to Bihar’s strong agricultural base, she highlighted the potential for expanding pulses cultivation and structured procurement, including dalhan procurement. She noted that India currently imports pulses such as arhar, chana and urad from countries like Myanmar, Australia and Brazil, and stressed the need to build domestic capacity.

She reiterated the Government’s commitment to MSP-based procurement when market prices fall below MSP, while ensuring that farmers can benefit from higher market prices were available, thereby supporting farmer welfare and food security.

Bihar welcomes digital governance reforms

Addressing the gathering, Shri Pratyaya Amrit, Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, welcomed the focus on digital initiatives and said that such reforms are essential for future-ready governance. He emphasised that citizens must be seen not just as beneficiaries, but as consumers with the right to clear information, fair treatment and timely redressal. He praised initiatives like E-Jagriti and expressed confidence that discussions on emerging issues such as dark patterns would lead to meaningful outcomes. He assured that the recommendations of the workshop would be implemented by the State of Bihar. He also stated that all departments are aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Key technical sessions

The workshop featured four technical sessions covering critical aspects of consumer protection:

• Technical Session I on “E-Jagriti: Advancing Consumer Justice Through Digital Innovation” focused on digital transformation of Consumer Commissions and the use of technology for case management, hybrid hearings and performance monitoring.
• Technical Session II on “Ensuring Speedy Disposal: Best Practices for Minimizing Adjournments” deliberated on procedural reforms, judicial time management, and technology-enabled scheduling mechanisms for expediting case disposal.
• Technical Session III on “Ensuring Compliance: Effective Execution of Consumer Commission Orders” examined institutional strategies for strengthening post-order enforcement, inter-departmental coordination and monitoring of execution proceedings.
• Technical Session IV on “Dark Patterns and Consumer Protection in Digital Markets” addressed emerging challenges in e-commerce and digital services, including misleading interfaces, manipulative practices and the growing importance of regulatory and adjudicatory preparedness.

Parallel sessions were also held on Legal Metrology reforms, including E-Maap and the Jan Vishwas Bill, and on procurement and market intervention for price stabilisation.

The workshop was inaugurated by Shri Pratyaya Amrit, Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, and Shri Abhay Kumar Singh, Secretary, Food and Consumer Protection Department, Government of Bihar. The keynote address was delivered by Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. The inaugural session concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Shri Anupam Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs.

The workshop saw participation from Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of Consumer Affairs and Agriculture Departments, Presidents, Members and Registrars of State and District Consumer Commissions, senior State officials, NIC representatives, Chairman and Managing Director of NCCF, and Voluntary Consumer Organisations.

The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to expand digital adoption, strengthen institutional capacity, ensure effective execution of orders and enhance inter-State cooperation. The Department of Consumer Affairs reaffirmed its continued support to Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha in building a fast, accessible and technology-driven consumer justice system.

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RT/ ARC

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