Govt forms panel to draft safety pledge for e-commerce platforms
New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) The government has constituted a committee to draft the safety pledge for e-commerce platforms as it seeks to prevent the sale of unsafe goods to consumers through online marketplaces.
The panel, which includes members from major e-commerce platforms, voluntary consumer associations, industry bodies and National Law Universities, will submit its report in two weeks.
According to an official statement on Thursday, the Department of Consumer Affairs held a stakeholder consultation on preparation for a 'Safety Pledge' for e-commerce platforms. The exercise is aimed at ensuring the sale of goods which are safe for use by consumers and requires platforms to take appropriate measures to prevent the sale of unsafe goods.
The meeting was chaired by Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs and was attended by representatives from industry associations, major e-commerce platforms, voluntary consumer associations and law chairs.
"The Department has constituted a committee for drafting of the safety pledge and the committee includes members from major e-commerce platforms, voluntary consumer associations, industry bodies and National Law Universities. The committee shall submit its report in two weeks," the statement said.
The meeting began with a presentation by the Department of Consumer Affairs, emphasising the importance of safety of goods for consumers and the provisions under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to prevent the sale of unsafe goods to consumers.
International examples of safety pledge being implemented in other jurisdictions such as the European Union (EU), Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Canada were also discussed.
The sale of safe goods to consumers is among the strong principles of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
'Consumer rights' recognized under Section 2(9) of the Act include the right to be protected against the marketing of goods, products or services which are hazardous to life and property. Further, consumer commissions are empowered under the Act to pass directions to entities to not offer hazardous or unsafe goods for sale.
The department is actively collaborating with the European Commission to adopt best international practices aimed at detecting and preventing the sale of unsafe goods to consumers on online platforms, the statement said.
The product safety pledge is a voluntary commitment by online platforms with respect to the safety of goods sold to consumers. The pledge aims to better protect consumers from the risk of purchasing unsafe products available for sale on e-commerce platforms.
The safety pledge aims to raise standards across all online marketplaces operating in India.
"Signing the pledge can also be a public way of demonstrating their commitment to enhancing consumer product safety," the department said.
The proposed principles of the safety pledge for e-commerce platforms include detecting and preventing the sale of unsafe products, cooperating with statutory authorities responsible for product safety, raising consumer product safety awareness amongst third-party sellers and empowering consumers on product safety issues.
The meeting was attended by industry associations such as CII, ASSOCHAM, FICCI, IAMAI, and NASSCOM as well as e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho.
Voluntary consumer associations such as Mumbai Grahak Panchayat and Consumer Voice and Law chairs such as Chair on Consumer Law, NLU Delhi and Chair on Consumer Law, NLSIU, Bengaluru.
All stakeholders expressed their appreciation for the introduction of a safety pledge for e-commerce platforms, the department said, adding that the consensus underscored the critical importance of ensuring the sale of safe goods to consumers through e-commerce channels. PTI MJH SHW
