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INSIGHT May-June 2005 Flipbook PDF
INSIGHT May-June 2005
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Frontline (Dis)credit Cards And some disservice to consumers! Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad, has objected to the “unilateral” and “unfair” terms and conditions of certain credit card service providers as well as to their practice of engaging hirelings and thugs to recover the dues. CERC has referred to the Supreme Court of India’s decision in a case of Life Insurance Corporation of India vs. CERC that if any contract or condition of contract by and between two parties of unequal bargaining capacity was unilateral or unfair, it would offend the conscience of the Constitution of India, viz. citizen’s Fundamental Right to Equality before the law and, therefore, would
Draft Companies Act To be taken as seen, read and approved?
Millions of investors in India have lost their lifetime savings in vanishing companies. Still no director or promoter of a vanishing company has been held responsible. Even a Concept Paper, prepared to review and revise the Company Act, 1956 has not been responsive to the
be “unconstitutional, illegal and unenforceable”. CERC has also referred to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 1996, of the USA which prohibits employing any agency for the recovery of dues and allows it only through the process of law. It also has referred to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, 2003, of New Zealand. It provides different kinds of insurance covers to consumers and their freedom to cancel a contract. needs of the investing public, CERC has said. The Union Ministry of Company Affairs had invited comments and suggestions on the Paper. CERC objected to the expression, “After incorporating valuable suggestions of the corporate sector, the Companies Bill will be framed for introduction in the Parliament” and added that “There cannot be any greater insult of, and indifference to, the small investors than this statement. Ultimately, it seems, the law will be such which the corporate sector wants,” it has added. Dr. J. J. Irani, Director of Tata Steel and Tata Sons, has been appointed head of a committee to draft the new Companies Act. By the investors, for the companies, with the companies.
CERC has cited a recent directive of the Tamil Nadu State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on Standard Chartered Bank to pay Rs. 20 lakh to a couple to whose residence the bank had sent hirelings and thugs to recover dues on account of credit card. The Commission urged the RBI to take action against the bank for its “despicable act”. Can consumers bank on such service providers?
A Potential Smoke Bomb Will Minister emerge the hero or the villain? The Union Government has announced a ban on the display of tobacco products or their use by characters in movies and television from 2 October 2005 along with several other amendments to the rules under the Tobacco Control Act, 2003, reports Press Information Bureau (PIB). The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has endorsed Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss's call for the ban but got him to agree to exempt films already made or those that dealt with social message on smoking. Earlier, addressing a workshop for the health professionals on World No Tobacco Day, the Minister defended the Tobacco Control Act saying that
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 1
while the tobacco industry in India is worth about Rs.35,000 crore, the Government and the private sector are spending an equal amount in treating people suffering from diseases caused by tobacco use. Is a ban on filmi eve-teasing, cabaret, seduction, gambling, kidnapping, bribery, murder and such others too in the offing?
audio/video chatting, Internet telephony, etc.
INSIGHT THE CONSUMER MAGAZINE
RailTel, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, is executing the project and, by 2008, OFC is expected to be provided on about 40,000 route km.
(Formerly Consumer Confrontation) Vol.25 No.3
Stay connected.
President (CERS)
ISSN 0972-1428
Swarn Kohli Adviser
Prof. Manubhai Shah Founder Managing Trustee CERC, Promoter of CERS
Internet for Railway Passengers Rail route to 21st century
EDITORIAL TEAM
The Government has decided to provide Internet service through cyber cafes at Railway stations in a phased manner. Now optical fibre cable (OFC) is available only on 26,000 route km along the railway track and work is in progress on another 6,000 route km. These cyber cafes will be initially provided on 51 important stations and will have facilities such as Internet, e-mail,
Editor
Pritee Shah Associate Editor
Debmuni Gupta Staff Writer
Gitanjali Hazarika Designer
Manoj Bhavsar ‘Make Smoking Costlier’
Marketing Support
Ignore Cassandra to your peril.
D. Saravanan Illustrator
Satpalsingh Chhabra DTP Operations
Anil Nair
Cigarette prices should be increased by 50 per cent a year to persuade people not to smoke, says The Lancet, a leading medical journal. It has called for the policy to be adopted by rich and poor countries alike to prevent a worldwide epidemic of lung cancer. Of the 1.4m victims of lung cancer this year, more than 85 per cent would die before 2010, it added.
INSIGHT In many developing countries, adds The Lancet, poor literacy, poverty and primitive health systems have got in the way of the message. Within 20 years, 75 per cent of people dying from cancer would be from the developing world. Are the smokers listening?
2 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
IS FINE F AIR
INTEGRITY NEUTRAL EVALUATION -Jagdeep Kapoor Samsika Marketing Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.
The Tubelight Story
ABOUT US
“Ek tubelight dena”. INSIGHT is a comprehensive source of independent, objective information on consumer products in the areas of food, pharmaceuticals and household electrical appliances. It recommends brands based on comparative testing, evaluation and ranking of products at its independent, in-house consumer product testing laboratory — the first of its kind in India.
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That is about all most of us ask the shopkeeper. Or at best add, casually, “Kaunsa brand achcha hoga bhai?” Satisfied at his `recommendation’, we carry the packed, brand new tubelight home, send for the local electrician and ask him just to fix it. Or, if we want a new lighting point, we ask him to bring over a tubelight complete with patti, choke, starter, wire... And that’s all we need to know, don’t we? The non-technical among us too thought the same way. Until our inhouse laboratory for comparative testing of domestic electrical appliances came up with its findings on 40W tubelights. Take, for instance, this one among its key findings : none of the 13 brands taken up for testing met the Standards for ‘ideal efficacy’, though fortunately one came close to it. And worse, two brands not only failed to meet the Standards for initial lumen, i.e. initial light output, but also were found manufactured under one common fake licence number! We thought a tubelight — any tubelight — saves more energy than a bulb and thus cuts down on your energy bill. Yes, but then there are also electronic chokes and electromagnetic chokes and starters and wattage and total harmonic distortion, too, to consider. Anyway, we have found three brands of tubelights qualifying for our recommendation for ‘Best Buys’. Read and you will know which ones they are. And next time you visit the shopkeeper, think before you ask him, “Ek tubelight dena”. *
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Did you know that a vast assortment of people in the USA, the UK, Australia and many others are crying hoarse against polluters of a different kind? Environmentalists, astronomers, space scientists, physicists, doctors, journalists, citizens action groups and so on are opposed to what they call light pollution — the glare of artificial unshielded light encroaching on our private property and a good night’s sleep and, worse, telling on our health, mental and physical. Our feature on the topic throws light on the campaign against the “theft of the night” and the offenders. *
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Household cleaners occupy an important place in our monthly expenses bill, a more important place than earlier. With growing concern for the health and hygiene of the family, we go for the ‘best available’ in the market. Or, perhaps what we perceive as the ‘best’. But some of these toxic chemicals have immense potential for harming our family. Can there be safe substitutes for these killer cleaners? Our feature ‘How to Make Safe Cleaners’ has the answers.
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Pritee Shah [email protected]
INSIGHT reports on current consumer issues that affect your health, money and environment. INSIGHT does not accept product samples from manufacturers. Material in whole or in part from INSIGHT shall not be used for any marketing or promotional purposes. No material can be reproduced without prior written permission. Test Reports published in INSIGHT shall not be reproduced in any form by any organisation or individual. Press Releases on Test Reports can be reproduced with acknowledgement. INSIGHT material shall not be used for websites and TV without the Editor’s written permission. INSIGHT is published bimonthly by Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), a non-commercial membership organisation promoted by Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad. CERS is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Subscription rates: 1 year Rs 180 (US$ 14) 3 years Rs 450 (US$ 37) 5 years Rs 700 (US$ 59) For other countries see page 14. Address for correspondence : Consumer Education and Research Society “Suraksha Sankool”, Thaltej Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway Ahmedabad 380 054, Gujarat, India. Tel : 079-27489945/46, 27450528, 30121001/02/03/30123009 Fax : 079-27489947 Email : [email protected] Website: www.cercindia.org
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
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ENVIRONMENT
Website for the Green Consumer Consumers in search of ‘greener pastures’
Air Monitoring System at Taj Or monitoring the effects of modern civilisation The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has set up in association with Environment-Canada a continuous air monitoring station at the Taj Mahal in Agra. The monitoring system will help in better assessment of the pollution of the area and greet visitors with flashes on real-time data
Mosquito Coil Emissions A potential nightmare Numerous households in Asia, Africa, and South America burn mosquito coils indoors which generate smoke and control mosquitoes effectively. However, a
on the pollution levels around the monument. Data from this monitoring station will be uploaded directly on the Board’s website in real time and can be accessed by the public, says cpcb.nic.in. The station will also measure fine particulate matter and lay more emphasis on the wind profile of the area. But will the vagaries of political wind spare the monument? study has found that the smoke may contain pollutants of health concern. A joint team of researchers from three universities in the USA and two in Malaysia conducted the study to characterize the emissions from six common brands of mosquito coils — four from China and two from Malaysia. The study found that pollutant concentrations from burning such coils could substantially exceed health-based air quality standards or guidelines, reports Environmental Health Perspectives. The researchers also identified in the c o i l s m o k e v o l a t i l e o rg a n i c compounds, including carcinogens and suspected carcinogens. Killer mosquitoes or killer repellents?
Consumer Reports, published by the world’s largest consumer-product testing and rating organisation, Consumers Union, New York, USA, has launched a new website GreenerChoices.org, a free guide that offers reliable and practical advice on how to be a more environmentallyfriendly consumer. There is a “green ratings” section for many products covered, which provides ratings of a product’s energy, water and fuel efficiency performance. It also provides environmental and health assessments for various products. Consumers will also find tools such as energy calculators, rebate information, and food label meanings. This site also provides a link to ecolabels.org that evaluates the meaning of environmental labels on food products, personal care products, household cleaners, etc. It not only tells consumers what makes a good eco-label and what makes a label transparent but also helps them keep track of labels recently added and compare them quickly. Besides, it enables consumers to print the information easily to use while shopping. WWW.GreenerChoices.org went live on Earth Day on 22 April. Green will look well on Mother Earth
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 5
TEST REPORT
H
ow long do tubelights , i.e ., compar at ive testing lab orat ory for tubular fluorescent lamps co nsumer product s. Since M arch (TFLs), last? How bright is April 2003, we ha ve kept 10 the light they give? How much can samp les ea ch of theb rands switch ed you save by using them — both on ‘on’, on a 24 -hour cycle — money and energy? F or us, findingswitching it ‘off’ for atleast 10 the answers was a long process: minutes for 8 times — as specified some brands claimed a life of 5000 by the Standa rds . After abo ut 3000 hours of continuo us testing, we’re hours , some even more . less than ha lf way through the test Tubelights of the 40W rating are but it’s time we took stock. widel y used and have b eco me al most a u niversal stan dar d for Some of the po pu lar br ands of 40W home, office and other lighting tubelights are now available also of appl ications. We tested 1 3 br ands of 36W ratings. Thes e ca n be u sed in 40W tubelights at our in-house the s ame f ixtures or pat ti fitting for
40W
Tubelights 13 Leading Brands Tested Only 1 Found Close to Ideal Efficiency
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INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
40W tubelights with the same chokes and starter s. One ca n direct ly save 4W by replacing a 40W tubelight with a 36W one. We will bring you the test findings on 36 W tubelights in the coming issue of INSIGHT.
How Long Do They Last? The life of a tubelight is the num ber of hou rs it takes to ‘ burn ou t’ or to a ny other cr iter ion of life per forma nce as speci fied in the S tandards. Accordingly, the life of a tubelight
should be 2000 hours. As per the IS, if mor e than 4 samples ou t of 15 of any brand fail the initial lumen test, the br and s hall be conside red n oncon for ming. Accor dingly, two of 13 brands wer e el imi nated . (For det ails see Table) . All 11 brands of 40W tubelights that we tested conformed to the Standards. We have been continui ng the test of tubelights for 5000 hours as per the `scope' of IS 2418 ( Part 1) : 1977
Standards Tubel ights are co ver ed nei ther under the Qua lity Control Order (QCO) nor under the ma ndatory cer tifica tion of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Howev er , all the b rands that we tes ted ca rried the BIS ma rk. Ther ef ore, they mu st co mp ly with all the I S paramet er s. We t es ted the brands a gai nst t he f ol l owi ng standards:IS 2418- 1977 ( Part-1) with 4 amendments; IS 2418- 1977 ( Part-2) with 2 a mendments; IS 2418- 1977 (Part-3) with 1 a mendment; and IS 2418- 1977 ( Part-4) (Amen dmen t No. 3). Some b rands are w orking ev en after 3000 hours. The 5000-hour test will take us about two an d ah al f year s to complete.
Quality of Light Lumen is the measurement of light output. One lumen equals the light given by one ca ndle o ver a onesquare-foot area, on e foot away from the candle. Apart from burning long, the t ubes are ex pect ed also to give a
Key Findings Tubelights: * We reco mm en d Wipro, Surya HBT and New Cema Super as our Best Buys among the 40W tubelights. * Among the conforming brands of 40W tubel ights, t he a ver age ef fica cy (lumen/wattage) of Surya was the highest, though no t up to the `Ideal Efficacy' level, while that of Anchor Classi c was found to be the lowest. * In 40 W tubelights, Powerlites (CM/L8348989) manufactured by M/s Suntex L amps Pvt. L td., New Delhi, and Bengal Lamps (CM/L-8348989) marketed by M/s Bengal Lam ps & Components Pvt. L td., Noi da, did not con for m to the requirements of initial lumen. These two br ands were also dr oppe d f rom all the subsequent tests. * We found that tubelights manuf actured and sold with ISI mark und er BIS licence
(Amen dmen t No. 3). Some b rands are number CM/L 8348989 d o not belong to working even after 3000 ho urs. any BIS licensee for manuf acturing tubelights. The BIS has advised its branch Chokes : offi ces to i nvesti gate avai l abi l i yt of * As en er gy-ef fici en t el ect ronic ch okes are spuriously marked "Bengal Lamps " now available in the ma rket , we t es ted bran d fluorescent lam ps an d tak e ac tion. 40W tubelights for consumption of energy with el ect ronic ch okes . Ener gy * All the 11 brands of 40W tubelights co nsump tion with el ect ronic ch okes was tes ted for life co nformed to the found to be much less than that of req uiremen ts of theS tandard for life tes t el ect roma gnet ic ( co pper and alumi nium) up to 2000 hr s. ch okes . This tes t is not speci fied in IS 2418- 1977. * The Standards require the minimum i ni ti al l umen to be 2254. Philips * There is a higher saving of energy with the use of el ect ronic ch oke t han with Champi on an d Anchor Classic claimed el ect roma gnet icch oke. Thep urch ase co st 'Brighter Light' and 'Extra Light', of el ect ronic ch oke is a littleh igher then res pect ivel y. Our res ult showed that they that of a co pper ch okes but ca n be gave mo re t han the r eq uiremen t. But reco ver ed within 11 mo nths (approx.) ther e w er e b rands (Wipr o, Surya, Cema) beca use the u tilisation co st of el ect ronic that did not make such claims and yet ch okes is mu ch les s. (Low power per formed bet ter . consumption = less electricity bill) * We have been continui ng the test of * Tot al harmon ic distor tion was fou nd to b e tubelights for 5000 hours as per the very high in the brands of Electronic `scope' of the IS 2418 ( Part 1) : 1977 Chokes Rocker and GELCO (GC140) . INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 7
The ideal efficacy of a 40W tubelight is 61.25 whereas that of a 40 W bulb at 230V is only 10.37. Higher efficacy means lower energy or operating costs, which means lower energy bills. This is the basic reason why you should switch from a bulb to a tubelight and save power. Apart from efficacy, a 40W tubelight will last 2 to 3 times more as well as give 6 times more lumen than a 40W bulb.
uniform light, both at the initial stage and after cer tain use i.e. 2000 hours. Initial Lumen The initial lumens of the tubes wer e r eco rded under co ntrolled environmental conditions as per o o Standard (i.e. temp er ature2 5 C + 1 C and hum idity less than 65 per cent). The initial light output of individual lamp should not be less than 92 per cen t of the rated lumen . That mea ns, for a 40W tubelight which ha s rated
lumen of 2450, the initial light output should not be less than 2254 l umens.
Thet es t req uired 15 samp les of ea ch br and. However, as per the I S, a batch shall be called noncon for ming if more t ha n 4 samples do not co mp ly with the t es t req uiremen ts. Among the 40W tubelights, all 15 samples of each of the two brands, P owerl i tes an d Bengal Lam ps (CM/L - 8348989) , failed to c on for m to t he req uiremen ts. Thes e two br ands were dr oppe d f rom the subsequent tests. Howev er , all other 11 brands co nformed t o t he t es t requirements. Among them,
Surya H BT showed the highest average at 2422 l umens followed by Wipro with 2414 l umens and New Cema S upe r with 2397 l umens. (See Tablefor details) Lumen Maintenance (Lumen after 2000h ours) The tubelights have to not only last long but also give good quality of light during the num ber of hours it lasts. As per the IS, the standard ratio of lumen after 2000 hours to the initial lumen of individual lamp shall
Beware of Fakes! informed us that, according to records available with BIS, the licence number CM/L-8348989 does not belong to any of BIS licensees holding licence for tubelights.
* Amazed? We were, when we discovered that the Bengal Lamps tubelights, marketed by Bengal Lamps & Components Pvt. Ltd., Noida, and sold under BIS Licence No. CM/L-8348989, are fake. (The name and the address of the manufacturer are also not printed. Only the information on ‘marketed by’ is provided). When the batch failed to conform to the requirements of initial lumen as per the standard, we wrote to the manufacturer informing them about the results. When repeated reminders failed to evoke response, we took up the matter with the BIS which informed us that it will investigate in various places in Delhi, Haryana and UP. The BIS has also advised its officers to investigate the availability of spuriously marked ‘Bengal Lamps’ tubelights and to take necessary action as per the BIS Act.
However, the Bengal Lamps tubelights, “marketed by Bengal Electric Lamp Works India” (address not printed) and manufactured by M/s. Prestige Onida, carried the ISI mark with BIS licence No. CM/L-8527181 (Packing Slip No. 4690, No.115, 04/2004), and conformed to all the requirements as per the Standards.
Again, when we tested Powerlites, manufactured by M/s Suntex Lamps Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, we found them to be carrying the ISI mark and the same licence number as Bengal Lamps (CM/L 8348989). Intrigued, we wrote to the manufacturer, but failed to evoke any response. We than wrote to the BIS who
* In 40W category, Crompton and Anchor Classic failed to comply with the requirements of initial lumen during the initial testing of the first batch during March-April 2003. All 15 samples of RTQ of Crompton (product code 5602119, pkd. in 12/2002) failed to comply with the
Both Powerlites and Bengal Lamps carried the ISI mark and were manufactured under this fake licence number (CM/L-8348989) under only one licence number and both failed to conform to the Standards.
Manufacturer’s Interactions :
8 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
requirements of initial lumen against the permissible failure limit of 4 samples. Also at a meeting at CERC, representative from Crompton Greaves agreed to the test results. Surprisingly, then they sent a letter informing us that the low lumen found by our laboratory might be an isolated case. However, another batch of Crompton Product Code : 5602119, pkd in 09/03, case no.24262 conformed to all the requirements of Standard.
Two Names, One Tubelight! * For Anchor tubelights, we purchased a container of 25 lamps of 40W, cool daylight (Batch No. 071102, mfd. 11/02) tubelights from an authorised dealer. We were surprised to notice that out of 25 lamps, 2 samples carried the logo for Anchor at one end of the tubelights and Cinni at the other. It was also observed that efforts were made to rub out ‘Cinni’ but the name and the logo were still visible on both the tubelights. We informed the manufacturer regarding the double monogram. They regretted the slip, and assured us that they would take appropriate steps to avoid such problem in the future and improve on the quality.
CLAIMS Vs FACTS Brand : Wipro
it ranged from 1550 to 2407.
2157 and it ranged from 2099 to 2205.
Claim : Applying Thought
The average initial lumen of 15 samples was 2286.
Bengal Lamps (CM/L-8348989) did not comply with the minimum initial lumen requirements.
Manufacturer’s Response : Applying thought is an integral part of Wipro’s composite brand identity. This statement flows from our values... encapsulated in Wipro’s promise to the customer — “... we promise to serve our Customer with Integrity,... by Applying Thought, day after day.” Facts : Our results showed Wipro to be the best among all the brands tested.
Claim : High efficiency
Manufacturer’s Response : Not received
Manufacturer’s Response : Not received
We therefore accept their substantiation of the claim.
Facts : The manufacturer did not provide the value of efficiency for comparison.
Facts : Standards specify the initial lumen to be 2254(min.). In Powerlites (40W) it ranged from 2133 to 2222.
Brand : Bajaj Lamps
Since Powerlites could not conform to the test for initial lumen, it was dropped from all the other tests.
Claim : Slash your electricity bills Manufacturer’s Response : Not received Facts : Rated wattage marked : 40W Measured initial wattage : 39.52W (average) The difference found in our results was around 0.77 paise/day, which on average wattage of 15 samples is a marginal saving. Cost of energy bills/year with use of 40W tubelight is Rs.233.6/year and that with 39.52W is Rs.230.80/year (use of one tubelight for 4 hours/day at energy cost of Rs.4/kWh.) Our results do not support the manufacturer’s claim. Brand : Philips Champion AR Claim : Brighter Light * Manufacturer’s Response : Not received Facts : Standards specify the initial lumen to be 2254 (min.). In Philips (40 W) it ranged from 2258 to 2398. The average initial lumen of 15 samples were 2367. Although the initial lumens were more than the Standard they were low compared to lumen output of other brands tested. H o w e v e r, r e s u l t s s u p p o r t t h e manufacturer’s claim. Brand : Anchor Classic Claim : * Extra Bright * * Lumen marked on carton (Packet) = 2450 Manufacturer’s Response : “This is only the advertisement... made by our Head Office in Mumbai... marketing department is using the literature.” Facts : Standards specify the initial lumen to be 2254 (min.). In Anchor Classic (40W)
Although the initial lumens were more than the Standard they were low compared to lumen output of other brands tested.
The claim is not substantiated.
H o w e v e r, r e s u l t s s u p p o r t t h e manufacturer’s claim.
Brand : Powerlites CM/L-8348989 (Fake)
Brand : Powerlites CM/L-8348989 (Fake)
Claim : Lumen marked on carton (Packet) = 2450
Our results do not support the manufacturer ’s claim of ‘High Efficiency’.
The average lumen of 15 samples was 2183. Powerlites (40W) (CM/L-8348989) did not comply with the minimum initial lumen requirements. Labelling claim is not substantiated.
Brands : Anchor Classic, Surya HBT Claims : Aqua base technology, HBTHydro-based technology
Brand : GE Standard Claim : Ribbon glass technology
Manufacturers' Response : Anchor Classic : In tubelight manufacturing process, fluorescent powder coating on shells is of various types. In our process, coating of the shells is followed by waterbased technology. Surya HBT : Not received Facts : Generally in most brands of tubelights hydro-based technology is used for powder coating inside the tube. This is also known as water-based technology or aqua-based technology. It is a common technology adopted by many manufacturers and hence cannot be called a claim.
Manufacturer’s Response : We use plain cut tubes and glass shells, which we manufacture in our own factory. Glass shells are produced by ribbon technology and the same glass is used for producing PCTs, so as to obtain uniform wall thickness and defect-free glass, which leads to uniform white light. Facts : Manufacturers adopt this technology. It has the advantage of uniform light and therefore the claim is substantiated. Brand : Bengal Lamps (CM/L-8527181) Claim : Ujale Ka Dushra Naam *
Brands : Surya HBT, Powerlites Claims : Lights up at low voltage Manufacturers' Response : Not received Facts : The manufacturer did not specify at what low voltage the tubelight lights up. All the brands of tubelights (40W) were tested for starting at a low voltage of 180 V. All conformed to the requirement. Brand : Bengal Lamps CM/L-8348989 (Fake)
Manufacturer’s Response : Our product is excellent in quality and has very good life and is able to render bright light, which is synonymous to daylight when the lamp is lit in a dark room. Facts : Standards specify the initial lumen to be 2254(min.). In Bengal Lamps (40W) it ranged from 2273 to 2430.
Claim : Lumen marked on carton (Packet) = 2450
Although it was low compared to lumen output of most other brands tested by us, the average initial lumen of 15 samples was 2315.
Manufacturer’s Response : Not received
The results support the claim.
Facts : Standards specify the initial lumen to be 2254(min.). The average lumen of 15 samples was
* Since all the 13 brands selected fell into the `cool daylight' category which as per Standards are required to have 6500K colour temperature, and all the brands conformed, the claims made by these brands have been considered in the content of lumen output.
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 9
Best Buys
Test Results of 40 W Tubelights 4 feet, cool day light 40 W a t t s C o o l D a y L i g h t s
uBrands/Standards IS: 2418-1977
Rank Overall M.R.P.* score Price (in Rs.)
IS LUMEN wLumen after 2000 hrs
vInitial lumen NLT 2254 lumens (out of 15 samples)
Average
Efficacy (Lumen/Wattage)
[NLT 85% of initial lumen] (%) (out of 10 samples)
(Wtd. score)
Average
(Wtd. score)
Average
(Wtd. score)
Non- IS xCost of Energy consumption per year (lower the better) (in Rs.)
Average
(Wtd. score)
CONFORMING WIPRO
1
93
45.00
2414
28.6
91.47
10.5
59.09
34.4
238.56
19.1
SURYA - HBT
2
89
42.00
2422
30.0
88.13
5.1
60.04
35.0
235.59
19.3
NEW CEMA SUPER
3
85
45.00
2397
25.5
89.75
7.7
57.55
33.5
243.24
18.7
ECE AMARJYOTI
4
84
42.00
2353
17.7
93.22
13.3
57.67
33.6
238.27
19.1
GE - STANDARD
5
83
45.00
2366
20.0
91.92
11.2
57.04
33.3
242.24
18.8
}
NEW PHILIPS CHAMPION AR
5
83
47.00
2367
20.2
90.14
8.3
59.49
34.7
232.37
19.6
NEW CROMPTON
6
74
45.00
2334
14.3
89.12
6.7
58.20
33.9
234.18
19.4
OSRAM
7
72
44.00
2281
4.8
94.27
15.0
56.63
33.0
235.23
19.3
BAJAJ
8
71
45.00
2292
6.8
91.69
10.8
58.00
33.8
230.80
19.7
ANCHOR CLASSIC
9
69
45.00
2286
5.7
91.73
10.9
56.22
32.8
237.45
19.2
BENGAL LAMPS
9
69
42.00
2315
10.9
87.15
3.5
59.42
34.6
227.53
20.0
}
(CM/L - 8527181)
Since there was not much difference found in the prices of the brands, we have based our Best Buys on the overall performance scores.
WIPRO Wipro scored the highest with 93 and is recommended as our Best Buy.
SURYA HBT Surya HBT is the second highest scorer with 89 and also recommended as our Best Buy.
NON-CONFORMINGy POWERLITES(CM/L - 8348989)
-
-
40.00
2183
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
BENGAL LAMPS (Fake)
-
-
42.00
2157
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Fake)
(CM/L - 8348989) WEIGHTAGE (%)
100
u We tested the tubelights against IS 2418-1977 (Part-1) with 4 amendments; IS 2418-1977 (Part-2) with 2 amendments; IS 2418-1977 (Part-3) with 1 amendment; and IS 2418-1977 (Part-4). v Initial lumen of individual lamp should not be less than 2254 for 40W as per IS. w Lumen maintenance(%) of individual lamp (i.e. after 2000 hrs) should not be less than 85 % of initial lumen measured for 40W as per IS. x Cost of energy consumption/year is calculated by taking average power consumption of 15 samples rating test quantity (RTQ) [initial wattage measured with reference chokes (ballasts)], use of tubelight for 4 hr/day up to one year and energy cost of Rs. 4/KWh. The calculations are based on an average household energy consumption for 1 tubelight. In the case of office, shops, etc. where usage is more than 4 hr/day and more in numbers, the energy consumption will be higher. y Both the non-conforming brands, Powerlites (CM/L 8348989) and We have the individual readings of all samples of each brand on record. The average have been mentioned only for readers' convenience. The readings may be available on request. 10 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
30
15
35
Key : NLT = Not less than
Bengal Lamps (CM/L 8348989) were discontinued from further testing after they failed to qualify for the initial lumen test. The IS requires 15 samples to be tested and allows a maximum of 4 failures in one batch.
Notes
Apart from life, lumen and wattage, the tubelights were also tested for requirements of mechanical and physical characteristics, lamp voltage, starting and burning test, aging, torsion, insulation resistance, test for rated colour temperature, starting at low temperature and lamp dimension. All the brands conformed to the parameters. The brands also complied with the marking requirements as per the IS. Please refer to our Table on electronic chokes for more details on how to save money by replacing existing copper or polyster/aluminium chokes with electronic chokes in terms of energy cost.
* Price at the time of purchase
20
NEW CEMA SUPER New Cema Super is the third highest scorer with 85 and recommended as our Best Buy.
Rating & Ranking For rating and ranking we assigned 30 per cent to average initial lumen, 15 per cent to average lumen (after 2000 hrs.), 35 per cent to average efficacy and 20 per cent to cost of energy consumption. The other parameter scores were not included as all the brands complied. The overall score was therefore based on these four weighted scores.
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 11
not be l es s than 85 per cen t. This tes t req uired 10 samp les of ea ch brand. All 11 brands co nformed . Aver age l umen maintenance ranged from 94.27 in Osr am to 87. 15 i n Bengal Lam ps (CM/L - 8527181) .
Which is Efficient? As co nsumer s wew ould liket o havea tubelight which gives maximum light while consuming the least amount of power. In techni cal language it is known as ‘ef fica cy ’, which is eq ual to the value obtained from dividing lumen ( light output) by wattage (power co nsumed ). The i dea l ef fica cy of a 40W tubel ight is 61. 25. None of the brands came up to this. Among the conforming brands,
Surya HBT showed the hi ghest average at 60. 04, while Anchor Classi c showed the lowest at 56. 22.
Wattage (Power Consumption) Wattage is the mea sure o f the el ect rici ty an appliance draws to oper ate and is mea sured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). Wattage is of prima ry co ncer n to co nsumer s. As per the standard initial wattage of individual tubelight shall not exceed 41. 975W . Our test results showed initial wattage to be within the limit for all the brands.
Manufacturers’ Response
of whether their br an ds hav e pas sed or failed . The r es ults are p osted to thei r reg ister ed offices by Reg ister ed A.D./courier. All the manuf acturers recei vet her es ults of thei r own product only and areg iven two week s from the dateo f recei pt to res pond. The manuf acturers’ response with res pect to thecl aims haveb een shown in the box Claims vs Facts. The manuf acturers of 40W tubelights: Philips Champion AR, Crompton, Baj aj , Surya, Powerlites, Bengal Lamps (CM/L-8348989) , Osram an d E CE Amarjyoti have not responded till the time of going to press.
As a policy , we co nvey the t es t res ults to all the m anufact urer s, irres pect ive
Possible Faults & Remedies [for Possible Fault
40 W tubelights with electromagnetic chokes]
Causes
Remedies
You switch on the tubelight but it does not start.
1. Open circuit in starter 2.Loose connections of tubelights in one of the holders of patti fitting 3. Incorrect wiring 4. Choke is open circuited 5. Loose or broken connections of supply wires 6.Fault in lamp (life of tubelight is exhausted)
1. Replace the starter by switching off the supply and then check the starting of the tubelight 2. Check proper fitting of the tubelight in both the rotary holders of patti fitting 3,4 & 5. If the lamp does not start, it is better to contact a skilled wireman/ technician for checking the choke, supply connections, etc. 6. Replace the tubelight.
After the tubelight is switched on, filaments at both the ends glow, but tubelight does not start.
Starter contacts are short-circuited.
Replace old starter with new and check the starting.
After switching on the tubelight, filaments of “only one side” of the tubelight glows, but tubelight does not give light.
The filament that does not glow may be damaged.
Replace the tubelight.
After switching on, the tubelight flickers.
1. Fault in starter 2. Damage in tubelight 3. Life of tubelight exhausted with blackening of ends *4.Low supply voltage *5.Choke may be damaged *6.Cold droughts
1. Replace the starter 2 and 3 : Replace the tubelight * For causes 4, 5, 6, contact a skilled wireman / technician
New tubelight blackens
1. Loose connections in circuit 2. Incorrect choke and choke tapping 3. Defective tubelight
For causes 1, 2 & 3, contact a skilled wireman/technician
Humming sound comes when tubelight is on.
1. Choke is weak 2. Choke is damaged 3. Laminated core on choke loosens
1and 2 : Replace the choke. 3. Contact a skilled wireman/technician
Occasionally new tubelights exhibit spiralling. This might be described as an erratically swirling or twisting pattern of uneven brightness in part of the tubelight, or throughout its length.
Loose material is knocked off the cathode
Normally, this condition will disappear after the tubelight has burnt for a few hours or when the tubelight warms up.
Precaution : While replacing the tubelight or starter on your own "Supply Switch" should be in "Off" position for safety of user. 12 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
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1 4 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
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Maintenance and Disposal of Tubelights *
Loss in light is caused by dirt, * dust on the surface of tubelights, reflectors, luminaires, wall surfaces, ceiling, etc.
*
To improve on the appearance, the walls, ceiling, tubelights, etc. should be cleaned. Regular and timely maintenance reduces replacement costs and thus the maintenance cost. * When the tubes blacken on either end or both, the life of the tubelight is about to be over.
*
As tubelights are filled with gases and a small quantity of mercury at a very low gas pressure (almost a vacuum), implosions may occur when tubelights are broken. Hence care should be taken while discarding burnt-out tubelights. Burnt-out tubelights should be kept away from children. Unbroken tubelights should not be thrown into fire or domestic (types of) incinerators.
Areas of Action 1) The BIS should include the following in the clause on “marking” : a)The rated life of tubelights (total expected life). This will help consumers to make an informed choice. b) Address of manufacturer on carton (packet) of tubelights. This ensures the authenticity of genuine products as well as helps consumers to lodge direct complaints with the company concerned, if the need arises. 2) The BIS should cover 18/36/58W ratings of tubelights under the requirements of test for colour temperature in addition to the 20/40/65W ratings of tubelights already covered for this test by IS 2418 (Part-1)-1977. 3) The BIS should include “the test requirements” for lamps with preheated cathodes for operation on high frequency supplies. 2 &3 : The above two points have also been made with a view to ensuring that consumers too should get quality products with modern technologies.
NAMES & ADDRESSES OF Mfd. by : Anchor Electronics & MANUFACTURERS Electricals (Pvt.) Ltd. 337/P Bamti, Dharampur 1) ‘Philips’ Champion AR Dist. Valsad (Guj) - 396 050 Mfd. by : Philips India Ltd. 6) Crompton Kolkata - 700 020 Mfd. by : Crompton Greaves Ltd. 6th Floor, CG House 2) Bajaj Mfd. by : Bajaj Electricals Limited Dr. Annie Besant Road Prabhadevi Mumbai - 400 025 45/47 Veer Nariman Road 7) Surya HBT Mumbai - 400 023 Mfd. by : Surya Roshni Ltd, 3) Wipro 7 K.M. Stone, Kashipur-Moradabad Mfd. by : Wipro Limited Road, Kashipur - 244 713 Doddakannelli, Sarjapur Road (Uttaranchal) Bangalore - 560 035 8) ECE Amarjyoti 4) Osram Mfd. by : Osram India Pvt. Ltd. Mfd. by: Osram India Pvt. Ltd. (Wholly owned subsidiary of Osram (Wholly owned subsidiary of GmbH Germany) Osram GmbH Germany) Regd. Office: Delhi Road Regd. Office: Delhi Road Sonepat - 131 001 Sonepat - 131 001(Haryana) (Haryana) 5) Anchor Classic
9) Powerlites Mfd. by : Suntex Lamps (P) Ltd. C-1, Sudarshan Park New Delhi - 110 015 10) Bengal Lamps (CM/L-8348989) Mktd. by : Bengal Lamps & Components (P) Ltd. C.O., A-8, Sector 14 Noida - 201 301 11) a) Cema Super b) GE Standard Mfd. by : GE Lighting India Pvt. Ltd. Dharmsinh Park, N.H. 8 Nadiad - 387 002 12) Bengal Lamps (CM/L-8527181) Mktd. by : Bengal Electric Lamp Works (India) Mfd. by : Prestige Onida Ltd. Post Box No. 8, Dhalwala Industrial Area Rishikesh - 249 201 (Uttaranchal)
Thanks Mr. G. Gopinathan (Udyogmandal Consumer Protection C o unc i l , U d y o g m a nd a l , Coc hin) for prov iding market information on tubelights in Cochin. Also thanks to Consumer Organisations - Chandigarh, Himmat nag ar , Raj kot, Orissa (2 groups), Bhopal (MP), Goa, K e r al a, U d y o g m an d al , Tamilnadu ( 2 g roups) for market share information of tubelights.
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 17
Ballasts (Chokes) In an electric lighting system, the lamp (bulb) gives the light output; the fixtures are required to hold the lamp in placea nd providea mea ns of co nnect ing el ect rics upply to it and the control gear initially supplies high current to generate an arc and control the lamp current. In tubelights, it is operated with a circuit consisting of a starter and a ballast, i.e. thech oke. Chokes provides proper voltagef or starting and operation of tubelights.
When industrial load goes down in the evening, the supply voltage picks up from 230V to 270V maximum. Norma l el ect roma gnet ic ch okes ca nnot bea r the i ncr ea se in the supply voltage and hence tubelights and chokes get damaged. This would not happen with electronic chokes. Another significa nt advantageo f el ect ronicch okes is that, irres pect ive o f large s upply voltage f luct uations, the variation in the power consumed is minimal and they are consistent in operation.
Why Is A Choke Needed?
Calculate Your Savings
The g ases inside t he f luores cen t tube a re a t such low pres sures that the el ect ric arc, or cu rren t, en co unter s almo st no res istance. In fact , unles s ther e is some cu rren t-limi ting dev ice in the el ect ric ci rcu it, the l amp will draw so much current that it will burn out in a fract ion of a seco nd. So fluores cen t tubel ights req uire a ch oke. Thech okea lso provides thep roper voltaget o start and oper ate t he l amp . A ch oke co nsists of an el ect ric o r el ect ronic ci rcu it that reg ulates the cu rren t so that the tubelight doesn’t burn out too quickly.
Types of Chokes
Switch ing to el ect ronic ch okes from t he co nven tional co pper ch okes or polyes ter ch okes saves you co nsider able energy. Also, the supply voltage fluctuations that affect the en er gy co nsump tion of el ect roma gnet ic ch okes , ultimately increasing the energy bills, can be minimised with theu seo f el ect ronicch okes . When we buy a tubelight with complete pat ti fitting, it co mes with an el ect roma gnet ic ch oke [ co pper or aluminium (polyester)]. The cost of energy consumption by using such a choke is shown in the Box. The difference in the cost of energy consumption per year with the use of co nven tional co pper or alumi nium( polyes ter ) ch okea nd the saving in en er gy from t he u se o f el ect ronic ch oke with a 40W tubelight has been hi ghlighted.
They are p rima rily of two types — el ect roma gnet ic ch okes and el ect ronic ch okes . Ther ea res ev er al types of el ect roma gnet ic ch okes : 1) alumi nium ( polyes ter ), 2) copper ( CU) , 3 ) vacuum impr egn ated, and 4 ) low watt Type of *Cost of loss chokes consisting of silicon choke energy steel l ami nati ons, s uper consumption per year en amel led co pper wire, vacu um imp reg nated with white r es in. (in Rs.) Polyes ter ch okes co nsume m ore en er gy than the co pper ch okes Copper 529.90 for thes amer ated tubel ight.
Electronic Chokes Elect ronic ch okes are n ew gen er ation en er gy-ef fici en t dev ices . Thei r basica dvantagei s low pow er con sumption . They work on the principle of high freq uen cy.
Polyester 543.25 (Aluminium) *
Cost of purchase per choke (in Rs.)
Difference in cost of purchase with electronic choke (in Rs.)
**Saving in energy bills/ year with electronic choke (in Rs.)
Pay back period from using electronic choke (in months)
130.00
90.00
196.23
11 months
110.00
110.00
209.58
12 months and 18 days
As 230V is the normal voltage available in residential areas, the cost of energy consumption/year is given at test voltage of 230V and is calculated by considering a tariff rate of Rs. 4/KWh for two 40W tubelights used for 4 hours per day.
** Comparison of the cost of energy consumption per year of electromagnetic choke [copper and polyester (aluminium)] is made with that of electronic choke. The cost of energy consumption per year of a tubelight with an electronic choke is the lowest (i.e. 333.67, while the purchase cost is Rs.220 per piece).
While rep laci ng the ch okes or during installation of new tubelights, it is always better to replace the el ect roma gnet ic ch okes with the n ew gen er ation el ect ronic o nes to save en er gy and for long-time f uture benefits in energy bills. 18 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
The B ox cl ea rly shows that though the co st of el ect ronic ch oke i s a little h igher than that of the el ect roma gnet ic ch oke, this need s to be p aid on ly on ce, but the energy costs have to be paid every month throughout the life of
the p roduct . Hen ce i f the i nitial co st is higher , that differ en ce ca n be r eco ver ed within a short time as shown in the pa yba ck pe riod f rom the savings in energy bills.
Advantages of Electronic Chokes over Electromagnetic Chokes
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD%) Even though the IS does not specify this tes t, we co nduct ed it for the consumers’ benefit and information. In gen er al, per iodic d isturbances in voltage and cu rren t are r ef er red to as harmonics. Elect ronicg adget s when co nnect ed to an AC supply draw current in “pulses” which distorts the sine wave form of current. This distortion of the mains power wave- form ca n ca use hea ting problems in el ect ronic eq uipmen ts, resulting in a faster aging of the eq uipmen ts. Hen ce t he l es s harmo nic distortion, the better it is for the gadgets. Chokes come along with the tubelights pat ti fitting. Howev er if you deci de t o rep lace y our ch oke w ith an el ect ronic choke now, it is not at all complicated an d a s imple wireman can mak e the ch anges . An el ect ronic ch oke w ill also save you money on starters as these ch okes do not req uire s tarter s for the tubelights. The results below will help you decide on which brand gives you the maximum savings in your energy billsas wel l as hel ps keep your gadget s safe. Wet es ted 10 brands of el ect ronicch okes with 40W tubelights for test of “harmo nic mea suremen t”. Total harmonic distortion (THD) was very high in two brands : Rocker 133. 16% (230V ) and 134. 66% (240V ); and Gelco (GC140) 121. 50% (230V ) and 124. 24% (240V). As men tioned ea rlier , this tes t is not specified in the IS and there is thus no upper or lower limit set. But for the good per forma nceo f a gadget , thel ower the THD, the better.
Electronic Chokes 1) It does not need a starter. 2) The tubelight starts initial without flickering. 3) Tubelights start at a low voltage (approx. 85-100V) so useful even at villages or places where the voltage is low. 4) Cost of purchase is more (i.e. Rs.200 to 300 approx.). But the utilisation cost is less as it consumes less power than that of electromagnetic choke. 5) At low voltage (e.g.170V) or high voltage (270V) the choke performance does not change and the power consumption remains about the same. 6) Chances of blackening of both ends of the tubelights are less. 7) Irrespective of large supply voltage variation (i.e. from 170 to 220V) the variation in power consumed by electronic choke with 40W tubelight is minimal i.e. from 21 to 27W. Thus, electronic chokes are consistent in operation even during fluctuation of 230V supply voltage on the lower or higher sides. Also difference in power consumption for supply voltage from 230 V to 270V. AC is about 28 W to 33W. Brands: Wipro Insta, Intelux, Anchor Matrix, Kwiklite Power Saver, Bajaj Power Saver, Crompton Greaves, Asian, Philips Sumo, etc.
Electromagnetic Chokes 1) It needs a starter. 2) Tubelights flicker at the initial starting condition. 3) Tubelights need supply voltage equal to the rated voltage of choke (approx. 180-200V) to start. 4) Cost of purchase is low (i.e. Rs.60 to 150) but utilisation cost is high as the power consumption by ballast with tubelight circuit is more. 5) At higher supply voltage (270V) more current is drawn by the circuit causing excessive heating of ballast and more power consumption. Also tubelight and choke may get damaged. 6) Chances of blackening of both ends of tubelights are more. 7) In the case of electromagnetic chokes, with 40W tubelight, the variation in supply voltage (190 to 220V) affects power consumption and results in variable consumption from about 28W to 41W). Also difference in power consumption for supply voltages from 230 V to 270V. AC is about 45W to 65W. Brands: Anchor, Crompton, Philips, Bajaj, Wipro, Surya, Osram, etc.
[Brands are only illustrative and not exhaustive. Also all the mentioned brands have not been tested. See Test Results on chokes] INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 19
ELECTRONIC CHOKES Brand names
*Cost of purchase
Test Voltage 230V AC [THD%] (with 40W)
Test Voltage 240V AC [THD%] (with 40W)
(in Rs.)
Wipro Insta (WBF 17140) Intelux (L24F36Ws1P) Anchor Matrix Kwiklite Power Saver (Payal) Bajaj Power Saver Crompton Greaves (EB 136 D) Asian (eB8S 36/40W Type: Standard) Philips Sumo (EB-F 136) Gelco (GC-140) Rocker (Sr. No.:10111)
**Cost of energy consumption per year with 40W tubelights
+Payable period from using electronic chokes (approx.)
230 V 240 V (in Rs.) (in Rs.)
(in years,months,days)
250
11.74%
11.70%
412.65
435.20
2 years, 17 days
345
26.82%
27.68%
401.53
419.66
3 years, 4 months,6 days
250 160
30.26% 31.43%
30.61% 31.68%
417.77 376.01
436.77 392.96
2 years, 2 months 4 months, 20 days
280 250
31.71% 33.16%
31.96% 33.16%
352.72 396.22
369.34 414.32
1 year, 8 months,9 days 1 year,9 months, 16 days
185
37.25%
37.62%
365.42
378.75
8 months
220
37.69%
36.86%
333.67
346.42
11 months
153
121.50% (Too High) 133.16% (Too High)
124.24% (Too High) 134.66% (Too High)
++
++
++
++
++
++
75
* Cost of individual electronic choke ** Cost of energy consum-ption/year of 40W tubelights with different brands of electronic chokes is calculated by consider-ing tariff rate of Rs.4/- KWh and use of two tubelights for 4 hrs. +
#
For calculating payback period,
cost of energy consumption per year at 230 V is considered. The cost of copper choke is considered as Rs.130 and energy consumption per year is Rs.529.90 ++ As the harmonics of these brands are very high, cost of energy consumption is not calculated.
# Note: We did not test chokes (Electromagnetic and Electronic) for complete type test as per their Standards. Their energy consumption and THD were tested only for consumer information. 20 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
OUR VERDICT : To choose your brand of electronic choke, select a brand which has a low THD. Energy saving should be your other criterion. For queries write to us at editor insight@yahoo. co. in
Investor Focus SEBI
SEBI scripts a way to watch the stocks, but marketeers may find more ways to give it the slip. Securities Markets Automated Research Training and Surveillance (SMARTS), Australia, for the implementation of a comprehensive Integrated Market Surveillance System (IMSS).
stock exchange
SEBI Plans Market Surveillance System SEBI finds a firmer way to monitor the market. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has taken a major step for monitoring the market activities across the stock exchanges and market segments, including equities and derivatives, in India. It has signed an agreement with a consortium of HCL Technologies Limited and the
The System envisages the integration of the data available from stock exchanges (cash and derivatives segments), Clearing Corporation and Depositories into the Integrated Market Surveillance System. The IMSS is expected to generate alerts that will help SEBI to identify and detect serious market violations such as market manipulations, insider trading and other types of frauds that undermine market integrity. The proposed IMSS solution is expected to be operational by March 2006.
Settle Claims in 15 Days, RBI Tells Banks This is the RBI’s gesture to the deceased. In a circular to the Chairman and the CEOs of all the scheduled commercial banks, the Reserve Bank of India has advised the banks to exercise due care in establishing the identity of the survivor(s)/nominee and the death of the account holder through appropriate documentary evidence. In the case of term deposits, after the death of the depositor, premature termination of such deposits would be allowed. Banks have been advised to settle the accounts in 15 days from the date of receipt of the claim. Cheers to the RBI for the simplification of rules.
Insurance Scheme for Pregnant Women
Bombay Stock Exchange Hogs Glory
Mothers! get insured for a safe childbirth.
A welcome BOLT from the blue!
“Every woman and child count” was the theme of World Health Day this year. The State Government of Gujarat, while observing the Day, announced a special insurance scheme for pregnant women. “Under this scheme, any one with a complicated pregnancy would be insured for Rs. 10,000 to ensure that she gets the best treatment and delivers safely,” said a top health official.
BSE On-Line Trading System (BOLT) has been awarded the Information Security Management System standard BS7799-2:2002. Det Norske Veritas (DNV) conducted the BS7799 audit. The BSE is the only exchange in India and second in the world to achieve this for its On-Line Securities Trading System.
The woman may be entitled to getting Rs. 250 as transport cost to reach the hospital and the person accompanying the woman may also get Rs. 250. Hope, whether the child is a boy or a girl will not come in the way.
BS7799 is an internationally accepted and recognised standard in securing information, managing risk and protecting technical as well as people assets. It enhances confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information within the system. The BSE is still the Mother of all markets in India. INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 21
Consumer and Law GHB OFFICE
Forum Orders GHB to Pay Interest Gujarat Housing Board resorted to double standard in sanctioning interest on initial deposits collected from consumers. Rashmikant H. Raval paid Rs. 94,000 as the initial deposit and booked a flat in Naranpura, Ahmedabad, on 8 January 1997 under a Higher Income Group scheme of the Gujarat Housing Board (GHB). But he soon realised that owing to the GHB’s lengthy procedure, the progress of construction was very slow. Meanwhile, his retirement was due and he needed an accommodation. He purchased another flat and before that A Housing Board should uniformly follow a set rule for paying interest. Any decision taken by the authorities on payment or non-payment of such interest should be supported by documentary evidence.
he cancelled his booking and had also applied to the GHB for refund of his booking amount with interest. But on 3 February 1999, the board paid Raval Rs. 94,000 without interest. On the other hand, the GHB had paid an interest of Rs. 16,294 to Raval’s brother-in-law, Jitendra J. Raval on his booking amount of Rs. 94,000. The Executive Engineer of the GHB
GHB OFFICE
Builders Directed to Pay Rs 33 Lakh Here, the builders pay the price.
contended that the provision for paying interest had been effected on 9 February 1999, but Raval’s refund was made six days earlier. Raval approached Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) which wrote to the GHB. Since the GHB was found unrelenting, CERS and Raval filed a complaint with the Ahmedabad City Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum. The Executive Engineer failed to provide the Forum with any circular issued by the board on the provision for payment or nonpayment of interest on initial deposits.
Prarthana Construction Private Limited, the builders and developers of Prarthana Vihar Co-operative Housing Society, Ahmedabad, collected deposit maintenance charges at the rate of Rs. 135 per sq.yard. The company promised 21 per cent interest per annum for the amount collected, undertook surfacing of the internal roads and complete maintenance of the society, etc. It failed to fulfil all these promises and instead appealed to the members to allow it to reduce the interest from 21 to 15 per cent. Once houses are allotted, it is mandatory for the builder or developer to hand over their maintenance and the maintenance deposit to the body of elected members.
The Verdict : The Forum Consumer Education and Research directed the GHB to pay Rs. 38,542 with 6 per cent interest till the final payment to Raval as interest on his booking amount and Rs. 1000 towards cost. Source : CERS Press Release
22 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
Society, the Chairman and the Secretary of the Society lodged a complaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and prayed to the commission to direct the builders to
return the maintenance amount. Despite the summons, the company failed to appear before the commission.
Sumanta’s father Pravat Kumar Mukherjee filed a complaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission demanding a compensation of Rs. 1,34,60,000.
The Verdict : The Commission issued an interim order ex parte and directed the builders to refund the maintenance deposit of Rs. 33,23,917 collected by them at 12 per cent interest from 1 January 2000 in six weeks. It proves the co-ops still have power to retrieve money from the powerful. Source : CERS
Hospital Told to Pay Rs. 10 Lakh to Bereaved Father A bereaved father proves his claim as a consumer.
If a hospital gives primary and emergency treatment to a patient, he avails himself of its services. The members of his family are ‘consumers’ under the Consumer Protection Act and are competent to maintain the complaint.
The hospital contended that no consideration had been fixed nor any amount received from the complainant and thus the deceased or his father was not a consumer covered under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
L A W
Rooftop Businesses Face Wrath Baseball was America’s favourite pastime, but the game has succumbed to the country’s newest “favourite” pastime - lawsuits. The Chicago Cubs are suing the owners of 13 rooftop businesses bordering Wrigley Field for selling tickets to fans to watch the games from rooftops, thereby, stealing the team’s product, infringing on its copyright and “unjustly enriched themselves to the tune of millions of dollars each year.” Fans watching the games from seats on roofs across the street from the ivy-covered park are a familiar sight
A Calcutta Tramway Corporation bus knocked down Sumanta Mukherjee, a B.Tech student riding a motorcycle at 8 a.m. on 14 January 2001. Sumanta
No money no operation! Pay deposit first if you want us to treat him!
was brought conscious to the Ruby General Hospital, Kolkata, located near the accident site. The doctors started the treatment at once, but demanded Rs. 15,000 from the persons who admitted Sumanta to the hospital. Since they failed to pay the money immediately, the doctors discontinued the treatment.
The Commission observed that the doctors had started giving treatment to Sumanta. Thus the deceased had availed the services of the hospital and the doctors. The hospital had admitted that it provided charitable beds in the Mother Teresa Charitable Ward. If that was so, there was no need for withdrawing the medical aid the doctors had started.
The Verdict : Sumanta’s companions took him to National Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, about 7 to 8 km away. But Sumanta was declared brought dead at the hospital at 9.10 a.m.
The complaint was allowed. The hospital was directed to pay Rs. 10 lakh to Pravat Kumar Mukherjee, father of the deceased. Source : II (2005) CPJ 35 (NC)
to television viewers around the country. The two sides sought to negotiate a deal in which the business owners would pay the Cubs in return for a bleachers-expansion design that would not block the view of their customers. But the bargaining came to an end and the parties are now in court. Cubs president and CEO Andy MacPhail said it’s unfair for the operators to make millions of dollars a year without giving something back to the team. “The free ride is over.” Except, of course, for the lawyers. Source : Power-of-Attorneys.com
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 23
Be Calm During Adversity A t times angry customers shout because they have felt hurt at something that has been or not been done. This is a time when a good Customer Service Professional does not argue or interrupt them but listens to the tirade in a cool, calm and composed manner. At the same time, he also tries his best to understand their concerns and solve them.
hurt or upset needs to be pacified. At such times, a Customer Service Professional who keeps his cool is an invaluable asset. He must first accept the fact that the company has made a grave error and then patiently listen while the customer pours out his woes and purges himself of all the negative feelings. It does not help to retaliate, start arguing or yelling back at the customer.
The ‘Keep Cool’ Mantra Sometimes despite the best intentions, companies make mistakes. This makes a customer lose his composure and even resort to abusive language. A customer who is
A tremendous amount of maturity is needed on the part of the Customer Service Professional if he is going to put into practice my Patient Customer Service Prescription.
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
Customer is Always Right! A senior corporate executive once had the mortifying Brand Experience of leading his American clients into a Delhi restaurant where he had a confirmed table reservation. He was told that his name was not on the reservations list! The executive knew that his secretary had made the reservation and that it had been confirmed. Yet, here was this restaurant manager telling him that his name was not on the reservations list and that he could take a walk with his guests. Understandably, the executive got very angry and minced no words when he expressed his disgust with the manager. What ensued was a verbal duel with insults flying to and fro. Instead of accepting that the management had erred, the manager insisted that it wasn’t his mistake. This is bad Customer Service. No
matter who was at fault, it would have been prudent for the manager to tackle the situation sensitively. More so when a few minutes later, his junior colleague realised the restaurant’s blunder. Though the senior executive had made the reservation, through oversight his name had been omitted. The discovery made the restaurant manager look foolish and obstinate. He could have given the customer the benefit of the doubt while he checked meticulously with the management. His behaviour led to the loss of a customer — and face. The executive walked out, and never returned for that restaurant’s hospitality.
the customer was in the bath, the hotel’s water supply got cut off. Caught as he was with soap in his eyes and the deadline of an important meeting staring him in the face, he struggled to restore some semblance of respectability, wiping himself dry and getting into his clothes before hastening down to the lobby to confront the hotel manager.
manager has long since been relieved from his post and is no longer in the hospitality industry.
If the manager had admitted the mistake and placated his customer, there may have been a different story to tell.
One client in particular who had opened an account with the bank because the branch was near by was very upset. But the bank manager, in this case the Customer Service Professional, was very sensitive to the customer’s needs. He patiently explained the need for the shift to a more centralised location and said that he would like the customer to continue to bank with StanChart (because the bank did not want to lose them as customers). He also offered an exclusive pick-up and delivery service so as not to inconvenience this and other customers if they continued to bank with him.
Surely he did not expect the CEO to demand a compensatory bath for the one that had been so rudely interrupted! Surely the manager did
Win-Win Solution When Standard Chartered Bank decided to shift premises from Andheri to Santacruz on the western suburbs of Mumbai, it caused a lot of heartburn for many clients.
The fact that he came across personally and took time to patiently explain the reasons for moving and then even tried his best to solve the problems that ensued with the shift, went down very well with the customer. The pleasant Brand Experience made them want to continue with the bank.
Slippery Situation In another case, the sales manager of a world class Bangalore-based hotel succeeded in making the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a large corporation switch from his regular hotel. So triumphant was he with his coup which was the outcome of months and months of wooing the customer that he forgot the cardinal rule of patience. On the second day of his stay, when re
not also expect the CEO to be cool in the face of the disruption of his schedule of an important day! Unfortunately, the hotel manager dismissed the incident with a casual “These things happen sometimes” and thought the matter would end there. It didn’t. The CEO marched off never to return and the insensitive hotel manager was left to moan and groan over the loss of a client that he had so assiduously wooed. No wonder, the
As they say today, 'We still bank with Standard Chartered.' The physical distance may have increased but emotionally the bank has come closer. Patience pays. Following my Patient Customer Service Prescription brings in big dividends. It is up to the Customer Service Professional to be more forbearing when pursuing a customer.
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
Saving Kids from Leukemia Let ‘em be immune to all diseases Researchers now say that some degree of exposure to common illnesses early on is important for the immune system. Sending very young children to day-care centres and playgroups could help protect them even from leukemia.
Take Calcium, Shed Fat Reads like an ad slogan? No, that’s what researchers say A high calcium diet results in greater weight and fat loss in obese adults on a low-calorie diet than in those on a low calcium diet, claim studies in recent years. A research team from Copenhagen, Denmark, took particular care to measure energy metabolism in three groups fed three diets with different calcium and protein levels. It found that a high calcium intake increased the amount of fat lost in the faeces by eight grams over a day, says Choice Health Reader. The fat that is lost is due to the formation of insoluble fatty acid soaps. This ‘soap’ is not digested and so is lost in the faeces. Ah, some one talking of eating, not weightlifting, to shed kilos!
Unknown infections, along with a genetic default that occurs before birth, are the most likely cause of childhood leukemia, they add in a study conducted by a team of the Institute of Cancer Research, London. Challenges to the immune system, possibly by infection, may be the main cause of leukemia, explains an expert at the Leukemia Research Fund in England. Calling all parents to note
Pins May Help Osteoarthritis Get pricked for relief Acupuncture seems to offer a complementary therapy to drug treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. The Pain Treatment Unit in a Spanish hospital subjected 97 outpatients with osteoarthritis of the knee to acupuncture or placebo over two years, reports the British Medical Journal. Both groups were also prescribed diclofenac in the same dose but were instructed to reduce the dose if symptoms improved. Those who received acupuncture took significantly less diclofenac and had less stiffness and more physical function in the knee. The findings were analysed in terms of pain relief, reduction of stiffness, and increased physical function during treatment; modifications in the consumption of diclofenac during treatment; and changes in the patient’s quality of life.
26 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
The study team comprised, besides experts from the hospital, those from the department of social psychology, University of Sevilla, and municipal medical services. Welcome to pins and needles, adieu to pain
Eating regularly may control long-term weight gain Red fruit skins could help people with asthma Chewing gum prevents tooth decay Alcohol consumption linked to many different types of cancer Fat kids are more likely to grow up to be fat adults Asthma risk is increased by margarine fat
Unsafe Products A product, apparently safe but bearing unsafe characteristics, threatens to infringe on consumers' right to safety. Certain products may be unsafe in particular situations, experienced only at an individual level. This column intends to share such experiences, knowledge and information — ours, yours and theirs. If you have any such experience, do write to us.
LifeScan Withdraws Blood Glucose Meters LifeScan machines show incorrect blood sugar. LifeScan, Inc. making blood glucose testing systems for people with ® diabetes withdrew both OneTouch ® ® ® Ultra , InDuo and OneTouch ® F a s t Ta k e m e t e r s t h a t m a y misinterpret the results. While setting their meter ’s date and time, consumers may accidentally change the unit of measure that would give a false result, the company said.
The product is distributed worldwide through retail pharmacy and mail orders. Patients with these products have been advised to contact LifeScan to confirm their meter is set to the proper unit of measure. From the beginning of 2004 through mid-March 2005, LifeScan has received 40 worldwide reports of adverse events associated with these meters being set to the incorrect unit of measure. The false results may affect the patients’ system of managing their diet or medication. There are an estimated 4.7 million users of these products worldwide. LifeScan has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies around the world of its voluntary action. LifeScan, Inc. is a Johnson & Johnson ® company. The OneTouch ® ® Ultra InDuo model is available in stores in Ahmedabad and throughout the country, but the other ® model i.e OneTouch Fast® Take is not available in India, say pharmacists in Ahmedabad. L i f e S c a n ’s a c t i o n i s consumer-friendly though some of its meters are not.
‘Jeevan Josh, Titanic’ Under Seize These drugs rake up memories of Viagra. The Food and Drug Controller in Gujarat has ordered the seizure of the entire stocks of Jeevan Josh and Titanic, two brands of ayurvedic aphrodisiac that contained Viagra. The department’s Vadodara lab found that the capsules did not contain any ayurvedic substances, instead the capsules contained sildenafil citrate, the active constituent of Viagra and similar allopathic medicines, Food and Drug Controller Dr. S.P. Adeshara said. Both capsules were manufactured in Uttar Pradesh. Jeevan Josh was sold for Rs. 525 per strip of five capsules and Titanic for Rs. 360 per strip of four capsules. FDA officials have issued a statewide alert and the authorities are seizing the capsules from chemists and ayurvedic stores. “Sildenafil citrate has been cleared by the Drug Controller General of India with the condition that the drugs be prescribed only by urologists for treating erectile dysfunction,” Adeshara said. Though spurious, the drugs were sold at a high price.
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 27
Complaints Resolved CERS Helps Settle Insurance Claim of Rs. 1,20,000 HDFC Standard Life Insurance repudiates insurance claim of its agent’s son. Tarun Wadhawan, (21) submitted a claim application to HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company on 24 April 2004 on the death of his father Pawan Ruplal Wadhawan. Pawan had taken a Term Assurance Policy for Rs. 2,25,000 from the company on 17 September 2002. Pawan died of cardiac arrest on 12 April 2004 in Ahmedabad.
achieved a net annualised commission (NAC) of Rs. 1,44,089.52 in October 2002 and was ranked No. 5 at the national level and No. 1 among all financial consultants in Gujarat. He was a member of Gold Star Performer’s Club in 2003-2004. The insurance company rejected Tarun’s claim on the grounds that his father had submitted inflated figures of his income and suppressed his drinking habit in the proposal form. On 18 December 2004, Tarun approached Consumer Education and
Was it a security for loan or income tax? BoI relents on its stand. Bank of India’s Sharda Mandir Road Branch, Paldi, Ahmedabad, granted a loan of Rs. 38,800 to Rajesh Bipinchandra Shah on 23 July 2003 on his Loan account No. 4036 against his LIC policy and National Savings Certificate. On 25 June 2004, he cleared the loan and requested the branch manager to release the securities deposited against the loan. The Branch Manager informed Rajesh that Rs. 5765 was outstanding in his loan account. On inquiry Rajesh found that Rs 4650 had been deducted as income tax for his term deposits with the bank for 1998-
In response, the company sought a meeting with Tarun under CERS mediation to solve the problem and appreciated the role of CERS. CERS arranged the meeting on 7 March 2005. Mahendra Tripathi, Executive - Legal of HDFC Standard Life Insurance discussed the issue with Tarun and agreed to settle the claim by paying Rs. 1,20,000. Tarun accepted the offer and the claim was settled amicably. Consumer jurisprudence and consumer redressal fora are there to help consumers, but consumer wisdom is the best.
Pawan was a certified financial consultant of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company till death. He had
BoI Releases Loan Securities
Research Society (CERS), which asked the company how it proposed to solve the matter.
’99 in the loan account. Rajesh protested that the tax should have been deducted when his term deposits matured in 1998-’99 and the bank had no right to club it in the loan account.
He wrote to the branch manager, zonal manager and the chairman and managing director of the bank. Rajesh told CERS : “Only the Chairman and Managing Director’s response was very good. But the other officials of the bank were supporting the Branch Manager’s stand”. On 10 February 2005, he approached CERS which wrote to the bank. “CERS intervention and the CMD’s response only had helped me get the securities back,” says Rajesh. On 18 March 2005, the senior branch manager of the bank informed CERS that the matter had been amicably
2 8 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
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settled. Rajesh got all his securities back on 22 March 2005. Even if an individual, however mighty, fails to deliver, an organisation doesn’t. COMPLAINTS SOLVED IN MARCH-APRIL 2005
Banks Drugs Electrical Appliances Finance Gas General General Insurance Government Services Mutual Fund Press Postal Telephones Textiles
10 1 1 5 1 2 3 2 2 1 1 7 1
Total
37
SOME REPRESENTATIVE COMPLAINTS SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED Complainant
Complainee
Complaint
Time Taken/ Remarks
1. Mamta Chopra Karnataka
MCS Ltd. Mumbai
Non-receipt of refund order of ONGC public issue
11-6-2004 to 12-1-2005 MCS sent the cheque for Rs. 13,000.
2. Manicam Chettiar Kumbakonam
MCS Ltd. Mumbai
Non-receipt of dividend and information on change of bank A/c.
7-2-2004 to 18-3-2005 Complainant recovered cheques of Rs. 1,665, Rs. 195.
3. Digesh K. Patel
ICICI Web Trade Ltd.
Non-refund of Web Trade A/c opening fee
10-11-2004 to 18-3-2005 Rs. 750 refunded.
4. Kewal Ramani Ahmedabad
SBI Personal Banking Branch, Ahmedabad
Non-credit of cash deposited into customers A/c
27-1-2005 to 21-3-2005 Bank credited the amount.
5. Tarun Wadhawan Ahmedabad
HDFC Standard Life Insurance
Insurance claim repudiated
18-12-2004 to 7-3-2005 Claim settled
6. R. B. Shah Ahmedabad
Bank of India Ahmedabad
Non-release of securities against loan
29-7-2004 to 22-2-2005 Bank returned the securities
7. Rajesh Motwani Ahmedabad
Samsung Electronics Ahmedabad
Neither refunding the amount nor replacing the defective Samsung mobile
12-7-2004 to 26-2-2005 Company rectified the defect
8. Haresh G. Pavara Ahmedabad
Manager, HUTCH Ahmedabad
Arbitrary change of plan and not giving credit for the payment made
5-9-2004 to 25-3-2005 Company waived Rs. 4,474.94
Financial
Non-Financial
Letters
Thanks for the CERS efforts for getting the refund of Rs. 13,600 from MCS Ltd, Registrar for ONGC Public Issue.
In spite of meeting the requirements like making trades of more than Rs. 1 lakh from the opening day and having ICICI Safety Bonds, ICICI Web Trades Ltd dithered in its promise of returning the web trade opening fee of Rs. 750. Your intervention only made the difference. The bank has since returned the money.
Mamta Chopra Dandeli, Karnataka
Digesh Kanaiyalal Patel Ahmedabad
Samsung Electronics rectified my mobile phone’s error of getting hung on receiving a call. Your intervention helped me solve the matter. Thank you. Rajesh Mohanlal Motwani Ahmedabad
INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 2 9 BLACK
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Question Bag Have you been misled? Do you feel wronged and don’t know where to go? Send in your questions on any consumer concerns to us at ‘Question Bag’, INSIGHT — The Consumer Q. My relative at Chittaurgarh booked a marble statue for home delivery to me in Kolkata. The transporter, Gati Ltd., Jaipur branch, said it would take the responsibility for safe delivery only if it packed the c o n s i g n m e n t . I t c h a rg e d a n exorbitant Rs. 7400 for repacking and safe delivery within 6 days. The receipt named my relative as the consignor and me as the consignee. On delivery of the parcel, I found the statue broken.
Q. Is a resident and bona fide member of a co-operative housing society, who pays an annual contribution (not fees) to the society for its services, also a ‘consumer’ of the services? What can the residents do if they are denied the services in terms of sanitation, parking, water supply, maintenance, etc? R.J. Arora via email
Q. My wife, Mrs. Kamini B. Shah, had never applied for nor received any credit card from ICICI Bank. But we recently received a statement from it for an annual fees for this nonexistent card. When I approached the bank’s customer care cell, it asked me to get the card cancelled. When I have not applied for any card, why and how do I get it ‘cancelled’? Will my wife be liable for any payment?
A. A co-operative society recovers charges from the members annually
A. Unless Mrs. Shah has signed a document, she cannot be held liable for any payment. Such debit balance cannot be recovered by the bank. Sometimes banks send pre-approved credit cards. Unless the recipient accepts such card, it does not create any binding relationship which bank can enforce. You can file a complaint against the bank for harassment and cancellation of statement of annual fees issued by it and claim compensation for harassment. Q. I have a habit of cracking my knuckles. Could this habit lead me to arthritis or injury?
When Gati failed to respond despite reminders, my relative complained to t h e C h i t t a u rg a r h C o n s u m e r Redressal Forum. Its President said he did not have the jurisdiction as the booking had not been made at Chittaurgarh. Please guide us on how to go about it. U.S. Agarwal Chittaurgarh A. The Chittaurgarh Forum has the jurisdiction to entertain the complaint when Gati Ltd. has its office at Chittaurgarh, even if the consignment was not booked there. You can soon file an appeal with the State Commission for redressal from the company.
D. Vohra Delhi
or monthly against which it is required to provide maintenance services. The charges may be called fees or contribution, but do not alter the nature of the levy. You remain a consumer of the society and for deficiency in service you can approach the consumer court.
30 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
A. According to CRH, USA, it’s best to do away with the habit, as few isolated studies have reported that knuckle crackers have swollen hands and a weaker grip and also finger injuries or thick calluses forming over frequently cracked knuckles. However, the symptoms may have also originated from some underlying condition to both the symptoms and the habit, perhaps by making the joints easier to crack.
Panorama Plan on Sustainable Consumption on Anvil Let’s wake up before it’s too late An international seminar on “Regional Cross - Learning on Sustainable Consumption (SC)” held at Manila, the Philippines, from 15 to 17 March 2005 offered an opportunity for an exchange of experiences on best practices as well as an exercise in developing National Action Plans on the issue. Prof. Manubhai Shah, CERC, was invited to present his views on “Comparative Testing of Consumer
Indian Merchants’ Chamber Honours CERC Total commitment to consumer protection
Products in India”. Other representatives from India too presented case studies on this topic. The 3-day meeting was part of the SC.Asia project, an initiative coordinated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and funded by the European Union’s Asia Pro Eco Programme. Based on the outcome of the seminar, SC.Asia will develop a guidance manual on NAP on Sustainable Consumption. Delay may not leave anything to consume. “outstanding contribution to the cause of promoting and protecting consumer interest”. Mrs. Swarn Kohli, Trustee, CERC, received the Award on behalf of the organisation from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, M r. Vi l a s r a o Deshmukh, at a ceremony in Mumbai on 21 April.
Corporate Governance Ti m e t o b e re s p o n s i b l e t o stakeholders Prof. Manubhai Shah made a presentation on “Good Corporate Governance : Meeting Stakeholders’ Expectations” at the 46th National Convention of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) at Pune early this year. He said Section 265 of the Companies Act, 1956 states, a company may amend its Articles of Association to provide shareholders with proportional representation on the board. But no public limited company is known to have amended its Articles of Association to facilitate such representation. “Once we accept such representation in principle, the criteria, rules and regulations, the eligibility, etc. and the criteria for contesting election as independent director representing minority shareholders can be evolved,” he added. Will someone take the first step ?
The Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, presenting the In 1982, the IMC IMC Award to Mrs. Swarn Kohli, Trustee, CERS.
The Diamond Jubilee Endowment Trust of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC), Mumbai, has conferred the Consumer Protection Award - 2004 on Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad, for its
had honoured CERC with the Pravin Chandra Gandhi Endowment Award for its “outstanding” role in consumer protection.
Promises to keep till consumer’s the king. INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005 31
Investment Strategies for Tax Savings in 2005-’06
A
Saving Scheme (NSS), etc. as s the new fiscal year (FY) currently covered in Section 88 have 2005-’06 has set in, been included under Section 80-C. taxpayers should focus on the new provisions for tax incentives * Unlike the current provisions of for savings as passed by the Finance Section 88 which provide for Act, 2005. investment and allocations up to Rs.70,000 in general schemes and a Section 80-C Returns separate limit of Rs.30,000 for The scheme under old Section 80-C exclusive investment in notified Tax (effective before assessment year Saving Bonds and eligible issues of 1991-’92) for the deduction of capital, the new provisions of savings out of the taxable income has Section 80-C do not make any such been revived in FY 2005-’06 in place distinction and provide for a straight of the existing provisions for granting limit of maximum deduction of Rs.1 tax rebate under Section 88. However, lakh for all investments and keeping in conformity with the allocations put together. Kelkar Recommendations, the Finance Minister has kept the * Similarly, all sectoral caps under implementation of the Exempt Section 88 such as Rs.12,000 per Exempt Tax (EET) method on hold child for education expenditure, for the time being, until an experts Rs.20,000 for housing loan committee works out the details. repayment and Rs.10,000 for
Star Features
investment in equity linked mutual funds have been removed.
CCC and 80-CCD shall not exceed Rs.1 lakh in a year. * As a part of the new package for tax treatment of savings, the current provisions of Section 80-L providing for deduction of up to Rs.15,000 for specified investment income such as interest from banks, NSCs, government securities, etc. have been abolished from FY 2005’06.
Some Tips Some valuable tips for chalking out your investment strategies for FY 2005-’06 are : * In case of housing loan repayments, while your interest up to Rs.1,50,000 is eligible for deduction under Section 24, the repayment of instalments towards the principal amount of loan can be now claimed as deduction under Section 80-C within the limit of Rs.1 lakh. Keep in mind that even the stamp duty, registration fees and other expenses for transfer of such house in your name are eligible for this deduction.
The following star features of the new provisions of Section 80-C as against * While the current deduction of the current provisions of Section 88 Rs.10,000 in respect of Pension should be noted: Fund Contribution under Section 80CCC and deduction under the * All the 20 savings and Central Government’s New Pension contributions such as Provident Scheme under Section 80-CCD have * Payment for tuition fees for the fullFund (PF), Public Provident Fund not been discontinued, a new Section time education of any two of your (PPF), Life Insurance Policy 80-CCE has been introduced to children, even up to Rs.1 lakh, (LIP), National Savings provide that the aggregate amount of would now be eligible for Certificate (NSC), National deductions under Section 80-C, 80deduction. 32 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine MAY-JUNE 2005
*
*
Your investment in equity linked mutual funds, which now offer tax rebate only up to a subscription of Rs.10,000, can now be stretched up to Rs.1 lakh.
eligible expenditure, even by securing loans or gifts or withdrawing out of their exempt incomes or accumulations. This point can be better appreciated by the illustration hereunder:
The NSC accrued interest can be claimed as deduction, since it would be deemed to be an investment out of income chargeable to tax.
Mr. Smart’s gross taxable income is Rs.4,00,000, on which the income-tax payable for FY 2005-’06 works out to Rs.70,000. He is under strain to invest Rs.1,00,000 and avail deduction under Section 80-C, since he needs the entire income of Rs.3,30,000 (after tax provision of Rs.70,000) for meeting his family obligations.
Beg or Borrow A significant relaxation announced at the time of the passing of the Finance Bill, 2005, relates to the abolition of the proposed condition for deduction of up to Rs.1 lakh under Section 80-C requiring that “eligible investments must be made out of a taxpayer’s income chargeable to tax.” With this restriction removed, it will now be possible for taxpayers to invest in various tax saving schemes or incur
Mr. Smart can withdraw Rs.70,000 from his PPF account and avail himself of Rs.30,000 as a short-term loan from his friend. He should plan to raise this resource of Rs.1 lakh and out of the same invest Rs.70,000 back in his PPF account and invest Rs.30,000 in any
other eligible investment such as NSC, etc. He would thus be entitled to avail himself of the benefit of deduction of Rs.1 lakh under Section 80-C, which would mean that his taxable income would now work out to Rs.3,00,000, the income-tax payable thereon amounting to Rs.40,000. Out of the tax saved, Rs.30,000 (70,000 - 40,000), he can smartly repay his friend’s loan of Rs.30,000 and draw satisfaction of having made a new NSC investment of Rs.30,000. Thanks to the FM’s latest amendment, a taxpayer can now buy, beg or borrow to save income-tax! The author, Mukesh Patel, is a well known advocate and tax consultant. For questions on tax planning, write to [email protected]
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