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India’s e-commerce growth needs a stronger consumer-safety layer.

India’s e-commerce growth needs a stronger consumer-safety layer.

India’s e-commerce growth needs a stronger consumer-safety layer.

Amazon. Flipkart. JioMart.

Three of India’s biggest online marketplaces have been penalised by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) after an unregistered agro-chemical product, marketed as “Cyclosinone Herbicide,” was listed, advertised and offered for sale on their platforms.

By Avijit Bose, COO, CONSUMER VOICE
Also Published on LinkedIn ↗

Can an online marketplace simply say: “The seller is responsible”?

The CCPA’s position is significant: seller declarations alone are not enough when regulated products are involved. Marketplaces have a responsibility to exercise due diligence and ensure that products offered to consumers comply with applicable laws.

And this is not just about herbicides.

Today it is an agro-chemical. Tomorrow it could be a toy, cosmetic, electrical product, health product or any other regulated item.

Consumers see the platform. They trust the platform. They buy through the platform.

Therefore, the question of responsibility cannot end with: “We only provide the marketplace.”

The CCPA’s action sends an important message: convenience cannot come at the cost of consumer safety.

For consumers, the lesson is simple:

A product being available online does not automatically mean it is legal, safe or compliant.

Taking Food Waste Awareness from Our Office to the Neighbourhood

Taking Food Waste Awareness from Our Office to the Neighbourhood

Taking Food Waste Awareness from Our Office to the Neighbourhood

1 October 2026
Consumer VOICE office and Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi

Not everyone can come to a workshop. So, for our third activity, held during Green Action Week 2026 iwe did both: we opened our doors, and then we went and knocked on others.
In all, more than 60 people were reached that day.

The team behind the day

This was a true team effort. Rinki Sharma, Nilanjana Bose, Ekta Purohit, Naresh, Ashutosh, Achintya, Manya and Sanjeet from Consumer VOICE all came together to support the campaign.

An open door at our office

We began with a sensitisation workshop at the Consumer VOICE office. Anyone could walk in. The space was set up with standees, posters and banners on preventing food waste, and visitors stopped to read, ask questions and talk.

The message was kept simple. Most food waste at home comes from small habits: buying too much, cooking too much, and forgetting what is already in the fridge. A shopping list, proper storage and sharing extra food can fix most of it.

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Then we stepped out.

After the workshop, Rinki Sharma, Nilanjana Bose and Ekta Purohit walked through Lajpat Nagar and went door to door. They spoke to residents at their homes about food waste and what each family can do.
Each household received a small eco-friendly green bag, a notepad with simple tips to prevent food waste, a pen, and posters in English and Hindi.

Pass it on.

At every door, the team made one request: please tell someone else. A neighbour, a relative, a friend. A message that is shared travels much further than a message that is only heard.

A warm welcome at every door

The residents of Lajpat Nagar welcomed the campaign, and the women of the neighbourhood were its strongest supporters. Many listened closely, took the posters and notepads gladly, and agreed to pass the tips on to others.

People are willing to change when the advice is simple and comes to them directly. Nobody wants to waste food. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly reminder at the door.

Small Hands, Big Ideas: Students Take on Food Waste

Small Hands, Big Ideas: Students Take on Food Waste

Small Hands, Big Ideas: Students Take on Food Waste

26 September 2026

Arya Hans Raj Model School, Bhalswa Village, Jahangirpuri, Delhi

If you want a message to reach every home, tell it to a child. Children repeat what they learn at the dinner table, and they do not let their parents forget it.

On 26 September, Consumer VOICE visited Arya Hans Raj Model School to meet the students of Class 8. Together with their teachers and supporting staff, more than 50 people took part.

The team behind the day

The workshop was led by Rinki Sharma, Lead – Projects, Consumer VOICE, together with her colleague Ekta Purohit, Manager – Projects. They were joined by local resource persons Vikas Soni and Kavita Kumari. Everyone on the team spent time talking with the students directly.
Ms. Sharma took the mike and spoke to the students about food wastage: how much food is thrown away every day, and why it matters. She asked questions, listened to the students’ answers and kept the session lively.
Mr. Naveen Gupta, Director, also addressed the students and encouraged them to value food and avoid waste.

The message of the day was simple: a sharing community wastes less. When we share food, ideas and good habits, everyone gains and less ends up in the bin.

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Learning by doing

There were no long speeches. The Consumer VOICE team, along with Vikas Soni and Kavita Kumari, took charge of the quiz, which tested what the students knew about food and food waste. The students then worked in groups to brainstorm. Each group thought about questions like these:

How can we share extra food with neighbours, friends and people in need?
What tips can we share at home so the family buys only what it needs?
How can leftovers be used smartly instead of being thrown away?

The groups then presented their ideas to the class. The students were full of practical suggestions, and it was clear they had already noticed food being wasted around them. They just needed someone to ask.

A bag full of reminders

Every student received a green bag with fresh fruits, a notepad printed with tips on how to prevent food waste, and a pen. Posters in Hindi and English were also shared. The fruit was a healthy treat that creates almost no waste. The notepad and posters will keep the message alive long after the workshop.

From one classroom to many homes
By the end of the session, the students understood why food matters: the work, water and money that go into every meal on their plate. They also learnt simple ways to stop wasting food in their own daily lives, from the school lunch box to the dinner table.

The students left ready to carry the message to their families and neighbourhoods. One classroom can turn into more than fifty sharing households.
Our warm thanks to the school management and the teachers for hosting us and making this day possible.

Women Together Against Food Waste

Women Together Against Food Waste

Women Together Against Food Waste

19 September 2026
Jahangirpuri, New Delhi

When women come together, change spreads quickly. They lead community groups, manage household budgets and are trusted voices in their neighbourhoods. So when we wanted to start our campaign, we knew exactly where to begin.

On 19 September, 45+ women from Jahangirpuri came together for our first Green Action Week workshop. We held it right in their own neighbourhood, so it was easy for everyone to join.

Guided by experts and local voices

The workshop was led by Rinki Sharma, Lead – Projects, Consumer VOICE, with support from her colleagues Nilanjana Bose and Ekta Purohit. All the Consumer VOICE team members spoke with the participants directly, listening to their experiences and answering their questions.
They were joined by expert Sheetal Chabbra, who shared knowledge and practical methods for cutting food waste, and by two people from the community itself: Kavita, the local resource person, and Vikas Soni, a local expert. They know the neighbourhood and its daily realities, and they speak its language. This mix made the session easy to follow and easy to trust.

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Everyone had something to teach.

The experts came with tips, but the women had plenty of their own. The conversation moved quickly from one practical question to another. How do you plan what to buy so nothing is wasted? How do you keep food fresh for longer? What can you make from food that is left over?

The team shared simple ideas on smart shopping, storing food the right way and using leftovers well. The women added their own methods, and soon everyone was learning from everyone else.


A man at the stove: breaking a stereotype

One moment stood out. Vikas Soni stepped forward and showed the group how to make roti pizza. Leftover rotis become the pizza base, and leftover vegetables go on top. It is quick, tasty, and nothing is thrown away.

The recipe was a hit, but the bigger message was who was cooking. Kitchen work is too often seen as a woman’s job. By leading the cooking demonstration himself, Vikas showed that saving food is not women’s work or men’s work. It is everyone’s work, and every member of the family has a part to play.

The joy of sharing

We also talked about something our communities have always done well: sharing food with neighbours. Passing extra food to the family next door is not just kindness. It is also food saved from the bin. The women agreed that this tradition is worth keeping alive.

Food waste turns into art

Then came the most colourful part of the day. Using leftover vegetables, such as okra, the women made creative art. Bits of vegetables that would normally be thrown away were turned into something beautiful. It was a simple way to show that “waste” is often just something we have not found a use for yet.

“We learnt something new today”

The women told us the workshop was a great experience. Many said they learnt new ways to store and preserve food, and new ways to turn leftovers into something fresh. Roti pizza was the favourite idea of the day. Another popular tip was turning leftover bread into breadcrumbs, which can be stored and used later in snacks.

A useful gift to take home

Each participant went home with an eco-friendly green bag and a steel container to store and preserve food. A steel container keeps food fresh, lasts for years and replaces plastic. Refreshments were served to everyone.

What stays behind

The women promised to put these ideas into practice, to spread them among their neighbours, relatives and community groups, and to get the whole family involved. That is how a sharing community grows: one person, one conversation, one street at a time.

Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms among Youth: Awareness and Prevention among University Students in Mysuru

Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms among Youth: Awareness and Prevention among University Students in Mysuru

Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms among Youth: Awareness and Prevention among University Students in Mysuru

Young people face growing exposure to alcohol and other substance-related risks, making awareness, prevention and informed decision-making important components of a healthy campus environment. Recognising the need to engage directly with university students, the National Service Scheme (NSS) Unit of Christ College, Mysuru, affiliated with the University of Mysore, in collaboration with Consumer VOICE and in partnership with the Foundation for Scientific and Health Information (FSHI), organised a seminar on “Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms among Youth: Awareness, Prevention, and Policy Dialogue Initiative” on 9 July 2026.

The programme aimed to sensitise young people to the consequences associated with irresponsible alcohol consumption, with particular emphasis on preventing drinking and driving and understanding the financial, health and social consequences of harmful use. The initiative also sought to encourage a broader culture of “Zero Irresponsible Consumption” through youth engagement, institutional collaboration and public awareness.

Building Awareness among Young People

The seminar focused on equipping students with factual information and practical perspectives on alcohol-related risks. The objectives included:

  • Increasing awareness of the health and social harms associated with alcohol consumption.
  • Encouraging substance-free academic environments.
  • Improving students’ understanding of alcohol-related health, mental health, legal and road-safety concerns.
  • Supporting young people in making informed and responsible lifestyle choices.
  • Reinforcing the importance of preventing irresponsible alcohol consumption, particularly drinking and driving.

Participants were also provided with IEC material, including the booklet “Embrace the Culture of Zero Irresponsible Drinking” in English and Kannada, to support continued awareness beyond the seminar.

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Bringing Consumer Awareness and Youth Engagement Together

The programme opened with an introduction to the campaign by Mr Hemant Upadhyay, Advisor, Consumer VOICE, who highlighted the importance of consumer awareness and youth mobilisation in addressing alcohol-related harms.

Mr S. J. Chander, Director, FSHI, spoke about the importance of creating educational environments that are free from substance-related risks and emphasised the role of institutions in prevention and awareness.

The event was formally inaugurated by Fr. Dr Augusty P., who underscored the importance of collaboration between educational institutions, experts and civil society organisations in creating a supportive environment for young people.

A pre-event survey, conducted by student representatives and FSHI, was also undertaken to understand participants’ baseline awareness before the technical sessions.

Understanding the Health Consequences of Alcohol

In the technical session on the clinical realities of alcohol consumption, Dr Prashantha, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Mysore Medical College, discussed the effects of alcohol on the body and addressed common misconceptions.

He explained that alcohol contains ethanol and acts as a central nervous system depressant, affecting cognitive control and behaviour. The session also covered how alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream and metabolised by the body.

The discussion highlighted the potential health consequences associated with excessive and prolonged alcohol use, including liver disease, gastritis, pancreatitis, cardiovascular complications, neurological problems and certain cancers.

The session helped students understand that alcohol-related harm extends beyond immediate intoxication and can affect multiple aspects of physical health over time.

Drinking and Driving: A Preventable Road-Safety Risk

Road safety was a key focus of the seminar. Mr Sidesha, Sub-Inspector, Mysore City Traffic Police, delivered a presentation titled “The Real Cost of Drinking & Driving”.

Using national road-safety data, he highlighted the significant loss of life on Indian roads and the disproportionate impact of road crashes on young and working-age populations. The session stressed that driving after drinking creates risks not only for the driver but also for passengers, pedestrians and other road users.

Students were also informed about enforcement practices in Mysuru, including weekend checkpoint operations in areas such as Vijayanagar, Kuvempunagar, Hebbal and the ring road.

The presentation further covered India’s legal provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcohol, including the prescribed blood alcohol concentration limit and penalties under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

The central message was clear: drinking and driving is a preventable road-safety risk, and choosing not to drive after drinking protects lives.

Understanding the Psychological and Social Dimensions

Alcohol-related harm can also have significant psychological and social dimensions. Mrs Anuradha K., Clinical Psychologist, discussed the progression of problematic alcohol use and the range of environmental and behavioural factors that can contribute to dependency.

The session explored factors such as peer pressure, isolation, environmental influences and low frustration tolerance, while explaining how patterns of alcohol use can develop over time.

The discussion also introduced students to the seriousness of alcohol withdrawal and highlighted the importance of professional support where dependence is present.

Mrs Anuradha also discussed group therapy as one therapeutic approach, explaining how a confidential and supportive group environment can help individuals recognise maladaptive behaviours, develop coping mechanisms and rebuild self-esteem.

The emphasis was on understanding alcohol-related problems as issues that require appropriate support, counselling and care rather than stigma alone.

The Mysuru seminar brought together students, educators, health professionals, law-enforcement representatives and civil society organisations around a shared objective: reducing alcohol-related harms among young people.

For university students, awareness is an important first step. Understanding the health consequences of alcohol, recognising the risks of drinking and driving, knowing the legal framework and being aware of available support can help young people make informed decisions.

The initiative reinforces the importance of moving from awareness to action—encouraging responsible choices, safer roads, supportive campuses and a culture of zero irresponsible consumption.

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