Section 27 CPA: Furnishing of annual reports, etc

Section 27 of Consumer Protection Act: Furnishing of annual reports, etc

Official Bare Act Text

Override / Mandate Mens Rea (Intent) Actus Reus (Conduct) Punishment Limitation Monetary

(1) The Central Authority shall prepare once in every year, in such form, manner and at such time as may be prescribed, an annual report giving full account of its activities during the previous year and such other reports and returns, as may be directed, and copies of such report and returns shall be forwarded to the Central Government.

(2) A copy of the annual report received under sub-section (1) shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is received, before each House of Parliament.

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 27

Section 27 mandates that the Central Consumer Protection Authority shall prepare and submit an exhaustive annual report to the Central Government detailing its regulatory activities, inquiries, recalls, penalties, and policy initiatives undertaken during the preceding financial year, which must subsequently be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

Comprehensive Annual Activity Reporting: Mandates the CCPA to submit to the Central Government an annual report providing a true and full account of its activities, investigations, and enforcement actions during the financial year.
Parliamentary Tabling Requirement: The Central Government is under a mandatory statutory obligation to cause the annual report to be laid before each House of Parliament within a reasonable timeframe.
Transparency and Democratic Accountability: Provides the legislature, public, and judiciary with transparent data regarding enforcement priorities, market-wide trends in deceptive practices, and systemic consumer risks.

Key Landmark Precedents:

Atlas Cycle Industries Ltd. v. State of Haryana (1979) 2 SCC 196: The Supreme Court explained the legal nature and purpose of statutory requirements for laying reports and rules before Parliament, ensuring legislative oversight over administrative bodies.
State of M.P. v. Radhakishan (1988) 1 SCC 444: Recognized that annual statutory reports presented to the legislature serve as official public records of institutional performance and regulatory enforcement.

Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

Annual reports published under Section 27 are authoritative public documents admissible under Section 74 of the Indian Evidence Act. In consumer class actions or unfair trade practice litigation, cite the CCPA's annual reports to establish that a particular industry practice (such as airline drip pricing, misleading edtech job guarantees, or dark patterns in e-commerce apps) has already been officially classified as deceptive and unlawful by the apex regulator.

Section 27: Furnishing of annual reports, etc

Section 27 of Consumer Protection Act: Furnishing of annual reports, etc

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 27