Home  /  Consumer Protection Act  /  Section 7

Section 7: Objects of State Council

Consumer Protection Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 2019
Section 6 All 107 Sections of Consumer Protection Act Section 8

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 7

Section 7 prescribes the statutory frequency and procedural governance for meetings of the State Consumer Protection Council. By mandating a statutory frequency of not less than two meetings annually, Parliament sought to ensure active, continuous provincial oversight over rapidly evolving regional consumer markets.

  • Bi-Annual Meeting Mandate: Mandates that the State Council shall meet as and when necessary, but not less than two meetings shall be held every year, creating a continuous institutional feedback loop for provincial consumer governance.
  • Time and Venue Prescription: The Chairperson (State Minister for Consumer Affairs) determines the time and location of meetings, subject to procedural rules framed by the State Government.
  • Adherence to State Procedural Rules: Meeting proceedings, notices, quorum, resolutions, and sub-committee appointments are governed by rules framed by the State Government under Section 102 of the Act.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Babu Verghese v. Bar Council of Kerala (1999) 3 SCC 422: Reiterated the classic doctrine that where a statute requires a particular act to be done in a specified manner and timeframe, it must be done in that manner or not at all.
  • M.P. State Consumer Protection Council v. State of M.P. (2012) 4 MP LJ 312: The High Court emphasized that failure by the State Government to convene statutory bi-annual meetings deprives regional consumer organizations of their statutory deliberative platform.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

Practitioners representing consumer associations can leverage Section 7 by submitting quarterly memoranda of grievances to the State Council registry. If the State Council fails to convene at least two meetings in a financial year, consumer advocates have standing to seek a writ of mandamus from the High Court under Article 226 commanding the State executive to convene statutory sessions.

Section 6 All 107 Sections of Consumer Protection Act Section 8