Consumer Guidance Society of India
The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) is a nonprofit consumer organization established in India in 1966 to protect and educate the Indian consumer about sub-standard products and services, adulterated foods, short weights and measures, spurious and hazardous drugs, exorbitant prices, endemic shortages leading to black marketing and profiteering, unfulfilled manufacture guarantees, and a host of other problems. History Since independence, India has been striving to develop and strengthen its industrial base. However, in this pursuit of "self-sufficiency", exploitation of consumers by manufacturers and service providers became rampant in India. In the 1960s, only a few monopolistic business houses controlled industry. In one infamous case, forty persons suffered dropsy and glaucoma after consuming groundnut oil adulterated with toxic argemone oil. The victims did not get any justice and the culprits escaped without punishment. This outrage energized nine women to organize a movement to fight for consumer rights and to form the CGSI in 1966. Governing body CGSI founders Ms. Seeta Gupta (social worker) Ms. Indira Mazumdar (social worker) Ms. Seeta Nadkarni (social worker) Dr. Leela Thorat (doctor) Ms. Leela Jog (journalist) Ms. Kamala Mankekar (journalist) Dr. Shanta S. Rao (scientist) Ms. Nalini Tulpule (social worker) Ms. Shakuntala Kadam (social worker) CGSI presidents 1969–1972 Justice B. N. Gokhale (retd.) 1972–1974 Shri. G. L. Mehta (ex-ambassador) 1974–1977 Justice J. C. Shah (retd.) 1977–1981 Justice J. L. Nain (retd.) 1982–1983 Dr. (Smt.) Kamala Sohonie 1984–1986 Smt. Leela Jog 1986–1988 Justice B. J. Rele 1988–1990 Justice Y. J. Chandrachud (chief justice Supreme Court retd.) 1990–1991 Justice B. Lentin (retd.) 1992–1995 Shri. J. B. D'Souza, I.A.S. (retd.) 1995–1997 Shri. Julio Ribeiro, I.P.S. (retd.) 1997–2001 Smt. Krishna Basrur 2001–2004 Smt. Shalini Sirur 2004–2006 Shri. N. G. Wagle 2006–2014 Shri. S. P. Upasani, I.A.S. (retd.) 2014–2022 Prof. N. M. Rajadhyaksha 2022– Shri Sunil Karve CA CGSI Managing Committee: 2022–2023 Trustees: Mr. B. V. Desai, Mr. Nooruddin Sevwala, Mr. Cornad Saldanha President: Shri. Sunil Karve Vice-President: Dr. Shirish Waghuldhe & Shri. Sandeep Puri Chairman: Dr. Sitaram Dixit Vice-Chairman: Mr. Simon P. D'Costa General Secretary: Dr. M. S. Kamath Joint Secretary (Educational Programs): Mr. Dinesh S. Bhandare Joint Secretary (Navi Mumbai): Mr. Santosh ShuklaJoint Secretary (Goa): Ms. Anindita KoovoorJoint Secretary (Pune): Mr. Shirish Kamdar (Pune) Treasurer: Mr. Goutam Bhatia Joint Treasurer Mr. Vikrant Jindal Director Legal: Mr. Rajesh Kothari In-charge Office Administrations & Co-ordination: Mrs. Anindita Kovoor Electrical, Electronic Solar Panel (In-charge):Goutam Bhatia Director Financial Program's: Mr. Nandakumar Menon Editor KEEMAT: Ms. Jamna VardhacharyMembers Mr. Arvind BasutkarCo-opted Members: Mr. Anil KarandikarInvitees' Dr. Anita Kini Mr. Raj Talreja Mr. Rajeev Singhal CGSI has on date has about 3000 lifetime members spread all over India with all Managing Committee Members and office bearers at helm being volunteers. Legal framework CGSI was the first consumer organization to demand a special consumer court for the redressal of consumers' complaints. In 1975, CGSI led a delegation of five consumer organizations from different parts of India to the then Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr. T. A. Pai, and demanded for a comprehensive consumer