RIGHT TO REPAIR

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In News

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution have set up a committee to develop a comprehensive framework for 'Right to Repair’.
  • The Committee is chaired by Nidhi Khare.

Background

• Normally the manufacturers maintain control over the supply of spare parts, including their design.
• The Union government has raised concern over this, and stated that this kind of monopoly on repair processes violates the customer's "right to choose".
• Warranty cards of many products highlight that products repaired from the outside would not be recognised by the makers and the customers would also lose their warranty benefit.

Details

• Recently, the committee for ‘Right to Repair’ held its first meeting where essential sectors for 'Right to Repair' were identified.
  • The members have discussed key issues including farming equipment, mobile phones/ tablets, consumer durables and automobiles/automobile equipment were listed out.
• They raised concern over various issues including;
  • Several Companies avoid the publication of manuals that can help users to make repairs easily.
  • Manufacturers have control over spare parts.
  • Monopoly on repair parts and processes violates the customer's "right to choose".
• They discussed various international practices and steps that have been taken by other countries.
• The Committee has given many suggestions including:
  • Companies should provide complete knowledge and access to manuals, and software updates.
  • The parts and tools of devices should be made available to third parties, including individuals so that the product can be repaired in case of minor issues.
• The Committee highlighted that once “Right to Repair” is adopted in India, it will become a "game-changer" for the sustainability of the products and also promote employment generation.

Right to Repair

• The core value behind the 'Right to Repair' is that when customers buy a product, they own it completely, and they have the right to repair and modify the product with ease and at a reasonable cost, without being dependent on the manufacturers.
• The objective is to empower consumers, coordinate trade between the original equipment manufacturers and the third-party buyers and sellers, and reduce e-waste.
• The ‘Right to Repair’ has been recognised in many countries, including the US, UK and European Union

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/explained-what-is-the-governments-proposed-right-to-repair-law-and-why-it-is-good-news-for-you/articleshow/92902844.cms

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