UPBHOKTA SANRAKSHAN CHUNAUTI 2021

About

The Department of Consumer Affairs is one of the two Departments under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The Department has the mandate to Protect Consumer Rights, create Consumer Awareness and resolve Consumer Grievances within the ambit of Consumer Protection Act 2019.

With an objective to recognize the best such Indian solutions, Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Government of India, invites applications from individuals/companies/organizations for an Innovation Challenge.

Context

To provide timely and effective consumer grievance redressal and prevent malpractices of quality and measurements are the two key visions of the Department among various other visions. The Department is in the direction of moving beyond Consumer Protection to Consumer Prosperity. For the purpose of effective grievance redressal, the Department runs a 24 x 7 online consumer helpline webportal and has also established a 3 tier quasi judicial body viz. National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, an apex body situated in Delhi, State Consumer Commissions in every State and District Consumer Commissions at District Level. The Department has enacted Consumer Protection Act 2019 to safeguard the interests of the consumers. The Department has also enacted Legal Metrology Act 2009 for quantitative assurance to the citizens.

Objectives

In the pursuit of the visions of the Department towards better Consumer protection, the Department has thought of inviting innovative ideas that could be implemented through technology from young brains of the country. The Department has identified two key areas wherein participants can compete to give in total solutions for the problem statements.

Problem Statements

1. Consumer Grievance Redressal: There are many judgments passed on by National Consumer Disputes Redresal Commission(NCDRC) and various State Consumer Commissions. A tool with the help of Artificial Intelligence that could help in identifying judgments delivered on similar pattern of cases through keywords search, will help consumers in understanding the possible remedy they could get. This will also help Commissions in delivering judgments on already settled law.
2. Consumer Protection: An effective tool to register shops that use certified weights and measures ( eg Sweet shops) and locating the same. This will help consumers in locating certified shops and thus guaranteeing getting quality assurance.

Eligibility Criteria

1. All Indian Citizens/companies/organizations are eligible
2. Organisations or Entities must be registered in India
3. For the product to be developed as part of the Challenge, if any IPR/Patent is being used, the contesting entity must possess the legitimate rights to use the IPR/Patents.
4. The product to be developed for the Challenge should be designed and developed in India.

Stages

REGISTRATION PROCESS

1. Registration on MyGov Portal
   • All Participants have to register on MyGov Portal
   • Post Registration a mail will be sent to the registered Email ID of participants confirming their MyGov Registration
   • After registering on MyGov Portal, User can participate in the challenge
2. Post - Registration

   1. Participate and Submit Ideation Stage

   • The individual/Company representatives can now click on the Participate Button.
   • The individual/Company representatives can now upload details and information in the portal.

   2. Final Stage

   • The top ten (10) teams enter the final stage
   • The teams shall develop the PoC and present to the jury

Awards & Outcome

• The selected entrepreneurs in the IDEATION Stage will be given a grant of INR 20,000 each to develop the Proof of Concept (POC) of their idea. Mentors will also be assigned to the entrepreneurs(?) to help develop the idea.
• In the final Stage/PoC Stage, 2 entries will be selected for a reward of INR 50,000 each by the Department, for final development and rollout.
• All the selected entries will be provided with a certificate of appreciation from MyGov and DoCA.

EVALUATION

The ideas/ prototype/ final product will be judged on the following parameters

Evaluation Process

• Step I: First Level Quality Check & Review by Organizing Team
  1. Assess compliance to Eligibility Criteria of participating individual/Organisation
  2. Assess quality and completeness of the responses provided in the respective nomination forms
• Step II: Assessment & Screening Second Level
  1. Conduct Detailed Assessment of submitted ideas
  2. Score Submitted Ideas out of 100 on each Evaluation Parameter
  3. Shortlist entries for presentation
• Step III: Presentation and Short listing Entries for Final Stage
  1. Conduct presentation for selection of 10 winners
  2. Score Submitted Ideas out of 100 on each Evaluation Parameter and Presentations
• Step IV: Analysis of POC submitted by 10 entries selected for commercial use by jury

Timeline

Rules & Guidelines

1. All participants and team have to be eligible (See Eligibility Criteria) to participate
2. In case, individuals are associated with any company, they will have to provide an NOC from their company stating that the respective company will have no right on the Prize Money and/or IPR. Furthermore, the individuals have to apprise the employer through NOC or otherwise of the registration of new entity.
3. The funding under ideation stage shall be consumed for development of the solution/PoC only. The Teams will be required to provide Fund Utilization Certificate before the Next Stage on the date decided & communicated by the Organizing Team.
4. Winner/s shall have no intellectual proprietary rights for the solution/product developed as part of the Challenge. The winner/s will handover the entire idea/concept/technical solutions developed to the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Department will have the complete right over the idea/concept/technical solutions developed.
5. The solution should not violate/ breach/ copy any idea/ concept/ product already copyrighted, patented or existing in market.
6. Anyone found to be non-compliant, may get their participation cancelled
7. Jury will take the final call for any unforeseen situation
8. For any dispute redressal, Secretary (Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI)’s will be the final authority.