On February 15, 2024, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, via a Press Information Bureau release, announced the formation of a committee tasked with drafting guidelines to curb pesky, promotional, and unsolicited commercial calls—a significant concern for consumer privacy and rights. The committee, led by Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), convened on February 14, 2024, to address these issues. During the meeting, it was noted that although telemarketers across various sectors such as banking, real estate, e-commerce, and others are mandated to use the 140 number prefix for easier identification by consumers, many unregistered telemarketers continue to flout this requirement. The new guidelines aim to deter these unauthorized calls and effectively manage this ongoing issue. An initial draft has already been circulated among stakeholders for feedback. This article will analyze these guidelines and evaluate their potential to mitigate this widespread nuisance.
CCPA’s Proposed Guidelines
The introductory paragraph of the guidelines cites Section 18(2)(l) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which grants the Consumer Protection Authority the authority to issue these guidelines. For convenience, the relevant section is reproduced below.
