SEZ: It is a geographical region that has economic laws that are more liberal than a countrys typical economic

laws. An SEZ is a trade capacity development tool, with the goal to promote rapid economic growth by using tax and business incentives to attract foreign investment and technology. SEZs in India: SEEPZ Special Economic Zone Kandla Special Economic Zone Cochin Special Economic Zone Madras Special Economic Zone Visakhapatnam SEZ Falta Special Economic Zone Noida Export Processing Zone Contact SEZs Arguments In Favour Of SEZs: By offering privileged terms, SEZs attract investment and foreign exchange, spur employment and boost the development of improved technologies and infrastructure. 1. Moreover SEZs provide a medium wherein it not only attracts foreign companies looking for cheaper and efficient location to setup their offshore business, but it also allows the local industries to improve their export through a proper channel and with the help of the new foreign partners to the outside world at a very competitive price. 2. SEZs offer relaxed tax and tariff policies which is different from the other economic areas in the country. Duty free import of raw materials for production is one example. 3. Moreover the Free trade zones attract big players who want to setup business without any license hassles and the long process involved in it. Most of the allotment is done through a single window system and which is highly transparent system. 4. The bottom-line therefore is increased export and FDI (Foreign Direct Investments) enabling increased Public-private partnership and ultimately resulting in a development of world class infrastructure, boost economic growth, exports and employment. Arguments Against SEZs: 1. SEZs will displace and uproot lakhs of farmers and send land prices increase rapidly. 2. The SEZs make the government forgo revenue it can ill-afford to lose, they also offer firms an incentive to shift existing production to the new zones at substantial cost to society. 3. In the name of free trade and inviting global investors, we are going to experience the meagre benefits rather than mega profits to our nation, as SEZs are meant to create incentives for exports through huge tax-breaks. 4. SEZs are duty-free enclaves and considered "foreign territories" for the purpose of trade operations and tariffs. 5. Units located in SEZs can import goods without licence or duties. 6. They have unrestricted access to domestic markets and permit 100 per cent foreign direct investment in manufacturing. 7. Profits can be repatriated freely. 8. SEZ tax concessions are handsome, a 100 per cent tax holiday for exporters for five years, a 50 per cent tax-break for five more years, and a further five-year tax-break on production based on reinvested profits. Besides, SEZ developers will enjoy a tax holiday for 10 years. 9. Large amounts of speculative capital drawn in by the lure of quick profits can suddenly leave the country, causing serious disruptions in the economy, including the collapse of financial markets.

ROLE OF CONSUMER GROUPS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO INDIA

Consumer organizations are advocacy groups that seek to protect people from corporate abuse. Unsafe products, predatory lending, false advertising and pollution are all examples of corporate abuse. Consumer organizations may operate via protests, campaigning or lobbying. The aim of consumer organizations may be to establish and to attempt to enforce consumer rights. Effective work has also been done, however, simply by using the threat of bad publicity to keep companies' focus on the consumers' point of view. List of Customer Organization 1. CERC (Consumer Education and Research Centre) 2. FEDCOT (Federation of Consumer Organisations in Tamil Nadu) 3. Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group 4. Consumer Voice

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

SMN Consumer Protection Council Consumer Guidance Society of India CUTS (Consumer Unity of Trust Society) Ministry of Consumer Affairs Mumbai Grahak Panchayat CONCERT (Centre for Consumer Education Research, Teaching, Training and Testing) Bureau of Indian Standards

1. CERC: Consumer Education and Research Centre is the leading consumer rights organisation in India. CERC is a non profit, non government body, dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumer interests through active use of research, media, law, advocacy and information dissemination. CERC does not belong to any political party, nor does it subscribe to any political ideology. CERC is recognised as a research institute by the Government of India and as a consumer organisation by the Government of Gujarat. The United Nations has recognised CERC as one of the approved non government organisations. Goals: (i) Ensure total consumer safety against unsafe products and services through education, research, awareness campaign and dissemination of the findings of the comparative testing of consumer products and product information. (ii) Establish transparency and accountability of business and industry, including utility services and the public sector; (iii) Resolve individual complaints; (iv) Protect the environment 2. FEDCOT (Federation of Consumer Organisations in Tamil Nadu): The Federation of Consumer Organisations of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, well known by its acronym, FEDCOT, is a nation-wide nongovernmental organisation that is voluntary non-profitable, non-political, civic-minded, secular and registered under Societies Act to work for the promotion and development of co nsumers interest and their welfare. FEDCOT networks with various organisations at the local State, national and international levels. Objectives (i) To promote a network of organisations working for consumer awareness and for the promotion of consumers interest. (ii) To strengthen the growth of the organised consumer movement in India. (iii)To resolve consumer issues and educate on the rights and responsibilities of consumers. (iv) To provide relevant and updated information. (v) To maintain liaison with the governments at the Centre and the State. 3. Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group: Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) is a nonprofit, non-political and professional organisation that works towards protecting citizens rights in consumer and environmental issues and promoting good governance processes including transparency, accountability and participatory decision-making. Objectives 1. Campaigning for greater access to information, monitoring the functioning of public utilities 2. Advocating for greater transparency and accountability in governmental and private sector 4. Consumer Guidance Society of India: The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) is a consumer rights organisation based in Mumbai, India. It was the earliest consumers organisation in India, founded by nine women in 1966 , and became the first to conduct formal product testing in 1977. CGSI publishes a magazine, Keemat. It was the first to start a monthly magazine called 'Keemat' which provided information to consumers It promotes consumer education, undertakes training programs in rural areas and represents consumer interests with government and other bodies. It won a national award in 1991 for consumer protection It is also a member of state consumer protection council . 5. Consumer Unity of Trust Society: CUTS International (Consumer Unity & Trust Society) began its journey in 1983 in Rajasthan, from a rural development communication initiative, a wall newspaper Gram Gadar (Village Revolution). In 1983, CUTS was a small voluntary group of concerned citizens operating out of a garage on a zero budget at Jaipur. 6. Ministry of Consumer Affairs: The Department of Consumer Affairs under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & PD is responsible for the formulation of policies for Monitoring Prices, availability of essential commodities, Consumer Movement in the country and Controlling of statutory bodies like Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Weights and Measures. The Department is entrusted with the following works:

1. Internal Trade 2. Inter-State 3. Regulation of Packaged Commodities. 4. Training in Legal Metrology. 5. Emblems and Names 6. Standards of Weights and Measures. 7. The Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 8. Consumer Cooperatives. 9. Monitoring of Prices and Availability of essential 10. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 11. Consumer Welfare Fund. (CWF)

commodities.

7. Mumbai Grahak Panchayat: Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) is a registered voluntary consumer organization established in 1975. It has more than 20,000 members in and around Mumbai (Bombay) to whom it supplies about 75 essential commodities at their door-step, every month. 8. Bureau of Indian Standards: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India is involved in the development of technical standards (popularly known as Indian Standards), product quality and management system certifications and consumer affairs. It resolves to be the leader in all matters concerning Standardization, Certification and Quality. In order to attain this, the Bureau strives: 1. To provide efficient timely service. 2. To satisfy the customers' needs for quality of goods and services. 3. To work and act in such a way that each task, performed as individuals or as corporate entity, leads to excellence and enhances the credibility and image of the Organization.

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF DEPOSITORIES, PARTICIPANTS, ISSUERS AND BENEFICIAL OWNERS 1. Agreement between depository and participant: A depository shall enter into an agreement with one or more participants as its agent in such form as may be specified by the bye-laws. 2. Services of depository: Any person, through a participant, may enter into an agreement, in such form as may be specified by the bye-laws, with any depository for availing its services. 3. Surrender of certificate of security: Any person who has entered into an agreement under section 5 shall surrender the certificate of security, for which he seeks to avail the services of a depository, to the issuer. The issuer, on receipt of certificate of security shall cancel the certificate of security and substitute in its records the name of the depository as a registered owner in respect of that security and inform the depository accordingly. A depository shall, on receipt of information enter the name of the person in its records, as the beneficial owner. 4. Registration of transfer of securities with depository: Every depository shall, on receipt of intimation from a participant, register the transfer of security in the name of the transferee. If a beneficial owner or a transferee of any security seeks to have custody of such security, the depository shall inform the issuer accordingly. 5. Options to receive security certificate or hold securities with depository: Every person subscribing to securities offered by an issuer shall have the option either to receive the security certificates or hold securities with a depository. Where a person opts to hold a security with a depository, the issuer shall intimate such depository the details of allotment of the security, and on receipt of such information the depository shall enter in its records the name of the allottee as the beneficial owner of that security. 6. Securities in depositories to be in fungible form: (1) All securities held by a depository shall be dematerialised and shall be in a fungible form. 7. Rights of depositories and beneficial owner: Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, a depository shall be deemed to be the registered owner for the purposes of effecting transfer of ownership of security on behalf of a beneficial owner. The depository as a registered owner shall not have any voting rights or any other rights in respect of securities held by it. The beneficial owner shall be entitled to all the rights and benefits and be subjected to all the liabilities in respect of his securities held by a depository.

8. Register of beneficial owner: Every depository shall maintain a register and an index of beneficial owners in the manner provided in sections 150, 151 and 152 of the Companies Act, 1956. 9. Pledge or hypothecation of securities held in a depository: a beneficial owner may with the previous approval of the depository create a pledge or hypothecation in respect of a security owned by him through a depository. (2) Every beneficial owner shall give intimation of such pledge or hypothecation to the depository and such depository shall thereupon make entries in its records accordingly. 10. Furnishing of information and records by depository and issuer: Every depository shall furnish to the issuer information about the transfer of securities in the name of beneficial owners at such intervals and in such manner as may be specified by the bye-laws. 11. Option to opt out in respect of any security: If a beneficial owner seeks to opt out of a depository in respect of any security he shall inform the depository accordingly. The depository shall on receipt of intimation under sub-section make appropriate entries in its records and shall inform the issuer. Every issuer shall, within thirty days of the receipt of intimation from the depository and on fulfilment of such conditions and on payment of such fees as may be specified by the regulations, issue the certificate of securities to the beneficial owner or the transferee, as the case may be. 12. Depositories to indemnify loss in certain cases: any loss caused to the beneficial owner due to the negligence of the depository or the participant, the depository shall indemnify such beneficial owner. Where the loss due to the negligence of the participant is indemnified by the depository, the depository shall have the right to recover the same from such participant. 13. Rights and obligations of depositories, etc.: Subject to the provisions of this Act, the rights and obligations of the depositories, participants and the issuer whose securities are dealt with by a depository shall be specified by the regulations. The eligibility criteria for admission of securities into the depository shall be specified by the regulations.