The Indian government is working on a framework to develop the Right to Repair, according to a press release. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs (MCA) has set up a committee, which will be headed by Nidhi Khare who is a senior bureaucrat in the ministry, to come up with a framework. Khare is an Additional Secretary with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA). Why it matters: The framework is significant as it will give consumers a chance to repair their products at a low cost instead of buying new products altogether. The government said that many manufacturers fail to provide repair services on purpose so as to force consumers to buy their products. When will the committee submit its draft: The press release did not reveal the timeline by when the committee had to come up with the draft. However, it did disclose that the committee held its first meeting on July 13, 2022, where it identified important sectors for the focus of the framework. They were as follows: Farming Equipment, Mobile Phones/ Tablets, Consumer Durables, Automobiles/Automobile Equipment. What were the issues discussed in the meeting: The people present at the meeting raised the following issues which the framework should address— The members discussed how companies avoid publishing manuals that can help users make repairs. They also highlighted that manufacturers have proprietary control over spare parts which lends them monopoly on repair processes. This is an infringement of the “customer’s right to choose”, the release explained. They believed that a lack…
