The Union government is working on a “Right to Repair” framework to cut down restrictive practices introduced by some manufacturers so that people can get goods such as consumer durables, phones and cars fixed on their own. A government committee, set up to develop the “comprehensive framework” on the Right to Repair, held its first meeting Wednesday and identified “important sectors” to implement it. “The sectors identified include Farming Equipment, Mobile Phones/ Tablets, Consumer Durables and Automobiles/Automobile Equipment,” said a statement by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on Thursday. The committee pointed to practices such as planned obsolescence and creation of monopolies on spare parts while stressing on the need to give consumers the right to choose how they get products fixed. It also flagged how consumers often lose the right to claim a warranty if they get a product repaired from a “non-recognized” outfit. The statement said: “The pertinent issues highlighted during the meeting include companies avoid(ing) the publication of manuals that can help users make repairs easily. Manufacturers have proprietary control over spare parts (regarding the kind of design they use for screws and other). Monopoly on repair processes infringes the customer’s’ ‘right to choose’.” The statement said parts and tools to service devices, including diagnostic tools, should be made available to third parties, including individuals, so that the product can be repaired if there are minor glitches. “Manufacturers are encouraging a culture of ‘planned obsolescence’. This is a system whereby the design of any gadget is such that it lasts a particular time only and after that particular period it has to be mandatorily replaced. When contracts fail to cede full control to the buyer-the legal right of owners are damaged,” it said. The right to repair has been recognised in many countries across the globe, including the US, UK and the European Union. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has directed manufacturers to remedy unfair anti-competitive practices and asked them to make sure that consumers can make repairs, either themselves or by third parties. According to the statement, once rolled out in India, the framework will become a "game-changer" for the sustainability of the products and serve as a catalyst for employment generation. The committee is headed by Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary at the Department of Consumer Affairs. It also comprises industry and consumer bodies as well as academics and government officials.
