About Consumers India
Consumers India is an intellectually strong organization comprising senior officers of Government of India (generally retired), doctors, engineers, academics and others, who have joined hands to use their knowledge and experience for the well-being of consumers.
The organization was registered on 18.05.2007 under Societies Registration Act, 1860. It is also registered under Sections 12A read with section 12AA and 80 G (5) (vi) of Income Tax Act, 1961.
Consumers India has taken up several important campaigns with a view to safeguard interests of large number of consumers. Some of them relate to ‘Unethical Medical Practices’, ‘Misleading Ads’, ‘Access to Affordable Medicines’, ‘Right to Information’, ‘Justice for all…Just Now’, ‘I am a city changer’, ‘Junk the junk food’ etc.
About SUM
The Society for Upliftment of Masses (SUM), An NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, has an active interface with United Nations. The statements submitted by the Society for ECOSOC High Level Segments during the years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025 were accepted by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
They were circulated amongst all member States after being translated in all the UN languages. Several strategies have been suggested in these Statements for sustaining gains relating to ‘Health’, ‘Nutrition’, ‘Sustainable Consumption’ etc in Post-MDG era.
About the Internship Programme
‘Internship’ programme was launched by Consumers India for students pursuing higher education on 15th September, 2012 and 45 batches have since been held successfully. They have studied important consumer issues under the able guidance of experienced mentors. Several issues, highlighted by interns in their studies, have been taken up with the concerned authorities at the highest level.
The programme will familiarise participants with burning consumer concerns like consumer justice, misleading advertisements, junk food, unethical medical practices, Right to Information etc and help them make well-informed decisions by being aware consumers.
Participants will also gain practical knowledge and experience of conducting research and survey on a consumer issue and analysing that data in a presentable format under guidance of mentors.
Eligibility
Students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, Ph D or any other higher education programme in any discipline from recognised institutions in India
Outcome
At the end of the Internship, you will
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- Become an enlightened consumer, familiar with your rights and responsibilities as a consumer
- Make well informed decisions in your day-today life
- Be able to avoid the trap of misleading advertisements
- Be able to report misleading ads and also help others do it
- Be familiar with the power of RTI Act
- Be able to file RTI applications for seeking information from Public Authorities and also help others do it
- Gain practical knowledge and experience of conducting research and survey on a consumer issue and analysing that data in a presentable format under guidance of mentors.
- Gain practical knowledge and experience of presenting your research and survey findings through PPT and infographics for disseminating your findings through social media.
Internship Guidelines
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- This internship is open to students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, Ph D or any other higher education programme in any discipline from recognised institutions in India, having interest in consumer issues.
- Interested candidates are required to fill up prescribed form with complete and correct details. They are also required to give at least one reference with complete details in their application.
- Pl ensure that your application is clearly typed and is in word/pdf format. Signatures are not required at this stage.
- Their suitability for internship with Consumers India will be adjudged on the basis of their application. They will be inducted into internship if found suitable. Decision of Consumers India will be final in this regard.
- Applicants finally selected for this internship will be informed individually through email. No correspondence will be entertained in this regard from unsuccessful candidates.
- Internship will be held in ‘Physical’ Mode.
- No stipend is paid to interns by Consumers India. Similarly, no reimbursement of expenditure incurred on travel etc is made by Consumers India.
- Consumers India is not responsible for any arrangements for stay etc for outstation candidates.
- Induction Workshop will be organised at the start of the Internship Batch in physical mode. After the induction process is over, the intern will be assigned a project/study to be completed in a group during the period of internship. The subject of this project/study would be decided keeping in view the preferences given by the intern.
- Participation in Induction Workshop is a mandatory requirement. Candidates, who do not participate in the Induction Workshop, will not be inducted into internship.
- In addition to above, Interns would be expected to take up some individual activities and promotional and voluntary assignments given by Consumers India and raise awareness regarding concerns and activities of Consumers India as per guidelines provided from time to time.
- Interns will be expected to actively participate in other programmes organised by Consumers India in physical mode from time to time.
- The progress of the assignments would be monitored on weekly basis. Interns would be expected to participate in weekly meetings with mentors in physical mode. More than one meeting per week may be held, as per requirement.
- Intellectual inputs and guidelines to facilitate successful completion of this programme will be provided by experts in Consumers India.
- Interns would be expected to follow the time schedule assigned for each activity and submit their assignments, duly approved by Mentor well in time. They will also submit Completion and Evaluation Report in prescribed format.
- The internship will conclude with Debriefing Workshop (in physical mode), which is generally held on the scheduled date of completion. In this workshop interns will present their studiesand answer questions posed to them by Consumers India Team/other interns.
- Internship Certificate will be given to all successful interns by Consumers India.
- After evaluation by experts, the products emanating from this internship assignments may be utilised for awareness and advocacy campaigns of Consumers India and SUM and wherever required.
Topics
- Consumer Justice – How far?
- Stop Misleading Advertisements
- Tryst with Health
- Junk Food & Health – A Wake-up Call!
- Beware of Fake, Spurious and Counterfeit!!
- All About Cosmetics & Beauty Products/Procedures
- Climate Change & Sustainable Consumption
How to Apply?
Pl email your typed application in word/pdf format along with your recent photograph to jayashree@consumersindia.co.in.
Important dates
| Last date for receipt of complete application in prescribed format | December 5, 2025 | |
| Finalisation of selection process and communication to applicants | December 8 to 11, 2025 | |
| Date of Induction | December 13, 2025 | |
| Period of Internship | 4 weeks from December 13, 2025 to January 11, 2026 | |
| Date of final submission of research study and other assignments, duly approved by Mentors | January 7, 2026 | |
| Discussion on PPTs, Infographics and individual activities; final submission of Completion & Evaluation Report and residual assignments | January 8 onwards | |
| Debriefing workshop (Interns will present their studies as a group) | January 10-11, 2026 | |
