Mr. Justice M.A.A. Khan, President—This is an appeal under Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (the ‘Act’) against the order dated 31.3.2001 whereby the District Forum No. 2, Jaipur, dismissed appellant’s Complaint No. 848 of 1999 holding that the complainant was not a “consumer” and hence not entitled to maintain the complaint before the Forum.

2. Facts relevant to and sufficient for disposal of the appeal are these :

3. The appellant is a retired member of the Indian Administrative Services. He authored a book titled as “Prashasnic Chintan” and vide his letter dated 28.6.1997, proposed to the Rajasthan Hindi Granth Academy, the respondent, to publish the same as it would serve as a useful reference material to the benefit of the students of Public Administration and trainees in IAS, RAS etc. etc. By its letter dated 20.8.1998 the respondent Academy though appreciated that the book was of high standard yet declined to accept the proposal on the ground that the same was not according to the University Curriculum and returned the manuscript of the book to the appellant. The appellant represented the matter to the President of the respondent Academy who directed the Di