Lok Sabha Question No. 2858 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-04
Subject: Misleading Advertisements
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: RODMAL NAGAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2858 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04/01/2018

## MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS

## 2858.  SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the television channels are telecasting misleading advertisements;
- (b) if  so,  the  number  of  complaints  received  by  the  Government  in  this  regard  and action taken thereon during the last three years and the current year; and
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to check the telecast of misleading advertisements on TV channels?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  INFORMATION  &  BROADCASTING [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)]

(a)  to  (c):  As  per  existing  regulatory  framework,  all  programmes  and  advertisements telecast on TV channels and transmitted/ retransmitted through the Cable TV networks are required to adhere to the Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules framed thereunder. The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programme or advertisement telecast on such TV channels. However, it provides that all programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV  channels  should  be  in  conformity  with  the  prescribed  Programme  Code  and Advertising  Code  enshrined  in  the  said  Act  and  the  rules  framed  thereunder,  which contain a whole range of parameters to regulate programmes and advertisements on TV channels.

The total number of complaints received by the Ministry in this regard during the last three years are as under:

|   Year |   Number of complaints |   Disposed |
|--------|------------------------|------------|
|   2015 |                    147 |        147 |
|   2016 |                    371 |        371 |
|   2017 |                    190 |        177 |

Necessary action on the said complaints has been taken as per Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules framed thereunder.

Ministry  has  constituted  an  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  (IMC)  to  look  into  the violations suo-motu or whenever violations of the Programme and Advertising Codes are brought to the notice of this Ministry in respect of private satellite TV channels. IMC has representatives  from  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs,  Defence,  External  Affairs,  Law, Women and Child Development, Health  and  Family Welfare,  Consumer  Affairs  and  a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). IMC meets periodically and recommends action in respect of violations reported, whenever warranted.

The Ministry has issued advisories dated 26.06.2014, 21.08.2014, 12.07.2017 and 11.12.2017 (available on Ministry's website  www.mib.nic.in) to all TV Channels for not telecasting  advertisements  which  are  found  to  violate  Advertising  Code  of  Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules framed thereunder.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched Grievances Against Misleading Advertisement (GAMA) portal to enable the public to lodge complaint against misleading advertisements.

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