Lok Sabha Question No. 2290 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-08
Subject: Rise in Misleading Advertisements
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2290

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 08/03/2018

## RISE IN MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS

2290.  DR.  KIRIT  P.  SOLANKI:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b):  Department of Consumer Affairs has informed that it has launched a portal 'Grievance  Against  Misleading  Advertisements'  (GAMA)  to  handle  the  complaints relating to misleading advertisements. It has entered into a Memorandum  of Understanding  (MoU)  with  Advertising  Standards  Council  of  India  (ASCI),  a  selfregulatory  body  of  advertisement  industry,  to  process  the  complaints  of  misleading advertisements  in  print  and  electronic  media,  as  received  on  GAMA  portal.  ASCI processes the complaints as per its code and asks the companies concerned to modify or withdraw the advertisements found to be misleading. Number of complaints received on GAMA portal over last three years are as under:

|   Year |   Received |
|--------|------------|
|   2015 |        641 |
|   2016 |       2032 |
|   2017 |       3302 |

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  rise  in  misleading advertisements in the television programmes in the country;
- (b) if so, the details of brands and channels against whom action has been taken for violating the norms/guidelines;
- (c) whether any steps have been taken by the Government to monitor the contents of the advertisements being telecast; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

(c) & (d): Advertisements telecast on Private TV channels are required to adhere to the Advertising Code prescribed under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules  framed  thereunder.  As  per  existing  regulatory  framework  there  is  no  precensorship on advertisements. Action is taken whenever violation of Code is brought to the  notice  of  the  Ministry.  Rules  7(5)  of  the  Cable  Television  Networks  Rules,  1994, specifically provides 'No advertisement shall contain references which are likely to lead the public to infer that the product advertised or any of its ingredients has some special or miraculous or super-natural property or quality, which is   difficult   of   being proved'. Ministry has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to take cognizance suomoto  or  to  look  into  specific  complaints  regarding  content  telecast  on  private  TV channels including advertisements. IMC functions in a recommendatory capacity.

An  advisory  dated  21.08.2014  was  issued  by  the  Ministry  advising  all  TV channels not to telecast advertisements which were found to be violating provisions of Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, ASCI Code and also Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954.

On the request of M/o AYUSH an Advisory dated 12.07.2017 has been issued to all TV channels to advertise products that have valid license issued by M/o AYUSH or State Drug Licensing Authorities.

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