Lok Sabha Question No. 3104 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Legal Action on Celebrities for Endorsing Misleading Advertisements
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Dr. M K Vishnu Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3104

## (TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026)

## LEGAL ACTION ON CELEBRITIES FOR ENDORSING MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS 3104. DR. M K VISHNU PRASAD:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state: (a) the steps taken by the Government to put a check on false and misleading advertisements; (b) the details of celebrities against whom legal action has been taken for endorsing misleading advertisements as on date; (c) whether the Government has set up or proposes to set up any special team or committee to put a stop on false/misleading advertising by taking suo moto action; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## (a)  to (d):

As  per  existing  regulatory  framework,  all  advertisements  telecast  on  private  satellite  TV channels are required to adhere to the Advertising Code prescribed under the Cable Television Networks  (Regulation)  Act,  1995  and  rules  framed  thereunder.  Rule  7(5)  of  the  Advertising Code inter alia provides that '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.' Appropriate action  is  taken  against  the  private  TV  channels  when  violation  of  any  provision  of  the Advertising Code is found. Ministry also issues advisories from time to time to broadcasters for ensuring compliance to the Advertising Code.

The  Central  Consumer  Protection  Authority  (Central  Authority/CCPA)  has  been  established under  Section  10  of  the  Consumer  Protection  Act,  2019  to  regulate  the  matters  related  to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements and protect and enforce the rights of the consumers as a class.

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 18  of  the  Consumer  Protection  Act,  2019,  issued  'Guidelines  for  Prevention  of  Misleading Advertisements  and  Endorsements  for  Misleading  Advertisements,  2022'.  These  guidelines provides for conditions for non-misleading  and  valid advertisement, bait advertisement, prohibition of surrogate advertisement, children targeted advertisement, disclaimer in advertisement and duties of manufacturer, service provider, advertiser and advertising agency.

The  aforesaid  Guidelines  further  stipulate under  clause  13:  Due  diligence  required  for endorsement  of  advertisements  i.e.  any  endorsement  in  an  advertisement  must  reflect  the genuine,  reasonably  current  opinion  of  the  individual,  group  or  organization  making  such representation  and  must  be  based  on  adequate  information  about,  or  experience  with,  the identified  goods,  product  or  service  and  must  not  otherwise  be  deceptive.  Further,  the Guidelines mentions that where, Indian professionals, whether resident in India or otherwise, are  barred  under  any  law  for  the  time  being  in  force  from  making  endorsement  in  any advertisement  pertaining  to  any  profession,  then,  foreigner  professionals  of  such  profession shall also be not permitted to make endorsement in such advertisement.

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## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (DR. L. MURUGAN)