Lok Sabha Question No. 2166 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-11
Subject: Monitoring of Government Advertisements
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: YOGI ADITYANATH, PR. SENTHILNATHAN, KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY

## GOWRNMENT  OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOKSABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  No.2166 (TO BE ANSWERED  ON 1r.12.20rs)

## MONITORING OF GOVERNMENT ADVERTISEMENTS

## 2166. SHRI YOGI ADITYA NATH: SHRI PR. SENTHIL  NATHAN: SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY KOTHA:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION  AND BROADCASTING be Dleased to state:

- (a) whether the Supreme Court of India has constituted a committee  to suggest guidelines  on the 'Content Regulation  of Govemment  Advertising';
- (b) if so, the details and the status thereof along with recommendations  made by the said committee;
- (c) whether the Supreme Court has issued any notices/guidelines  to the Govemmenr with regard to publication  ofphotos ofleaders  in Government  advertisements; and
- (d) if so, the reaction  ofthe  Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN TIIE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING  {CoL  RAJYAVARDHAN  RATHORE (Retd.)}

(a) and (b): Yes, Madam. In pursuance  of the Public Interest Litigations filed by Common Cause, Centre for Public Interest Litigation  and Foundation for Restoration of National Values,  New Delhi against  Union of India and others through  Writ Petition (C) No.13/2003,  Writ Petition  (C) No.19712004 and Writ Petition (C) No. 30212012, respectively, the Hon'ble Supreme Court, in their  judgement  dated 23.4.2014 constituted a Committee consisting of three members viz. Prof. (Dr.)  N.R. Madhava Menon  [Former  Director, National Judicial  Academy,  Bhopal],  Shri T.K. Viswanathan [Former  Secretary  General,  Lok Sabha] and Shri Ranjit Kumar, Senior  Advocate, to undertake the task of suggesting guidelines on publicly funded Govemment advertising  campaigns, after an in depth study of all the best practices  in public advertisements in different  iurisdictions.

The above mentioned Committee,  after due deliberations  with various stakeholders,  prepared guidelines in the matter and submitted  the same to the Hon'ble Supreme Court on 24.9.2014.

The guideline was considered  by the Hon'ble Supreme  Court and the judgement was pronounced  on 13.5.2015.  The details of the judgement pronounced by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, including  the detailed recommendations  of the tlree member Committee  led by Prof (Dr) N.R. Madhava Menon, is available in the website  of Supreme Court of India.

(c): In their  judgement  dated 13.5.2015, Hon'ble Supreme  Court has permitted  use of photographs  of President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice  of India only in the Government  advertisements. Hon'ble Court has also allowed issue  of one single advertisement  by a Central  Agency to commemorate  the anniversaries  of some acknowledged  and undisputed public figures  whose contribution  to the National Cause cannot raise any dispute or debate.

(d): Union of India has filed a Review Petition on 26.10.2015 before the Hon'ble Supreme  Court to review the judgement  dated 13.5.2015. The matter  is listed for next hearing before the Hon'ble Supreme Court on 12.01.2016.