Lok Sabha Question No. 1027 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-29
Subject: Panel on Government Advertisements
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABIIA

## UNSTARRED  QUESTION  No. 1027 (TO BE ANSWERED  ON 29.4.2016)

## PAI{EL ON GOVERNMENT  ADVERTISEMENTS 1027, SHRJPRAHLADSINGHPATEL:

Will the Minister of NFORMATION  AND BROADCASTING be pleasedto state:

- (a) whether the Govemment  has constituted a panel to address issues related to content regulation in Government  advertising;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Govemment  proposes to make a detail policy in this regards; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) and (b): Yes, Sir. In compliance with the Hon'ble Supreme  Court directions contained  in its judgement  dated 13.5.2015 and based on the recommendations  of a three member Selection Panel constituted  by this Ministry  on the advice of Ministry  of Law and Justice, Ministry of Information  & Broadcasting has constituted a Three Member  Committee  on 6.4.2016 comprising  the following persons:

| I   | Shri B.B. Tandon, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India                                                   | Chairperson   |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| 2   | Shri Raj at Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV and President of the News Broadcasters Association | Member        |
| J   | Shri Piyush Pandey. Executive Chairman and Creative Director, South Asia. Ogilvy & Mather                       | Member        |

As per the direction  given by Hon'ble supreme  court in their judgement dated 13.5.2015,  the committee  has been constituted  for ironing out the creases that are bound to show from time to time in implementation of the supreme  court Guidelines on content Regulation  of Govemment Advertising.  The Terms of Reference of the committee includes  addressing complaints from the general public on violation of the implementation  of the guidelines  set out by Hon'ble supreme  court, take suo motu cognizance  ofany violation  /deviation  ofthe guidelines  of Hon'ble supreme court and recommend corrective  action  to the Ministry / Department.  The committee may recommend  suitable changes to the supreme court guideiines  to deal with new circumstances  and situations  that may arise from time to time, without making major policy changes  within the policy  direction  of Supreme  court. Details are available  on the official  website  of the Ministry  i.e. mib.nic.in.

(c) and (d):  A set of policy guidelines  on content Regulation  of Govemment Advertising has already been pronounced  by Hon'bre supreme court vide their judgement  dated 13.5.2015.  Further,  this judgement  was partially  modified  by Hon,ble supreme  court on 18.3.2016 after considering  the review petitions  of union of India and various State Governments,  whereby  Hon'ble  supreme  court allowed publishing of photographs  of Govemors and chief Ministers of the States, besides  the Departmental  (cabinet)  Minister concerned  in central  Govemment and State Government in lieu of the photograph  of  prime  Minister and chief Minister, respectively.  These judgements  are binding  on both central as well as State Govemments, including union Territories.  The afore-mentioned  judgements  are also available  on the website  of Hon'ble Supreme court/Ministry  of Information  & Broadcastins.