Lok Sabha Question No. 86 (STARRED), answered on 2016-07-22
Subject: Indecent Representation of Women in Advertisements
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: ANSHUL VERMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO. 86

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2016

## INDECENT REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISEMENTS

## *86.   SHRI ANSHUL VERMA:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  indecent  representation  of  women  in  the advertisements in recent times and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of cases reported under the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise; and
- (c) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  check  violation  of  the  Act  so  as  to  prevent  indecent representation of women and make the Act more stringent?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

- (a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 86 FOR 22.07.2016  SHRI  ANSUL VERMA REGARDING INDECENT REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISEMENTS

(a) Ministry  of  Information  &  Broadcasting  has  informed  that  instances  of  obscene  and  vulgar advertisements on private satellite TV channels and print media are brought to the notice of the Government from time to time and action is taken against them on case to case basis.

(b) As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data which is available upto 2015, a total of 141, 362, 47 and 142 cases were reported in the country under Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 during last five year i.e 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively which show a mixed trend. The state-wise details  of  cases  reported  under  the  Indecent  Representation  of  Women  (Prohibition)  Act,  1986 during the last four years is annexed.

(c) The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 has provisions prohibiting indecent representation of women through advertisements, publications, pamphlets, etc. Any person who contravenes the provisions of the Section 3 and Section 4 of the Act shall be punishable with imprisonment and fine.

The  Government  of  India  regularly  conducts  awareness  generation  programmes  and  publicity campaigns  on various laws relating to women  including  the Indecent Representation  of  Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 through workshops, fairs, cultural programmes, seminars, training programmes etc. Further, advertisements are regularly brought out in the print and electronic media to create awareness on laws relating to rights of women.

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House repair Home town

## Annexure referred to in reply to Part (b) of the Starred Question No.86 for 22.07.2016 by Shri Anshul Verma regarding Indecent Representation of Women in Advertisements

## Details of cases reported under the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 during 2012 -2015

| Sl.No   | State/UT          | 2012   | 2013   |   2014 | 2015*   |
|---------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|---------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | 21     | 251    |      3 | 14      |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 3       | Assam             | 3      | 1      |      0 | 3       |
| 4       | Bihar             | 5      | 0      |      0 | 78      |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh      | 1      | 0      |      0 | 2       |
| 6       | Goa               | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 7       | Gujarat           | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 8       | Haryana           | 2      | 0      |      1 | 0       |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh  | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 10      | Jammu &Kashmir    | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 11      | Jharkhand         | 0      | 2      |      2 | 6       |
| 12      | Karnataka         | 0      | 2      |      0 | 1       |
| 13      | Kerala            | 3      | 20     |     11 | 4       |
| 14      | Madhya Pradesh    | 0      | 0      |      0 | 3       |
| 15      | Maharashtra       | 2      | 0      |      0 | 1       |
| 16      | Manipur           | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 17      | Meghalaya         | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 18      | Mizoram           | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 19      | Nagaland          | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 20      | Odisha            | 1      | 2      |      0 | 1       |
| 21      | Punjab            | 0      | 0      |      1 | 0       |
| 22      | Rajasthan         | 62     | 68     |     18 | 7       |
| 23      | Sikkim            | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 24      | Tamil Nadu        | 34     | 9      |      4 | 7       |
| 25      | Telangana         | -      | -      |      2 | 1       |
| 26      | Tripura           | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 27      | Uttar Pradesh     | 0      | 1      |      1 | 7       |
| 28      | Uttarakhand       | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 29      | West Bengal       | 7      | 4      |      4 | NR      |
| 30      | A &NIslands       | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 31      | Chandigarh        | 0      | 1      |      0 | 0       |
| 32      | D&N Haveli        | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 33      | Daman &Diu        | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 34      | Delhi UT          | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 35      | Lakshadweep       | 0      | 0      |      0 | 0       |
| 36      | Puducherry        | 0      | 1      |      0 | 7       |
| Total   | Total             | 141    | 362    |     47 | 142     |

NR- Not reported

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