Centre issues advisory, self-declaration for ads on food and health products only

Sub: Sci

Sec: Health

Context:

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) issued a fresh advisory, asking the advertisers and advertising agencies issuing advertisements for products and services related to the food and health sectors to upload an annual self-declaration certificate on the platforms made available for the purpose.

More on news:

The advisory is limited to the food and health sector only, meaning these sectors are only required to provide the self-declaration certificate annually.
The media houses are relieved from the responsibility of checking/validating the certificates.

New Advisory:

According to the new advisory, the facility for uploading the self-declaration certificate by the advertisers/advertising agencies has been made available on the Broadcast Seva Portal for TV/radio advertisements and on the portal of the Press Council of India for the advertisements on print media/internet.
The advertisers/advertising agencies issuing advertisements for products and services related to food and health sectors have been advised to upload an annual self-declaration certificate on above platforms.
It shall be the responsibility of the advertisers/advertising agencies to ensure that every advertisement being issued by them is in adherence to the applicable Indian laws, rules, and regulations in letter and spirit.

Supreme court view:

The Supreme Court in its judgment under Article 32 of the Constitution of India has stressed on the right of a consumer to be made aware of the quality of products being offered for sale by manufacturers, service providers, advertisers, and advertising agencies.
It was directed that before an advertisement is printed/aired/displayed, a self-declaration shall be submitted by the advertiser/advertising agency on the lines contemplated in Rule 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.