Question : SUPERTITIOUS ADVERTISEMENTS ON TV

(a) whether various television channels are telecasting advertisements for religious paraphernalia such as rudraksh, lockets etc;

(b) if so, the details thereof, channel-wise;

(c) whether prior approval is taken from the Government for telecasting of such advertisements;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) if not, whether the Government proposes to enact a legislation to curb the telecasting of advertisements espousing superstition, blind faith and unverifiable claims; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING (SHRI C.M. JATUA)

(a) Some instances of advertisements of religious articles have been brought to the notice of the Ministry.

(b) The details of such advertisements telecast during the last three years are given in the Statement Annexed.

(c) & (d) No prior approval of Government is required to be taken by the private TV channels for telecast of advertisements, as at present there is no pre-censorship of programmes and advertisements telecast by private TV channels.

(e) & (f) There is no proposal at present under consideration to enact any legislation in the matter. However, all programmes and advertisements telecast on these channels are required to adhere to the Advertising Code provided in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules framed thereunder. Rule 7 (5) of the Advertising Code 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. The Ministry also issued an Advisory to all the Channels on 13.5.2010 to follow in letter and spirit the provisions of the said Rule 7 (5).