(a) whether the Government is aware of the various advertisements appearing in
Electronic/Print Media wherein women are portrayed in demeaning manner;
(b) whether there are any norms/rules pertaining to the standard of such
advertisements;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether there is any agency to monitor the strict adherence of these
norms/rules by the advertisers; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND CULTURE (SHRI S. JAIPAL REDDY)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF
LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 260 FOR ANSWER ON 22/07/2004
(a) to (e): All India Radio and Doordarshan follow their Code for Commercial Advertising which
inter alia prohibits advertisements which project a derogatory image of women.
Advertisements on television channels, when transmitted/retransmitted, through the cable
network, are required to adhere to the provisions of the Advertising Code, prescribed under the
Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules framed thereunder which inter alia
prohibits carriage of advertisements in cable service which offend morality, decency, project
derogatory image of women and have indecent or vulgar themes.
Action for violation of provisions of Code can be taken by any authorised officer, i.e.
SDM, DM, Commissioner of Police or any other officer notified in the Official Gazette by the
Central Government or State Government. The Central Government has constituted an Inter-
ministerial Committee under Section 20 of the Act to look into the violations of the Code.
Cognizance of any violation of Code is taken suo-moto or on receipt of specific complaints by the
Committee. On the recommendations of the Committee, TV channels are directed not to telecast
advertisements found violative of the Advertising Code. In the past, TV channels have been
directed not to telecast certain advertisements which were found to be violative of the Advertising
Code.
As regards Print Media, Press in India is free from Government control. In pursuance of
its policy to uphold the freedom of the Press, the Government does not interfere in its functioning.
The Press Council of India(PCI) is a statutory autonomous body set up under the Press Council
Act, 1978(37 of 1978) with the twin objects of preserving the freedom of the press and of
maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India and to
inculcate principles of self-regulation among the newspapers and periodicals.