SC asks I&B min to hold talks with advertisers on self-declaration issue

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to hold a meeting with various media stakeholders to resolve issues pertaining to commercials, seeking to shield the advertisement industry after its earlier orders had asked advertisers to give self-declaration on the nature of ads.

The ministry of information and broadcasting, which will hold the meetings, is required to file its recommendations within three weeks.

The Bench, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Justice Sandeep Mehta, said, "We are also of the opinion that the industry (advertisement industry) should not suffer in any manner. The focus of this court has already been highlighted in previous orders and needs no repetition. The ministry shall invite more such parties to understand difficulties being faced by them and see how it can be solved. The ministry is directed to continue the churning of ideas and have further meetings in this direction and file an affidavit making its recommendations within three weeks."

The ministry of consumer affairs can also be part of the "brain storming" exercise, it said.

The directions came while dealing with various impleadment applications filed by the Advertising Agencies Association, Internet and Mobile Association of India, the Association of Radio Operators and Broadband India Forum, and others.

On May 7, the apex court had asked the advertisers to submit self-declaration forms confirming their compliance with cable TV rules and advertising codes before airing ads. Besides, television broadcasters must upload these declarations onto the Broadcast Seva Portal prior to airing the ads, it had then ordered. The concerned ministry was also asked to establish a portal for advertisers to submit self-declarations for print media ads within four weeks.

On Tuesday, Patanjali Ayurved told the top court that it had stopped selling 14 products whose manufacturing licences were suspended by the Drug Licensing Authority of Uttarakhand in April.

While the company said it had asked 5,606 franchise stores to withdraw the products, the Bench asked it to file an affidavit in two weeks confirming that advertisements for its banned medicines had also been removed from media platforms.

The Indian Medical Association told the court that it has published full-page apologies for comments made by its President Dr. RV Asokan against the SC.