Warning is mandatory: Govt says anti-tobacco messages a must when smoking showcased in fims, TV

NEW DELHI: Anti-tobacco health warnings as a prominent static message is to be displayed at the bottom of the screen when tobacco products are shown in a film or a television programme, the government said Friday.

In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Cigarette and other Tobacco products Rules 2004 inter-alia provides that films and television programmes displaying tobacco products should carry anti-tobacco health spots of minimum 30 seconds duration to be screened at the beginning and middle of a film or programme.

"Further, anti-tobacco health warnings as a prominent static message is to be displayed at the bottom of the screen during the period of display of the tobacco products or their use in the film and television programme," he said.


Doordarshan runs a scroll on the screen showing the statutory warning whenever smoking scenes appears on its channels, Javadekar said.

In response to another question on whether the government is aware that over 31,000 precious reels or cans held by the National Films Archive of India (NFAI) are understood to have been lost or destroyed, Javadekar said the Department of Audit and Accounts under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) carried out a check of records maintained by National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Pune in 2017.

It noted that out of about 1,32,000 film reels or cans available in NFAI, bar code stickers were pasted only on 1,00,377 film reels or cans, he said.

"It is clarified that bar code stickers were pasted only on those reels or cans, which were clear from all technical aspects. Remaining reels or cans have been identified for removal of technical deficiencies. So no reel or cans have been lost or destroyed," the minister said.

To another question on the numbers and details of Private Satellite TV Channels permitted to telecast in India in the last five years, Javadekar said in 2014-15 there were 40 channels, in 2015-16 there were 74, in 2016-17 there were 53, in 2017-18 there were 34 and in 2018-19 the number was 57.