New Delhi: Self-Declaration Certificate will become mandatory for all new advertisements from June 18, 2024, following a Supreme Court ruling. As per the Court’s directive, no advertisement will be permitted to run on television, print media, or the internet without a valid Self-Declaration Certificate.
The Self-Declaration Certificate must be obtained by all advertisers and advertising agencies for all new advertisements that will be issued/telecast/aired/published on or after June 18, 2024. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said today that a buffer period of two weeks has been kept to provide sufficient time for all stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the process of self-certification. The Ministry clarified that ongoing advertisements do not require self-certification currently.
The self-declaration certificate is to certify that the advertisement (i) does not contain misleading claims, and (ii) complies with all relevant regulatory guidelines, including those stipulated in Rule 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 and the Norms of Journalistic Conduct of Press Council of India. Advertisers must provide proof of uploading the Self-Declaration Certificate to the relevant broadcaster, printer, publisher, or electronic media platform for their records.
The Ministry informed that following the apex court’s directive, it has introduced a new feature on its Broadcast Seva Portal for TV and Radio Advertisements and on the Press Council of India’s portal for print and digital/internet advertisements. The certificate, signed by an authorized advertiser/advertising agency representative, must be submitted through these portals.
The portal will be activated on June 4, 2024.
It may be mentioned that the Supreme Court, in response to a Writ Petition, had issued a directive in its Order dated May 7, 2024, that all advertisers/ advertising agencies must submit a ‘Self-Declaration Certificate’ before publishing or broadcasting any advertisement.
“The Hon’ble Supreme Court directive is a step towards ensuring transparency, consumer protection, and responsible advertising practices,” the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting stated and urged all advertisers, broadcasters and publishers to adhere to this directive diligently.
– global bihari bureau
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