Govt calls meet to stop misleading ads

To stop proliferation of misleading advertisements, the consumer affairs ministry has called a meeting of officials from the health ministry, information and broadcasting ministry, and independent experts next week.

The meeting, which will be the first such exercise to determine the extent of misleading advertisement, will analyse ways and means to stop them.

Representatives from the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and National Advertising Council of India would also attend the meeting, an official said.

“The health ministry officials will have a big role to play in this initiative, as many of these advertisements have a direct impact on consumers’ health,” a senior official said.

Misleading advertisements, as the name suggests, are classified which do not deliver what is promised. “Like ads which claim that a certain product can reduce weight in a short time, while in reality this is not possible, are classified as misleading advertisements,” the official explained.

Many such advertisements run with impunity in the countryside.

Earlier this month, Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas had said the government was considering putting in place a mechanism to stop misleading advertisements in order to protect consumers from being cheated.

The minister said he would hold discussions with ministry officials and some non-profit organisations regarding misguiding advertisements. He said consumers were misguided in every sector like medicine, banking, telecom and infrastructure.