Ministry of Ayush, Government of India,Advertising Standards Council of India (asci) partnership to co-regulate misleading advertisements in the ayush sector


New Delhi, January, 20, 2017: Progressing with the impetus towards supporting co-regulation in advertising, the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) has signed an MoU partnering with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Addressing the cases of misleading advertisements with respect to Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy Medicines, treatment and related services, ASCI will comprehensively monitor these advertisements across print and electronic media. ASCI has been given a self-monitoring mandate by the Ministry of AYUSH to identify potentially misleading advertisement in the AYUSH sector and process complaints through its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC). The Ministry of AYUSH will also redirect complaints against misleading advertisements they receive to ASCI, which will be reviewed using ASCI’s code and guidelines. The MoU also requires ASCI to report to the Ministry of AYUSH, advertisements in potential violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder as well as non-compliance of ASCI’s CCC recommendations for the Ministry of AYUSH to take further action.  

This partnership will put in place, a much needed formal mechanism to monitor & curtail misleading advertisements in the AYUSH sector and will lead to effective implementation though strong support locally from the State Licencing Authorities as well as Centrally through the Ministry of AYUSH.

Commenting on the partnership, Sh. Ajit M. Sharan, Secretary, the Ministry of AYUSH said, “We are happy to announce this partnership with the ASCI. It is yet another important step taken by the AYUSH ministry to ensure that Indian consumers have access to safe and effective medicine. The arrangement would also ensure that any advertisement making claims for diseases and disorders, in violation of the notification issued by our ministry for indications that have been prohibited from claiming, are immediately brought to our attention. We have entered into an MoU with ASCI to effectively weed out such advertisements so that consumers are protected from unscrupulous manufacturers selling products making false claims. This is vital for the propagation of AYUSH system of medicine within India and beyond.”

Mr. S.K. Swamy, ASCI Chairman, added, “At ASCI, we have been relentlessly working to encourage self     -regulation in advertising content and ensuring the protection of the interests of the consumers. AYUSH is among top three sectors where we find a high incidence of misleading advertisements and some of the advertisements in the AYUSH sector claiming treatment of certain diseases in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Regulations have been a cause of concern. ASCI’s partnership with the Ministry of AYUSH will provide the necessary support to our efforts in effectively curtailing misleading advertisements in this sector.”

Pic 1(L-R) - Shri Ramendra Pratap Shukla, Under Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Shri Anil Kumar Ganeriwala, Jt Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Ms Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI, Mr Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman, ASCI, Shri Ajit M Sharan, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Dr Dinesh Chand Katoch, Advisor (Ayurveda) Ministry of AYUSH at the MoU signing ceremony at the Ministry of AYUSH

Pic 2(L-R) - Shri Ramendra Pratap Shukla, Under Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Shri Anil Kumar Ganeriwala, Jt Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Ms Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI, Mr Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman, ASCI, Shri Ajit M Sharan, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Dr Dinesh Chand Katoch, Advisor (Ayurveda) Ministry of AYUSH at the MoU signing ceremony at the Ministry of AYUSH

Ministry of Ayush, Government of India,Advertising Standards Council of India (asci) partnership to co-regulate misleading advertisements in the ayush sector

Ministry of Ayush, Government of India,Advertising Standards Council of India (asci) partnership to co-regulate misleading advertisements in the ayush sector


About The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)
The Advertising Standards Council of India is a self-regulatory organization for the advertising industry to promote, maintain, monitor and uphold fair, sound, ethical and healthy principles and practices of advertising for the protection of interest of consumers and the general public. Established in 1985, ASCI’s role has been acclaimed by various Government agencies. ASCI & its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) deal with Complaints received from Consumers and Industry against Advertisements which are considered as False, Misleading, Indecent, Illegal, leading to Unsafe practices, or Unfair to competition, and in contravention of the ASCI Code for Self-Regulation in Advertising. Under its National Advertisement Monitoring Service (NAMS), ASCI proactively monitors over 80% of new print and all new TV advertisements released in the country every month, for contravention of Chapter I of the ASCI code.
 (Source: www.ascionline.org)

About Ministry of AYUSH
The Ministry of AYUSH was formed on 9th November' 2014. Earlier it was known as the Department of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H) which was created in March 1995 and renamed as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November 2003, with a view to provide focused attention for the development of Education and Research in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy. (Source: www.ayush.gov.in/)