In a meeting held on July 19 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) with media, industry stakeholders, and advertising industry bodies, the issue of the self-declaration certificate (SDC) for broadcasting and publishing ads on TV, digital, radio, and print was discussed.
I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju took into account the stakeholders’ representation during the meeting.
A stakeholder mentioned that Jaju was highly supportive and understanding of the industry. They also noted that the I&B Ministry was very cooperative and assured them that various concerns raised in the meeting would be addressed.
During the meeting, stakeholders sought clear definitions for the health and food products category.
Sources present at the meeting told Marketing Mind, “There was a discussion on a single portal for everyone.”
“The request was made for a clear definition of what falls under the categories of health and food,” the sources added.
Certain points will be taken to an amicus curiae for clarification, such as how to interpret the programmatic advertising. Sources also revealed that the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) emphasised on the ways to strengthen self-regulation and requested enhanced authority to enforce it more effectively.
The meeting included representations from a diverse group of stakeholders, including broadcasters, the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), ASCI, and others.
Previously, the Centre issued an advisory restricting the mandatory SDC requirement to the food and health sectors only.
The government also stated that the facility for uploading certificates by advertisers or advertising agencies for TV and radio ads is operational on the Broadcast Seva Portal. For print and digital advertisements, SDCs must be uploaded to the Press Council of India (PCI) website.
The self-declaration norms came into effect on June 18, pursuant to a Supreme Court order. This directive mandates that before any advertisement is printed, aired, or displayed, the advertiser or advertising agency must submit a self-declaration.
