ASCI's Advertising Advice to help advertisers make self-declarations, says CEO Manisha Kapoor

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and secretary general, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), in a statement, shared that following the mandate from the Supreme Court of India on mandating Self-Declaration Certificate, ASCI's Advertising Advice Service can support advertisers be more confident of their self-declarations.

"The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has established new features to their portals to enable advertisers to obtain the self-declaration certificate to comply with the Supreme Court directives. Given the vast number of creatives that now need certification, this is a challenge that advertisers, agencies and media owners will need to gear up for," says Kapoor.

She said that the service can support advertisers to be compliant with the ASCI Code, which forms a key part of the Advertising Code under the Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act.

"Whether it is small or big advertisers, no ads would now be permitted on any media and channel without such a certification. To avoid any disruptions in their campaigns, advertisers and agencies are advised to familiarise themselves with the portals and the requirements during the buffer period provided until the 18th of June, 2024," she added.

Recently, the Supreme Court of India issued a directive in its order mandating that all advertisers and advertising agencies must submit a Self-Declaration Certificate before publishing or broadcasting any advertisement.

The certificate will certify that the advertisement does not contain misleading claims, 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 the Press Council of India.