complaints over the last three years regarding the broadcast of obscene, indecent, and vulgar advertisements on television, as informed by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L. Murugan, in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, The Storyboard18 reported.

The Advertising Code under Rule 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules mandates that television advertisements avoid “indecent, vulgar, suggestive, repulsive, or offensive themes or treatment.” Notably, in 2017, MIB issued an advisory prohibiting condom advertisements between 6 am and 10 pm, citing concerns of indecency and potential harm to children’s viewership.

According to the Advertising Standards Council of India’s (ASCI) 2023-24 annual report, the voluntary compliance rate for advertisements on television and print stood at an impressive 97 percent, significantly higher than the 80 percent compliance rate for all media and 75 percent for digital ads.

In his written statement, Murugan highlighted that complaints regarding violations of advertising standards are resolved through a three-level grievance redress mechanism established under the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules. This mechanism involves:
1. Self-regulation by broadcasters
2. Oversight by self-regulating bodies of broadcasters
3. Central government intervention
Actions taken against violations include issuing advisories, warnings, orders for apology scrolls, and in some cases, off-air directives.