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Tag: Ministry of AYUSH

  • ASCI reports 732 complaints of misleading AYUSH ads

    ASCI reports 732 complaints of misleading AYUSH ads

    MUMBAI: Ministry of AYUSH had signed a memorandum of understanding with Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), for suo moto monitoring of Ayush advertisements appearing in print and TV media and reported 732 complaints in the period 20 January 2017 to 19 January 2018. The ministry has been receiving written and online complaints of misleading advertisements of Ayush medicines including herbal medicines/products.

    Six states/UTs including Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka and Chandigarh have reported 573 instances of such misleading advertisement during the last three years, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik said in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

    Such complaints are also registered in the GAMA (Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements) portal maintained by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA). About 809 complaints of advertisements pertaining to Ayush and herbal medicines/products have been received during the period from April 2015 to March 2018.

    The provisions of Rule 158-B of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 provide for pilot studies for generating proof of safety and effectiveness for grant of licence to manufacture for sale certain categories of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs. As such the terms ‘herbal medicines’ and ‘clinical trials’ are not provided or prescribed in the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder pertaining to ASU drugs but certain complaints received in the Ministry referred to these aspects.  

    Two incidents of death have come to the notice of Ministry of AYUSH after consuming herbal medicines/products, one in Tamil Nadu and one in Kerala.

    In order to check the veracity of misleading advertisements and claims of AYUSH products, the government has taken following steps-

    I. State governments have been directed for appointing Gazetted Officers under section 8 (1) of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 to  enter, search any premises  or examine or seize any record which contravenes any provisions of the Act. About 621 Gazetted officers for this purpose are reported to have been appointed in 22 states. 

    II. Complaints of misleading advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathic medicines are forwarded to the concerned State Licensing Authorities for action in accordance with the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder and Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder. Out of the 809 complaints reflected on GAMA portal, about 274 complaints have been resolved and 585 complaints forwarded to concerned state authorities for appropriate action in accordance with the legal provisions. States have reported action taken by them against the defaulters.

    III. Ministry of AYUSH signed MoU with Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to undertake monitoring of the misleading AYUSH –related advertisements appearing in print and TV media and bring the instances of improper advertisements to the notice of the State Regulatory Authorities for taking necessary action. ASCI reported that 233 alleged advertisements were rectified or withdrawn by the advertisers and about 456 complaints were escalated to the state regulators for appropriate action.

    IV. On the request of Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting issued an advisory to all media channels to ensure strict compliance of the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 in respect of AYUSH health products/drugs being advertised. TV channels have been advised to advertise only those AYUSH products, which have valid manufacturing license.

    V. Provision of surveillance of AYUSH advertisements has been kept in the central scheme implemented for safety monitoring of ayurvedic, siddha, unani and homeopathy drugs under the pharmavigilance initiative. 

  • ASCI part of AYUSH committee to control misleading ads

    ASCI part of AYUSH committee to control misleading ads

    MUMBAI: In a pre-emptive step, the Ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, Unani, siddha and homoeopathy (AYUSH) ministry has constituted a committee to control misleading advertisements and exaggerated claims of AYUSH drugs. 

    The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is the only non-government member in the empowered committee of seven members comprising the AYUSH ministry, health and family welfare and the department of consumer affairs representatives. 

    The constituted committee will be empowered to review and monitor the implementation of the provisions of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954 and rules thereunder for curbing misleading advertisements of AYUSH drugs. 

    The committee will be authorised to make recommendations for regulatory action against misleading advertisements and advise the central government for issuing any specific direction or advisory and for taking the necessary steps. The committee will also be responsible for reviewing the actions taken by the states and the pharmaceutical vigilance centres for surveillance and control of misleading advertisements of AYUH drugs.

    ASCI chairman Abanti Sankaranarayanan said, “ASCI has been closely working with the ministry to ensure that Indian consumers are not exposed to false information and have access to safe drugs. We are confident that the new committee will act as a catalyst to the process of self-regulation in advertising, thus safeguarding consumers from deceptive advertisements that can negatively impact them.”

    The meeting of the constituted committee will be convened every six months or as and when required to review progress and make recommendations to accomplish its objective of controlling misleading advertisements.

    Established in 1985, ASCI seeks to ensure that advertisements conform to its code for self-regulation, which requires advertisements to be legal, decent, honest and truthful and not hazardous or harmful while observing fairness in competition. The council looks into complaints across all media, including print, TV, radio and hoardings.

  • DD to live telecast and webcast Yoga Day celebrations

    DD to live telecast and webcast Yoga Day celebrations

    NEW DELHI: The largest single Yoga demonstration at a single venue – the Rajpath in Delhi – will be telecast on Doordarshan channels as well as webcast live on the International Day of Yoga on 21 June.

     

    Given the expected large participation at one place of a minimum 35,000, the AYUSH Ministry has applied to the Guinness World Records for “Largest Yoga Demonstration/ Class at single venue.”

     

    A 20-second video animation spot on the logo has been prepared, which is being telecast over Doordarshan and other private cable and satellite channels across the country.

     

    A booklet on Yoga Protocol and a 33 minute DVD of Aasanas, which will be performed at the Rajpath has also been prepared by the Ministry of AYUSH.

     

    In addition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posts a daily tweet on his Twitter account with young persons demonstrating different Yoga postures.

     

    An hour-long programme will be held at Rajpath starting at 6.40 am and will be attended by Modi along with Cabinet Ministers, Minister of States, MPs as well as diplomats and foreign nationals. In all, over 35000 people are expected to take part including students, National Cadet Corps Cadets, Central Reserve Police Force and Yoga Institutions.

     

    Respective Ministries are also issuing a postal stamp and special coins. The coins will be of the denomination of Rs 10 and Rs 100.

     

    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announced that out of the total of 177 countries, which have given co-sponsorship, 47 countries are from the Organisation of Islamic Countries. They have co-sponsored the event and expressed their desire to participate in the yoga sessions being organised in the Indian Missions.