Upcoming MIB recommendation to restrict SDC requirement to food and health sectors only: HT

According to the HT report, the food and health sectors will be required to submit annual self-declarations.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is set to issue a new advisory regarding the mandatory submission of Self-Declaration Certificate (SDC), which came into effect on June 3, 2024. The new advisory, as per an HT report, will direct the food and health sectors to submit the annual Self-Declaration Certificate.

As per the report, only advertisers operating in the food and health sector will be required to upload an annual self-declaration certificate on designated portals, i.e., MIB’s Broadcast Seva Portal and Press Council of India portal.

HT had earlier reported that the MIB would reduce the number of sectors requiring SDCs, after the ministry met multiple stakeholders, including ASCI, Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), Google and Meta.

“In view of the same, in view of the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and in deference to the previous Warning Notices dated 03.06.2024 and 05.06.2024, advertisers/advertising agents publishing advertisements for products and services related to food and health sectors are advised to upload the annual self-declaration certificate on the above mentioned portals, as applicable, and share the proof of uploading the self-declaration with the concerned media entities like television channels, newspapers, web-based advertisement publishers, etc. for documentation purposes,” reads the draft Warning Notice, accessed by HT.

The Supreme Court had ordered the mandatory declaration certificate on May 7 in connection with Patanjali’s misleading advertisement. On June 3, the MIB complied with the court’s directive and directed that the requirement of declaration certificate be published from June 18 onwards.