Kartikeya Sharma Calls for Delay in Advertisement Certification Implementation

Independent Rajya Sabha member Kartikeya Sharma urged the government to delay enforcing mandatory self-declaration certificates for advertisements, citing operational and legal challenges. He recommended starting with medical ads and involving stakeholders for wider consultation.

Independent Rajya Sabha member Kartikeya Sharma on Friday urged the government to postpone the mandatory enforcement of self-declaration certificates for advertisements, highlighting operational difficulties, ambiguities, and potential legal issues.

Through a special mention in the Rajya Sabha, Sharma proposed an initial implementation limited to medical advertisements along with wider stakeholder consultations.

Sharma emphasized that while the directive aims to protect consumer interests and ensure advertisement integrity, its immediate application presents significant challenges, particularly for small media houses and SMEs facing technical and resource limitations. He also pointed out the lack of clarity in handling government and public sector advertisements under this directive.

He cautioned that the current directive could deter adverts in print media, impacting revenues and livelihoods. Sharma further elaborated on complications related to the storage, emergency handling, and technical issues within the digital media ecosystem.

In light of these challenges, Sharma called for a delay in implementing the guidelines until clear and objective procedures are established, focusing first on medical ads.

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