Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad, in cooperation with the European Union — Delegation of the European Commission to India, has organised a one-day Seminar on advertising at the Nehru Science Centre, Worli, Mumbai, on 3 July 2006. The Seminar will discuss the “Indian Code of Advertisement Standards (Draft), Proposed Law for Advertisement Standards Regulatory Commission (ASRC) and Pre-vetting of Advertisements Operating in Other Countries”. The objective of the CERC-EU project is to create public awareness and opinion on false and misleading advertisements and related legal issues.

The Mumbai Seminar, the second in a series, will lay stress on the need for (i) separate legislation, (ii) sensitising Members of Parliament to the issues involved, and (iii) setting up an Advertising Standards Regulatory Commission (ASRC) in India, modelled on EU lines. It will obtain the views and experiences of a cross-section of stakeholders on false and misleading ads. The first Seminar was held at Ahmedabad on 21 April 2006.

Sharing the common platform at Mumbai will be, among others, consumer groups, the media, legal experts, academics, industry, manufacturers and service providers, business organisations, advertisers and advertising agencies. The Seminar will enable the media to share its experiences and concerns vis-a-vis the exercise of its Freedom of Expression and the Right to Information.

Ms Alka Sirohi, IAS, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, will deliver the Keynote Address at the Inaugural Session, to be held from 10.00 a.m. to 12 noon. Dr. S. K. Nanda, Principal Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Government of Gujarat, will be among the other distinguished Speakers.

Padmashree Sucheta Dalal, the eminent journalist and Trustee, CERC, Mr. Shirish Deshpande, Vice Chairman, Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), Dr. A. R. Shenoy, Chairman, Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), Mumbai, Mr. Bharat V. Patel, President, Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) and former Chairman, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), and Dr. Gangadhar Gadgil, President, MGP, will also address the Seminar, besides Prof. Manubhai Shah, Chairman Emeritus, CERC, and Mrs. Swarn Kohli, President, Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), Ahmedabad.

The Technical Sessions will be held from 01:30 to 05:00 p.m., culminating in the Valedictory Session from 05:00 to 05:30 p.m.

Date : 01/07/2006

Editor : Pritee Shah
INSIGHT — The Consumer Magazine
Place : Ahmedabad

Opinions, test results and research findings issued through this Press Release cannot be used in any form directly or indirectly for advertising, promotional or commercial purpose.

CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE
“Suraksha Sankool”, Thaltej, Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Highway,
Ahmedabad-380 054 (INDIA)
Phone : 079 - 7489945-46, Fax : 079 - 7489947,
E-mail: cerc@cercindia.org, cercindia@gmail.com, Web Site: http://www.cercindia.org