Supreme Court accepts panel guidelines to regulate govt ads

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the recommendations of an expert panel to regulate government advertisements particularly on the eve of elections.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Pinaki Chandra Ghose said considering the fact that a large percentage of the population of this country were living in below poverty line, such a regulation on government expenditure was necessary.

The panel in its report had said, “Government advertisements shall not be used at patronising media houses or aimed at receiving favourable reporting for the party or person in power.. Advertisement materials should be presented in an objective, fair manner and be designed to meet the objectives of the campaign.”