Won’t regulate steamy pictures on condom packs: Centre to Court

July 02, 2016

The steamy pictures on the condom packs are there to stay. It looks as if the Centre has made it clear to the Court. The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it did not and would not regulate raunchy pictures on condom packets. & quot The government does not have any plan to further regulate advertisements on any product like the ones which the petitioners manufacture. The government does not plan to provide any advance certification or pre-censorship for any products in addition to those already covered under the existing regulations,& quot the I&B ministry said. & quot Existing provisions in the Cinematograph Act, Cable TV Act and rules as well as the Press Council stipulate a combination of self-regulation and prior certification with respect to certain products associated with alcohol and tobacco and these are considered sufficient,& quot it added. However, the government clarified that it did regulate the nature of pictures on packets of condoms for free supply (Nirodh) and the government's commercial brand (Deluxe Nirodh). The packaging material and artwork for these products & quot is approved by the ministry of health and family welfare through a committee constituted for this purpose which among other things also ensures that the pictorial depiction on the packets is not vulgar or obscene& quot , the government said. An SC bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur had asked additional solicitor general Maninder Singh during an earlier hearing to inform the court whether it was desirable to regulate racy pictures on condom packs. The SC had also sought response from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on objections against raunchy pictures on condom packets and their possible regulation. In a separate affidavit, the CBFC said, & quot Apart from advertisements which appear in cinema theatres and those which appear on TV networks, CBFC has no mandate for taking penal action on advertisements which may disclose commission of an offence since the same being a state subject is to be dealt by the concerned police in accordance with law.& quot

OUR TAKE

Certification, censorship. All these words have been doing the rounds for many days. First the movie “ Udta Punjab” , now the steamy pictures on the condom packets. It seems as if the Centre has learned its lessons from the Udta Punjab. If the Ministries are approving the pictures on the packets, the rule and regulations are being followed.