The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has urged the Health Ministry to expedite action on amending the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954, following a complaint from Kerala-based Dr. K.V. Babu. The draft amendment, pending for over four years, aims to tighten regulations on misleading advertisements, including those for Ayush medicines. It proposes expanding the scope of the act to cover 24 additional ailments, such as skin fairness, height improvement, premature aging, and drugs claiming to enhance sexual performance. The PMO instructed the ministry to provide a response to the complaint and ensure timely updates on the matter.
Dr. Babu highlighted the inaction on the proposed amendments, despite their public release in February 2020. He cited the Supreme Court’s reprimand of yoga guru Baba Ramdev for advertising Ayush products with unfounded medical claims, exposing gaps in the current drug laws. The amendments were introduced following criticism from a 2018 Parliamentary Standing Committee, but they remain unenacted. The draft bill, applicable to Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy medicines, seeks to prohibit misleading claims about remedies with alleged magical properties.
The PMO’s intervention comes amid growing concerns over the Health Ministry’s prolonged delay in implementing the amendments. The act, initially drafted to regulate objectionable advertisements, has faced scrutiny for its limited effectiveness. Dr. Babu expressed hope that the PMO’s involvement will prompt decisive action, ensuring stricter oversight and accountability in regulating drug advertisements.
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