PUBLIC INTEREST – CA SEP. 14
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in Uncategorized
PUBLIC INTEREST
LPG cylinder blasts: Consumers get up to Rs. 40 lakh risk cover
Around 10,000 incidents of LPG cylinder explosions occur in the country every year. However, most consumers are unaware that they are entitled to up to Rs. 40 lakh risk cover in case of loss of life, injury or damage to property due to cylinder explosions. The inbuilt insurance is applicable as soon as they procure a gas connection.
There has been no attempt either by the government, insurance firms, oil companies or gas agencies to create awareness on this matter. The websites of public sector oil companies do say: “In the event of accident all registered LPG consumers are covered under an insurance policy taken by the PSU oil companies…the customer must immediately inform the distributor in writing…†However, there is no mention of the amount of risk cover.
All gas agencies have to display a notice prominently at their office informing about insurance coverage for LPG consumers. But, they don’t. Also, there is a catch. Insurance agents say that affected consumers will be eligible to claim damages only if original ISI certified accessories such as gas stoves, pipes, lighters and regulators were used and changed periodically, which is difficult to prove.
Sources: www.daily.bhaskar.com, www.deccanchronicle.com
New ad norms for fairness creams
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self-regulatory body, has released a set of guidelines for advertising skin lightening and fairness products in India. As per the new guidelines, the ads should not reinforce negative social stereotyping on the basis of skin colour.
“These ads should not portray people with darker skin in a way which is widely seen as at a disadvantage of any kind, or inferior, or unsuccessful in any aspect of life particularly in relation to being attractive to the opposite sex, matrimony, job placement, promotions and other prospects.â€
Further, in the pre-usage depiction of product, special care should be taken to ensure that “the expression of the model/s in the real and graphical representation should not be negative in a way which is widely seen as unattractive, unhappy, depressed or concerned.â€
ASCI guidelines say that advertising should not associate darker or lighter colour skin with any particular socio-economic strata, caste, community, religion, profession or ethnicity and advertising “should not perpetuate gender based discrimination because of skin colour.â€
