JUL-16: NEWS FLASH
Celebrity endor
sers may pay for misleading consumers  Â
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended stringent provisions, including jail term of up to five years and hefty penalty of up to Rs. 50 lakh, to hold celebrities accountable for misleading advertisements. Consumers get misled by celebrity endorsements of products and services which are either of poor quality or downright harmful.
Advts showing traffic violations may invite penalty
Any advertisement or promotion of a product showing violation of traffic rules such as speeding, dangerous driving or riding without a helmet may soon be treated as an offence under the motor vehicle law. The companies involved will have to pull such promotions off the air and may also have to pay a fine.
No separate X-ray of tablets, iPads at airports
There will soon be no need for flyers to take out tablets or iPads from hand baggage to be put separately in trays for X-ray at airport security check. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has decided to stop ‘standalone’ X-ray of personal electronic devices that do not have detachable batteries.
Nutraceuticals, supplements no longer proprietary foods
Nutraceuticals and health and dietary supplements (for which no standards exist currently) such as fortified foods and energy drinks will no longer be considered proprietary foods by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), according to revised rules. They will be approved as a separate category. In the case of proprietary foods, the food business operator is fully responsible for safety.
Remove all speed bumps on national highways: Govt Â
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has asked state governments and agencies like the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to remove all speed breakers from highways, which hinder smooth movement of traffic apart from being a safety hazard. According to the Road Accident Report (2014) published by the ministry, 4,726 lives were lost in crashes due to bumps while 6,672 people died in accidents caused due to potholes and speed breakers.
