Supreme Court halts Ayush Ministry notification over misleading drug ad

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) stayed a notification issued by the Ministry of Ayush, which omitted rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 that prohibits misleading advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani drugs.

A Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta said the notification issued by the ministry was in the teeth of its May 7, 2024 order.

Clamping down on misleading advertisements, the Supreme Court on May 7, 2024 had directed that before an advertisement is permitted to be issued, a self-declaration be obtained from the advertisers on the line of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.