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SC summons chief secretaries of AP, Delhi & J&K over noncompliance of directions

By IndianMandarins- 11 Feb 2025

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New Delhi (11.02.2025): The Supreme Court directed Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir to appear virtually on March 7, 2025 to explain their non-compliance with its previous directions concerning misleading medical advertisements. The court expressed its dissatisfaction over the lack of enforcement of Rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 which prohibits advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani drugs without prior approval from licensing authorities.

The Court found that despite several orders, the states remained non-compliant. It granted these states until the end of February to file affidavits detailing their enforcement actions. "If compliance is not ensured, further action may be taken," the bench warned. The case originated from a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. Over time, the case evolved to include contempt proceedings against Patanjali's co-founder Baba Ramdev, its MD Acharya Balkrishna, and IMA President Dr R V Asokan for alleged violations of court undertakings and critical remarks.

The Apex Court had previously stayed the Centre’s July 2024 notification omitting Rule 170, asserting that it would remain on the statute book until further orders. The Court stressed that public figures endorsing products must exercise due diligence and comply with advertising regulations.