ASCI upholds 100 out of 141 complaints in May 2015

The maximum violations were recorded in the health and personal care category.

ASCI's Consumer Complaints Council (CCC), a self-regulatory industry body, has upheld complaints against 100 out of 141 advertisements in May 2015. These advertisements were found guilty of violating the prescribed norms.

Out of 100 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 46 belonged to the health and personal care category, followed by 22 advertisements in the education category, 10 in the food and beverage category, five advertisements in the telecom category and 17 advertisements from other categories.

In the personal and healthcare category, defaulters include Modi Naturals (Rizolo Rice Bran Oil), Organic India, Dabur India, Hindustan Unilever (Surf Excel Matic) and Abbott Healthcare (Pediasure Complete), among others.

In the education category, coaching institutes and colleges providing higher education were found violating the code. Organisations such as Aptech, NIFA Classes, Utkarsh Institute and Jagannath International Management School (JIMS) were among the defaulters.

Big players such as Britannia, Pepsi Foods and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare are among the defaulters in the food and beverages category, while other notable names like Vijay Sales, Standard Chartered Bank, Kalyan Jewellers and Panasonic India were found to be violating the rules in the 'Others' category.

Idea Cellular's Idea Internet Network ad was found to be misleading by ambiguity as it led consumers to believe that, through IIN, a student can avail the same level of education (Economics and Biology) as is being provided in a college. Other violators in the telecom category include Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar (Vodafone Mobile Network).