Deliberations will continue on what defines an endorsement by a celebrity.
Highlights
- Bill pushed for accountability, had provisions for punishment
- Under it, celebrity brand ambassadors have to prove they are innocent
- Final call on Bill will be taken during winter session of parliament
It's the business of celebrities - the colossal endorsement deals that signal the accomplishment of stardom.
From the bigger things in life - what airline to fly, which apartment to buy, what car to drive - to the more personal (think Deepika Padukone positively basking in the delight of shaving in an ad with lots of serene blue), Bollywood stars and sports icons are great at telling you what to spend your money on.
So what if what they're selling turns out to be a dud? A group of ministers has decided to put on hold a new proposal that decrees a maximum punishment of five years in jail and a fine of 50 lakhs for celebrities appearing in misleading ads.
The recommendations from a parliamentary committee will not be further discussed till parliament meets next in the winter, said sources who attended today's review at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's office.
"It was decided that the government will study the best practices across the globe. These will be incorporated in the bill," said Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
The group of ministers handling the proposal will make changes and submit the draft legislation for the cabinet's scrutiny in the winter, after which the final version will be given to parliament for approval.
Sources said the Finance Minister indicated that the current penalties offered in the draft are too harsh and a "certain amount of logical moderation" is essential.
"If this bill is cleared in this form, the likes of PV Sindhu will be fighting hundreds of cases in courts," said a minister, referring to the badminton champ who won a silver for India at the Rio Olympics.
Deliberations will continue on what defines an endorsement by a celebrity and how they should be held liable for ads that misrepresent the scope of a product, as also for products that are found to be adulterated.