Patanjali Ayurved faces a significant setback as the SC has issued a contempt notice to the company for disseminating misleading advertisements. The apex court has also reprimanded the Centre for not checking the dodgy practices of Baba Ramdev and his company, apparently because he is a staunch supporter of the BJP. This is not the first time that Patanjali has found itself in the middle of a row. Since its launch in 2006, the company has seen a rapid rise that has often been marred by controversies. In fact, it stirred a major controversy in June 2020 after its co-founder Baba Ramdev claimed to have found a ‘cure’ for Covid-19. The SC’s stringent remarks underscores the seriousness of the issue, emphasizing the need for transparency and accuracy in advertisements, particularly in the healthcare sector. Patanjali Ayurved’s practices have time and again come under scrutiny, highlighting the importance and need for adhering to regulatory guidelines to safeguard public health and uphold ethical standards in advertising its products.
An ethical problem in the contemporary business environment is deceptive advertising, which misleads consumers. For building effective defence against misleading ads, not only tighter controls on the media are required, but also there is a need to educate and develop more critical judgment among media consumers. Misleading and false advertisements are not only illegal, but they distort competition and consumer choice as well. Such delusive advertisements violate several basic rights of consumers: the right to information, the right to choice, and the right to be protected against unsafe goods and services. People must make the effort to step back and judge the value of advertisements, and master the skills required to separate spin from substance.
Ranganathan Sivakumar
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