Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Hey, it’s not about ‘spoiling the fun’. And if anybody
tells you that, just turn around and say that ‘it’s all about the spirit of
it’. So, let’s get our cool points on the fingertips...
Natural idols: Using idols made of soil and
natural colour will help to keep the rivers and lakes clean. Idols made of plaster
of Paris (PoP) and painted with chemical colours do not dissolve easily and
leave behind silt in water bodies. Chemical colours cause much damage to the ecology
of water. All of us need to be aware that the most serious impact on the
natural environment is due to the immersion in water bodies of PoP idols and
polythene bags containing offerings.
Rice rangoli: Instead of using harmful chemical colours or paints for Rangoli
design, you can substitute them with rice flour, pulse and leaves.
Gift them green: Our options include ecofriendly jute and wooden items such as photo
frames, wooden kumkum box, wooden key holders, jute clips, etc. You can also make
small purses out of small pieces of clothes.
Zero tolerance
for noise: The noise produced by crackers,
loudspeakers, traffic, etc., is extremely hazardous to health. You can get
together with likeminded anti-noise individuals in your locality to take up all
violations of the Environment Protection Act, with cooperation from the police
and the municipality.
Save energy: Many of us decorate our homes by lighting them up. This places a
huge load on the power supply system. We can save a substantial amount of
electricity by opting for candles and diyas. Even though they consume oil,
these lamps are usually used only for a short while.
Last but not the least, after the immersion ceremony on the
tenth day of Navratri, encourage associations, NGOs, social workers and
volunteers in your neighbourhood to participate in a clean-up drive.
Friday, October 12, 2012
On 14 June 2012, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) – the UK’s
independent regulator of advertising across all media – published this ‘quick
guide’ to assist brand owners in avoiding the common pitfalls of misleading
advertising. If an advertisement is likely to deceive consumers (by
including ambiguous or false information, or omitting important information),
and is likely to cause consumers to take transactional decisions they would not
otherwise have taken (for example purchasing a product or visiting an
advertiser’s website), they will be deemed misleading by the ASA.
Advertisers should therefore ensure they can substantiate any
claims before they make them (other than claims which are obvious exaggerations
and which are unlikely to be taken literally by the average consumer), and be
as clear and honest in communications as possible. Advertisers are also
responsible for substantiating claims made in testimonials, and must hold
documentary evidence and contact details for people providing the testimonials.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in its very recent whitepaper,
entitled ‘Self-Regulation in Advertising in India — A Critical Evaluation’, has
suggested that Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) co-regulate ad
content along with bodies like Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Food
Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting, among others.
The whitepaper is in response to growing concerns of false and
misleading advertising, which leads to unfair competition, litigation and
increased resentment among consumers. Inevitably, there has been heated debates
on whether the advertising industry needs to be muzzled, and how, to protect
the legitimate interests of consumers. The paper also analyses the issue from
an independent point of view, and evaluates the role and responsibilities of
stakeholders such as regulators, industry bodies, activists and consumers. It also
takes into consideration concerns raised by the DCA and the Ministry of
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution seeking greater (and more
stringent) government intervention.
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