India issues advisory to TV channels over “indecent” portrayal of children in reality shows

NEW DELHI, June 18  — India’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued an advisory to all private satellite TV channels to avoid showing children in “indecent, suggestive and inappropriate manner” in dance reality shows or other such programmes.

In its advisory issued on Tuesday, the ministry said that it had noticed that several dance-based reality TV shows portray young children performing dance moves originally done by adults in movies and other popular modes of entertainment.

“These moves are often suggestive and age-inappropriate. Such acts may also have distressing impact on children, impacting them at a young and impressionable age,” the advisory stated.
All the TV channels are expected to abide by the provisions contained in Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules framed, it said.

As per the rules, no programme should be carried on TV which denigrates children, and further that programmes meant for children should not contain any bad language or explicit scenes of violence, it said.

It further added that the channels have been advised to exercise maximum restraint, sensitivity and caution while showing such reality shows and programmes. – XINHUA