>GreenC bot at 04:30, 26 April 2021

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox legislation
|short_title = Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954
|legislature = [[Parliament of India]]
|image =
|imagesize = 150
|imagealt =
|caption =
|long_title = An Act to control the advertisements of drugs in certain cases, to prohibit the advertisement for certain purposes of remedies alleged to possess magic qualities and to provide for matters connected therewith.
|citation = [http://www.accmumbai.gov.in/aircargo/pdf/drug_objectional_advertisement_act.pdf Act No. 21 of 1954]
|territorial_extent = [[India]] (along with [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]])(After removal of Article 370 in 2019)
|enacted_by =
|date_enacted =
|date_passed =
|enacted_by2 =
|date_enacted2 =
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|date_assented =
|signed_by =
|date_commenced = 1 April 1955
|date_repealed =
|administered_by =
|bill =
|bill_citation =
|bill_date = 30 April 1954
|introduced_by =
|1st_reading =
|2nd_reading =
|3rd_reading =
|conf_committee_passed =
|committee_report =
|bill2 =
|bill_citation2 =
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|white_paper =
|amendments =
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|related_legislation =
|summary =
|keywords =
|status = in force
}}

The '''Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954''' is an [[Act of Parliament|Act]] of the [[Parliament of India]] which controls advertising of drugs in [[India]]. It prohibits advertisements of drugs and remedies that claim to have magical properties, and makes doing so a [[cognizable offence]].<ref name=full_act>{{cite web|title=The Drugs and Magic Remedies|url=http://www.accmumbai.gov.in/aircargo/pdf/drug_objectional_advertisement_act.pdf|website=Air Cargo Complex, Mumbai Customs|access-date=26 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Srivastava">{{cite book|author=Dr. Lily Srivastava|title=Law & Medicine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A5_TSdG13M4C&pg=PA258|access-date=4 March 2014|publisher=Universal Law Publishing|isbn=978-81-7534-949-0|page=258}}</ref>

==Overview==
The act defines "magic remedy" as any [[talisman]], [[mantra]], [[amulet]] or any other object which is claimed to have miraculous powers to cure, diagnose, prevent or mitigate a disease in humans or animal. It also includes such devices that are claimed to have power to influence structure or function of an organ in humans or animals.<ref name=full_act/>

The law prohibits advertising of drugs and remedies for

*inducing miscarriage or preventing conception in women
*improving or maintaining the capacity for sexual pleasure
*correction of menstrual disorders
*curing, diagnosing or preventing any disease or condition mentioned in an included schedule<ref name=full_act/>

The original included schedule contained a list of 54 diseases and conditions:

{{columns-list|colwidth=10em|
# [[Appendicitis]]
# [[Arteriosclerosis]]
# [[Blindness]]
# [[Blood poisoning]]
# [[Bright's disease]]
# [[Cancer]]
# [[Cataract]]
# [[Deafness]]
# [[Diabetes]]
# Diseases and Disorders of [[Human brain|brain]]
# Diseases and Disorders of the [[Human eye|optical system]]
# Diseases and Disorders of the [[uterus]]
# Disorders of [[menstrual flow]]
# Disorders of the [[nervous system]]
# Disorders of the [[Prostate|prostatic gland]]
# [[Dropsy]]
# [[Epilepsy]]
# Female diseases (in general)
# [[Fevers]] (in general)
# [[Seizure|Fit]]s
# Form and structure of the [[Breast|female bust]]
# [[Gall stone]]s, [[kidney stone]]s and [[bladder stone]]s
# [[Gangrene]]
# [[Glaucoma]]
# [[Goitre]]
# [[Heart diseases]]
# High/low [[blood pressure]]
# [[Hydrocele]]
# [[Hysteria]]
# [[Infantile paralysis]]
# [[Insanity]]
# [[Leprosy]]
# [[Leucoderma]]
# [[Trismus|Lockjaw]]
# [[Locomotor ataxia]]
# [[Lupus]]
# [[Clinical depression|Nervous debility]]
# [[Obesity]]
# [[Paralysis]]
# [[Plague (disease)|Plague]]
# [[Pleurisy]]
# [[Pneumonia]]
# [[Rheumatism]]
# [[Abdominal hernia|Ruptures]]
# [[Sexual impotence]]
# [[Smallpox]]
# Stature of persons
# Sterility in women
# [[Trachoma]]
# [[Tuberculosis]]
# [[Tumour]]s
# [[Typhoid fever]]
# [[Ulcer]]s of the [[gastro-intestinal tract]]
# [[Venereal diseases]], including [[syphilis]], [[gonorrhoea]], [[soft chancre]], venereal [[granuloma]] and [[Lymphogranuloma venereum|lympho granuloma]].
}}

The act stated that the schedule may be changed later to include more diseases for which there are no accepted remedies or for which timely consultation with a registered medical practitioner (as defined under Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916 or Indian Medical Councils Act, 1956; includes other state laws too) is required. The act stated that these changes must made it consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, and [[Ayurveda]] and [[Unani]] practitioners, if deemed as necessary by the Central government.<ref name=full_act/>

The penalty carries a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment with or without fine on first conviction. In case of any subsequent conviction, the term may be up to a year. If the convicted party is a company, all members of the company will be deemed guilty.<ref name=full_act/>

==Criticism and future amendments==
The law is rarely enforced and several such products are freely available to the public.<ref name=miracledrugs>{{cite news|title=Magic drugs firms target India in expansion drive|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/1rH50DxyFz6yeZ4bzGbEyK/Magic-drugs-firms-target-India-in-expansion-drive.html|access-date=13 September 2013|newspaper=[[Live Mint]]|date=11 March 2008}}</ref> The law is considered severely outdated as 14 of the diseases in the list are now curable, and newer diseases like AIDS are not on the list.<ref name="ayurveda">{{cite news|date=20 December 2006|title=Has Ayurveda lost its credibility?|newspaper=[[News18]]|url=https://www.news18.com/videos/india/drug-magic-remedies-act-254049.html|access-date=24 June 2020}}</ref> Some advertisements of these categories are also known to appear on cable television channels without much repercussions.<ref name=cabletv>{{cite news|title=Misleading advertisements come under government scanner|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-18/news/30415148_1_misleading-ads-independent-regulator-magic-remedies|access-date=13 September 2013|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]|date=18 November 2011}}</ref> Proposed amendments to this law has also raised questions regarding the status of traditional medicine systems like [[Yoga]] and [[Ayurveda]] with respect to modern medicine.<ref name=yogawonderdrug>{{cite news|title=Is yoga a wonder drug?|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-360-is-yoga-a-wonder-drug/29038-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921225313/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-360-is-yoga-a-wonder-drug/29038-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 September 2013|access-date=13 September 2013|newspaper=[[IBN Live]]|date=21 December 2006}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Superstition in India]]
* [[Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940]]
* [[Schedule J]] of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian legislations}}

[[Category:Acts of the Parliament of India 1954]]
[[Category:Pharmaceutical industry of India]]
[[Category:Advertising in India]]
[[Category:Advertising regulation]]
[[Category:Drug control law in India]]
[[Category:Regulation in India]]

{{India-law-stub}}

Drugs and Magic Remedies Objectionable Advertisements Act 1954 - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 04:30, 26 April 2021