MAM
Govt. counters ads saying Gutkha less harmful than tobacco: Azad
NEW DELHI: The health and family welfare ministry recently published a public notice highlighting the harmful effects of all forms of tobacco use and the desirability of quitting tobacco use in response to a few advertisements published in leading national and regional dailies raising questions on whether Gutkha was a food product.
Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told Parliament that the advertisements by a body named Smokeless Tobacco Association also implied that Gutkha was less harmful than smoking forms of tobacco. It said food safety regulations were discriminatory in nature.
The advertisement of pan masala (without tobacco or nicotine) is regulated by the food safety and standards (packaging and labelling) regulations, 2011, dated 1 August 2011, notified by the food safety and standards authority of India. Under sections 30 and 31 of this regulation, pan masala can be advertised subject to the condition that every package of pan masala and advertisement relating thereto carries the warning “Chewing of pan masala or supari is injurious to health.”
Section 5 of The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA 2003) prohibits all forms of advertisements (direct/indirect) of tobacco products including gutka, except at the points of sale or on the tobacco product packs. Moreover, under food safety regulations, the production, sale, distribution and storage of food items such as gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine is prohibited.
Litigation on these issues are pending before the Supreme Court, the Minister said.
MAM
Dish TV shareholders approve three independent directors
99.49 per cent vote of confidence strengthens board as company expands into connected TV, e-commerce and OTT.
MUMBAI: Dish TV has just been served a near-perfect vote of confidence and the shareholders have dished it out in style. Shareholders of the DTH operator have approved the appointment of three new Independent Directors with an overwhelming 99.49 per cent approval. The three appointees are Mr Arun Kumar Kapoor, Ms Heena Naishadh Bhatt and Mr Ashok Anant Paranjpe.
The strong mandate reflects continued investor faith in the company’s strategy, disciplined execution and long-term value creation. It comes as Dish TV focuses on stabilising its core DTH business while actively scaling new verticals connected TV platform VZY, B2B e-commerce ShopZop, and OTT service Watcho to build a more diversified and resilient growth trajectory.
Dish TV India Limited, CEO & executive director Manoj Dhobhal said, “We are encouraged by the shareholders’ approval of the appointment of the Independent Directors and sincerely thank them for their continued trust and confidence. The Board is already benefiting from the Directors’ collective experience, which will further sharpen strategic focus and support disciplined execution.”
With a fresh, strengthened board in place, Dish TV is well positioned to navigate the evolving media landscape. In a sector where every percentage point matters, a 99.49 per cent thumbs-up is the kind of ringing endorsement that suggests the company’s recipe for the future is already tasting right.
