ASCI Updates Advertising Guidelines For Education Sector

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has recommended an amendment to its 'Guidelines for Advertising of Educational Institutions, Programmes and Platforms'. For this purpose, it has invited public consultation so that all stakeholders can participate and frame a set of just and equitable guidelines for a critical industry of the country.

The guidelines ensure that advertisements by the sector do not undermine the well-being of students. The guidelines continue to require educational entities to substantiate any claims they make with relevant evidence. 

The revised guidelines seek to ensure that students are neither stereotyped based on their gender or appearance nor are those who score low, portrayed as unsuccessful or failures. Advertisements must also not portray average or poor-scoring students as demotivated, depressed, unhappy or receiving less appreciation from parents, teachers or peers. Together with considering students’ mental health, the updated guidelines will factor in their physical health; advertisements are required not to feature students sacrificing sleep or meals in order to study as this normalises unhealthy habits. Creating a false sense of urgency or fear of missing out which could accentuate parental or student anxieties regarding education, too, will be considered a violation of the ASCI code.