The Ministry of Women and Child Development is planning to ban obscene depiction of women on the internet. The Indecent Representation of Women Act,1986 will have to be amended. Suggestions have been made to award stricter punishment for crimes. The term advertisement is to be amended to include digital or electronic form or hoardings, SMS,MMS etc.
The Act currently provides for a jail term up to 2 years for a first time offender and imprisonment of 6 months to 5 years for a second conviction. It also plans to set up a Central Authority under the National Commission of Women which will have representatives from the Advertising Standards Council of India, the Press Council of India, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one member familiar with women’s issues.
