N S Madhava Menon Committee
In a historic judgment the Supreme Court restrained ruling parties from publishing photographs of political leaders or prominent persons in government-funded advertisements. The apex court said such photos divert attention from the policy of the government, unnecessarily associate an individual with a government project and pave the way for cultivating a “personality cult”. However, the court held that the photos of only three constitutional authorities – Prime Minister, President and Chief Justice of India – can be used in such ads. The judgment came on the basis of a series of recommendations given by its own committee led by noted legal academician N.S. Madhava Menon on introducing checks on government-funded ads. The committee was formed in April 2014 on a PIL filed by NGO Common Cause had argued that ruling party leaders and ministers were taking undue advantage at public expenses. The Menon panel had recommended a complete ban on publishing of photos in the ads. It had further said that no ads should be allowed on election eve.