JUDGMENT :

Whether any permission is necessary for advertising Ayurvedic treatment given by individuals, institutions etc is the main question to be decided in this case. Nowadays if we look at newspapers or magazines, advertisements like this are usual. Even the full front page of the major newspapers in Kerala are booked for advertisement for treatment, tests, and even for advertising drugs. Nobody can blame the management of newspapers/magazines for these advertisements because these type of advertisements are their main source of income. These are published as advertisements and not as news and therefore probably they may not be responsible for the contents in the advertisement. Then who has to consider the contents of these advertisements and who has to take action, if there are any misleading advertisements in connection with the medical treatment? First I will consider the facts of this case. The above writ petition is filed with the following prayers:

(i) to declare that the petitioner is entitled to advertise Ext.P16 and the respondents are statutorily bound to grant permission to publish Ext.P16 and that Ext.P16 is perfectly in conformity with the existing Rules and Regulat