Pati, Patni and Woh comes under I&B scanner

The Delhi court had given a go ahead to the show `Pati, Patni Aur Woh’ of NDTV Imagine but I&B issued a notice to the channel for “indecent exploitation of babies in the pursuit of entertainment”.

The programme is based on BBC’s international format Baby Borrowers which was a success in the US, UK and Europe, has celebrity couples taking care of babies.

The ministry notice said the channel was using children as “commodities”. It added that the programme appeared to “denigrate children” and could have a negative impact on young viewers.

The ministry’s move came after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) reacted to complaints from concerned viewers and NGOs and urged I&B ministry to take action.

The commission has asked the channel to stop broadcasting the programme as it is violating child rights and labour laws.

NDTV Imagine claims that the children’s parents were present throughout the shoot and supervised the proceedings from TV cameras in adjacent rooms.

They were also free to intervene if they perceived the slightest risk to their child. BBC also had experienced nurses and doctors on call 24×7 for any emergency.