MUMBAI: The government has issued an advisory to two private TV channels to exercise restraint in their programming. The TV channels, Aaj Tak and India TV, have been going overboard with their coverage of the “Big Bang” experiment and speculating about its "catastrophic effect on the world".

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued an advisory “showing content that appears to be spreading panic and fear."

A ministry official said that the advisory has been sent quoting Sub Rule 6 1(O) and 6 (5) of Cable Television Network and Regulation Act 1995, related to unrestricted public exhibition, and programme affecting children respectively, according to a PTI report.

The official added that the ministry has issued the advisory to the said TV channels as an act of first warning to the channels on its own, though normally it acts on complaints received from people regarding objectionable content being shown on TV. "But on certain occasions, when it is felt by the ministry that the content regulation guidelines are being violated, we issue such advisories," the official said.

Incidentally the airing of the “Big Bang” experiment on television channels and various interpretations being done on it by television channels allegedly led to the death of a farmer's daughter in Madhya Pradesh.

Indian Broadcasting Foundation and News Broadcasters Association have also been intimated by the ministry about the advisory.