New Delhi: The saas-bahu stuff on entertainment TV channels glorifying women's submissiveness and sacrifices for their parivars has come under fire by the draft content code for broadcasters released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

In its chapter 'Treatment of Subject Matter', the guidelines prohibit stereotyping women as passive or submissive so as to promote or glorify their subordinate or secondary role in the family or in society. Portrayal of women as primarily driven by sexual impulses or the female body or form as an object of sexual exploitation has also been disapproved.

Among the don'ts are also promotion or glorification or justification of social evils such as child marriage, dowry, bigamy, son preference etc. Besides, the draft code also says that women should not be depicted as witches in any TV programme on occult. Such a depiction would be in a very bad taste and amount to demonisation of human beings.

In the prelude to the Code, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has said dignity of women and children should be maintained.

The draft code, which has been prepared after a long process of discussions and debates, will form part of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill and expected to be introduced in the coming monsoon session of the Parliament.

The code has been put by the Ministry on its website for comment of the public and other stakeholders.