NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at protecting its brand image and safeguarding patient confidentiality, AIIMS Delhi has issued comprehensive social media guidelines barring students, resident doctors, employees and affiliated bodies from using the institute’s name, logo or official branding without prior approval.The office memorandum, issued this week and effective immediately, applies to undergraduate and postgraduate students, resident doctors, faculty members, researchers, administrative staff, student associations, departments and even third-party collaborators associated with the country’s premier medical institute.Under the new rules, no individual or organisation affiliated with AIIMS can use the institute’s name, logo, emblem or branding in any digital or print material without written permission from the concerned department. The restriction extends to event posters, banners, social media posts, blogs, videos, reels and social media handles that could create the impression of being official AIIMS accounts.The guidelines also prohibit disclosure of patient information, images or case details on social media, even if the patient is not identifiable. The document cites legal obligations under medical ethics regulations and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.AIIMS has also warned against sharing copyrighted material without authorisation, posting defamatory, obscene or hate content, or circulating confidential academic material such as examination papers and answer keys. Students and employees have been directed not to engage in plagiarism or academic dishonesty on social media platforms.For departments and student bodies operating official social media accounts, AIIMS has laid down a governance framework. Such accounts must be registered with the concerned department, provide details of administrators using institutional email IDs, appoint a media coordinator for content approval, and clearly state whether the content is student-generated or department-generated.The guidelines further direct account administrators to avoid political, religious or defamatory content, maintain a professional tone aligned with AIIMS values, and obtain special clearance before entering into sponsored content or brand collaborations.The institute said the guidelines have been framed to prevent reputational damage, legal complications and misuse of AIIMS branding while ensuring responsible use of social media by all those associated with the institution.
