Parliament Question: Misinformation and Fake News

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 5444 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026) MISINFORMATION AND FAKE NEWS

5444. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the growing spread of misinformation and fake news across digital and social media platforms;

(b) whether such content has implications for public order, democratic discourse and institutional trust;

(c) whether existing mechanisms for identification, correction and countering of false information are adequate;

(d) the role envisaged for platforms, media organisations and independent fact-checking bodies; and

(e) whether misinformation originating from or circulating in semi-urban and district-level regions such as Davanagere in Karnataka poses unique challenges due to limited local verification capacity? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) to (e):

A Fact Check Unit (FCU) functions under Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. FCU identifies fake news relating to the Central Government. After verifying the authenticity of news from authorized sources, FCU publishes correct information on its social media platforms.During Operation Sindoor, the FCU actively identified misinformation and fake news circulating online. It promptly fact-checked false claims, providing authentic information, and ensuring accurate public communication. Ministry also issued directions for blocking of over 1,400 URLs on digital media during Operation Sindoor. The content of these URLs included false, misleading, anti-India news content, communally sensitive content primarily from Pakistan- based social media accounts and inciteful content against Indian Armed Forces.

Under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, Government issues necessary orders to block websites, social media handles and posts in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, and public order.

Apart from above, the Government takes all possible steps to curb fake news with the available statutory and institutional mechanisms on various media platforms, which include:  Print media: Newspapers have to adhere to “Norms of Journalistic Conduct” brought out by the Press Council of India (PCI). These norms, inter-alia, restrain publication of fake/ defamatory/ misleading news. The Council holds inquiry into alleged violations of the norms, as per section 14 of the PCI Act, and may warn, admonish or censure the newspaper, editors, journalists, etc. as the case may be.

 Television: TV channels are required to adhere to the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, which, inter alia, provides that content which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half- truths is not broadcast. Cable Television Network (Amendment) Rules 2021, provides for a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism to look into the complaints relating to the violation of the Code by the TV channels. Appropriate action is taken where violation of Programme Code is found. Digital media: For the publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) provides for a Code of Ethics along with a three-level institutional mechanism for redressal of grievance relating to violation of Code of Ethics by such publishers.

This Ministry also issues Advisories from time to time to private satellite TV channels for adherence of the Programme Code and Advertising Code under the Cable Television Networks

(Regulation) Act, 1995. *****