Lok Sabha Question No. 252 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-12
Subject: Fake News
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari, Pocha Brahmananda Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 252 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12/03/2021

FAKE NEWS

252. SHRI N. REDDEPPA: SHRI POCHA BRAHMANANDA REDDY:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  broadcast/telecast  of fake  news  through  various  media  platforms  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) the details of the challenges being faced by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government is taking measures to combat the menace of fake news in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the further action proposed to be taken by the Government to check such news?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  252  FOR  ANSWER  ON 12.03.2021

- (a)  to  (d):  The  Government  has  statutory  and  institutionalized mechanisms  in  place  for tackling fake news,  including the following:
- (i) For Television, the Programme Code framed under the Cable Television  Networks  (Regulation)  Act,  1995  inter  alia  prohibits telecast of a  programme  which  contains  anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and halftruths.  Appropriate  action  is  taken  against  TV  channels  in  case violation of the Programme Code by way of issue of warnings or advisories, orders for apology scrolls or taking the channel off air temporarily for varying period.
- (ii) For print media, the Press Council of India (PCI) has framed the  'Norms  of  Journalistic  Conduct'  which  inter  alia  provide norms  on  Accuracy  and  Fairness.  The  PCI  has  an  institutional mechanism  for redressing any complaint received by it in accordance with the Press Council (Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations, 1979, and enables it to warn, admonish or censure a newspaper, news agency, editor or journalists, etc.

(iii) For  news  on  digital  media,  the  Government  has  notified Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media  Ethics  Code)  Rules,  2021  on  25th February,  2021  which inter-alia provide for the Code of Ethics to be followed by digital news publishers and taking action for contravention of the Code.

(iv) A  Fact  Check  Unit  (FCU)  has  been  setup  under  Press Information Bureau of this Ministry. This unit takes cognizance of fake news both suo-motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through e-mail and WhatsApp. The unit responds to the  relevant  queries  with  correct  information  when  the  same pertains to Central Government or forwards them to States/UTs in other cases. The Unit also maintains a twitter account @PIBFactcheck  and  posts  cases  of  fake  news,  being  busted,  on the same on regular basis.

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