Lok Sabha Question No. 4557 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-28
Subject: Regulation on Fake News
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: E. T. Mohammed Basheer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4557 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.03.2023

## REGULATION ON FAKE NEWS

4557. SHRI  E.T.MOHAMMED BASHEER:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  frame  any  new  policy  formulation  / regulation on false or fake news;
- (b) If so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  discussed  the  matter  with  the  other  countries having regulatory and legal mechanism to address the issue of fake news and allied matters; and
- (d) If so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND

## MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a) to (d) The Government has statutory and  institutional mechanisms in place to regulate fake news including the following:
- (i) A Fact Check  Unit (FCU) has been set up under Press Information Bureau under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting  in  November,  2019  which  takes  cognizance  of

fake  news  relating  to  the  Central  Government  both  suo-motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through email and social media. The Unit responds to the relevant queries with  correct  and  updated  information  relating  to  the  Central Government. The Unit also maintains a twitter account @PIBFactcheck and posts case of fake news, being busted, on it on a regular basis.  The FCU works under the FACT model, i.e. Find, Assess, Create and Target and takes cognizance of news both suo-motu and by way of queries sent by citizens.

- (ii) For Print Media,  Press  Council  of  India  (PCI), a statutory autonomous body set up under the Press Council Act, 1978, has framed  'Norms  of  Journalistic  Conduct'  for  adherence  by  the media. These  norms  inter alia  stress  upon  Accuracy  and Fairness, Pre-publications Verification, distinction between Conjecture, speculation, comment and fact avoiding sensational/ provocative headings and justification for the matter printed under them, etc.

In case of violation of Norms, as per section 14 of the Act, after holding an inquiry, PCI may warn, admonish or censure the newspaper,  the  news  agency,  the  editor  or  the  journalist  or disapprove  the  conduct  of  the  editor  or  the  journalists  as  the case may be.

- (iii) For  Television,  all  TV  Channels  are  required  to  adhere  to  the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, which  inter alia provides that no

contents which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate,  false  and  suggestive  innuendos  and  half-truths  is broadcast. The Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021, has been notified on 17.6.2021 which provides for a three tier grievance redressal mechanism to look into the complaints relating  to  the  violation  of  the  Programme  Code  by  the  TV channels. Appropriate action is taken where violation of Programme Code is found. The Central Government also issues Advisories to the TV Channels from time to time for adherence to the Programme Code.

- (iv) For digital news publishers, the Government has notified the Information  Technology  (Intermediary  Guidelines  and  Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 under Information Technology Act, 2000 on 25 th  February, 2021, which inter alia provides for a Code of Ethics for adherence by digital news publishers and also a three tier mechanism for redressal of grievance relating to Code of Ethics by them.

Appropriate action is taken by the Government and the Press Council in case of violation of the Codes, etc.

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