Lok Sabha Question No. 5444 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Misinformation and Fake News
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun

## 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  Pakistanbased 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 halftruths 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.

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