Question : Fake News

(a) whether the Government is aware that fake news are being telecast by some television channels in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the total number of cases of fake news telecast reported along with the action taken by the Government during the last seven years and the current years;

(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to curb the spread of fake news;

(d) whether the Government has reviewed the fake news telecast by private news channels in the country during the last seven years and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government has taken any steps to create awareness among citizens on fake news detection and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(f) whether the Government proposes to launch a portal on which citizens can report such fake news and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

(a) to (d): News telecast on private TV channels is regulated in terms of Programme Code laid down under the Cable Television Networks Act, 1995 and the Rules framed there under. Under the Programme Code, content which is defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendoes and half-truths cannot be telecast.

The Government issues advisories from time to time to private TV channels for adherence to the Programme Code. Recently, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued an Advisory on 23.04.2022 to strictly adhere to the Programme Code. In cases where violation of the Programme Code is established, action is taken by issuance of Advisories, Warnings, Apology scroll and Off-air orders. Since 2015, such action has been taken in 196 cases.


(e): A Fact Check Unit (FCU) has been setup in November, 2019 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.

(f): PIB Fact Check Unit has a website Portal – https://factcheck.pib.gov.in/ for reporting of fake news and for fact checking of information by the citizens. The Unit also maintains a twitter account @PIBFactcheck and posts cases of fake news, being busted, on the same on regular basis. PIB Fact Check Unit has responded to 34,125 actionable queries (including queries related to COVID-19).
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