The Centre has officially established the Fact Check Unit (FCU) under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), a week after the Mumbai High Court declined to stay its formation. The FCU’s primary role is to verify claims or news related to government policies, regulations, announcements, and measures.
According to a Gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the PIB FCU has been notified under specific provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The Unit, which was set up in November 2019, aims to deter the spread of fake news and misinformation, offering a platform for reporting suspicious information concerning the Central Government.
Despite opposition from entities like the Editors Guild of India (EGI) and political satirist Kunal Kamra, who have filed petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Rules, the FCU has been established. The FCU, led by a senior officer of the Indian Information Service (IIS), is tasked with countering misinformation on government policies and initiatives, either proactively or in response to complaints, while citizens can report dubious content through various channels, including WhatsApp, email, Twitter, and the PIB website.
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