Srinagar, Feb 13: The government on Thursday informed the House that the Information Department has established a dedicated Media Monitoring Cell (MMC) in the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) to track fake and misleading news on real time basis and issue prompt rebuttals through press releases and official social media platforms.
This was stated by Education Minister, Sakeena Itoo, while replying to a question raised by Legislator R.S. Pathania regarding measures to tackle misinformation on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Legislative Assembly today.
The Minister stated that the MMC continuously monitors print, electronic and social media platforms and as soon as any fake or misleading content is identified, rebuttals and fact-check posts are issued to keep the public informed.
She informed the House that 28 rebuttals have been issued by the DIPR between 1st April 2025 and 31st January 2026, through 20 press releases and eight through social media handles.
The Minister further said that all the departments have designated Nodal Officers to monitor department specific misinformation. She added that these officers have been provided login credentials to upload fake news details on a dedicated portal created by DIPR for timely rebuttal and dissemination.
The Minister also clarified that the regulation of websites, digital platforms and online news channels does not fall under the mandate of the Information Department, adding that the imposition of penalties or fines on organizations spreading misinformation is outside its purview.
