Why in the news-

• Weeks ahead of the election, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Wednesday notified the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit (FCU) as the designated body to flag misinformation about Central government departments to social media platforms.

What is Fact Check Unit (FCU)?

• The Fact Check Unit’s mandate arises from the IT Rules, 2021, which stipulate that social media platforms risk losing legal liability protections if they fail to address notified misinformation promptly.
• The unit verifies claims about government policies, regulations, announcements and measures.
• Through an established rigorous fact-checking procedure, the PIB Fact Check Unit helps in dispelling myths, rumours and false claims, and provides accurate and reliable information to the public.

Operational Framework

• The FCU, led by senior DG/ADG level officer of the Indian Information Service (IIS), operates under the supervision of the Principal Director General of PIB.
• Its mandate includes verifying claims related to government policies, regulations, and announcements through a rigorous fact-checking process.
• The Unit reports to the Principal Director General, PIB who functions as the Principal Spokesperson of the Government of India.

Fact-Check Mechanism

• Query Handling: Users submit requests via WhatsApp, email, or a web portal, which are processed as ‘Queries’ by the Unit.
• Verification Process: Actionable Queries relevant to the Government of India undergo thorough verification using official sources and technological tools.
• Publication of Fact Checks: Verified information is categorized as Fake, Misleading, or True, and published on the Unit’s social media platforms for public awareness.

Categories of Fact-Checked Content

1. Fake: Factually incorrect information intentionally or unintentionally disseminated to deceive or manipulate the audience.
2. Misleading: Information presented with partial truths, selective facts, or distortion to mislead recipients.
3. True: Information verified to be factually accurate after rigorous investigation.

PYQ:

2017: Democracy’s superior virtue lies in the fact that it calls into activity-

1. The intelligence and character of ordinary men and women.
2. The methods for strengthening executive leadership.
3. A superior individual with dynamism and vision.
4. A band of dedicated party workers.

Practice MCQ:

The centre has recently established the Fact Check Unit (FCU) as a designated body to flag misinformation in India. In this regard, consider the following statements:

1. Establishment of FCU is mandated under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
2. The FCU is led by an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS).

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

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