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By Hemant Parmar
Apashe gave a sharp reply in just 2 hours, if rumor is spread then straight FIR will be lodged and you will be jailed.

Think 100 times before spreading falsehood on social media because quick response teams have been deployed in all ministries.

The misleading post will be refuted within 2 hours, while strict legal action will be taken under the Indian Judicial Code against those who instigate riots.

In the digital age, the Central Government has now adopted an aggressive approach like surgical strike against the rumors, misleading claims and distorted news going viral on social media platforms. To stop the rapid spread of misinformation on the Internet, the government has ordered the formation of Quick Response Teams in all central ministries and departments. This special team will issue official and factual revelations within just 2 hours (120 minutes) of any fake news circulating on social media.

How to craft this impenetrable digital strategy?

This mission of the government against fake news has been started in a planned manner.

On July 27, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a major directive to all ministries to stop false and misleading information on social media.

On August 07, all central departments were ordered to immediately create and activate QRT to detect fake news in real-time.

On August 16, official information came out that major ministries like Agriculture, Commerce and Energy have deployed special teams, while team formation work is going on war footing in other departments.

Lies exposed in 2 hours, how will the quick response team work?

This state-of-the-art system prepared by the government will work mainly on four strong levels.

24×7 continuous digital monitoring means that the social media teams of the ministries will keep an eye on the internet and all digital platforms day and night.

Electric Speed ​​Fact Checking: As soon as any misleading or false content is noticed, it will be immediately handed over to QRT. This team, in coordination with the Fact Check Unit of the Press Information Bureau, will present the true facts to the public within 2 hours of calculation.

Institutional and technical support i.e. the New Media Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will provide state-of-the-art technical and strategic support to the entire process.

Immediate monitoring of higher officials means that higher officials will directly intervene and take immediate decisions in matters threatening national security or public peace.

When will there be only revelations and when will the legal burden be imposed?

The question in the minds of many people is whether there will be a police case against every wrong post? According to legal experts, the primary goal of QRT is to provide accurate information quickly at the administrative level. If a simple mistake or an unknowingly false figure has been published, the Government will only publish a factual denial.

But, if there is an ulterior motive behind the false information to spread anarchy in the country, then an FIR will be registered directly under the Indian Judicial Code and the IT Act and there will be a strict prison sentence.

Under Section 353 of the Indian Judicial Code, there is a provision of imprisonment for up to 3 years for spreading fear, terror and unrest in public. (If the cases are to any religious place, then there will be rigorous imprisonment for 5 years.)

For causing harm to national unity and integrity, there can be a jail term of 3 to 5 years under section 197 of the Indian Judicial Code.

There is a provision of huge fine and legal punishment under Section 356 of the Indian Judicial Code for defamation and causing harm to reputation.

Under the IT Act against Deepfakes, Cheating and Cyber ​​Fraud, the offending account will be immediately suspended, the content will be removed and criminal cases will be initiated against the accused.

Freedom of expression and strict legal balance

According to the clear guidelines of the Supreme Court and the High Court, FIR cannot be registered directly on healthy criticism of general political criticism. Unless any criminal intention to incite violence or disturb law and order is proven, the government will only deny it. But the police will make direct arrests without showing the slightest mercy against those who knowingly create dangerous deepfakes and morphed videos and those who are conspiring to instigate Komi riots.

Now this is what happened to those spreading fake news

In this new two-tier model of the Central Government, on one hand the QRT will reveal the true fact within 2 hours and on the other hand there will be jail sentence under the Indian Judicial Code and IT Act.

This will prove to be a milestone in curbing the spread of rumors in the digital world. There is also a warning for citizens that forwarding any message, photo or video on social media without verifying it can now prove costly.