Media Nama: Bangalore: Wednesday, 23rd
September 2026.
A response from an RTI
filed by MediaNama revealed that Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) has no information on record related to MIB’s
July 27 ‘fake content’ order. The said order asks central ministries and
departments to set up Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to counter fake, misleading,
and manipulated content on social media. MediaNama received this RTI reply from
MeitY’s Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), disposed of on September 18,
2026.
MediaNama has also filed a similar RTI with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) as it reportedly issued the order. We are yet to receive a MIB’s response. We’ve also written to MeitY challenging this RTI response. We’ll publish a fresh copy if and when MIB or MeitY replies to the RTI applications.
Some background on Quick Response Teams:
Earlier in August, MediaNama reported regarding the order, based on a PTI report that the MIB advisory directed the social media teams of various ministries to monitor content related to their own ministries and departments. The order also asked them to report anything deemed “fake, misleading, factually incorrect, manipulated, distorted, taken out of context, or likely to cause public confusion” to Quick Response Teams. The QRTs were in turn expected to coordinate with the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit (FCU) for a fact-checked response, ideally within two hours of the content being flagged.
As per a letter accessed by the New Indian Express, the MIB Secretary Chanchal Kumar said rumours on social media “travel fast,” and that the government must match the pace. The order reportedly capped fact-checked responses at 200 words and required them to be cross-posted on platforms like Instagram and YouTube as memes, posters, and short videos for “algorithmic amplification.” The directive came after Prime Minister Modi asked ministers to be proactive on social media, in the fallout of CJP’s Jantar Mantar protests.
What the MeitY reply reveals:
MediaNama asked for the Terms of Reference (ToR) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), any amendments, and the internal file notings behind the notice. Rather than responding point-by-point to the four questions asked, MeitY’s CPIO returned a single, blanket response covering the entire application.
“No information is available in records of the undersigned Central Public Information Officer (CPIO).” – RTI Response.
The reply goes on to cite clause 2(j) of the RTI Act, 2005, which defines “information” and notes that only information that is “available and existing” and “held by the public authority or is held under the control of the public authority” can be supplied under the Act.
In effect, MeitY says it holds no record connecting it to MIB’s order, its ToR or SOPs, any amendments, or any correspondence between the two Ministries.
Why MeitY? And, why it matters:
MediaNama filed identical RTIs with both MeitY and MIB because of a distinction of the identical name of Fact Checking Unit under both Ministries. For some context, Press Information of Bureau’s Fact Check Unit comes under the MIB, which may or may not have been tasked to co-ordinate with the so-called Quick Resposne Teams (QRT) under the MIB’s advisory.
Whereas, now struck down Fact Check Unit under Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the IT Rules, 2021 comes under the MeitY. The Ministry notified provision that let a government-designated unit flag information about “any business of the Central Government” as fake, false, or misleading, and which the Bombay High Court struck down in 2024. Bombay HC’s Justice GS Patel found the terms like ‘fake’, ‘misleading’ are “entirely subjective” and called the provision ‘vague’ and overbroad.
Later in March 2026, the Supreme Court declined to strike down that 2024 Bombay HC order and itself raised questions about how the Rules define “misleading” content. MIB’s newer Quick Response Teams now resembles similar language.
What are the questions asked?
Kindly provide certified copies of the following records held by your Ministry:
4. File notings and intra-ministerial correspondence within the Ministry that document the decision-making process leading to the issuance of the order and SOPs/guidelines mentioned in points 1 and 2, limited to the stage after the final decision was taken, as per the proviso to Section 8(1)(i) of the RTI Act, 2005.
MediaNama has also filed a similar RTI with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) as it reportedly issued the order. We are yet to receive a MIB’s response. We’ve also written to MeitY challenging this RTI response. We’ll publish a fresh copy if and when MIB or MeitY replies to the RTI applications.
Some background on Quick Response Teams:
Earlier in August, MediaNama reported regarding the order, based on a PTI report that the MIB advisory directed the social media teams of various ministries to monitor content related to their own ministries and departments. The order also asked them to report anything deemed “fake, misleading, factually incorrect, manipulated, distorted, taken out of context, or likely to cause public confusion” to Quick Response Teams. The QRTs were in turn expected to coordinate with the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit (FCU) for a fact-checked response, ideally within two hours of the content being flagged.
As per a letter accessed by the New Indian Express, the MIB Secretary Chanchal Kumar said rumours on social media “travel fast,” and that the government must match the pace. The order reportedly capped fact-checked responses at 200 words and required them to be cross-posted on platforms like Instagram and YouTube as memes, posters, and short videos for “algorithmic amplification.” The directive came after Prime Minister Modi asked ministers to be proactive on social media, in the fallout of CJP’s Jantar Mantar protests.
What the MeitY reply reveals:
MediaNama asked for the Terms of Reference (ToR) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), any amendments, and the internal file notings behind the notice. Rather than responding point-by-point to the four questions asked, MeitY’s CPIO returned a single, blanket response covering the entire application.
“No information is available in records of the undersigned Central Public Information Officer (CPIO).” – RTI Response.
The reply goes on to cite clause 2(j) of the RTI Act, 2005, which defines “information” and notes that only information that is “available and existing” and “held by the public authority or is held under the control of the public authority” can be supplied under the Act.
In effect, MeitY says it holds no record connecting it to MIB’s order, its ToR or SOPs, any amendments, or any correspondence between the two Ministries.
Why MeitY? And, why it matters:
MediaNama filed identical RTIs with both MeitY and MIB because of a distinction of the identical name of Fact Checking Unit under both Ministries. For some context, Press Information of Bureau’s Fact Check Unit comes under the MIB, which may or may not have been tasked to co-ordinate with the so-called Quick Resposne Teams (QRT) under the MIB’s advisory.
Whereas, now struck down Fact Check Unit under Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the IT Rules, 2021 comes under the MeitY. The Ministry notified provision that let a government-designated unit flag information about “any business of the Central Government” as fake, false, or misleading, and which the Bombay High Court struck down in 2024. Bombay HC’s Justice GS Patel found the terms like ‘fake’, ‘misleading’ are “entirely subjective” and called the provision ‘vague’ and overbroad.
Later in March 2026, the Supreme Court declined to strike down that 2024 Bombay HC order and itself raised questions about how the Rules define “misleading” content. MIB’s newer Quick Response Teams now resembles similar language.
What are the questions asked?
Kindly provide certified copies of the following records held by your Ministry:
- Any order, office memorandum, advisory, circular, or letter issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on or around Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s order on July 27, 2026, directing Union Ministries/Departments to constitute Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to counter allegedly fake, misleading, factually incorrect, manipulated, distorted, out-of-context, or confusing content on social media. Include the file number and date.
- (a) The mandate, functions, and composition of these QRTs.
- (b) The process and timelines for monitoring social media content related to ministries/departments and identifying content as fake, misleading, factually incorrect, manipulated, distorted, taken out of context, or likely to cause public confusion.
- (c) The procedure for reporting such content to QRTs and coordinating with the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit (FCU).
- (d) Requirements regarding format, word limits (e.g., 200 words), use of memes, posters, short videos, cross-posting across platforms (Instagram, YouTube, etc.), and any reference to “algorithmic amplification” of fact-checked responses.
4. File notings and intra-ministerial correspondence within the Ministry that document the decision-making process leading to the issuance of the order and SOPs/guidelines mentioned in points 1 and 2, limited to the stage after the final decision was taken, as per the proviso to Section 8(1)(i) of the RTI Act, 2005.
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