The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed its Media and Communication Officers to take an active role in countering misinformation on social media, with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar urging officials to respond swiftly to false narratives that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
Speaking at the ECI’s second one-day Conference for Media and Communication Officers on Friday, Kumar called on participants to engage proactively in checking the spread of misinformation across digital platforms, according to an official statement.
Addressing more than 260 Media and Communication Officers, the Chief Election Commissioner also outlined measures to strengthen public awareness and resist attempts aimed at weakening trust in democratic institutions.
The conference brought together Media Nodal Officers (MNOs), Social Media Nodal Officers (SMNOs), District Media Nodal Officers and District Public Relations Officers (DPROs) from districts across 16 participating States and Union Territories. Senior officials from the respective State Departments of Public Relations (DPRs) also attended the event.
Kumar said the record voter participation witnessed in the recent Assembly elections reflected the confidence Indian voters continue to place in the country's electoral system.
He stressed that every decision taken by the Election Commission is guided by the Constitution of India, electoral laws and written instructions issued periodically in a transparent manner.
Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi, while addressing the gathering, warned that artificial intelligence, deepfakes, synthetic content and other misleading digital material are increasingly being used by motivated actors to erode faith in institutions.
He urged Media and Communication Officers to respond to such misinformation by relying on the Commission's rules, instructions and guidelines. Joshi also highlighted the importance of engaging young voters through Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs).
According to the official statement, the conference opened with an overview of communication strategies covering the entire election cycle, from electoral rolls to polling, along with sessions on ECINET, key constitutional provisions and media-related legal frameworks.
Participants also attended practical workshops on drafting press notes, expanding their reach through traditional and social media, countering misinformation and narratives, engaging first-time and young voters through ELCs, and effectively communicating the Commission's initiatives to the public.
As part of the programme, officials were given demonstrations of the preparation of electoral rolls, polling procedures and the counting process in group sessions, followed by a guided tour of the Exhibition and Media Corner, the statement said.
The event also served as a platform for officers from States that recently held elections to share their experiences and best practices with participants from across the country.
The conference concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session between the participants and members of the Election Commission, the statement added.
