PIB Mumbai conducts IMPCC workshop on ‘Fact Checking: Countering Misinformation and Strengthening Government Communication’

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting PIB Mumbai conducts IMPCC workshop on ‘Fact

Checking: Countering Misinformation and Strengthening Government Communication’ The IMPCC workshop aims to strengthen participants’ crisis communication skills while providing a platform to share

experiences and best practices : Ms. Smita Vats Sharma, Director General, West Zone, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting प्रव तथ: 31 JUL 2026 6:27PM by PIB Mumbai Mumbai | July 31, 2026 The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Mumbai, organized an Inter-Media Publicity and Coordination Committee (IMPCC) workshop on "Fact Checking: Countering Misinformation and Strengthening Government Communication" at the NFDC Complex, Mumbai, today. The workshop aimed to strengthen communication among Central Government institutions, public sector organizations, and communication professionals while enhancing their capacity to counter misinformation. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Smita Vats Sharma, Director General, West Zone, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Representatives from around 25 Central Government Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Undertakings and other organizations participated in the workshop.In her inaugural address, Ms. Smita Vats Sharma, Director General, West Zone, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, emphasized the important role of media and communication professionals in Government organizations. She highlighted the growing challenge of misinformation and disinformation, stressing the need to identify and address suspicious content before it develops into a larger issue. She said the workshop was designed to strengthen participants' fact-checking and crisis communication skills through practical, hands-on learning of tools and techniques, while also providing a platform to share experiences and learn from one another's best practices, thereby building stronger institutional capacities for effective public communication.

Delivering the first technical session, Ms. Ankita Deshkar, Deputy Copy Editor and Fact Checker, The Indian Express, spoke on "Strengthening Information Integrity through Effective Fact Check," sharing practical insights into identifying misinformation and explaining the use of various technological tools to combat false information.The second technical session, titled "PIB Fact Check: Identifying, Verifying and Debunking False Information," was delivered by Ms. Nikita Joshi, Deputy Director, PIB Mumbai. Ms. Joshi spoke about why Government institutions need to develop fact checking capabilities admist the growing challenge of misinformation in the digital age. The highlighted the role and functions of PIB Fact Check and how it can aid government institutions to limit the spread of false information.Representatives from organizations such as Railways, ONGC, BMC, and others shared their views during the feedback session, highlighting fact-checking as one of the most significant challenges in today's rapidly evolving information landscape.

They emphasized that such analytical approaches, combined with verification tools, are essential for debunking misinformation and myths. They also highlighted the need for a central repository that can be accessed for timely information verification. They further stated that as AI is rapidly evolving, it has become the need of the hour to adapt to new technologies.

Earlier delivering the welcome address, Ms. Jaydevi Pujari Swami, Deputy Director, PIB Mumbai, spoke about the important role of the Inter-Media Publicity and Coordination Committee (IMPCC) in fostering collaboration among Government communication professionals. She expressed confidence that the workshop would equip participants with practical knowledge and tools to effectively counter misinformation and further strengthen Government communication.During the concluding session, Shri Edgar Coelho, Information Assistant, PIB Mumbai, also informed the participants about the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, describing it as an inspiring national initiative that encourages every citizen to proudly hoist the National Flag and reaffirm their commitment to the nation. He urged participants to actively take part in the campaign and contribute towards making it a nationwide success.

Concluding the workshop, Ms. Smita Vats Sharma encouraged participants to learn from one another’s experiences, stating that the sharing of knowledge and best practices would strengthen communication efforts across organizations and enhancethe credibility of public communication. She expressed hope that such capacity- building workshops would continue in the future.

The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Sriyanka Chatterjee, Media and Communication Officer, PIB Mumbai, while the programme was moderated by Ms. Neha Kulkarni, Young Professional, PIB Mumbai.

🛑PIBMumbai, organised an Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee

(IMPCC) meeting at NFDC complex, Mumbai today.

This IMPCC meeting was organized with an aim to brief the representatives of the member organisations on 'Fact Check: Countering Misinformation and… pic.twitt er.com/CPPYMheSY3 — PIB in Maharashtra 🇮🇳 (@PIBMumbai) July 31, 2026 *** Nikita Joshi / Edgar Coelho/Parshuram Kor

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