Recent media reports indicating that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had issued direct ‘notices’ to Hindi news channels for excessive use of Urdu words in their broadcasts have been debunked by the government. On September 21, 2025, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit, through a post on X, labeled these reports as ‘misleading’.
The clarification comes amid claims that channels were being reprimanded for their language choices. However, officials explained that the MIB’s actions were purely procedural. A viewer’s complaint regarding language usage was simply forwarded to the relevant channels, a standard practice under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act.
Under this Act, a specific percentage of public grievances are routinely passed on to the broadcasters against whom the complaints were filed. Emphasizing that this was not a directive or an instruction from the Ministry, officials reiterated it was merely a forwarding of received feedback. The channels were then asked to inform the complainant of any actions taken and to keep the Ministry updated, in accordance with established regulations. This statement aims to correct any misconceptions arising from earlier media portrayals of the incident.