Karnataka govt unit IDTU records 537 fact-checks, 18 FIRs during 90-day trial period
Bengaluru: The first government-sponsored fact-checking unit of Karnataka recorded as many as 64,000 posts a day on the internet during its 90-day trial, resulting in authorities filing at least 18 FIRs and the system was secured further to prevent the spread of fake news.
The Information Disorder Tackling Unit (IDTU) of the Karnataka state government was launched during the Lok Sabha elections through its website satya.karnataka.gov.in without fanfare.
A total of 537 fact-checks were done through the IDTU, which took six hours on average, reports DH, adding that 500 of the posts checked were deemed ‘threats’.
Following the fact-check on the unit, while FIRs were filed in relation to the posts, at least two of them were for false information on the BJP and one for a post about the JD(S). Most of the FIRs filed were for misinformation about the Congress. Also, 54 per cent of the fact-check work undertaken was on posts related to politics and the elections.
The government unit is expected to continue its work with technical upgrade, including improvisation in legal action procedure and better citizen participation.
Minister for Information Technology Priyank Kharge, who launched the IDTU, said that, as the trial round provided an idea about the scale, issues and process of the program, the concerned authorities were planning for the procedure of handling cases of misinformation. He assured that there was a healthy balance of analytics, use of borderline artificial intelligence and traditional long-term research for the work of the fact-check unit.
Of the five companies selected to handle the IDTU, Gauri Media, which is a media house named after slain journalist Gauri Lankesh, Logically Infomedia Private Limited and Newsplus Communications did the fact-checking during the trial period while Trylika Technology Ltd handled the analytics of the unit. OW DataLeads, however, did not participate as the trial did not have the capacity-building component for which it was selected.
During the 90-day period, the IDTU checked the internet for threats. Logically Infomedia Pvt Ltd scanned 84.47 lakh social media and news items of interest, of which, 1.82 lakh were classified as threats.
Kharge explained that posts that could disrupt social harmony were considered threats, citing as example matter posted on cow vigilantism in Shivamogga, which was flagged.
The minister, however, countered the argument that the exercise was used for the benefit of the Congress, which is in power in Karnataka, saying the IDTU was not planned for the elections but should have been launched earlier. The trial period coincided with a heavily politically-volatile social environment, Kharge admitted.
He also asked the critics if, in case the BJP came to power in the state after the IDTU was institutionalized, they would state that the fact-check unit was for the benefit of the BJP.
A 9-member multi-departmental coordination committee was constituted in March for management of the IDTU. The panel was to have one person representing civil society, but the nomination is pending.
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Duleep Trophy: Pacers shine as India B beat India A by 76 runs
Bengaluru, Sep 8: KL Rahul's gumption, which helped him pile a patient fifty, found no resonance among his colleagues as India B pacers led by Yash Dayal pushed India A to a 76-run defeat on the fourth and final day of their Duleep Trophy match here on Sunday.
Chasing 275, India A were bundled out for 198 in their second innings as left-arm seamer Dayal (3/50), with able support from his colleagues Mukesh Kumar (2/50) and Navdeep Saini (2/41), led the India B attack.
Rahul top-scored for 'A' with a 51.
In the first session of the day, India B made 184 all out in their second essay to muster a handy overall lead of 274.
The India A chase began on a shaky note as Mayank Agarwal departed in the second over itself, wafting Dayal away from his body to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made a wonderful diving catch at second slip.
That brought Riyan Parag to the middle and the right-hander followed the path set on Saturday by Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan.
Parag took on the bowlers and pacer Mukesh bore the brunt of his aggression, getting smoked for two sixes and the second maximum touched the roof of the Chinnaswamy Stadium over the mid-wicket region.
Parag added 48 runs for the second with a rather subdued Shubman Gill, who was dropped by Nitish Reddy at slips off Mukesh on 16, and 31 came off the former's bat in just 18 balls.
But the approach was tough to sustain considering the kind of assistance the bowlers were getting here, and soon his massive hoick off Dayal took an edge off Parag's bat en route to stumper Rishabh Pant.
Gill (21) departed soon, falling to Saini for the second time in the match and on this occasion, he edged the pacer to Pant.
Dhruv Jurel poked Dayal well outside off-stump to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully, as India batters perished to a combination of bowlers' persistence on that channel and their own carelessness.
They took the lunch at a queasy 76 for four that soon transpired into 99 for six after the dismissal of Shivam Dube and Tanush Kotian, an hour into the lunch.
However, Rahul batted out 180 minutes 121 balls and milked 42 runs for the seventh wicket with Kuldeep Yadav to delay the inevitable.
The standout shot in an otherwise dour innings was a whistling on drive off Mukesh that fetched him a boundary.
But Mukesh had his revenge soon when Rahul feathered a cut off him to Pant, who completed five catches in this innings, soon after reaching his fifty with a single off Saini.
It effectively signalled the end of the road of for India A, though Akash Deep (43, 42b, 3x4, 4x6) gave a few moments of fun with a cavalier innings.
But beyond the entertainment value, it always was a case of when more than if.
Earlier, resuming from their overnight score of 150 for six India B could only 34 runs more to the total before getting bundled out.
Pacer Akash, whom Sarfaraz Khan carted around for five fours in a row the previous day, found his mojo to add the scalps of Washington Sundar and Saini to complete a five-wicket haul (5/56).
The spell will keep his name floating among the contenders when the selectors sit together soon to pick up squad for two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
