GoM suggests steps to stem ‘negative narrative’ They include tracking ‘50 negative and 50 positive influencers’ and ‘neutralising’ those writing against govt. without facts Special Correspondent (IT) Minister Ravi Shankar cate with the common man. now, should be roped in. The New Delhi Prasad, Women and Child On the “negative narrative”, report says this suggestion In an effort to “neutralise” Development Minister Smriti he said, “The narrative is would be acted upon. what it calls a “negative nar- Irani, Information and fuelled by around 20-30 peo- Mr. Thakur wanted the rative”, a Group of Ministers Broadcasting (I&B) Minister ple. The lines keep changing BJP and the Modi govern- (GoM), formed to fine-tune Prakash Javadekar, External many times on a single day.” ment to reach out to right- “government communica- Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, wing parties across the tion”, has come out with sug- Minority Affairs Minister ‘Direct action’ world to arrive at a common gestions to track “50 nega- Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Mr. Naqvi suggested direct ground. tive and 50 positive Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, action against those writing The GoM’s report was pu- influencers” on social me- Urban Development Minis- against the government. “We blished by sections of the dia, “neutralise the people ter Hardeep Singh Puri, Mi- should have a strategy to media. The Hindu has a copy who are writing against the nister of State for Finance neutralise the people who of it. There is so far no offi- government without facts Anurag Thakur and Minister are writing against the go- cial word on its contents. At- and set[ting] false narratives/ of State for Environment Ba- vernment without facts and tempts were made to speak spread[ing] fake news” and bul Supriyo were part of the set[ting] false narratives / to Mr. Javadekar, I&B Secre- take other steps. GoM, which met six times spread[ing] fake news,” he tary Amit Khare and Prasar It emerges that the deci- between June 14 and July 9 said. Bharati Chief Executive Offic- sions on capping FDI (fo- last year. The action points recom- er Shashi Shekhar Vempati, reign direct investment) at The group’s report quotes mended by the GoM include Press Information Bureau Di- 26% for digital news media suggestions made by the enlarging the Prasar Bharati rector-General Jaideep Bhat- and the new IT rules that Ministers. News Service into a “main- nagar, but till the time of go- have a separate section deal- Mr. Prasad suggested, “A line news agency”. The ing to press, there was no ing with code of ethics for list of media personnel and agreed long-term strategies comment from them. Over the Top (OTT) plat- prominent persons, who are write our achievements and The GoM accepted the include “coordination with Mr. Naqvi, who was the forms such as Netflix were a pro our line of thought — project our viewpoint.” suggestion and gave the I&B schools of journalism as pre- only one willing to speak on result of the GoM’s delibera- both nationally and globally, Ms. Irani, who held the Ministry the responsibility to sent students are the future the issue, however, ex- tions. The FDI cap was es- should be prepared. Few I&B portfolio in the previous implement it. journalists”. pressed ignorance about the sential, the GoM felt, to con- eminent academicians, Vice Modi government, recom- Mr. Javadekar felt that the Mr. Puri told the GoM that GoM’s suggestions. “I do not strict the “foreign influence” Chancellors, retired Indian mended, “We should track government overall should the journalists who were know anything about the re- on Indian media. Foreign Service officers etc, 50 negative and 50 positive learn from Prime Minister supportive of the govern- port,” he said and refused to Information Technology should be identified who can influencers.” Narendra Modi to communi- ment, even if unemployed elaborate further. .