'Paid News must be included in list of electoral offences': EC chief to Law Ministry

With the aim to promote free and fair elections in the country, chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has proposed to include 'paid news' in the list of electoral offences. Reportedly, the Election Commission chief has already made his suggestion to the Law Ministry to take necessary steps to amend the governing statutes in order to include 'paid news' as an electoral offence. Chandra further informed that there are serious concerns regarding the offense surfacing within the Central poll body and due steps will soon be taken to curb it. 

The announcement comes nearly a month after Assembly Elections in four states and one union territory. Leaders from all the poll-bound states conducted months of campaigning. The results declared in the four states and one union territory were West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The Chief Electrol Officer is responsible for monitoring “paid news” cases and ensure every print and electronic media is under its scanner.

Paid news scandal

In 2019, 739 confirmed cases of paid news were  reported during Assembly polls. The State election authority, had initially  registered 424 cases suspected as paid news in print and electronic media in different districts. The cases were reported from Nizamabad which accounted for the highest of 134 suspected paid news cases followed by Hyderabad (57), Karimnagar (42), Vikarabad (40) and Khammam (33). 

Publicising Paid News content

In 2019, the Government of India issued a statement where the 'name of the print and electronic media will all details of paid news item shall be forwarded to Press Council of India and News Broadcasters Association'. 

"Name of the print, and electronic media, with all details of paid news item shall be forwarded to Press Council of India (PCI) and News Broadcasters Association (NBA) by the Commission (and not by the CEO) after obtaining it from the CEOs concerned," mentioned Government order.