~PRSI launched India’s first National Fact Verification Committee at a national conference in Ahmedabad to combat AI-driven misinformation, deepfakes and digital deception.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, July 20 (VNI): In a landmark initiative to strengthen India’s fight against misinformation and AI-enabled digital deception, the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) announced the formation of the country’s first National Fact Verification Committee during the National Conference on ‘Fact-Checking in the Age of AI: Combating Misinformation in a Digital-First World’. The conference was organised by the PRSI Ahmedabad Chapter in association with Anant National University and supported by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication Alumni Association (IIMCAA).
According to sources, the newly constituted committee will promote responsible communication, encourage fact verification, strengthen media literacy and undertake nationwide awareness initiatives to counter misinformation in the era of Artificial Intelligence. The committee comprises communication leaders, academicians and domain experts including Unmesh Dixit, Dr. Ritu Dubey Tiwari, Dr. Nimish Kapoor, Vicky Shah, Dr. Archana Kumari, Vishakha Katekhaye, Santosh Zokarkar, Manish Hooja and Utsav Jain.
Addressing the conference, Dr. Lavina Sinha, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Security), Gujarat Police, emphasised that cyber awareness remains the strongest defence against misinformation and urged citizens to verify information before sharing it. Dr. Sanjeev Vidhyarthi, Provost of Anant National University, highlighted the need for universities to foster critical thinking and media literacy, while Dr. Ajit Pathak, National President of PRSI, said building trust has always been central to public relations and that fact-checking is a shared responsibility in the AI era. Dr. Kashyap Jani, Founder and Director of JANI Tech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., stressed that responsible innovation must always be supported by verified information.
The conference brought together policymakers, government officials, media leaders, communication professionals, technology experts, researchers and students from across India to deliberate on challenges posed by misinformation, deepfakes, voice clones and other AI-driven threats. Special guests included Wing Commander Abhishek Kumar Tiwari, Public Relations Officer and Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence; Dr. Ajay Umat, Group Editor, NavGujarat Samay; and Dr. Brajesh Kumar Singh, Group Editor, Network18. The sessions focused on cyber security, AI-generated misinformation, verification technologies, crisis communication, media ethics and digital literacy, while advocating stronger collaboration among government, academia, industry, technology platforms and media organisations.
The conference was moderated by Dr. Pradeep Mallik, Professor of Mass Communication at Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), representing the IIMCAA, who underscored the importance of media literacy and fact verification in strengthening informed public discourse. Organised by the PRSI Ahmedabad Chapter in association with Anant National University and supported by the IIMCAA Gujarat Chapter, the conference concluded with a collective pledge to promote ethical communication, enhance digital literacy and build a trusted information ecosystem for India in the age of Artificial Intelligence. VNI NEWS, PRSI National Fact Verification Committee, AI misinformation, Fact-checking India, PRSI Ahmedabad, Digital literacy, Fact Verification, Artificial Intelligence, Misinformation, Deepfakes, Cyber Security, Ahmedabad, Anant National University, IIMCAA, Media Literacy, VNINews, VNINews.com