Cong MP urges govt to frame policy to check misinformation on social media

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla on Friday urged the government to come out with a policy for online social media platforms to check the spread of misinformation.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Shukla said that no responsibility has been fixed by the government for spreading misinformation and tarnishing the image of individuals on social media.
Referring to a recent incident in which three teenage girls committed suicide under the influence of a Korean online game, he demanded that the government should frame a policy to fix responsibility on online platforms for spreading lies and falsehoods.
“Whose responsibility is it to protect the mental health of a teenager who is broken under the pressure of digital illusion, unrealistic expectations, and online pressure?” Shukla questioned. Legislators also raised several other issues and demanded actions from the concerned ministries, including the need for WHO-aligned teacher training and infrastructure for children with special needs and setting up industrial units in Manipur to create jobs for the local youth.
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan highlighted the acute shortage of qualified special-needs educators in India, and stated that it has become a daily struggle in the field of inclusive education for millions of children with disabilities.
Bachchan said that currently, 50 per cent of children with learning disabilities drop out before completing Class 10, and there is only one registered special educator enrolled in schools nationwide for every 18 to 20 students with special needs, such as dyslexia.
According to her, as per WHO guidelines, the requirement is five to six trained teachers for every 20 students.
“My request to the government is to please prioritise WHO-aligned teacher training and infrastructure to deliver early screening and tailored support, which would unlock human potential while boosting literacy rates and economic productivity,” she said.
Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, BJP member from Manipur, highlighted the need for establishing assembly units in the electronics, electrical, or garment industries, stating that there is no big industrial corporate house in Manipur and that very few medium enterprises are functioning in the state.
Leishemba said that unemployment in the productive age group and among educated youth is rampant in the state, while on the other hand, Manipur has an abundance of young people with degrees or diplomas in electronics, electrical, computer, and other engineering branches.
“To meet the job demands of this young educated generation, I urge the Union government to sanction assembly units of public sector undertakings (PSUs) in electronics, electrical, and ready-made garments in the state,” he demanded.
Other BJP MPs, including Sujeet Kumar from Odisha, sought amendments to company law to promote corporate research in the country, while Dorjee Tshering Lepcha from Sikkim sought relaxation in the rigid criteria of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana so that remote and less-populated villages in the state could be provided road connectivity.
Harsh Mahajan, BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh, urged the government to declare the Chamba–Killar road a strategic defence route to strengthen border preparedness as well as connectivity to remote areas such as the Pangi Valley.
Nominated member Sudha Murthy requested the government to consider introducing foot reflexology in AYUSH hospitals across the country.
YSRCP MP from Andhra Pradesh, Subhas Chandra Bose Pilli, raised concerns regarding incidents caused by gas exploration in some areas of the state, demanding financial assistance for affected farmers and local residents.