No official notice from MIB to hindi channels on urdu usage, clarifies PIB

New Delhi: The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Sunday described reports claiming that Hindi news channels had received notices from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) over excessive use of Urdu words as “misleading.”

In a post on X, the PIB Fact Check Unit clarified that the MIB had merely forwarded a viewer complaint to the concerned channels under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act.

According to an official, “It is not a directive from the ministry, but merely a forwarding of a complaint received against the concerned channels.”

The official added that under the Act, a certain percentage of public grievances are routinely forwarded to the entities against whom a complaint has been received. “The channels have been instructed to inform the complainant of the action taken and keep the Ministry duly informed, in accordance with the relevant regulations,” the Fact Check Unit said.

Earlier, some media reports suggested that the MIB had issued notices to Hindi news channels for excessive use of Urdu in broadcasts and directed them to appoint language experts. The PIB clarification makes clear that no such directive was issued.