Information Warfare Wing in Army to fight enemy propaganda, fake news

To counter enemy's propaganda and fake news during escalated tension at the border, the Ministry of Defence has approved an Information Warfare branch in Indian Army aiming to beat the information manoeuvres strategically.

The branch will be headed by Lieutenant General rank officer and will report to Deputy Chief of the Indian Army. The post was created recently during a study on the restructuring of Army Headquarters on the directive of Army chief Bipin Rawat.

As per final approval, a senior Ministry of Defence official said, "In keeping with the needs of the future battlefield, hybrid warfare and social media reality, the new DDirector-General of Information Warfare will have under him the erstwhile Additional Director Generals Public Information and Information Warfare."

The officer also noted that the cyber wing of the Indian Army will also be part of the Information Warfare branch.

There was an urgent need for such an exclusive wing in the Indian Army as enemy nations had been trying for long to manipulate India's position on international platforms through their well-established propaganda mechanism and fake news.

The enemy countries have also been trying to get fake information fed to India citizens, particularly in border states.

Also after Pulwama attack and Indian Air Force offensive measures to destroy terror camps across the border, it was observed that Pakistan was spreading fake news and propagating their agenda at international platforms.

Thereafter, the Ministry of Defence has to take some major steps to counter Pakistan's propaganda. Further fake news circulated by Pakistan to make their diplomatic stand strong was worrisome for India.