The effects of misinformation are explicit in the epic Mahabharata; when Dharmaraj Yudhisthira said stoically, “Ashwatthama Hatah Naro va Kunjaro va” amidst the war drums as orchestrated by Lord Krishna, which led to the overpowering and killing of the weaponless, otherwise invincible guru Dronacharya. The strategy paved a victory path for the Pandavas; a victory achieved at the cost of truth. This is a mirror to the mindless actions that unfold among the consumers of misinformation and disinformation.

There have been many research reports that indicate the behaviour of people in giving in to and believing misinformation from close ones, influencers, and people with the same political ideology. Misinformation is persistent and amplified by social media platforms globally. The UN Global Risk Report 2024 and the Global Risk Report of the World Economic Forum 2025 have identified disinformation as the biggest threat to the world at present. According to ‘Digital 2025: India’, more than 806 million people have internet connections, with more than 491 million using social media platforms.

Advertisement

Without parallel investment in information and media literacy, several factors, such as linguistic and cultural diversity, political polarisation and persistent divisions in society, make the land a fertile ground for the rise of disinformation. Many scholars and media personnel discussed the infodemic scenario during the health crisis of Covid-19, where the country shared the highest volume of misinformation on social media. Those included miracle cures, conspiracy theories, and false information about the vaccine, which led to vaccine hesitancy among the public.

Advertisement

The influence of disinformation is noticeable in the country’s political sphere, where propaganda-driven social media forwards and doctored videos have fuelled communal tension and voter perceptions. Recent research by scholars resonates the rise of religious violence linked directly to political misinformation circulated on digital media. These trends destroy the foundation of trust, harmony, and multiculturalism on which the nation was built, in the largest democracy. Mistrust and........

© The Statesman