Govt strengthens rules to curb AI deepfakes; over 11.37 lakh attend cyber security workshops
New Delhi, July 30
The Central government has implemented legal safeguards, platform accountability and user protection measures to counter AI‑generated deep fakes, an official statement said on Thursday.
The government has approved 13 responsible AI projects for deepfake detection and conducted 6,650 cyber security awareness workshops that reached more than 11.37 lakh people, MoS, Electronics & IT Jitin Prasada said in Lok Sabha.
Participants include school or college students, teachers, law enforcement, government personnel, and the general public.
The workshops are part of a project on 'Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA)' for generating human resources in Information Security and creating general awareness on various aspects of cyber hygiene & cyber security among the masses.
The Safe & Trusted AI pillar of the IndiaAI Mission aims to promote the responsible development, deployment and adoption of AI through indigenous governance frameworks, standards, tools and evaluation mechanisms.
Key initiatives related to deepfake detection include Saakshya, a multi-agent framework developed by IIT Jodhpur & IIT Madras for deep fake detection.
Further, AI Vishleshak for improving Audio-Visual forgery detection system and IIT Kharagpur's project on Real-Time Voice Deepfake Detection System Awareness campaigns are among other major initiatives.
Multilingual awareness material in the form of handbooks, short videos, posters, brochures, cartoon stories for children, etc. is published and disseminated through print, electronic and social media.
CERT-In also regularly issues guidelines on AI-related threats and countermeasures, including deepfake; shares safety and security tips and awareness posters, info-graphics and videos on its official websites and social media handles.
The Government strengthened the regulatory framework by amending the IT Rules, 2021 in February, 2026 to address harms arising from synthetically generated information (SGI), including deepfakes and AI-generated content.
Intermediaries are required to ensure clear labelling and traceable metadata for permissible AI-generated content, so that users can easily identify synthetically generated material and prevent deception or misuse.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I attended one of those ISEA workshops last month at my college in Bangalore. Very informative! They showed us how to spot deepfakes and protect our social media. 11 lakh people reached is impressive, but we need more such programs in rural areas too. Cyber awareness is still very low in villages.
Good to see India taking this seriously. Back in the US, deepfakes are causing chaos in elections. The Saakshya framework from IIT Jodhpur and IIT Madras sounds promising. But I hope the government doesn't use these rules to censor genuine content under the guise of fighting deepfakes.
Real-Time Voice Deepfake Detection by IIT Kharagpur? That's amazing! My grandmother almost fell for a phone call scam where they used someone's cloned voice. These technologies can save so many from financial fraud. More public awareness campaigns needed on TV channels and radio.
The IT Rules amendment from February 2026? That's still a year away! What about the deepfakes circulating right now? We need immediate action, not just future promises. Also, how will intermediaries trace metadata without invading privacy? Bit of a grey area there.
Impressive scale with 6,650 workshops! But I'm curious about the 13 approved AI projects - are they open source? Collaborative development between academia and government is great, but transparency in AI governance is key. Also, multilingual material in India's languages is crucial.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.