<span style="color: #000000;">Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has said that a transparent, timely and trust worthy flow of information furthers democracy and allows the citizens to take informed decisions. Mr Thakur said this while addressing the summit for Information and Democracy on the sidelines of the UNGA organised at the Consulate General of France, New York yesterday. <br />''<br />''He said, while the world is battling the pandemic, the task of combating the equally damaging Infodemic also presents a challenge to member States. It is important that the issue of Infodemic is addressed at the highest level.<br />''<br />''The Minister informed the gathering on the onslaught of misinformation faced by India during the COVID pandemic and said domestically, India faced a dual information challenge in the wake of the pandemic. On one end of the spectrum, the urban population faced the challenge of rapid spread of misleading and fake information through social media and other smart phone applications. On the other end, we had people in rural and remote areas, where last mile communication varied from region to region with multiple regional languages. <br />''<br />''Informing the audience about India's swift response to this infodemic, Mr Thakur said, the government responded to these challenges through swift and clear communication, based on science and facts. He said, ensuring regular and authentic flow of information has been an important policy component of the Indian response to counter misinformation, fake news and false narratives.</span><br />