Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed senior bureaucrats to evaluate a dedicated social media code of conduct for government personnel across all ranks.
The initiative addresses growing concerns over civil servants posting reels, videos, and personal opinions.
Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan communicated the action points emerging from the high-level secretaries' meeting.
New digital guidelines may soon govern public personnel across all ranks as the Centre is evaluating a formal social media framework to oversee online activity by administrative staff, PTI reported.
Civil servants face stricter digital scrutiny as top leadership reviewed the matter after personnel shared short clips, recordings and personal viewpoints across digital networks. Authorities are currently assessing explicit boundaries to regulate digital commentary and public uploads across departments.
The proposed code could set boundaries on social media posts or views that may be inappropriate, sensitive or inconsistent with official responsibilities.
Modi’s Directive On Rules
Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed top civil servants to evaluate formal online behaviour guidelines, The Times of India reported. The directive emerged during a recent interaction with departmental secretaries.
The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to fast-track rollout plans for the “Ek Bharat” portal. The unified digital system will deliver state services directly to citizens.
Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan detailed the discussion's key takeaways in a memo sent to civil servants this week, The Times of India reported. Authorities have yet to decide on the exact notification timeline or the specific curbs under the planned framework.
Officials’ Social Media Use
Online publicity by civil servants triggered the intervention. Staff members frequently publish short videos and digital recordings praising their administrative duties and official standing. Existing frameworks lack targeted rules for digital behaviour, making bespoke instructions necessary, official sources informed PTI.
New limits will define acceptable speech as the policy aims to restrict staff from sharing personal opinions or materials deemed sensitive, improper or contrary to their official duties.
Tighter Online Rules
Broader digital controls are already taking shape. Last month, the Centre shortened the compliance window for web platforms to delete “unlawful information” to three hours from 36 hours after receiving a valid order from a court or the administration.
Stricter curbs also target synthetic digital media. MeitY instructed intermediaries to attach distinct tags and trackable metadata to approved synthetic material, helping audiences identify computer-generated uploads. Updated IT frameworks further mandate web firms to educate account holders on penalties for sharing banned synthetic posts while enforcing tighter compliance duties.
