India, March 29 -- The Maharashtra government has decided to fact-check media reports and respond to the ones it finds misleading as soon as possible, according to a circular issued by the state's chief secretary, Sujata Saunik, on Friday. The decision was taken following the directives of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who appears to be rather cautious about the image of his government.

According to the circular, joint secretary or deputy secretary-level officers across all state departments will be tasked with responding to media houses with clarifications or factual reports about the stories the same day. The Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) has been asked to gather news reports that need clarificatio...