Fact-Checking Policy & Verification Standards

1. Combating Misinformation in Education

Educational beats in India face an epidemic of false notices circulating on instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Fake exam postponement notices, photoshopped admit card release dates, unauthorized fee hike rumors, and forged government advisories routinely cause panic among millions of students.

EduAdvice enforces a strict verification firewall: no story is published based solely on a social media forward or unauthenticated viral screenshot.

2. The Multi-Tier Verification Workflow

Every piece of news, analysis, or data published on EduAdvice passes through a systematic verification process:

Tier 1: Official Primary Source Verification

• Direct cross-referencing with authorized government web domains (.gov.in, .nic.in) and recognized university domains (.ac.in, .edu.in).
• Verification against official testing bodies including the National Testing Agency (NTA), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), and state examination boards.
• Inspection of public notices published on the Press Information Bureau (PIB) education desk.

Tier 2: Direct Institutional Inquiries

• When a notice or circular cannot be located on an official website, our journalists contact the university registrar, controller of examination, or public relations officer (PRO) directly.
• On-the-record or official written confirmations are sought before any breaking notice is transmitted.

Tier 3: Digital Forensics & Document Authentication

• Metadata & Formatting Inspection: Examining font anomalies, inconsistent dispatch numbers, mismatched letterheads, and digital compression artifacts that reveal manipulated PDFs or imagery.
• Reverse Image Search: Verifying whether images accompanying breaking campus news are recycled from past events or unrelated institutions.

3. Statistics, Rankings & Academic Data Integrity

When reporting on institutional rankings, graduate placement records, or academic accreditation, EduAdvice requires objective data provenance:

• National Rankings: Derived strictly from the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) approved by the Ministry of Education.
• Accreditation: Verified via the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) or National Board of Accreditation (NBA) public records.
• Placement Packages: Average and highest package figures must cite audited placement reports rather than unverified marketing claims.

4. Pre-Publication Editorial Checklist

Before any news article goes live, the reporter and desk editor must confirm:

5. Reader Fact-Check Submissions

If you come across a circular, notice, or social media post related to school exams, entrance tests, or college admissions and want EduAdvice to verify its authenticity, our fact-checking desk is available: