The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in Hyderabad on Thursday said that a circular which was doing the rounds on social media with its letterhead, was fake. The fake letter claimed that semester exams in the university and all its affiliated institutes would not be held and that all students would be considered 'passed', as the academic year has been temporarily suspended in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Government of Telangana has issued orders and instructions stating that "All educational institutions should not to conduct exams & all the subjects applied by the students are passed (sic)," the fake circular stated.
In a clarification issued by the university, it said that letters and circulars which were published on the official website of the JNTUH (www.jntuh.ac.in) were authentic.
"Further, the students and parents of constituent and affiliated colleges of the university are cautioned not to trust the fake news which are available on social media and informed to verify the authenticity of any such news, either by visiting the official website of the university by contacting the principals of the respective colleges," the clarification stated.
The revised dates of semester exams shall be intimated after the lockdown period is over, the university added.
Reply from JNTUH pic.twitter.com/mFRxNRi2no
— Mohammed Wasif (@MohammedWasiff) April 1, 2020
The Telangana government has warned people against spreading fake news on social media without verification and said that strict action would be taken against those who were found to be doing so.
It has also warned that those found indulging in creating and spreading fake news could serve a jail-term of one year. It said that the admins of WhatsApp groups where such information was being circulated, would also be booked.
In a bid to counter misinformation about the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the state government on Thursday launched a dedicated website. The website (https://factcheck.telangana.
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