Govt summons Wikipedia execs after Arshdeep Singh's page entry changed

Wikipedia's page entry of India cricket team bowler Arshdeep Singh was changed to reflect an association with Khalistan

Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh (Photo: Twitter)
BS Web Team New Delhi
2 min read Last Updated : Sep 05 2022 | 2:50 PM IST
The IT ministry summoned executives of Wikipedia in India on Monday after cricketer Arshdeep Singh's page information was changed to reflect an association with Khalistan, The Economic Times reported.

Singh's Wikipedia page entry on Sunday was changed after India's loss to Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup. In Sunday's match, Singh dropped a catch of Pakistan batter Asif Ali, who went on to apply the finishing touches for Pakistan in their successful chase of 182 in a Super Four match.

The 23-year-old fast bowler was heavily criticised on Twitter following his drop. The change in Singh's Wikipedia page entry, which was subsequently restored, read that the left-arm pacer had been selected to play for the ‘Khalistani' national cricket team. An unregistered user had replaced the word India with Khalistani.

A high-level panel of the ministry, led by IT secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma, will meet Wikipedia executives today to question them on the checks and balances of edits being allowed on the website, and how modifications such as these could be allowed, reported ET.

“It is a serious issue. The edits have been traced back to servers in neighbouring countries and can cause serious damage to the internal peace and national safety of India. We will ask them (Wikipedia executives) how such an edit could be allowed to stay on for quite some time,” a senior government official told the newspaper.

While Wikipedia, which serves as a collaborative database, allows people to make changes in the articles and content entries, the website says that peers from all over the world review the edit. 

Great minds don’t just skim the surface, they uncover the full story.

Already subscribed? Log in

Subscribe to read the full story →

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

Topics :indian governmentWikipediaIndia vs PakistanAsia CupKhalistan issueIndia cricket teamTeam India

Next Story