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Electoral Bonds: BJP received more than twice the amount of donations than all the other political parties put together till 2019-20
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 13, 2021
Access here Comprehensive Data on Electoral Bonds (as of February 2024)
Data collated from the ‘Audited Annual Reports’ submitted by political parties to the ECI indicates that in the three years between 2017-18 and 2019-20, BJP received 68% of all the donations through ‘Electoral Bonds’, more than twice the amount received by all the other political parties put together. Anonymity of the EB donor remains the most contentious issue.
The XVII Phase of sale of ‘Electoral Bonds’ (EBs) was carried out during 01 and 10 July 2021 as a part of the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018.  As per the information received through an RTI filed with SBI, which is authorized by the Government of India to sell the EBs, a total of 465 EBs worth Rs.150.51 crores were sold and were completely redeemed by the political parties during this phase.
However, the information from SBI does not provide details of the political parties that have benefitted from these EBs. To ascertain the total quantity of EBs received & redeemed by a political party, one has to depend on the ‘Annual Audit reports’ submitted by the Political parties to the Election commission of India (ECI). In an earlier story, we highlighted the issue with the long delay in the submission of these reports by political parties. In other words, to know about the quantum of contribution received by political parties in 2019-20 (year ending March 2020), one had to wait till August 2021 which is almost 18 months after the end of 2019-20.
In fact, the greatest sale of EBs in 2019-20 was during April & May 2019 (coinciding with the Lok Sabha general elections) when EBs worth more than Rs. 3000 crores were redeemed. It is only after two full years that one is getting to know the beneficiary political party of these bonds.
For detailed data on Electoral Bonds sale, redemption, and political parties that received these bonds, go through our dedicated dashboard here.
Recently, India’s ruling party at the Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted its audited annual report for 2019-20. With this, all the recognized National Parties and most of the recognized State parties have submitted their audited annual reports for 2019-20 enabling the citizens to know the details of electoral bond beneficiaries in 2019-20.
In this story, we look at the trends in the receipt of these bonds and the political parties that benefitted most from this anonymous mode of contribution since its inception.
4 National Parties and 14 Recognized State parties benefitted from EBs in 2019-20
The number of political parties that received contributions through EBs has increased since the inception of the scheme. During the first year i.e., 2017-18, only two parties received donations through EBs. The two big national parties BJP & the Indian National Congress (INC) were the only beneficiaries in 2017-18.
In the following year 2018-19, two other national parties i.e., Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) & All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) received contributions in addition to BJP and INC taking the number of national parties that benefitted through EBs to four. Even in 2019-20, these four national parties have declared to have received contributions through EBs. Across these three years, none of the other three recognized National parties i.e., Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), CPI & CPI(M) have received any contributions through EBs as per their audited annual reports. Even the newest entrant in the national parties club, the National People’s Party, India (NPPI) has not disclosed any contribution through EBs.
In the case of recognized state parties, none of them received contributions via EBs in 2017-18 while seven of them received in 2018-19. These include the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Shiv Sena, Janata Dal (Secular) – JD(S), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) & Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF).
In 2019-20, the number of recognized state parties that received contributions through EBs doubled to reach 14. This includes 8 new parties – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Janata Dal (United) – JD(U), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP) & the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).  The SDF which received funding through the EBs in 2018-19, did not receive any in 2019-20.
More than 68% of the total value of EBs redeemed up to 2019-20 went to the BJP
The total value of EBs redeemed from 2017-18 to 2019-20 is Rs. 6.19 thousand crores. Out of this, the value of EBs redeemed by BJP is Rs. 4.21 thousand crores. This is more than double the total amount received through EBs by the rest of the political parties. In other words, more than 68% of the EBs redeemed during these three years went to the BJP. The other major national party & the chief opposition party, the INC received a total of Rs. 706 crores i.e., 11.4% of the total.
The two regional parties of BJD & TRS received the next highest amount of donations through EBs, followed by AITC & YSRCP. In 2018-19, which had 7 phases of the sale of EBs, BJP received 57% of the EBs, while INC received around 15%.
In 2019-20, BJP’s share in the total EBs redeemed that year increased to 74.5%, while that of INC fell to around 9%. Even in terms of absolute value, the donations via EBs to the BJP increased from about Rs. 1450 crores in 2018-19 to Rs. 2555 crores in 2019-20.
Among Recognized State parties, EBs went to a select few who are mostly the ruling parties
Data for the three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20 makes it amply clear that the ruling parties are the primary & large-scale beneficiaries of the EBs.  The BJP being the ruling party at the centre received a disproportionate 68% of all EBs redeemed in these three years, more than twice the amount received by all other political parties in the country.
Even among the other parties (national & state), the ruling parties were primary beneficiaries.
The INC being the major opposition party at Centre and the ruling party in a few states also received more than Rs. 700 crores in these three years.
The other national parties like the Trinamool Congress (AITC) & NCP are ruling parties or part of a ruling coalition in large states like West Bengal & Maharashtra. On the other side, parties like the BSP, CPI, CPI(M) are not in power anywhere except in Kerala where the left coalition is in power.
Since 2017-18, a total of 15 different recognized State parties have received donations through EBs. As per the information available with ECI, there are around 65 recognized State parties as of date. In other words, less than 30% of state parties received donations through EBs in the three-year period. In fact, a review of the beneficiary parties establishes the trend of ruling parties being the primary ones receiving EBs.
These trends clearly indicate that even at the state level, the ruling parties are principal beneficiaries of EBs compared to the others.
Substantial increase in the income of Political Parties after the introduction of EBs
A review of the ‘Audited Annual Reports’ submitted by the political Parties indicates a steep increase in the income of Political parties after the introduction of EBs.
In the case of BJP, the income in 2015-16 was Rs. 570.86 crores which increased to Rs. 3623 crores in 2019-20. In other words, the income of the BJP increased six times in five years. The income of INC also increased though not at the same rate and extent as BJP.
The Trinamool Congress (AITC) whose income was Rs. 34.58 crores in 2015-16 reported an income of Rs. 192.66 crores in 2018-19 & Rs. 143.68 crores in 2019-20.  This trend is similar across the other prominent recognized State parties. The BJD, TRS & YSRCP which are among the recognized State parties that received a higher value of EBs, also reported a substantial increase in income in 2018-19 and 2019-20 compared to 2015-16.
Even if 2014-15, the year of the previous Lok Sabha general elections is considered, there is a considerable increase in the income of most political parties in 2018-19 & 2019-20.
EBs are now the major contributor to Political parties substituting other modes
A closer scrutiny of the audit reports shows a clear shift in the type of contributions received by the Political Parties.
A review of other political parties also shows that the increase in income is due to EBs and there is also a shift from other forms of contributions to EBs. While this might look like a welcome trend that most donations are now through the banking system, it is just one anonymous form of donation replaced by another anonymous form with zero improvements in transparency.
The anonymity of the donor is still a contentious issue in the case of EBs
As highlighted earlier in the story, only a set of political parties are receiving contributions through the EBs. While BJP being the ruling party at the centre and in most states received a disproportionate amount of donations through EBs, a similar trend is observed across states where the ruling party benefitted from EBs.
As highlighted earlier, though the donations in the form of EBs are through the formal banking system, the most contentious issue of anonymity and hence zero transparency remains.
Further, the disproportionate sale of higher denomination EBs indicates that corporate donations could be the majority donations via EBs.
The lack of transparency on the source of donations raises serious questions on the nature of funding received by the political parties. Without the names of donors, it is impossible for the citizenry to know who is funding the political parties and if such donations are receiving any favours. While the Supreme Court is currently hearing this issue, it would be in the best interest of the country that the shield of anonymity surrounding electoral bonds is done away with. Parallelly, monthly information about the sale & names of donors of EBs must be made public.


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Electoral Bonds: Not a single bond of Rs 1000 & Rs 10000 sold even in July
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2018
Data obtained from SBI reveals that there was hardly any demand for electoral bonds of lower denomination even during the 4th cycle in July. Not a single bond in the denomination Rs 1000 & Rs 10000 was purchased in July.
The Electoral Bonds were first announced in the 2017-18 budget and the scheme was subsequently notified in January 2018. Factly had earlier written about the bonds, their impact on transparency etc.
Factly had also analysed the data obtained from the State Bank of India (SBI), the authorized bank to issue electoral bonds, about bonds purchased in the first three sale cycles in March, April & May 2018, to conclude that there was hardly any demand for electoral bonds of lower denomination. The latest data provided by SBI for the July cycle suggests that not a single electoral bond was purchased in the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 10000. In terms of the value of bonds purchased, 99.7% of the bonds in July were in the denomination of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore.
Not a single bond was sold in 6 cities in July 2018
The 4th cycle of the scheme was open from 02 July to 11 July in the SBI branches in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Jaipur, Lucknow & Jaipur. Among the 11 branches, bonds were purchased only in five (5) branches of New Delhi, Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Guwahati & Kolkata. Not a single bond was purchased in the rest of the six (6) branches. Both the number & the value of bonds purchased has reduced with each cycle. Compared to 520 bonds purchased in March 2018, only 82 bonds were purchased in July 2018. Even in terms of the total value, July accounted for only Rs 32.5 crore worth bonds compared to Rs 222 crore purchased in March.
In terms of value, more than 80% worth of bonds purchased in Mumbai & New Delhi
A total of 82 bonds worth Rs 32.5 crore were purchased in the July cycle, taking the total value of bonds purchased in the four cycles to Rs 470.8 crore. In terms of number of bonds purchased during the July cycle, Guwahati was on top with 34 bonds followed by 15 each in Delhi & Kolkata. Bonds were purchased for the first time in Guwahati branch. Out of the total 34 bonds purchased in Guwahati branch, 10 were of Rs 1 lakh denomination while the remaining 24 were of Rs 10 lakh denomination. In terms of the value, bonds worth Rs 15 crore were purchased in New Delhi, all in denomination of Rs 1 crore. Mumbai followed with bonds worth Rs 13 crore, all in denomination of Rs 1 crore. Delhi & Mumbai accounted for more than 80% of the bonds purchased in terms of value.
99.7% of bonds purchased (in terms of value) were in denomination of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore
Data for July 2018 indicates that the bonds of lower denomination were hardly in demand like in the other cycles, an indication that citizens may not be purchasing these bonds. Not a single bond was purchased in the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 10000. Out of the 82 bonds purchased, 10 were of Rs 1 lakh denomination, 44 were of Rs 10 lakh denomination and the remaining 28 were of Rs 1 crore denomination.  Together, bonds in the denomination of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore accounted for 99.7% of the bonds purchased in terms of value. It is highly likely that the Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore denomination are purchased by corporates than individuals.  There is no concrete information on the type of purchasers since SBI has refused to share such information.
Data from the first four cycles indicates no demand for lower denomination
Data of electoral bonds purchased in the months of March, April, May & July 2018 clearly indicates that there is no demand for bonds of lower denomination. In terms of value, bonds of Rs 1 crore denomination accounted for Rs 412 crore or 87.5% followed by bonds of Rs 10 lakh denomination that accounted for Rs 58.3 crore or 12.4%. Together, they have accounted for more than 99.9% of total value of bonds purchased till date. Even in terms of the number of bonds purchased, 995 out of the 1062 or 93.7% electoral bonds purchased till date are in the denomination of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore.

source: news-factly

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Electoral Bonds worth more than ₹ 350 crores purchased in January 2019
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 13, 2019
Like with the last two cycles of 2018,  January 2019 also witnessed heavy purchase of electoral bonds. As per data shared by SBI, bonds worth more than ₹350 crores were purchased in 9 cities in the ten days of January cycle. As is the case with past cycles, bonds in the denomination of ₹10 lakh & ₹1 crore accounted for 99.38% of the total amount.
The Electoral Bonds were first announced in the 2017-18 budget and the scheme was subsequently notified in January 2018. Factly had earlier written about the bonds, their impact on transparency etc.
In the year 2018, electoral bonds were on sale in six cycles (in March, April, May, July, October & November). The bonds were available for purchase only in 4 cities in the March cycle and were made available in 11 cities for the next 3 cycles. This was extended to 29 cities for both the October & November cycles.  Data suggests that bonds worth ₹1056 crores were purchased in the year 2018 out of which bonds worth ₹11.2 crores were not encashed.
Coming to the January 2019 cycle, data from SBI suggests that bonds worth more than ₹350 crores were purchased in nine (9) cities. As with other cycles, bonds in the denomination of ₹10 lakh & ₹1 crore accounted for 99.38% of the total amount even in January.
January 2019 sets the record for most number of bonds purchased
In January 2019, the electoral bond scheme was made available in 29 SBI branches across India covering almost all the states & UTs.  Among the 29 branches, bonds were purchased only in nine (9) branches. Not a single bond was purchased in the remaining twenty (20) branches. This was the third cycle in succession where bonds worth more than ₹150 crores were purchased.
A total of 937 bonds worth ₹350.36 crores were purchased in January 2019. This (937 bonds) is the most number of bonds purchased in any single cycle till date.  710 of these 937 bonds were in the denomination of ₹10 lakh & ₹1 crore. In terms of amount, bonds purchased in January 2019 are second only to bonds purchased in October 2018.
More than 50% of the bonds by amount purchased in Kolkata alone
A total of 937 bonds worth ₹356.36 crores were purchased in the January 2019 cycle, taking the total value of bonds purchased till date to  ₹1407.09 crores. In the January 2019 cycle, most number of bonds were purchased in Kolkata (397) followed by 155 in Hyderabad, 139 in Bhubaneshwar and 135 in Mumbai. These are the only four places where more than 100 bonds each were purchased.
In terms of value/amount, Kolkata was on the top where bonds worth ₹193.2 crores were purchased. In other words, Kolkata accounted for more than 50% of the value of bonds purchased in this cycle. Bhubaneshwar accounted for ₹38 crores worth bonds followed by Hyderabad where bonds worth ₹33.5 crores were purchased.
99.38% of bonds purchased (in terms of value) were in denomination of ₹ 10 lakh & ₹ 1 crore
Data for January 2019 indicates that only two bonds of  ₹1000 and ten bonds of ₹10000 denomination were purchased.  Out of the 937 bonds purchased in January 2019, 215 were of ₹1 lakh denomination, 402 were of ₹  10 lakh denomination and the remaining 308 were of  ₹1 crore denomination.  Together, bonds in the denomination of ₹  10 lakh & ₹  1 crore accounted for 99.38% of the bonds purchased in terms of value. It is highly likely that the Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore denomination are purchased by corporates and not individuals. However, there is no concrete information on the type of purchasers since SBI has time & again refused to share such information.
Data of bonds purchased till date suggests no demand for lower denomination
Data of electoral bonds purchased till date (seven cycles) clearly indicates that there is no demand for bonds of lower denomination. In terms of value, bonds of  ₹1 crore denomination accounted for  ₹1258 crores or 89.4% followed by bonds of  ₹10 lakh denomination that accounted for  ₹ 145.9 crore or 10.37%. Together, they accounted for over 99.8% of total value of bonds purchased till date. Even in terms of the number of bonds purchased, 2717 out of the 3071 or 88.5% of the bonds purchased till date are in the denomination of  ₹10 lakh and  ₹1 crore.
Every bond purchased in January 2019 encashed except ₹1000
Except for a bond worth ₹1000, every other bond purchased in January 2019 was encashed by political parties. Most bonds (₹214 crores) were encashed in New Delhi followed by ₹48 crores in Bhubaneshwar,₹33.3 crores in Mumbai, ₹29.5 crores in Hyderabad and ₹25.55 crores in Kolkata. While bonds were purchased in 9 different places, they were encashed in only 5 places. It is quite possible that the bonds encashed in New Delhi were by National parties while those in the other places by regional parties.

created: February 13, 2019


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Electoral Bonds worth more than ₹ 400 crores purchased in just 10 days of the October cycle
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 16, 2018
Data obtained from SBI indicates heavy purchase of electoral bonds in the fifth cycle that was open between 01st & 10th October 2018. Bonds worth more than ₹ 400 crores were purchased in 11 cities in the ten days of October cycle. Bonds in the denomination of ₹ 10 lakh & ₹ 1 crore accounted for 99.89% of the bonds purchased in terms of value.
The Electoral Bonds were first announced in the 2017-18 budget and the scheme was subsequently notified in January 2018. Factly had earlier written about the bonds, their impact on transparency etc.
Factly had also analysed the data obtained from the State Bank of India (SBI), the authorized bank to issue electoral bonds, about bonds purchased in the first four sale cycles in March, April, May & July 2018, to conclude that there was hardly any demand for electoral bonds of lower denomination. The latest data provided by SBI for the October cycle suggests heavy purchase of electoral bonds in this cycle that was open between 01st & 10th October 2018. Bonds worth more than ₹ 400 crores were purchased in 11 cities in the ten days of October cycle. As with other cycles, bonds in the denomination of ₹ 10 lakh & ₹ 1 crore accounted for 99.89% of the bonds purchased in terms of value even in the October cycle.
Not a single bond was purchased in 18 branches in October 2018
October 2018 was the first month when the electoral bond scheme was made available in 29 SBI branches across India covering almost all the states & UTs.  Among the 29 branches, bonds were purchased only in eleven (11) branches. Not a single bond was purchased in the rest of the eighteen (18) branches. This was the first month when the number of bonds purchased and the amount increased substantially compared to the other cycles. This could be due to general elections to five (5) state assemblies in November & December. The sixth cycle of sale of bonds is already complete in the first 10 days of November.
A total of 733 bonds worth ₹ 401.7 crores were purchased in October. This is the highest ever purchase of the bonds since the inception of the scheme. The previous highest was 520 bonds purchased in the inaugural cycle of March 2018. In fact, 46% of all the bonds purchased in terms of amount till date were purchased in October alone.
In terms of value, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad & Delhi account for more than 75% of the bonds
A total of 733 bonds worth ₹ 401.7 crores were purchased in the October cycle, taking the total value of bonds purchased in the four cycles to ₹ 872.53 crores. In the October cycle, most number of bonds were purchased in Mumbai (173) followed by Kolkata (169) and Hyderabad (137). These are the only three branches where more than 100 bonds each were purchased. In addition to these three branches, more than 50 bonds were purchased in Bhubaneshwar & New Delhi. While assembly general elections are due in five states, only the Hyderabad branch in Telangana saw heavy purchase of the bonds followed by Jaipur in Rajasthan & Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Not a single bond was purchased in Bhopal branch of Madhya Pradesh and the Aizwal branch of Mizoram though elections are due in these two states as well.
In terms of value, Mumbai was again ahead where bonds worth ₹ 150.7 crores were purchased followed by Kolkata where bonds worth ₹ 62.6 crores were purchased. In Hyderabad where the sale of bonds took place for the first time in October, bonds worth ₹ 47.9 crores were purchased. In terms of value, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad & Delhi accounted for more than 75% of the bonds purchased in October.
99.89% of bonds purchased (in terms of value) were in denomination of ₹ 10 lakh & ₹ 1 crore
Data for October 2018 indicates that the bonds of lower denomination were hardly in demand like in the other cycles, an indication that citizens may not be purchasing these bonds. Of the lower denominations, only 5 bonds of ₹ 1000 and two bonds of ₹ 10000 were purchased in the October cycle. Out of the 733 bonds purchased in October, 43 were of ₹  1 lakh denomination, 313 were of ₹  10 lakh denomination and the remaining 370 were of   ₹  1 crore denomination.  Together, bonds in the denomination of ₹  10 lakh & ₹  1 crore accounted for 99.89% of the bonds purchased in terms of value. It is highly likely that the Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore denomination are purchased by corporates than individuals.  There is no concrete information on the type of purchasers since SBI has refused to share such information.
Data from all the cycles till October indicates no demand for lower denomination
Data of electoral bonds purchased in all the cycles till October clearly indicates that there is no demand for bonds of lower denomination. In terms of value, bonds of  ₹ 1 crore denomination accounted for  ₹ 782 crore or 89.6% followed by bonds of  ₹ 10 lakh denomination that accounted for  ₹ 89.6 crore or 10.3%. Together, they have accounted for close to 99.9% of total value of bonds purchased till date. Even in terms of the number of bonds purchased, 1678 out of the 1795 or 93.5% electoral bonds purchased till date are in the denomination of  ₹ 10 lakh and  ₹ 1 crore.

created: November 16, 2018


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Electoral (Voter) slips, not fake ID cards, were found during the police raids in Bengaluru - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 29, 2019
Many Facebook users are sharing a post with videos alleging that a huge racket involved in preparing fake voter ID cards for Muslim voters was busted in Bengaluru. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Police busted a racket in Bengaluru that involved in the preparation of fake voter ID cards for muslim voters and arrested Youth Congress National Secretary Ibrahim.
Fact: The police during their raids at Prabhat Complex in Bengaluru seized electoral voter slips from a group, not fake voter ID card. So, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When searched on YouTube with keywords ‘Fake Voter ID Card Racket in Bengaluru’ for any such incident, the coverage of India Today  dated April 15, 2019 can be found. According to the article, voter ID slips were found from an alleged gang in Prabhat Complex in Bengaluru.  As per the Election Commission rules, it is not illegal to print voter slips without any party symbol on it. On looking for further information regarding the incident, an article from Deccan Chronicle dated April 17, 2019 was found. In the article, it is clear that CEO of Karnataka Sanjeev Kumar had clarified regarding the items that were found by the local Police and Election commission flying squad during the raids. He disclosed that voter slips with the symbol of Congress party were found and a case was booked on Congress worker Ibrahim as it was not legal.
To sum it up, voter ID slips with the symbol of Congress party were found from the Prabhat complex raids and a case was booked on Congress worker Ibrahim. The items found were not voter IDs as alleged in the post.


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Electricity charges are the same for any place of worship in Telangana and Tamil Nadu - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 20, 2022
Update (20 October 2022):
Another post which states that while ordinary citizens and temples are charged electricity at Rs. 7.85 per unit, mosques and churches are charged Rs. 1.85 per unit is being shared widely in Telangana.
However, as per Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission tariff order, there is no distinction between electricity charges among any of the religious places. All wholly religious places (namely Churches, Temples, Mosques, Gurudwaras) are charged at Rs. 6.40/unit (for load upto 2 kW), and Rs. 7.00/unit (for load above 2 kW).
Published (20 May 2022):
An infographic titled ‘Electricity Charges for Religious Places in Tamil Nadu’ is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Temples are charged at Rs. 8/unit whereas Mosques and Churches are charged at Rs. 2.85/unit. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
The electricity charges in Tamil Nadu for Temples is Rs. 8/unit whereas the same for Mosques and Churches is Rs. 2.85/unit.
Fact: All the places of worship are charged the same tariff rate. It can be seen in various orders that there is no religious discrimination in the electricity tariff rate in Tamil Nadu. Also, the Tamil Nadu Electricity officials have clarified to FACTLY that the viral message is wrong. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the information on the ‘Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC)’ website, the details related to electricity tariff were found in an order released for the 2019-20 financial year. In the order, the term ‘Actual Places of Public Worship’ was mentioned and there was no separate mention of different religious places. For every two months, the places of public worship are charged a fixed amount of Rs. 120 and for every unit till 120 units, they are charged at Rs. 2.85/unit (actual – Rs. 5.75/unit and govt. subsidy – Rs. 2.90/unit). For electricity consumption beyond 120 units, the tariff is Rs. 5.75/unit (no subsidy). The details regarding the total amount of subsidy can be also seen in the TNERC order. They have estimated around Rs. 16.30 crore subsidy to the places of public worship for the year 2019-20.
The above-mentioned details are related to ‘Low Tension Supply’. If the places of public worship have ‘High Tension Supply’, then the tariff rates change. Those rates can also be seen on the ‘Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO)’ website. Also, when a request was made in 2006 to give concessions to some temples, an order was passed to give concessions to all the places of worship based on their income.
When FACTLY contacted Tamil Nadu electricity department, they have also clarified that the tariff is not different for different places of worship. They have also mentioned that the viral message is wrong.
To sum it up, the electricity charges are the same for any place of worship in Tamil Nadu.
Update (MARCH 05, 2021):
It has been brought to our notice that, in response to an RTI application, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has responded that, though Hindu temples registered under Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department are charged at the same rate as other religious places, Hindu temples which are not under HR&CE are charged at commercial rates. We at Factly have also filed an RTI with TANGEDCO seeking further information, and this article will be updated as and when we receive a relevant response.
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created: October 20, 2022


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Eligibility Criteria under 'Ayushman Bharat' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 27, 2018
Given below is the eligibility criteria under ‘Ayushman Bharat’
‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme uses the deprivation conditions in SECC (Socio Economic & Caste Census) as eligibility criteria. In rural areas, households must belong to one of the six listed deprivation criteria. Some categories of households in rural areas are automatically included. In urban areas, the households must belong to one of the eleven (11) listed occupational categories.
Ayushman Bharat covers the entire household without any cap on the family size or age. But all those households who fulfill any of the following 14 exclusion criteria as per SECC are automatically excluded and hence not eligible for Ayushman Bharat.

created: September 27, 2018


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Elon Musk is now the CEO of Twitter; No evidence to suggest Sriram Krishnan will be named new CEO - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 3, 2022
In the context of Elon Musk firing top executives of Twitter after acquiring the company , a post is being widely shared claiming that the Indian origin Sriram Krishnan will be appointed as new Twitter CEO. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Sriram Krishnan will be the new CEO of Twitter.
Fact: According to media reports and security filings, Elon Musk is now the sole director and CEO of the Twitter after completing its acquisition in October 2022. Sriram Krishnan is an Indian-born American investor and technologist. He is now helping Elon Musk with Twitter temporarily with some other people. No reports suggest that Sriram will become new CEO of Twitter. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to the Times of India, after acquiring popular social media platform twitter for $44 billion and becoming its owner in October 2022, he fired then Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and other top officials.
Also, as per report by Reuters on 01 November 2022, Elon Musk will now serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter. In securities filings, Musk named himself as sole director and CEO of Twitter.
Who is Sriram Krishnan?
According to Indian Express, Sriram Krishnan is an Indian-born American investor who held several managerial positions at Twitter, Yahoo, Facebook etc,. Sriram also hosts a show called ‘The Good Times Show’ in which he and his wife Aarthi talk to leading builders and CEOs. On 31 October, he tweeted that he is helping out Elon Musk with Twitter temporarily with some other people. Moreover, there are no reports to suggest that Sriram Krishnan will be made the CEO of Twitter.
Now that the word is out: I’m helping out @elonmusk with Twitter temporarily with some other great people.
I ( and a16z) believe this is a hugely important company and can have great impact on the world and Elon is the person to make it happen. pic.twitter.com/weGwEp8oga
To sum it up, Elon Musk is the new CEO of Twitter now. There is no evidence to suggest that Sriram Krishnan will become new CEO.

created: November 3, 2022


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Emanuel Eminiki has neither married Miss Nigeria 2017 nor married Miss Nigeria 2018 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 22, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook by many users claiming that Emanuel Eminiki, a Nigerian football player, divorced one Miss Nigeria to marry another Miss Nigeria. Even Indian cricketer, Virender Sehwag has shared a similar post on his Twitter account. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Emanuel Eminiki divorced Miss Nigeria 2017 and married Miss Nigeria 2018
Fact: Emanuel Eminiki has married Iheoma Nnadi in 2018. She was the winner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria contest in 2014, not Miss Nigeria. Eminiki has never married before this wedding. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the wedding of Emanuel Eminiki on Google, it was found that similar posts were shared on various platforms with different years. According to the Pulse article, Eminiki was never married before his wedding with Iheoma Nnadi.  They got married last year in May but before that, they had a daughter in 2017. Also, Iheoma Nnadi was not Miss Nigeria 2017 or 2018 but she was the winner of the ‘Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria’ contest in 2014. This all started with the post of Reekado Banks, a Nigerian Singer, which was deleted later after a serious reply from Eminiki to remove the post.
In fact, both the pictures in the post are from the pre-wedding shoot of Emanuel Eminiki and Iheoma Nnadi. They are available on the official account of the Photographer’s Facebook page. These pictures were also reported by multiple african news outlets here and here.
Finally, Emanuel Eminiki has neither married Miss Nigeria 2017 nor married Miss Nigeria 2018.


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While EMMC reports thousands of violations by TV Channels, Government takes action in a handful
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 4, 2016
EMMC setup under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting reported thousands of violations of various media laws by TV channels. As per the latest information provided by the government, action was taken in just 88 such cases.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has reportedly ordered NDTV India to go off air for a day in breach of program code. But it is one of the rare instances where action has been taken by the MIB. Factly had earlier reported that thousands of violations of Media laws by Television Channels were reported by the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre. It is now revealed that the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has taken action in only a handful of cases since 2013 (88 to be precise).
The EMMC reported hundreds of violations in various categories including violation of the Cineatograph act, the advertisement code and the program code for private TV channels.
Violation of Cinematograph Act
EMMC reported hundreds of violations for each month in 2014-15 with respect to screening of films, for example, non-display of Censor certificate before screening of films, non-indication of Censor rating as part of film promos which are otherwise cognizable and non-bailable offences under section 7(1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
A total of 8467 violations were reported in this category for the year 2014-15. Highest number of violations was in June 2014 and the lowest in December 2014.
Violation of Advertisement Code
As far as violations regarding advertisements are concerned, during the financial year 2014-15 alone,
Rule 7(10) of the said rules read thus:
“All advertisement should be clearly distinguishable from the programme and should not in any manner interfere with the programme viz., use of lower part of screen to carry captions, static or moving alongside the programme.“
What is EMMC?
Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) was established in 2008 as a sub-ordinate office under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting with the exclusive task of monitoring content of private satellite TV channels for violations of Programme Code and Advertising Code.  At present, EMMC records and monitors around 600 TV channels. EMMC monitors and carries out a scrutiny of violations by electronic media in accordance with Codes framed under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995. EMMC puts out reports on violations along with the recorded clips to the Scrutiny Committee, which examines and goes into the purported violations and forwards its findings to the Inter-Ministerial Committee and other bodies for further action.
Government takes action only in a handful of cases
Out of the thousands of violations reported by the EMMC, the government has taken action only in a handful (88 to be precise) since 2013. This information was shared by the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting in the Rajya Sabha. The action against NDTV India was taken in the light of an advisory issued by the MIB in July 2015 that talks about coverage of anti-terrorist operations by security forces.
The  details  of  action  taken  against  the  content  telecast  on  private  satellite  TV  channels in violation of the Programme and Advertising Codes since 2013 is given below.
Names of TV Channels:
YEAR 2013:
YEAR 2014:
YEAR 2015:
YEAR 2016:
Featured Image: TV Channels

created: November 4, 2016


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Empowering Local Governments – Kerala tops the list - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 6, 2016
Empowering local governments both in the Urban & Rural areas has been on the agenda for most governments. The 73rd & 74th amendments to the constitution have laid down the specific list of functions that can be transferred to the local governments. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj conducts an annual study, the Panchayat Devolution Index (PDI) to rank the states based on the status of devolution. Kerala has topped the list in 2014-15.
The 73rd amendment to the constitution is aimed at empowering rural local bodies (District, Block & Village Panchayats). This amendment put the onus of transferring 29 different functions as listed in article 243G, to the rural local bodies, on the state governments. More than 20 years after the amendment, think still look bleak with most states not transferring these functions to the local governments.
The Panchayat Devolution Index (PDI)
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj of Government of India has been conducting the annual study on The Panchayat Devolution Index (PDI) since 2006. The study is undertaken to assess where each State stands in the matter of devolution of powers to the Panchayati Raj Institution (PRIs) or the rural local bodies. The annual study looks at where the states stand in devolution of powers to the PRIs in terms of the 3Fs
The annual study for 2014-15 was undertaken by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The study came up with two different indices for all the levels.
The DPo took into consideration the following indicators
The DPr on the other hand had indicators looking at actual practice. The study also included field trips to various institutions. The study was undertaken in 25 different states.
Kerala tops the list in all indices
As per the PDI report for 2014-15, Kerala tops the list on all the indices of the study. Apart from the 3Fs, the study also looked at IGT (Infrastructure, Governance & Transparency).
Kerala topped the overall Devolution in Policy (DPo) rankings. Kerala was found as the front runner in all the parameters except funds. Karnataka was the best in transferring adequate funds to the PRIs.  Karnataka came second and Maharashtra came third. While Sikkim was found doing well in transferring functions, it ranked low on other parameters.
The Devolution in Practice (DPr), is more of a ranking based on actual implementation. In DPr, Kerala topped in all the parameters. Sikkim came second on overall DPr while Karnataka was third.
Difference in Ranking between various tiers of PRIs
The study also revealed an interesting facet with respect to the devolution process. There were stark differences in devolution between various tiers of PRIs. In 10 states, the District Panchayats were ranked better than the Gram Panchayats while in 11 other states, this was the exact opposite. Only in Kerala, Odisha & Arunachal Pradesh, there was no difference in the ranking of DPs & GPs. The difference was stark in Punjab, Bihar, Tamilnadu & Chhattisgarh.
Featured Image:[CC BY 3.0], via Wikimapia

created: January 6, 2016


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Encouraging Dalit Entrepreneurs – 28 Entrepreneurs to receive 104.7 Cr from Venture Capital Fund for SCs
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 30, 2015
The then Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram announced the setting up of the Venture Capital fund for promoting Dalit Entrepreneurs in his budget speech in February 2014. The fund was set up with 200 crore rupees and was launched in January 2015. So far, 28 entrepreneurs from 10 different states have been sanctioned funding to the extent of 104.7 crore.
We haven’t often seen the BJP and the Congress working together on a policy in the last 18 odd months.  But this is one initiative, where the BJP launched what is essentially an idea proposed by the Congress in their budget speech in 2014. In the last budget of the UPA-II government, the then Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced setting up of a venture capital fund for Scheduled Castes(SCs) with an initial capital of 200 crore rupees. The fund would be set up by The Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) to promote entrepreneurship among the SCs. The NDA has made a similar allocation for this fund in its 2015-16 budget.
The Venture Capital Fund for SCs
The fund was setup after the budget announcement. Several melas & advertisements were issued by the government after launching the fund in January 2015. Interested entrepreneurs were asked to apply online with all the required details to be considered for funding. Funding is extended for projects in the manufacturing and services sector ensuring asset creation. The venture capital fund would select those projects that have at least 60% stake holding by Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs for the past 12 months with management control. The investment size could be anywhere from 0.5 crore to 15 crore and the assistance would not be more than two times the current net worth of the company. Women entrepreneurs would be given preference as per the fund guidelines.
28 Projects Sanctioned till December 2015
Till December 2015, a total of 28 projects were sanctioned funding, with a total funding of 104.7 crore rupees. The funding size ranged from as low as 0.52 crore to as high as 15 crore.
Among the states, Maharashtra topped the list with nine (9) entrepreneurs, followed by Telangana with four (4), Tamilnadu & Delhi with three (3) each. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat & Punjab had two(2) entrepreneurs each. A total of 10 states figured in the list of these 28 projects selected for funding.
Equal distribution of Manufacturing & Services Projects
Out of the 28 projects selected for funding so far, 13 are in the manufacturing sector, 12 in the services sector and the remaining three in the solar power generation. Seven of the nine projects from Maharashtra are in the services sector. All the three projects in the solar power area are from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Four of the 28 projects were in the healthcare sector with one manufacturing generic medicines and the other ayurvedic medicines. Only one idea is in the e-commerce sector for gift card.
Featured Image:http://pibphoto.nic.in/photo/2015/Dec/l2015122975056.jpg

created: December 30, 2015


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ఆపిల్ గింజల వల్ల విష ప్రయోగం జరగాలంటే చాలా ఎక్కువ మోతాదులో గింజలను తినవలసి ఉంటుంది - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 24, 2023
ఆస్ట్రేలియాలో నివసిస్తున్న ఒక భారతీయ మహిళ, ప్రియుడితో కలిసి తన భర్తకు పిండిచేసిన ఆపిల్ విత్తనాలను ఇచ్చి చంపేసింది అని ఒక పోస్టు షేర్ చేయబడుతోంది. అంతే కాకుండా ఆపిల్ విత్తనాలలో అమిగ్డాలిన్ అనే సమ్మేళనం ఉంటుంది, వాటిని నమిలినప్పుడు లేదా జీర్ణమైనప్పుడు సైనైడ్ గా మారుతుంది, అది చాలా విషపూరితం, ఇంకా 4-5 మోతాదులలో ప్రాణాంతకం అని ఈ పోస్ట్ క్లెయిమ్ చేస్తుంది. ఇందులో ఎంత నిజం ఉందో చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: ఆస్ట్రేలియాలో నివసించే ఒక భారతీయ మహిళ, తన ప్రియుడితో కలిసి తన భర్తకు పిండి చేసిన ఆపిల్ విత్తనాలను ఇచ్చి చంపింది. ఆపిల్ విత్తనాలలో సైనైడ్  విడుదల చేసే అమిగ్డాలిన్ అనే సమ్మేళనం ఉంటుంది.
ఫాక్ట్: కేరళకు చెందిన ఆస్ట్రేలియాలో నివసించే మహిళ తన ప్రియుడితో కలిసి తన భర్తకు సైనైడ్ కలిపిన నారింజ రసం/ఆరంజ్ జ్యూస్ తాగించి చంపింది, ఆపిల్ గింజల పిండి ఇచ్చి కాదు. పోస్టులో చెప్పినట్టు ఆపిల్ గింజలలో అమిగ్డాలిన్ అనే పదార్థం ఉంటుంది, వాటిని నమిలినప్పుడు లేదా అది  జీర్ణమైనప్పుడు హైడ్రోజన్ సైనైడ్ ను విడుదల చేస్తుంది. కానీ ఈ సైనైడ్ వల్ల విష ప్రయోగం జరిగేందుకు 85 నుండి అనేక వందల పిండిచేసిన గింజలను (ఆపిల్ రకాన్ని బట్టి) తినవలసి ఉంటుంది. కావున, పోస్టులో చేసిన క్లెయిమ్ తప్పుదోవ పట్టించే విధంగా ఉంది.
ముందుగా, వైరల్ పోస్టులో చెప్పిన విధంగా ఆస్ట్రేలియాలో నివసించే భారతీయులకు సంబంధించిన హత్య గురించి ఇంటర్నెట్లో వెతకగా, పోస్టులో చెప్పిన సంఘటన గురించి కొన్ని వార్త కథనాలు లభించాయి (ఇక్కడ, ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ). పత్రికలలో ఇచ్చిన సమాచారం ప్రకారం, 2015లో  మెల్బోర్న్ లో నివసిస్తున్న కేరళకు చెందిన సోఫియా, తన ప్రియుడు అరుణ్ కమలాసనన్, సోఫియా భర్త సామ్ అబ్రహంను సైనైడ్ కలిపిన ఆరంజ్ జ్యూస్ తాగించి చంపినట్టు మరియు వారిద్దరికీ 20 ఏళ్లకు పైగా జైలు శిక్ష పడినట్టు స్పష్టమయింది. వీరు ఆపిల్ గింజల పిండి ఇచ్చి చంపలేదు.
తరువాత, ఆపిల్ గింజలలో సైనైడ్ ఉంటుందా అని ఇంటర్నెట్లో వెతకగా, కొన్ని ఆర్టికల్స్ ద్వారా (ఇక్కడ, ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ) ఆపిల్ పండ్ల గింజలలో అమిగ్డాలిన్ అనే కాంపౌండ్ ఉంటిందని తెలిసింది. ఈ గింజలు జీర్ణ రసాయనాలను విరోధించే బలమైన బయటి పొరను కలిగి ఉంటాయి. వీటిని నమిలితే అమిగ్డలీన్ శరీరంలో విడుదలై జీర్ణ ఎంజైమ్లతో సంబంధంలోకి వచ్చినప్పుడు సైనైడ్ ను ఉత్పత్తి చేస్తుంది. కానీ శరీరంలో ఎంజైమ్ల ద్వారా చిన్న మొత్తాలను డీటాక్సిఫై చేయవచ్చు.
ఎంత మోతాదులో తీసుకుంటే సైనైడ్ ప్రాణాంతకం అని వెతకగా, 1-2 mg మోతాదు సైనైడ్ ప్రాంణాంతకం అని, ఆ మోతాదులో ఒక శరీరంలోకి ఆపిల్ విత్తనాల ద్వారా సైనైడ్ వెళ్లాలంటే ఆపిల్ రకాన్ని బట్టి కనీసం 85 లేదా 200 (ఆపిల్ రకాన్ని బట్టి) పైగా ఆపిల్ విత్తనాలు నమలాల్సి ఉంటుంది అని తెలిసింది.
చివరగా, ఆస్ట్రేలియాలో నివసించే భారతీయ మహిళ, ప్రియుడితో కలిసి నారింజ రసంలో సైనైడ్ కలిపి ఇచ్చి చంపింది. ఆపిల్ గింజల వల్ల విష ప్రయోగం జరగాలంటే చాలా ఎక్కువ మోతాదులో గింజలను తినవలసి ఉంటుంది.


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మోదీ కోల్‌కతా విమానాశ్రయంలో దిగిన తర్వాత మమతా బెనర్జీ కూడా ఆయన్ని నమస్కారంతో స్వాగతించారు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 26, 2020
ఒక ఫోటో ని ఫేస్బుక్ లో పోస్టు చేసి ప్రధాన మంత్రి  నరేంద్ర మోదీ  కోల్‌కతా విమానాశ్రయంలో దిగిన తర్వాత పశ్చిమ బెంగాల్ ముఖ్యమంత్రి మమతా బెనర్జీ కి ఆయన నమస్కరిస్తున్నప్పటికి కూడా ఆమె ప్రతి నమస్కారం చేయకుండా పొగరుగా చూస్తున్నారని చెప్తూ చాలా మంది పోస్టు చేస్తున్నారు. ప్రధాని మోడీ పశ్చిమ బెంగాల్ లో ‘అంపన్’ తుపాను వల్ల జరిగిన విధ్వంసాన్ని  సమీక్ష చేయడానికి ఇటీవల ఆ రాష్ట్రానికి వెళ్ళారు. ఆ పోస్ట్ లో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో చూద్దాం.
కోల్‌కతా విమానాశ్రయంలో మోదీ దిగిన తర్వాత మమతా బెనర్జీ ఆయనకి  నమస్కరించలేదు.
ఫాక్ట్ (నిజం): ఫోటో ఇద్దరు నాయకులు ఒకరికి ఒకరు నమస్కారం చేసుకోవడం కంటే ముందు తీసినది. మోదీ కోల్‌కతా విమానాశ్రయంలో దిగిన సందర్భం లో తీసిన వీడియో లో మమతా బెనర్జీ ఆయనకీ నమస్కరించిన్నట్లుగా చూడవచ్చు. కావున పోస్టు లో చెప్పింది తప్పు.
యూట్యూబ్ లో కీవర్డ్స్ తో వెతికినప్పుడు, ప్రధాని మోదీ పశ్చిమ బెంగాల్ లో ‘అంపన్’ తుపాను వల్ల జరిగిన విధ్వంసాన్ని సమీక్ష  చేయడానికి కోల్‌కతా విమానాశ్రయంలో దిగిన వీడియో లభించింది. ‘ANI News Official’ వారు తమ యూట్యూబ్ చానెల్ లో అప్లోడ్ చేసిన ఆ వీడియో లో మోదీ మరియు మమత బెనర్జీ ఒకరికి ఒకరు నమస్కారం చేసుకున్నట్లుగా చూడవచ్చు. కావున ఫోటో ఇద్దరు నాయకులు ఒకరికి ఒకరు నమస్కారం చేసుకోవడం కంటే ముందు తీసినది.
చివరగా, మోదీ కోల్‌కతా విమానాశ్రయంలో దిగిన తర్వాత మమతా బెనర్జీ కూడా ఆయన్ని నమస్కారంతో స్వాగతించారు.
‘మీకు తెలుసా’ సిరీస్ లో మా వీడియోస్ మీరు చూసారా?


text:
No, Elon Musk is not associated with this quantum trading platform. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 27, 2023
A social media post accompanying a video which claims that Elon Musk has started a trading platform using quantum & AI technologies is being widely circulated. The video claims that one can quadruple their money by investing 250 dollars. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Elon Musk started a new trading platform using quantum and AI technologies.
Fact: Elon Musk did not start or invest in any trading platform which uses quantum & AI technologies. There is no such information or any media reports in this regard. Moreover, the website of the alleged platform does not appear to be convincing. There is no sufficient information (like the founders/investors, where it is based at, etc.) available on the website. Further, the website carries a digitally edited video of Elon Musk presenting the Quantum AI platform whereas the visuals are actually from Elon Musk’s presentation at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide in 2017.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to the viral video, Elon Musk started a trading platform which uses Quantum AI technology. Given the stature of Elon Musk, the media would report any product launch or an investment made by him. However, we did not find any such reports of him starting a trading platform developed using AI/Quantum technology.
Dubious Website:
The viral video carries a watermark which reads ‘QuantumAI’. Taking a cue from this, a Google search led us to a website with this name. The website description reads ‘the Quantum AI investments app is a trading platform used for cryptocurrency trading. It allows the users to work their way through the market and earn money from the investment they’ve made in the app.’
Similar to the claim made in the viral video, the description on the website also says that the minimal initial deposit is $ 250. However, the information available on the website does not appear to be convincing. There is no credible information about the organization, like founders, investors and where it is based, etc.
Further, the website declares Microsoft, IBM & OpenAI as their partners. But we could not find any official information or media reports about these companies investing or working with QuantumAI. Moreover, the website carries a video in which Elon Musk can be seen making a presentation about the trading platform (Quantum AI) developed using quantum technology. However, upon the reverse image search, we found that the visuals are extracted from Elon Musk’s presentation at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, in 2017 (here & here). In this speech, Musk spoke about his space company ‘Space X’ plans to land an unmanned spaceship on Mars.
Visuals from this presentation are digitally edited to appear as if Elon Musk’s presentation is about a quantum trading platform. In fact, the audio does not sound like Elon Musk. It seems like someone mimicked him. Hence, all this evidence establishes that it is a dubious website, trying to con users.
To sum it up, Elon Musk is not associated with this quantum trading platform.

created: January 27, 2023


text:
The two sets of numbers shown in this video are different - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 30, 2023
A video showing an alleged number trick is being widely shared on social media claiming that among the given set of numbers, it can detect the number chosen by a user in his mind. The post further adds that scientists are not able to explain this scenario to date. Let’s verify the claim made in this post.
Claim: A number trick to detect any number chosen by user in his mind.
Fact: The first set of numbers is completely different from the second set shown at the end of the video. This indicates that no matter which number the user chooses, it will not be part of the second set. Since this trick couldn’t read the mind, as claimed, this post is MISLEADING.
At the beginning of the video,  user is asked to pick a number from the given set of 12 numbers and at the end of the video, 11 numbers are displayed stating that the number chosen by the user was detected and removed. However, upon careful observation, one can see that the initial set of numbers is completely different from the second set. This indicates that no matter which number the user chooses, it will not be present in the second set.
To sum it up, the first set of numbers shown in the video is different from the second set.

created: January 30, 2023


text:
This letter seeking money from landowners on the pretext of installing Mobile towers is a Fraudulent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 25, 2023
A letter issued in the name of ‘Hindustan Tower Pvt Ltd’ and carrying TRAI logo is being shared on social media. The letter states that the said company is ready to install a cell phone tower at the user’s site and will pay him a sum of ₹40 lakhs and monthly rent of ₹25,000 but only after receiving a sum of ₹10,500 from the user for commercial registration of the land. A similar image is received by FACTLY from a user for verification. Let’s check the authenticity of the document.
Claim: TRAI approval letter for installation of cell phone tower seeking money from the landowner for commercial registration of land
Fact: This is a fraudulent letter. Neither TRAI nor DoT is involved in the installation of mobile towers. Licensed Telecom Service Providers (TSP) and Infrastructure Providers (IP-1), who are responsible for mobile tower installations,  usually do not ask for money from the property owner. Several people from across the country have lost money by believing in such fake offers. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE
An internet search with the relevant keywords led us to a tweet by PIB Factcheck regarding the same letter. In the accompanying video, PIB confirmed that the letter is FAKE.
Have you also received similar 5G/4G tower installation messages, emails, or documents?
BEWARE!
Miscreants look for opportunities to trick people into such #Frauds
Take a look at this #PIBFactCheck to know more🔽
Read more at: https://t.co/1IE5AKZeQ7 pic.twitter.com/Dws1gQh4UO
Earlier in 2020, FACTLY debunked a similar fraudulent letter that sought money from landowners on the pretext of mobile tower installation. According to multiple notices issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and media reports, TRAI/ DoT is not involved in the installation of mobile towers and using DoT/TRAI name/logo or national emblem is liable to be prosecuted under applicable laws. The approved list of Telecom Service Providers (TSP) and Infrastructure Providers (IP-1) who are responsible for mobile tower installation can be seen here and here.
Moreover, there were several media reports of people falling prey to such scams.
To sum it up, the letter seeking money from landowners on the pretext of installing Mobile towers is a Fraudulent one.

created: January 25, 2023


text:
This photo does not show a 1400-year-old Pallava stonework at Lalgiri temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 27, 2023
A photo of what seems like an ancient rock carving of a person operating a computer is being shared on social media claiming it as a 1400-year-old stonework built at Lalgiri temple by Pallava King Narasimha. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: 1400-year-old stonework at Lalgiri temple showing a ‘person sitting in front of a computer’
Fact: The photo in the viral post does not show stonework at Lalgiri temple. It is an artwork by an artist named Raul Cruz. Contrary to what is claimed in the post, it is not a sculpture made 1400 years ago but a drawing from 2006. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of the viral photo led us to many such images on the internet. Among them, the same photo can be seen on the cover of the book titled ‘Cosmos Latinos’. It can be read on the back of the book that the figure in the photo was drawn by an artist named Raul Cruz. The same artwork can also be seen on another website called strange horizons. The artwork in the photo is not a sculpture/carving in the so-called Lalgiri temple built by the Pallava king Narasimha.
Raul Cruz’s various social media accounts also feature similar photos here and here. Unlike what is being claimed, it is not a sculpture made 1400 years ago but a recent artwork.
A post shared by Raul Cruz: (@racrufi)
To sum up, this photo does not show a 1400-year-old Pallava stonework at Lalgiri temple.


text:
ఈ ఫోటో భారత్ బయోటెక్ సంస్థ తయారు చేసిన కోవిడ్ -19 వాక్సిన్ క్లినికల్ ట్రయల్స్ కి సంబంధించింది కాదు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 6, 2020
భారత్ బయోటెక్ సంస్థవారు  తయారు చేసిన కోవిడ్ -19 వాక్సిన్ (కొవాక్సిన్ లేదా బీబీవీ 152 కోవిడ్ వాక్సిన్) క్లినికల్ ట్రయల్స్ లో భాగంగా ఆ సంస్థ వైస్ ప్రెసిడెంట్  కే.వీ. శ్రీనివాస్ మొదట ఆ వాక్సిన్ని తనమీదే ప్రయోగించుకుంటున్నట్టు ఉండే ఒక చిత్రం అనేక సామాజిక మాధ్యమాల్లో చక్కర్లు కొడుతున్నది . ఈ కధనం ద్వారా ఆ చిత్రంలో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో చూద్దాం .
భారత్ బయోటెక్ సంస్థవారు తయారు చేసిన కోవిడ్ -19 వాక్సిన్ క్లినికల్ ట్రయల్స్ లో భాగంగా ఆ సంస్థ వైస్ ప్రెసిడెంట్ కే.వీ.శ్రీనివాస్ మొదట ఆ వాక్సిన్ని తనమీదే ప్రయోగించుకున్నారు.
ఫాక్ట్ (నిజం): భారత్ బయోటెక్ సంస్థవారు ఆ ఫొటోలో కనిపించేది సాధారణంగా చేసే రక్త నమూనాల సేకరణ మాత్రమే అని ధృవీకరించారు. అలాగే క్లినికల్ ట్రయల్స్ రిజిస్ట్రీ – ఇండియా (CTRI) వెబ్సైట్ లో సమాచారం ప్రకారం భారత దేశంలో బీబీవీ 152 కోవిడ్ వాక్సిన్ ట్రయల్స్ కోసం నమోదు చేసుకునే ప్రక్రియ 13 జులై నుండి మొదలవుతున్నట్టు ఉంది. కావున, పోస్టులో చేసిన క్లెయిమ్ తప్పు.
భారత్ బయోటెక్ సంస్థవారు తమ ట్విట్టర్ అకౌంట్ ద్వారా వైరల్ అవుతున్న ఆ ఫోటో గురించి వివరణ ఇస్తూ ఆ ఫొటోలో కనిపించేది సాధారణంగా చేసే రక్త నమూనాల సేకరణ మాత్రమే అని ఒక ట్వీట్ ద్వారా తెలిపారు, పైగా ఆ ఫోటోని తమ సంస్థ విడుదల చేయలేదని తెలిపారు. ఈ విషయం మేము గూగుల్ సెర్చ్ లో వైరల్ అవుతున్న ఫోటో గురించి వెతికే క్రమంలో తెలిసింది.
pic.twitter.com/m1JCA5rWmW
ఆ వాక్సిన్ గురించి మరిన్ని విషయాలు క్లినికల్ ట్రయల్స్ రిజిస్ట్రీ – ఇండియా (CTRI) వెబ్సైట్ లో దొరికాయి. ఈ వెబ్సైట్ లో ఉన్న సమాచారం ప్రకారం భారత దేశంలో బీబీవీ 152 కోవిడ్ వాక్సిన్ ట్రయల్స్ కోసం నమోదు చేసుకునే ప్రక్రియ 13 జులై నుండి మొదలవుతున్నట్టు ఉంది. భారత్ బయోటెక్ సంస్థ చైర్మన్  డా. కృష్ణ ఎల్లా ఇటీవలే ఎన్డీటీవీతో మాట్లాడుతూ తాము తయారు చేసిన వాక్సిన్ కి  కావాల్సిన అనుమతులు లభించడంతో, ఒక పది రోజుల్లో మనషుల మీద ప్రయోగాలు మొదలు పెట్టే అవకాశముందని చెప్పారు. ఈ సమాచారం ప్రకారం ఈ రోజు వరకు (06 జులై 2020) మనుషులపై ఎటువంటి ప్రయోగాలు చేయలేదని నిర్ధారించవచ్చు.
అలాగే CTRI వెబ్సైట్లో ఉన్న సమాచారం ప్రకారం  బీబీవీ152 అనేది కండరాలకు ఇచ్చే సూదిమందు.
కానీ వైరల్ అవుతున్న ఫొటోలో వాక్సిన్ని కండరాలకు ఇస్తునట్టుగా లేదు. సూదిమందును వివిధ  రకాలుగా ఇచ్చే ప్రక్రియను ఈ ఫొటోలో చూడొచ్చు.
ఉదాహరణకి Moderna’s mRNA Vaccine (mRNA-1273) అనబడే మరొక కోవిడ్-19 వాక్సిన్ని ఒక మహిళకు ఇస్తున్న విధానం ఇక్కడ చూడవచ్చు, అమెరికా ప్రభుత్వ క్లినికల్ ట్రయల్స్ వెబ్సైట్ ప్రకారం పైన పేర్కొన్న వాక్సిన్ కూడా కండరాలకు ఇచ్చే సూదిమందే.
క్లుప్తంగా చెప్పాలంటే వైరల్ అవుతున్న ఫొటో భారత్ బయోటెక్ వైస్ ప్రెసిడెంట్  కి కోవిడ్ -19 వాక్సిన్ ఇస్తున్నది కాదు.
‘మీకు తెలుసా’ సిరీస్ లో మా వీడియోస్ మీరు చూసారా?


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Enrolment in Engineering Colleges down by more than 20% in 7 years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 6, 2019
Engineering, which was once, a sought after course is witnessing a continuous decrease in demand so much so that the enrolment is down by more than 20% in the last 7 years.
Recently, the debate overthe approval of technical education institutes in India was rekindled amidstreports of dwindling market for engineering. There have been reports sayingAICTE will not be approving new
colleges for engineering from 2020 onwards while pharmacy institutes have
seen a rise.
The total number of technicaleducation institutes has increased from 10,272 in 2012-13 to 10,778 in 2019-20,an increase of 4.9%. But has the trend been the same for each of the programoffered? We take a look at Engineering institutes in this story.
AICTE & Technical
Education Institutes
Technical education in India consists of Engineering and Technology, Management courses, MCA, Pharmacy, Architecture, Planning, Designing, Applied Arts and Craft and Hotel Management and Catering courses in UG, PG and Diploma levels. These courses and institutes offering them are regulated and monitored by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE),  the national-level Apex Advisory Body set up in 1945.
As per the latest data onthe AICTE portal, in the current academic year 2019-20, there are a total of 10,778 institutes in India offering thesetechnical courses with an intake of around 3.25 million. Of this, 6143 areengineering institutes and 2579 are pharmacy institutes with an intake of 2.53million and 2,66,078 respectively.
Number of Institutes:
Engineering & Management down, Pharma up
From the data on thenumber of institutes offering various across years, it can be concluded that whilethe number of institutes offering applied arts and craft, architecture and thatof hotel management and catering have remained more or less the same, thenumber of institutes of management and MCA has come down drastically.
In the case ofengineering, a continuous increase was seen both in the number of institutesand intake up to 2016-17 after which there is a gradual dip. This can beattributed to the reducing demand for these courses. Meanwhile, the demand forpharmacy has gone up considerably. The number of colleges, intake and enrolmentspeak of this. There is a significant increase in the number of institutessince 2016-17, coinciding with the decrease in demand for the other courses. Currently,Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of engineering and
technology institutes in the country with 991 institutes spread across thestate while Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of pharmacy institutes with 770 institutes.
Engineering and
Technology – Enrolment down by more than 20% in 7 years
Asper the latest data available on AICTE website, for the academic year2019-20, the intake has reduced by 1.76 lakh seats compared to 2018-19, adecrease of 6.5%. It has to be noted that on an average, actual enrolmentsaccount for only 55% of the total intake.
In terms of actualenrolment, the situation is much worse. The enrolments in ‘Engineering &Technology’ institutions went down from 17.53 lakh in 2012-13 to 13.84 lakh in2018-19, a reduction of more than 20% in 7 years.
Number of Girls opting
Engineering down 40% in 7 years
The decrease inengineering enrolment was much steeper in the case of girl students. From ahigh of 5.63 lakh girl students who enrolled in 2012-13, the number has droppedto 3.35 lakh in 2018-19, a drop of close to 40%. Of the total students whoenrol for engineering, it is also concerning to note that only 25% of them aregirls. In 2012-13, their share was 32% after which it has decreased to around25%.
The placement data on theAICTE website also doesn’t paint a great picture. Available data suggests thatonly an average of 40 per cent of the total number of engineering graduates isgetting placed. There may of course be students who opt out of placements, buteven then, the total number is much less than desired. The credibility of thisdata is also questionable.
North-West, South-Central
& Western regions see substantial reduction in the number of institutes
The categorisation of theregions has been done as per the AICTE regional committees. The list of statescovered in each region is given in the annual report of AICTE.
The overall decrease inthe number of engineering institutes can be attributed to the steep fall in thenumber of engineering institutes since 2015 in the North-West region (Delhi,Haryana Punjab, Rajasthan etc.), South Central region (Andhra Pradesh &Telangana) and the Western region (Maharashtra & Goa).  Meanwhile, in Eastern (West Bengal, Odisha, NEStates, Jharkhand) and Northern regions (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar &Uttarakhand), there is a stark increase in the engineering institutes. Theother regions witnessed only a slight decrease.
All the numbers discussedabove – reduction in intake, number of colleges, enrolment- depict thedecreasing demand for engineering- which was once the most sought after coursein India. Some of the states where engineering education proliferated in thelast decade are now seeing a reduced demand.
While this is the case with engineering and technology, the trend in pharmacy is totally different. We will look at the numbers related to Pharmacy in another story.
Featured Image: Enrolment in Engineering Colleges


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Entering ATM pin in reverse order will not notify the Police - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 7, 2019
In Facebook & other social media platforms, for the past few years, many users are sharing a post saying that if a person is forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, he can notify the police by entering his/her ATM PIN in reverse order. These posts are being shared widely across platforms.  Let’s try to analyze to what extent the news is true.
Entering your PIN in reverse order at any ATM will automatically notify the police.
Fact: Such a technology does exist but has not been deployed anywhere in the world owing to practical complexities. Hence, the claim stands FALSE as it speaks that such a security feature is already in existence.
This news is doing rounds globally on several online platforms for the past decade. In India, it is in circulation for a few years now. Although such emergency technology for use with ATMs does exist, but it hasn’t been deployed anywhere in the world owing to practical complexities.  As per the experts, there are a number of issues with a system like this. A few of them are:
1. Some people may have reversible PINssuch as ‘2112’ or ‘5555’ and these palindromic PINs would become unavailable soas to avoid false calls to Police.
2. If you are in a stressful situation of being threatened to hand over money at an  ATM, it may be difficult to even remember the PIN from backwards.
3. Even if you have managed to enter your PIN in reverse and the ATM has alerted the police, it is quite unlikely that the robber wouldn’t have run away picking the dispensed cash.
A report released by Federal Trade Commission in 2010 confirmed that emergency PIN technologies have never been deployed at an ATM, nor have there ever been any such systems on the machines. In 2018, ‘Business Insider India’ published an article saying that the news about the existence of such emergency technology in the ATMs is fake. The ATM manufacturer Diebold confirmed that to its knowledge no ATMs have or have had an emergency-PIN system in India.
To sum it up, the idea of entering ATM PIN in reverse so as to notify the Police is nothing more than an unimplemented concept.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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EPF Data for 2020-21: Fall in ‘New Subscribers’ and ‘Exits'
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2021
The EPF payroll data for the entire year of 2020-21 was recently released with the availability of numbers for March 2021. These numbers were keenly awaited to understand the impact of COVID-19 induced lockdowns. Here is a deep dive into the numbers related to new subscribers, exits & rejoinees.
‘Loss of Employment’ has been one of the major effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown across the globe. As per the updated analysis published by International Labour Organization(ILO), there were nearly 114 million job losses in 2020 relative to 2019.
Furthermore, ILO’s annual estimates affirm that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions in the world of work. In 2020, 8.8% of the global working hours were lost when compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, which is equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs. The impact varied across the countries.
As per the report, the estimated annual decline in the working hours is 13.7% in India for 2020. India was in a nationwide lockdown from the last week of March to the end of May’2020, with the gradual relaxation of the stringent lockdown measures in several phases. This had an impact on the economic activity in the country, with various reports asserting the loss of employment. The pandemic had an effect across various sectors. However, there is no official estimate as yet from the Indian government on the status of employment and job losses in the country due to the pandemic.
However, information from various sources can be analyzed to understand the impact on employment in the country. One such source is the information released by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). Earlier, we did a story analyzing the EPFO information specific to the first quarter of 2020-21 i.e. the period during the lockdown. We analyze the numbers for the entire year of 2020-21 and compare it with the earlier years to understand the trends in EPFO member subscription and what it means in terms of employment.
Recovery in the Monthly Net Subscribes during the last quarter
The monthly ‘Net Subscribers’ to EPF is the net value of – New Monthly subscribers, Members exited & Members who rejoined EPF.
As highlighted in the earlier story, during April & May’2020, there was a fall in the number of new subscribers and a corresponding increase in the number of subscribers that have exited EPF. This had resulted in a negative ‘Net Payroll Numbers’.
However, June’2020 marked the beginning of the recovery with the Net EPF payroll numbers becoming positive. The trend continued in the subsequent months, peaking in September’2020 with a Net EPF Payroll of 12.16 lakhs.
However, in the ensuing quarter i.e., Q3, there was a fall in the net EPF Payroll only to recover in the final quarter. Similarly, fluctuations were observed in the number of establishments newly subscribing to EPF. After recording lower numbers in April & May’20, the numbers have subsequently increased in the ensuing months. The highest number of new establishments making contributions to EPF was in October with 5.1 thousand. This number fell in the later months. The number of new establishments making contributions to EPF fell in the last quarter and witnessed a month-on-month decline.
Recovery in last quarter can be attributed to fall in the number of Exited members and increase of Rejoinees
As explained earlier, the Net Payroll is the result of three variables – New EPF members, Members who have exited, and Members who rejoined. The trends in these three different EPF membership statuses have an impact on the overall net payroll numbers.
The highest Net-payroll for the year 2020-21 was recorded in September ‘2020 and this can be attributed at large to the increase in the number of new EPF members for that month. In Sep’2020, more than 11.83 lakh new members joined EPF. However, this was followed by a decline in the number of new EPF joinees in the subsequent months. This particular increase in September 2020 can be attributed to the month being the last month for the second quarter and this was the quarter when the economy started opening up.
Meanwhile, the number of members who exited EPF witnessed a fall through the year. The increase in numbers during the first quarter i.e., April-June’2020 was followed by a gradual fall in the number of members exiting EPF in the ensuing quarters.
These exit numbers are based on the number of claims submitted by the employer and is done only after two months of non-contribution. Therefore, the numbers do not exactly correlate to the specific month but provide a trend over the 12-month period.
Comparatively, the number of members who have re-joined EPF has shown a largely increasing trend. While the month-to-month numbers varied, the numbers during the later quarters are much higher than that of the first quarter. These trends over the year, show an improving employment situation by the end of the financial year, though the number of new members has decreased.
The comparative increase in the New EPF members can be attributed to an increase in the entry-level organized jobs or an increased propensity of the organized employees to invest in EPF savings. The initial increase in the number of exited members was a worrying aspect, as it indicated the possibility of a loss of employment. The fall in the number of exited members along with an increase in those who have rejoined, points to an increase in the number of persons finding new and alternate employment, probably after the loss of employment at the beginning of 2020-21.
Number of New EPF subscribers was declining even prior to 2020-21
During 2020-21, around 85.5 lakh persons newly subscribed for EPF in India. In spite of the recovery during the latter part of the year, the lower numbers reported during the first quarter of 2020-21, had an impact on the overall numbers.
Although there has been an increase in the number of exited EPF members during the first quarter, the overall yearly figure is still lower than the previous years. In 2020-21, 97.8 lakh persons exited EPF, compared to 1.09 crores in 2019-20 and 1.22 crores in 2018-19. Compared to the monthly average in 2019-20 (9.16 lakhs), the monthly exit numbers reported since Septmeber’2020 are lower.
While there is a declining trend in the number of those exiting EPF, there is an increase in those that have re-joined.  In 2018-19, it was 44.64 lakhs, which increased to 78.13 lakhs in 2019-20. It is difficult to ascertain the reasons behind the increase in those rejoining EPF with the available data. However, it can be understood that the increase in those rejoining EPF, is an aftereffect of people exiting EPF and later finding employment again.  In 2020-21, those rejoining is much higher with 89.42 lakhs, and this could in part be due to people finding employment once the economy opened up.
However, the net EPF numbers are still slightly lower in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20.
Granular information can provide further insights on the trends
The year-on-year fall in the number of new EPF subscribers points to a lack of new employment opportunities at the entry level, which further reflects the prevailing trend in the economy. However, the increase in the number of those rejoining EPF, indicates that there is higher mobility in terms of experienced job holders, who are able to find new jobs.
Detailed age-wise analysis of those subscribing to EPF can throw further insights into understanding these trends. We would analyze the age-wise trends along with the trends in various states of the country in our next story.
Featured Image: EPF Data for 2020-21


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'Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ cannot cure Dengue in just 2 days. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 18, 2019
A post is being widely shared on social media with a claim that a homeopathic medicine – ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ can cure Dengue in just two days. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ medicine can cure Dengue in just two days.
Fact: While it is true that homeopathic medicine – ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ can be prescribed for Dengue fever, there is no credible information to prove that it can cure Dengue in just two days. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When searched about ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ on Google, it was found on the ‘1mg’ medical website that ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ is ‘an effective medicine for treating fevers of Malaria and Dengue’.
Also, on the government website (‘Vikaspedia’), it can be read that it is prescribed for classical dengue fevers for some indications. The indications for suggesting ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum’ can be seen here.
It can be found on the government website and in the newspaper articles that ‘Eupatorium perfoliatum’ can be also used as a dengue preventive medicine. But, it was also mentioned that ‘further research in this area is being undertaken’.
While it is true that homeopathic medicine – ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ can be prescribed for Dengue fever, there is no information about it being able to cure Dengue in just two days. Also, according to a doctor on the ‘Practo’ website, “Eupatorium is the single most commonly indicated medicine that matches symptoms of the Dengue fever, it is not the only medicine. It forms a part of the prescription that is given to the patient along with other indicated medication selected after taking up the symptoms of the case.”
There is no specific treatment for Dengue. The patients are prescribed medicines only for their symptoms. All the major hospitals (Fortis, Apollo and Yashoda) and CDC-America mention the same on their websites.
According to the reports published by the Government of India and the World Health Organization, Dengue (Febrile Phase) lasts upto 2 to 7 days.  To clear the doubts of people regarding the Dengue, the Delhi government has released a document, which can be read here.
To sum it up, ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum 200 CH’ cannot cure Dengue in just 2 days. It is prescribed for Dengue fever.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?

created: November 18, 2019


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Even in 2019, greater vote share for NOTA in ‘Reserved Constituencies’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 3, 2019
The trend of NOTA vote share being higher in reserved constituencies continued even in 2019. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, NOTA in ST reserved constituencies polled 1.81% compared to 0.97% in general constituencies.
As noted in an earlier
story by Factly, the vote share for NOTA in reserved constituencies washigher than its vote share in general constituencies. As per ECI’s result data for the 2019 Lok Sabha& Assembly elections, this trend has continued.
For the purpose of this analysis, welooked at the data from 43 different elections & 6298 constituencies (bothLok Sabha & Assembly) that went to polls after the introduction of NOTA inthe year 2013. Out of these, 4454 are General (GEN) constituencies, 935 are SCreserved (SC) and the remaining 909 are ST reserved (ST). It has to be notedthat certain states like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh,Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram & Delhi had two assembly elections afterthe introduction of NOTA.
NOTA share in ST seats more than double the share in General seatsIf all the elections conducted so far after the introduction of NOTA are considered, the NOTA vote share was lowest in the GEN seats (1.02%) followed by SC reserved seats (1.20%). The ST reserved seats had the highest NOTA vote share with 2.15%, which is more than double the vote share in general seats.
The trend continues year after year
The trend of reserved constituencies polling a greater vote share for NOTA is not limited to any specific year. Year after year, the trend continued. In the year 2013 when NOTA was first introduced, NOTA vote share in GEN seats was 1.54% compared to 1.94% in SC reserved and 3.42% in ST reserved seats. This continued even in the assembly elections in 2014 and then in the Lok Sabha election of 2014. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, NOTA polled 0.95% in GEN seats compared to 1.1% in SC reserved and 2.18% in ST reserved seats. In the recently concluded 2019 Lok Sabha elections, NOTA polled 0.97% in GEN seats compared to 1.12% in SC reserved and 1.81% in ST reserved seats.
This trend was broken only once in2015 when Bihar went to polls. In 2015, NOTA polled 1.99% in GEN seats whilepolling 2.11% in ST reserved and 2.48% in SC reserved. This is the only yearwhen NOTA vote share was highest in SC reserved seats. In all other years, theNOTA share was highest in the ST reserved seats. The trend continued in 2016,2017, 2018 & even in the recently concluded assembly elections in 2019. Ineach of the years 2017, 2018 & 2019, the NOTA vote share in ST reservedseats is more than double the vote share of NOTA in GEN seats.
Puducherry is the only exception
This trend of NOTA vote share being more in reserved constituencies was observed every state except in the small UT of Puducherry.  Though this trend was also not observed in Arunachal Pradesh, it is for a strange reason. In Arunachal Pradesh, all the 60 assembly constituencies & the 2 Lok Sabha constituencies are ST reserved. Only for the 2014 assembly elections, one of the assembly constituencies was made general, and the NOTA share in that constituency is slightly more than combined NOTA share in all the other constituencies of the state. In Puducherry, there are 5 SC reserved assembly constituencies out of the 30 and the remaining 25 are general. The NOTA vote share in hose 25 general constituencies is greater than its vote share in the reserved constituencies.
In every other state, NOTA voteshare was more in reserved constituencies compared to the generalconstituencies. The NOTA vote share in ST reserved seats in some states wasmore than twice or even three times the vote share in general seats in somecases.
What could be the reasons for this?
Multiple media houses have highlighted this in the past like The Hindu, The Indian Express, Mint, The EPW etc. Almost all of these stories pointed towards some kind of mobilization around caste, especially in reserved constituencies. In some tribal pockets, the non-tribals do not want to vote for the tribal candidates. In some other places, caste based groups have given an open call asking their community to vote for NOTA as a symbol of protest against caste based reservation. In some other places affected by left wing extremism, the NOTA vote share is unusually high. While all these are anecdotal evidence, they point to a trend of mobilization for NOTA in reserved constituencies. It will need a much more detailed analysis to get a sense of the underlying reasons for this phenomenon. But the continuing trend even in 2019 is alarming.


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Even in May, no demand for Electoral Bonds worth Rs 1000 and Rs 10000
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 15, 2018
There was an intense debate around the introduction of electoral bonds by the government. Data obtained from SBI reveals that there is hardly any demand for electoral bonds of lower denomination even in the month of May. Not a single bond in the denomination Rs 1000 & Rs 10000 was purchased in May, while 99.7% of bonds purchased in terms of value were in Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore denomination.
The Electoral Bonds were first announced in the 2017-18 budget and the scheme was subsequently notified in January 2018. Factly had earlier written about the bonds, their impact on transparency etc.
Factly had earlier analysed the data obtained from the State Bank of India (SBI), the authorized bank to issue electoral bonds, about bonds purchased in March & April to conclude that there was hardly any demand for electoral bonds of lower denomination. The latest data provided by SBI suggests that not a single electoral bond was purchased in the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 10000 even in the May 2018 cycle. In terms of value of bonds purchased, 99.7% of the bonds in May are in the denomination of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore.
Not a single bond purchased in 7 cities in May 2018
The scheme was open for the first 10 days of May 2018 in the SBI branches in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Jaipur, Lucknow & Jaipur. Among the 11 branches, bonds were purchased only in four (4) branches of New Delhi, Gandhinagar, Bangalore & Mumbai. Not a single bond was purchased in the rest of the seven (7) branches. The number of bonds purchased has reduced with each cycle. Compared to 520 bonds purchased in March 2018, only 204 bonds were purchased in May 2018.
More than 75% worth of bonds purchased in Mumbai & Bangalore
A total of 204 bonds worth Rs 101.4 crore were purchased in the May cycle, taking the total value of bonds purchased to Rs 438.3 crore till the May cycle. In terms of number of bonds purchased in May, Bangalore was way ahead with 123 bonds followed by 40 bonds in Mumbai. It has to be noted that the Karnataka Assembly elections were held on 12 May. In New Delhi, 20 bonds were purchased while 21 bonds were purchased in Gandhinagar.
In terms of the value, bonds worth Rs 40 crore were purchased in Mumbai, all in denomination of Rs 1 crore. Bangalore followed with bonds worth Rs 38.85 crore. Among these were 25 bonds in the denomination of Rs 1 lakh, 66 in the denomination of Rs 10 lakh and remaining 32 in the denomination of Rs 1 crore. In New Delhi, bonds worth Rs 10.55 crore were purchased while in Gandhinagar, bonds worth Rs 12 crore were purchased.Mumbai along with Bangalore accounted for more than 75% of the bonds purchased both in terms of value and number. Bangalore alone accounted for more than 60% of the bonds purchased in May, possibly because of the assembly elections.
99.7% of bonds purchased (in terms of value) were in denomination of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore
Data for May 2018 reveals that the bonds of lower denomination were hardly in demand, an indication that citizens may not be purchasing these bonds. Not a single bond was purchased in the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 10000. Out of the 204 bonds purchased in May, 30 were in Rs 1 lakh denomination, 81 in Rs 10 lakh denomination and the remaining 93 in Rs 1 crore denomination.  Together, bonds in the denomination of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore accounted for 99.7% of the bonds purchased in terms of value. It is highly likely that the bonds in Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore denomination are purchased by corporates than individuals.
Data from three phases indicates no demand for lower denomination
Data of electoral bonds purchased in the months of March, April & May 2018 clearly indicates that there is no demand for bonds of lower denomination. In terms of value, bonds of Rs 1 crore denomination accounted for Rs 384 crore or 87.6% followed by bonds in Rs 10 lakh denomination that accounted for Rs 53.9 crore or 12.3%. Together, they have accounted for more than 99.9% of total value of bonds purchased till date.


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Even Manmohan Singh tried his hand at celebrations on a few occasions in the past - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2022
A video a Prime Minister Modi trying his hands on a drum (dhol) during his recent visit to Denmark is being widely circulated calling it a drama and alleging that Modi is the only one doing such a thing. The post compares Modi with Manmohan Singh and claims that Manmohan has never done such a thing in his tenure of ten years as the PM. The Kannada description associated with the video loosely translates to ‘Even though Man Mohan Singh was in power for ten years, he hasn’t done a single drama like this. Modi is a drama master’.  Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Manmohan Singh did not take part in any celebrations as Modi did in recent Europe tour.
Fact: The viral visuals are from Denmark, where Modi took part in the celebrations organised by the Indian diaspora. However, contrary to the claim made in the post, even Manmohan Singh also tried his hand in celebrations on a few occasions in the past. Also, politicians or any other leaders, attending any event or gathering as a guest usually take part in the celebrations and is quite common. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Prime Minister Modi recently had been on a three-nation Europe tour. During this visit, Modi was warmly welcomed by the Indian diaspora with celebrations in Indian style. During one such celebration in Denmark, Modi even tried his hand on drums (dhol), the viral video shared in the post is from these celebrations in Denmark.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried his hands on a dhol today in Copenhagen, Denmark. pic.twitter.com/G2H82YH7Px
However, leaders taking part in such celebrations is quite common. Usually, guests, be it the politicians or any other leaders, attending any event or gathering take part in the celebrations.
Further, Modi is not the only one who took part in such celebrations. In fact, contrary to the claim made in the post, Manmohan Singh had also tried his hand on a few occasions in the past. Goggle search with relevant keywords yielded us a few visuals (here & here) of him taking part in such celebrations.
These visuals show Manmohan Singh playing drums on different occasions, once in 2006 during a cultural festival of North-East and the other in 2012, during the silver jubilee celebrations of the Zonal Cultural Centers.  These establish the fact that leaders taking part in celebrations is quite common while the frequency or the number of times they participate in such celebrations might vary from person to person.
To sum it up, even Manmohan Singh tried his hand at celebrations on a few occasions in the past.


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Even the Modi government vaccinated over 17 crore children with the Polio vaccine in a single day - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 23, 2021
In the wake of a record-breaking vaccination drive wherein a total of over 88 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in a single day throughout the country, a post comparing this feat of COVID-19 vaccination during PM Modi’s tenure with that of 17 crore children getting immunized with pulse polio vaccine in a single day during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM is being widely shared across social media platforms. Through this fact-check article, let’s get to the lowdown into this comparison.
Claim: Comparison of single-day COVID-19 vaccination in Modi’s tenure with that of Pulse Polio vaccination during Manmohan Singh’s tenure.
Fact: While it is true that there are few instances during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM where the government had administered over 17 crore children with the Polio vaccine, this is not limited to Manmohan Singh’s tenure. Even during Modi’s tenure as PM, there have been few instances where the total number of children getting vaccinated with Polio vaccine exceeded 17 crores. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Government of India introduced polio vaccine under Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI, 1978), and subsequently in Universal Immunization Programme (UIP, 1985). However, following the commitment to the resolution passed by World Health Assembly for global Polio eradication in 1988, Pulse Polio Immunization Programme was launched in India in 1995.
Accordingly, a special Polio vaccine campaign called the ‘National Immunization Days’ (NIDs) commonly known as ‘Pulse Polio Immunization programme’ are held across India twice a year. On each of the two days, the Government of India sets out to give two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to every child in the country under the age of five and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) to children less than one year of age. Additionally several Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) are also held annually in the highest-risk states/areas. The campaign is implemented with the help of state governments.
Since 1995, administering of Polio vaccine through conducting special Polio campaigns had been a continuous process irrespective of the party in power. As per the data available on National Health Mission (NHM) website regarding the administration of Polio vaccines through these special vaccine campaigns from 2001-02 to 2014-15, there are few instances between 2005-10 during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM where the total number of children getting vaccinated in a single day (NID)  exceeded 17 crores.
However, this is not limited to just Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM, even during Modi’s tenure as PM, the government had administered more than 17 crores children with Polio vaccine in a single day (NID). As per the annual reports of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are few instances between 2014-2021 where the total number of children getting vaccinated with Polio vaccine in a single day exceeded over 17 crores. These reports can be read here , here, and here.
Also comparing Polio vaccination rate with that of COVID-19 wouldn’t be the right thing as Polio vaccines are developed much earlier and are readily available, which is not the case with the COVID-19 vaccine. Further, availability of storage and transport logistics facilities for the Polio vaccine makes it easier to administer compared to the COVID-19 vaccine.
To sum it up, 17 crore children were vaccinated over in a single day with the Polio vaccine even during Narendra Modi’s tenure as PM, not just during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM.


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[Podcast] Every Vote Matters - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2019
In collaboration with
Every Vote Matters or EVM is our attempt at breaking down the electoral process of our nation and hearing from you, our listeners what voting means to you and what being part of a democracy means for you. Through this podcast, we will bring to you interviews with officials who are responsible for organising elections, with experts who will break down what NOTA means and how election funding works; with researchers who will tell you why women, who hold up half the sky, are not being given equal seat at the table; with those who are fighting hard for NRIs to be allowed to vote and allowed to remain active participants in shaping their nation’s future.
Episode 1 – Why our Vote matters?
In the 1st episode, you will hear from @rakeshdubbudu on why he thinks youngsters are key to every election, more so in 2019
Additional Reading : 1951 to 2014 – How did the Lok Sabha election numbers change?
Episode 2 – How to become a Voter?
In this episode of “How to become a voter”, we bring to you an interview with Ranbir Singh, Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi. Mr Ranbir will take us through how one can become a voter, the process of shifting your vote among other things.
Additional Reading & Watching
1. How to become an Indian Voter?
2. Episode 1& 2 of DECODE English on Elections
3. Episode 1& 2 of DECODE Hindi on Elections
Episode 3 – Can NRIs & Migrants Vote?
In this episode, we bring conversations with Nagender Chindam, founder and chairman of Pravasi Bharat, a campaign group championing for the right of NRIs to vote and Parimal Maya Sudhakar, Professor of International relations and Indian politics at MIT World Peace University, Pune who will tell us why internal migrants are unable to vote.
Additional Reading1. Can the NRI Vote make an impact?
2. Less than 1% NRIs registered as voters. More than 90% of the registered from Kerala
Register here as a NRI (Overseas Voter)
Episode 4 – Women representation in Politics
In this episode, we talk about how and why women’s representation in politics is so poor in our country. You will hear from Bhanupriya Rao, transparency and accountability campaigner and researcher. You will also hear from Tara Krishnaswamy of Shakti, India’s Women Caucus.
Additional Reading & Watching
1. Women MPs in Lok Sabha: How have the numbers changed?
2. Women in Parliament: Where does India figure among the rest of the World?
3. Representation to Participation: Women in Panchayat Raj Institutions & State Assemblies4. Women Ministers: Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Episode 5 – Model Code of Conduct (MCC) & the role of Observer
In this episode, we discuss about the model code of conduct. How many of us really know what an observer does? Or even who an observer is? We reached out to Ravi Kiran Edara, IRS, Additional Commissioner, Customs and GST department, Government of India to understand more what Model Code of Conduct is and more importantly role of an observer and specifically the role of an expenditure observer.
Additional Reading & Watching
1. What is the Model Code of Conduct?
2. Explainer Video on the Model Code of Conduct
Episode 6 – Do you vote for a party or the candidate?
In this episode, we discuss about the role of Independents and if one should vote for a party or a candidate. We spoke to Yogendra Yadav, Indian politician, psephologist and academic President of Swaraj India. This episode also features interviews with transgender activist Bharati Kannamma and Umeshbabu Pillegowda who is contesting an independent candidate from North Bengaluru.
Additional Reading
1. The Diminishing role of Independents in Lok Sabha elections
Episode 7 – All about Affidavits, NOTA & Political Funding
In this episode, we speak to Major General Anil Verma of the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on what an affidavit is and its relevance in the electoral process. He also talks to us about the emergence of NOTA and its relevance and also on the current state of political funding in India.
Additional Reading


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Every weekday repeats exactly four times in every non-leap year month of February - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 15, 2021
A post claiming that this year’s February month is unique in a way as all weekdays are repeated four times and that this occurs only once every 823 years is being shared on social media platforms. The calendar of February 2021 is also shared in the post in support of the claim. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: February 2021 is unique as all weekdays are repeated exactly four times in this month. This occurs only once every 823 years.
Fact: Except for a leap year, every weekday repeats exactly four times in every non-leap year month of February as it has exactly 28 days. Also, this is not a rare phenomenon which occurs every 823 years. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Every weekday repeating exactly four times is not a rare phenomenon. The month of February has 28 days in every non-leap year, which implies February of every non-leap year has exactly four weeks (28/7 =4) which further implies every weekday in this month repeats exactly four times. For example, if we look at the years 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, every weekday in the month of February repeated four times in all these years.
Whereas in a leap year, the weekday of  01 February repeats five times and rest of the weekdays repeat just four times. However, the claim that this happens once every 823 years, is not true. In every non-leap year all the weekdays in the month of February repeat four times.
FACTLY has debunked similar claims related to the uniqueness of months before which can be read here.
To sum it up, every weekday repeats four times in every non-leap year month of February, not once every 823 years.

created: February 15, 2021