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About 80 Lakh Court cases are pending for more than 5 years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 21, 2016
As per the latest data available with the government, more than 80 lakh cases are pending for more than 5 years with various courts in the country. 43% of all the pending cases in High Courts are pending for more than 5 years.
As Factly reported earlier, it would take more than 10 years to dispose all pending cases in District courts at the current rate. As per latest available data with the government, close to 80 lakh cases are pending for more than 5 years at all levels as of 31 December, 2015. More than 62 lakh of these cases are pending at the district and sub-ordinate level while more than 16 lakh cases are pending at the High Court level.
16.6 lakh cases (43%) are pending for more than 5 years in High Courts
27184 cases are pending in the Supreme Court for more than 3 years as on 15 July, 2016. In the High Courts, a total of 38.7 lakh cases are pending as on 31 December, 2015. Out of these, 7.45 lakh are pending for more than 10 years and 9.19 lakh are 5 to 10 years old. Out of the 7.44 lakh cases pending for more than 10 years across the various High Courts, 3.11 lakh are pending in Allahabad High Court alone. In fact, High Courts in Allahabad, Calcutta, Orissa, Rajasthan and Bombay make up for more than 2/3 of the  cases pending for more than 10 years. They also make up for more than 60% of all the cases pending for more than 5 years. Close to 62% of the cases are pending for more than 5 years in Allahabad High Court followed by the Calcutta High Court with more than 59% of the cases pending for more than 5 years.
Of all the High Courts with more than 1 lakh pending cases, only Karnataka High Court has less than 15% cases pending for more than 5 years and all the High Courts except for the ones in Karnataka and Patna have more than 30% cases pending for more than 5 years.  In fact, Karnataka High Court has only 10.9% cases pending for more than 5 years. The High Courts in Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya and Sikkim have less than 5% of the cases pending for more than 5 years.
23.2% of the cases are pending for more than 5 years in District/Subordinate courts
Of the 2.7 crore odd pending cases in various District/Subordinate courts in the country, 62.8 lakh (23.2%) are pending for more than 5 years. District/Subordinate courts in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Rajasthan make up for more than 90% of all the cases pending for more than 10 years. They also make up for more than 83% of all the cases pending for more than 5 years. More than 30% of all the pending cases for more than 10 years across the country are from Uttar Pradesh alone, while more than 25% of all the pending cases for more than 5 years are also from Uttar Pradesh.
Of all the states with more than 10 lakh pending cases in District/Subordinate courts, only the courts in Kerala have less than 10% cases pending for more than 5 years. Further, courts in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have less than 15% cases pending for more than 5 years. District/Subordinate courts in Sikkim, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Chandigarh and Punjab have less than 5% of the cases pending for more than 5 years.
‘Rate of Disposal Method’ awaits implementation
The government acknowledges the following as some of the major factors responsible for pendency of cases in various courts
The Supreme Court, in the case of Imtiyaz Ahmed Vs State of Uttar Pradesh & Others, asked the Law Commission of India to evolve a method for scientific assessment of the number of additional courts to clear the backlog of cases. The Law Commission in its 245th Report recommended ‘Rate of Disposal Method’ for calculating adequate judge strength for District and Subordinate Courts.
According to the report of the Law Commission of India, the Rate of Disposal Method can be applied to provide for two sets of judges namely,
Under the Rate of Disposal Method, one first looks at the current rate at which judges dispose of cases. Next one determines how many additional judges working at a similar level of efficiency would be required so that the number of disposals equals the number of new filings in any one year time frame. As long as the filing and disposal levels remain as they currently are, the Courts would need these many additional judges to keep pace with new filings in order to ensure that newly instituted cases do not add to the backlog. This method is yet to be implemented since the matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court.
Featured Image: Chennai High Court By Muhammad Mahdi Karim[CC BY-SA 2.0]


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About Us - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 24, 2024

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Accident video from Amritsar portrayed as UP Government attack on protesting farmers - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 4, 2021
A video of a tractor running over a group of women is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of the Uttar Pradesh Government attacking protesting women farmers with a tractor at the Ghazipur border. In the wake of the Uttar Pradesh Government’s recent attempts to vacate the farmers from the protest site at the Ghazipur border, this post is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Uttar Pradesh government attacking protesting women farmers with a water tanker.
Fact: This incident happened at Amritsar city in Punjab, not at the Ghazipur border in Uttar Pradesh. This video shows a water tanker hitting a group of women going to join a sit-in meeting held in support of the farmers at Vallah area in Amritsar. This video has nothing to do with the ongoing tussle between the protesting farmers and the Uttar Pradesh Government at the Ghazipur border. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of screenshots in the video, a similar water tanker photo is found in an article published by ‘Amar Ujala’ news website on 26 January 2021. In the article, it is reported that a major accident took place during the tractor rally held in support of farmers at Amritsar city, Punjab. Two women have died and three women were reportedly injured when a water tanker ran over a group of women marching towards the sit-in meeting held at Vallah area in Amritsar.
When we searched for other sources using these keywords, we found an article published by ‘ANI’ news website on this incident. In the article, it is reported that a water tanker hit five women who were marching towards a sit-in meeting held in support of farmers. This incident reportedly took place at Vallah protesting site in Amritsar, Punjab. The People nearby thrashed the driver on the spot and handed him over to the police. Police filed a case on the driver and took him to custody.
Reporting the same, ‘NDTV’ published an article about this incident on 26 January 2021. From all these pieces of evidence, it is concluded that the accident video shared in the post took place at Amritsar city in Punjab, not at the Ghazipur border area in Uttar Pradesh.
To sum it up, an accident video from Amritsar is portrayed as the Uttar Pradesh Government’s attack on farmers protesting at Ghazipur border.

created: February 4, 2021


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According to the University Grants Commission, there are a total of 1078 universities in the country - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 21, 2023
A social media post that claims that India tops the list of countries with the most universities is being widely circulated. The post puts India on top of the list with 5288 universities, followed by USA & Indonesia. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: India with 5288 tops the list of countries with most universities.
Fact: As per the UGC, there are a total of 1078 universities in the country. Further, according to the All-India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21, there are totally 1,113 Universities/ University like institutions in the country registered under AISHE. The viral data is mostly collected from Webometrics ranking of World Universities in its June 2021 edition. The methodology of this analysis by webometrics is questionable, as it involves the online presence of a university and its content. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Webometrics Ranking of World Universities :
Webometrics ranking of World Universities in its June 2021 edition listed countries based on the number of universities. As per the website, ‘Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, is an initiative of the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the largest public research body in Spain.’
This list categorizes universities in a country based on their world rankings. With 56 universities in the top 100, the USA tops the list. Though India did not find any mention under the top 500 universities, as per the list, the total number of universities in the country stands at 5288.
Most likely, the viral list of countries with the most universities could have been from this list. Because, according to these rankings, the total number of universities in India stands at 5288, followed by the USA (3216) & Indonesia (2595).
However, it is unclear as to how the survey concluded the total number of universities in India. The methodology of this analysis by webometrics is questionable, as it involves the online presence of a university and its content.
What does the UGC data say?
According to University Grants Commission, as on 31 March 2023, there is a total of 1078 universities in the country out of which 464 are State Public universities, 128 are Deemed to be universities, 54 are Central Universities & 432 are State Private Universities.
Further, there are 398 such universities that fall under section 12(B) of The University Grants Commission Act, 1956. This section deals with the prohibition of certain universities with respect to receiving grants, declared fit by the Commission receive such grants.
AISHE 2020-21:
Even according to the Department of Higher Education, the total number of universities in the country is not as high as claimed in the viral post. According to the All-India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21, there are a total of 1,113 Universities/ University like institutions in the country registered under AISHE.
Further, there is no representation of Indian institutions amongst the global top 100, in the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) ranking of world universities for the year 2023. Indian Institute of Science with global rank of 155 is the top Indian institute to feature in the list. Following IISc are the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and IIT Delhi securing the 172nd and 174th positions globally.
To sum it up, according to University Grants Commission, there are total of 1078 universities in the country.


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Accused of the 2018 Varanasi Bridge Collapse were arrested and the case is under trail - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 4, 2022
A social media post accompanying an image showing the 2018 Varanasi bridge collapse is being widely circulated with a claim that the Yogi government did not apprehend the contractor responsible for the bridge collapse to date. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Yogi government did not apprehend the contractor responsible for the 2018 Varanasi bridge collapse till date.
Fact: On 15 May 2018, a portion of the under construction Chaukaghat-Lahartara flyover in Varanasi collapsed. As per the update of the case provided by the  Police Commissionerate Varanasi on 28 July 2018, 8 men were arrested in relation the case including seven engineers of the UP State Bridge Corporation and a contractor. This is also evident from the records available on the Varanasi district court website. The case status records show that the accused have filed for a bail, which suggests the accused were arrested. Further, a Supreme court order related to another case involving UPSBC mentioned that Allahabad High court has stayed the case related to the Varanasi bridge on 30 July 2019. All these establish that the accused in the bridge collapse case were arrested and are under trail. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On 15 May 2018, a portion of the under-construction Chaukaghat-Lahartara flyover in Varanasi collapsed, killing 15 persons and injuring 11 persons.
A couple of months later on 28 July 2018, the official Twitter handle of the Police Commissionerate Varanasi shared the details of the ongoing investigation. As per these details, police arrested eight persons including seven engineers of the UP State Bridge Corporation and a contractor in relation to the case.
दिनांक 15.05.2018 को हुए कैण्ट रेलवे स्टेशन के सामने निर्माणाधीन फ्लाईओवर हादसे में चल रही विवेचना मे 08 अभियुक्तों को @varanasipolice द्वारा गिरफ्तार कर जेल भेजा गया है। @adgzonevaranasi @IgRangeVaranasi @dgpup @Uppolice @upcoprahul @Live_Hindustan @DainikBhaskar @JagranNews pic.twitter.com/5uGnoVEq4B
Those arrested included Chief Project Manager SC Tiwari, former Chief Project Manager Gendalal, Project Manager KR Sudan, AE Rajendra Singh, AE Ram Tapasya Yadav, JE Lalchand Singh, JE Rajesh Pal, and contractor Saheb Hussain. News articles which reported these arrests can be read here.
The Lallantop has published a copy of the FIR (FIR NO 272/2018 of Police Station Sigra) registered in relation to the case. With the help of the details provided in the FIR copy published in the news article, we accessed the status and case history (Case Registration Number 312/2018) records on the Varanasi District Court portal. These records show that the above-mentioned accused have filed for bail in 2018. This implies that there have been arrests in relation to the bridge collapse case.
Further, the Supreme Court in an order related to another case that involves UPSBC mentions the status of the Varanasi bridge collapse case. As per this SC order, the Allahabad High court on 30 July 2019 stayed the trial of the Varanasi bridge case. All these establish that contrary to the claims made in the post, there have indeed been arrests regarding the case, and the accused are undergoing trial in the court.
To sum it up, the accused of the 2018 Varanasi bridge collapse were arrested and are under trial.

created: February 4, 2022


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Actress Katie Holmes’s 2018 photo for a fashion magazine shared as a picture of an Italian singer auctioning her Brassiere in 1955 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 13, 2023
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it is a 1955 picture showing Italy’s famous singer Julia Markin standing at a city square and auctioning her Brassiere. Sharing the photo, the post says- “In 1955, Italy’s famous singer Julia Markin stood at a city square, took out her bra, and asked people how much they would pay for it. People bid up to $3000. After the auction, Julia smiled and told the people how stupid they are that they are spending so much money on modest clothes for their sexual desires but cannot feed the poor people. I am deeply embarrassed and sorry for your humanity.” Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: 1955 photo showing Italy’s famous singer Julia Markin auctioning her Brassiere.
Fact: The image shared in the post shows actress Katie Holmes re-enacting an iconic moment of women’s rights activists in 1969. The image was clicked by photographer Zoey Grossman in 2018 as part of her story with Harper’s Bazaar fashion magazine depicting iconic moments in history. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an article published by the Harper’s Bazaar website on 20 November 2018. The description of the photo states, “Katie Holmes pays homage to the demonstrator’s bravado.” The article gave the credit for the photo to Zoey Grossman.
When we searched for further sources, we found the same photo on the Instagram handle of Zoey Grossman. Zoey Grossman published this image on 20 December 2018 with the description, “Another image from my story with @harpersbazaarus depicting iconic moments in history. I got to work with the talented and amazing @katieholmes212 on this image to pay homage to a protester in 1969 for women’s rights. Thank you @glendabailey for including me in this.”
The photo shows American actress Katie Homes reenacting an iconic still of a women’s rights activist in 1969, which was also shared in the article published by the Harper’s Bazaar website in November 2018. A spokesperson of Harper’s Bazaar told AFP that the photo is from a photo shoot in December 2018/January 2019 and said that Katie Holmes was reenacting an image of a protestor outside a San Fransico department store in 1969. We could not find any news report about Italy singer Julia Markin auctioning her Brassiere in 1955.
To sum it up, actress Katie Holmes’s 2018 photo for a fashion magazine is shared as a picture of an Italian singer auctioning her Brassiere in 1955.


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Actress Maisa Abd Elhadi identifies herself as a Palestinian citizen of Israel - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 1, 2022
Image of an injured woman is being shared on social media claiming that she’s an Israeli actress and was shot by Israeli troops for supporting an enemy country. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Israeli actress shot by Israeli troops for supporting the enemy country.
Fact: The injured women seen in the viral image is Palestinian actor Maisa Abd Elhadi from Nazareth City of Israel. She openly identifies herself as Palestinian. She was injured while staging a protest against the alleged forceful expulsion of several Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem. Nazareth is the focal point of Israel’s Arab minority, which comprises mainly descendants of the Palestinians who remained after the 1948 Arab-Jewish war that surrounded the creation of the state of Israel. Majority of these Arabs living in Israel identify themselves as Palestinian by Heritage/Nationality and Israeli by Citizenship. Hence the claim made in the post is MISEADING.
Reverse image search of the viral image led us to Deccan Herald’s article from May 2021 featuring the same image.
As per the report, Palestinian actor Maisa Abd Elhadi was injured while staging a protest against the alleged forceful expulsion of several Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem. Taking a cue from this, we looked at Elhadi’s Official Instagram account. In the bio, she identified herself as ‘Palestinian Actress from Nazareth’. It is to be noted that even though Nazareth is an Israeli city, according to Reuters, Nazareth is the focal point of Israel’s Arab minority, which comprises mainly descendants of the Palestinians who remained after the 1948 Arab-Jewish war that surrounded the creation of the state of Israel. The integration of those who remained in what became Israel – some of whom openly identify as Palestinian – is a subject of debate within the country. As per the New York Times, Majority of the these Arabs living in Israel identify themselves as Palestinian by Heritage/Nationality and Israeli by Citizenship.
Additionally, in an interview, Maisa Abd Elhadi called herself a ‘Palestinian’. More about Israel-Palestine conflict can be read here.
To sum it up, the injured actress Maisa Abd Elhadi identified herself as Palestinian, even though she lives in Israel.

created: December 1, 2022


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Adani Group did not incorporate these Agri based companies in 2019 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 10, 2020
A post with an image showing list of multiple Agri based companies’ set up by Adani group is being circulated with a claim that all these companies were registered in 2019, alluding a sense of doubt about the nexus between the incorporation of these companies and the introduction of new farm bills, which allow for contract farming. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Multiple Agri based companies were set up by Adani in 2019 ahead of the introduction of the new Farm Bills.
Fact: According to information available on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, none of the companies mentioned in the post is incorporated in 2019. Information related to association and date of appointment a particular director of Adani Group with other subsidiary companies of Adani group is misinterpreted as Adani group’s incorporation of multiple Agri based companies in 2019.  Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
According to the information provided on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website, none of the companies mentioned in the post is incorporated in 2019. Few of these companies are incorporated much before 2019. Also, according to the ministry, there are few other Agri based companies incorporated by the Adani group much before 2019.
Taking a cue from the details of the director mentioned in the post, further search led us to InstaFinancials, a financial company which aggregates financial and non-financial data of all the Indian companies. According to the information provided on this website, this particular director’s association with the other companies and the date of appointment matches with that of the information provided in the post. With this, we can establish that information related to association and date of appointment a particular director of Adani Group in other subsidiary companies is misinterpreted as Adani group’s incorporation of multiple Agri based companies in 2019.
In the light of the farmers protest against the new farm bills which allows for contract farming, posts like these are being circulated with misleading claims.
To sum it up, information related to association and date of appointment a particular director of Adani Group in other subsidiary companies of Adani group is misinterpreted as incorporation of multiple Adani group’s Agri based companies in 2019.

created: December 10, 2020


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Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's speech has been edited to selectively show that he stated the BJP is better than the TMC - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 2, 2024
Amid the ongoing 2024 general elections, a video is being widely shared that shows Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the president of the West Bengal Congress, purportedly urging people to vote for the BJP instead of the TMC in the Lok Sabha elections (here & here). The video is being shared alleging that being a Congress leader, he is rooting for the BJP. This article will examine the veracity of the claim.
Claim: Video depicting West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asking people to vote for the BJP and not the TMC in the Lok Sabha elections.
Fact: Speaking at an election rally in support of the Congress candidate, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury made these remarks solely to underscore the deficiencies of the TMC in comparison to the BJP. However, his entire speech was about seeking support for the Congress. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The viral clip originated from Adhir Chowdhury’s campaign speech in Murshidabad. While he did state that the BJP is better than the TMC, his comments were intended to highlight the shortcomings of the TMC compared to the BJP. Throughout his speech, he urged voters to support the Congress candidate endorsed by the Left Front.
A search using relevant keywords led us to the full speech, which was live-streamed on the official Facebook page of the Indian National Congress – West Bengal. According to this, Adhir Chowdhury was campaigning for Murtaza Hossain, who is contesting in the Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency.
At 25:08 mark of his speech, Chowdhury remarks, “Modi has turned pale with each passing day. Modi does not have the charisma he once had. Initially, Modi claimed they would secure more than 400 seats. He is not crossing 400 now. Modi no longer has that market appeal. According to current surveys, Modi has already lost 100 seats, and more are likely to be lost in the coming days. So, do not make that mistake. It is crucial for the Congress and Left Front to win. If the Congress and Left Front do not succeed, it will be a setback for India’s secularism.”
He continues, “Voting for Trinamool means… it’s better if you vote for BJP instead. … you might as well vote for BJP. Voting for BJP is much preferable to voting for Trinamool. But don’t vote for either Trinamool or BJP… always, in every way, throughout the year… your true hope for happiness, sorry, Bakul (Mortaza Hossain) will be there for you. So please support Bakul.”
News reports covering this clip are available here. According to these reports, it is clear that Adhir Chowdhury was advocating for votes for Congress. His claim that the BJP is better than the TMC was made to highlight the deficiencies of the TMC in comparison to the BJP.
#WATCH | Murshidabad, West Bengal: State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says, "This time '400 paar' won't happen…100 seats have already slipped away from the hands of PM Modi…It is necessary to make Congress and CPI(M) win. If Congress and CPI(M) don't win,… pic.twitter.com/kzyywkAZIS
Additionally, as this brief clip of Chowdhury’s speech gained traction, the Congress party issued a press statement clarifying that Chowdhury’s remarks had been misinterpreted. They also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission regarding this matter.
To sum up, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s speech has been edited selectively to claim he made a statement that it is better to vote for the BJP than the TMC.


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Aditya-L1 mission is not intended to investigate the Sun for the purpose of extracting Gold - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 27, 2023
A video explaining the formation of gold among the other elements from cosmic events, of how scientists calculated that the sun contains nearly 2.5 trillion tons of gold, and claiming that India will extract gold from the sun by sending Aditya-L1 mission spacecraft is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: India is going to extract gold from the sun by sending Aditya-L1 mission spacecraft
Fact: The Sun contains gold and other elements due to cosmic events. However, the extreme conditions within the Sun make it impossible for us to access or extract any materials from it. Further, The Aditya-L1 mission mission’s purpose is to focus on studying the Sun and its impact on our space environment but not to study the sun in order to extract gold from it. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On a relevant keyword search regarding the formation of gold through cosmic events, we found that two distant neutron stars collide to create destruction and space ripples. Such events also lead to the rapid formation of heavy elements, including gold. Scientists found that the Sun contains about 2.5 trillion tons of gold and other elements (here and here). However, the extreme conditions within the Sun, including high temperatures and pressures, make it impossible for us to access or extract any materials from it (here and here).
Further, the Aditya-L1 mission’s purpose is not to study the sun to extract gold from it as claimed in the video. It is ISRO’s mission (here and here) to focus on studying the Sun and its impact on our space environment. The mission aims to closely study the Sun’s chromosphere and corona by using seven specialized instruments from a position at the first Lagrange point (L1), situated about 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth.
To sum up, Aditya-L1 mission is not intended to investigate the Sun for the purpose of extracting Gold.

created: October 27, 2023


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Admission Season: A Single Girl Child is entitled to free education in Kendriya Vidyalayas - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 20, 2016
The Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) are one of the best in the public education system of the country. With just over 1100 KVs, admission in a KV is a coveted one for parents. But most parents end up not getting an admission because of their ignorance of the admission guidelines. The guidelines provide for automatic admission & free education for a girl child who is the only child to her parents.
It is that time of the year where parents keep running around for admission of their children in schools & colleges. The high demand coupled with fewer quality institutions makes the admission season all the more vexing for parents. Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) are the bright stars of the public education system in the country. There are more than 1100 KVs across the country catering to over 12 lakh children. Getting an admission to KVs is a challenge for most parents, more so because of the lack of awareness about the admission guidelines.
Guidelines for Admission to KVs
The admission guidelines specify various priorities to be followed in granting admissions. For KVs in Civil or Defence Sector, the following order of priority should be followed.
Preference in admission will be based on the number of transfers of the parents in the last 7 years.
For KVs that are under Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Institutes of Higher Learning, the first preference would be given to Children and grandchildren of employees of the Project/Institutes of Higher Learning, Children of Project employees & Post Graduate students who are working on long term research projects and children and grand children of retired employees. The other priorities would follow in the same order as for other KVs.
These admission norms would be followed for Class I every year duly complying with the norms of the Right to Education Act (RTE) where 25% seats are to be reserved for children belonging to disadvantaged groups. The admissions for Class II to Class VIII would follow the above mentioned norms based on vacancies. For Class IX, an admission test would be conducted and merit list will be prepared for each of the priority categories and seats would be filled sequentially.
Special Provisions for Admission
Apart from the regular categories, there are certain categories of children who are eligible to directly get admission to KVs over and above the existing class strength. The following are some such special categories.
Single Girl Child is also exempted from paying Fees
KVs have one of the lowest fee structures in the country. Exemptions are granted to certain categories of children like the following.

created: February 20, 2016


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Data: Adoptions decreased in 2020-21 as number of Orphaned children increase on account of COVID-19
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 3, 2021
Data indicates that the number of adoptions in India in the year 2020-21 was the lowest since 2013-14. While the COVID-19 lockdowns & restrictions may have resulted in reduced numbers, the pace needs to pick up especially in the light of the impact of COVID-19. The recent amendments by the government might increase the pace of adoptions.
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) is the designated nodal agency to coordinate the entire adoption process in India. CARA is also the designated Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country adoption, 1993, ratified by the Government of India in 2003. CARA primarily deals with the adoption of orphan, abandoned, and surrendered children through its associated/recognized adoption agencies.
Only those ‘Prospective Parents’ who qualify the eligibility criteria can adopt
Adoption in India is governed by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act), 2015. According to the relevant guidelines, the eligibility criteria for Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAP) are the following.
Number of Children adopted in 2020-21 is the lowest since 2013-14
As per data available on the CARA website, a total of 31,439 children were adopted between 2013-14 and 2020-21 in India. This includes 27,276 in-country adoptions and 4,163 inter-country adoptions. While 2015-16 accounted for the highest number of adoptions in the said period, 2020-21 recorded the lowest number of adoptions in the country since 2013-14. While the numbers were declining since 2018-19, the pandemic-induced lockdown & restrictive measures may have further aggravated the situation.
On average, about 3400 in-country adoptions and 520 inter-country adoptions took place annually in India during 2013-14 & 2020-21. The number of in-country adoptions was more than 3,900 in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and dropped to 3,142 in 2020-21. The trend in inter-country adoptions has been fluctuating. It increased from 340 in 2013-14 to 666 in 2015-16 and dropped to 394 in 2019-20. In 2020-21, 417 inter-country adoptions took place.
3 out of 5 adopted Children are females
During each of the 8-year period, more female children are adopted as compared to male children. The trend is similar in the case of both in-country and inter-country adoptions. The gender-wise trend in the adoptions reveals that an average of 1572 males and 2358 females are adopted annually since 2013-14. The numbers also show that the number of males adopted has never crossed 1900 while the number of females adopted never crossed 2700 during this period. Overall, 60% of the adopted children are females, and male children constitute the remaining 40%. In other words, 3 out of every 5 children adopted are females.
Approximately 1 in 5 ‘In-country’ adoptions took place in Maharashtra
Of the 27,276 in-country adoptions during 2013-14 and 2020-21, close to 6,000 adoptions took place in Maharashtra. Maharashtra alone accounted for nearly 22% of the in-country adoptions during this period, with an average of 746 adoptions annually. Karnataka is next in line with more than 2,000 in-country adoptions with an annual average of 285 in-country adoptions. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kerala have accounted for more than 1,000 in-country adoptions each in the 8-year period.  Together, the 10 states accounted for almost 72% of the in-country adoptions that took place in these eight years.
Gujarat, Telangana, Delhi, Bihar, and Jharkhand have reported an average of 100 adoptions each year during this period. Including these states, the top 15 states together contributed to 88% of the in-country adoptions between 2013-14 and 2020-21. The trend in adoptions in these 15 states is in the chart below. It should be noted that the data for Andhra Pradesh in 2013-14 and 2014-15 includes that of Telangana as well, as the state was bifurcated only in 2014.
The trend across states reveals that the number of in-country adoptions in Maharashtra has fallen by 44.4% in the eight years. West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, and Jharkhand have also witnessed a decline in the numbers over the years. On the contrary, only Tamil Nadu has reported an increase in the adoptions by 88% in 2020-21 compared to 2013-14. All the southern states are among the top 12 states with a higher number of adoptions.
Maharashtra accounted for 24% of the inter-country adoptions in 8 years
24% of the inter-country adoptions were from Maharashtra in the eight years between 2013-14 and 2020-21. Maharashtra reported 997 inter-country adoptions, followed by Delhi with 354 adoptions and Telangana with 243 such adoptions. Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal also reported more than 200 inter-country adoptions each. Together, these 7 states accounted for 59% of the inter-country adoptions in 8 years.
1.19 lakh children in India lost primary caregivers to COVID-19 as per a Lancet study
According to a Lancet study published in July 2021, between 1 March 2020 and 31 April 2021, an estimated 11.34 lakh children experienced the death of primary caregivers globally, including at least one parent or custodial grandparent. The study estimated that as many as 1.19 lakh children in India lost their primary caregiver due to COVID-19. India was estimated to have the third-highest number of orphaned children after Mexico (1.4 lakh) and Brazil (1.3 lakh). However, the rate of loss of primary caregiver per 1,000 children stood at 0.3 for India, much lower than other countries like South Africa (5.1), Brazil (2.4), Russia (1), and the US (1.5). The study also noted that the rapid increase in COVID-19-associated deaths from February to April 2021 in India was associated with an 8.5-times increase in the number of children orphaned or losing caregivers in April 2021 as compared to March 2021.
50% of orphaned children were from UP, MP, and Bihar
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)’s provisional data submitted to the Supreme Court on 30 May 2021 stated that 9,346 children were abandoned or lost one or both parents between 01 April 2020 and 29 May 2021. This number is as per the data submitted on the Bal Swaraj portal.  Of them, 1742 children had lost both their parents. However, only 364 children were in Children Home, Open Shelter Home, Observation Home, Orphanage, or Special Adoption Agency while the remaining lived with some guardian or relative. About 880 orphaned children, accounting for 50.5% of the total orphaned children were in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
Amendments aimed at reducing the delay in the adoption process
Various estimates indicate that the number of orphaned and abandoned children in the country has increased because of the pandemic. These children are at a high risk of becoming victims of trafficking and illegal adoptions. But the lengthy & complicated adopted process is a stumbling block in their rehabilitation. The adoption process in India is slow & the need to simplify the process has also been raised in the parliament, especially on account of the pandemic’s contribution to the increase in orphaned children.
While around 27,000 prospective parents were registered as of 21 November 2019, only 7,505 children were registered for adoption and about 2,100 children were adopted in that period which points towards a lengthy adoption process.
To address delay in adoption cases, amendments were made (‘The Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection Of Children) Amendment Act, 2021’ ) and notified in August 2021. The changes empower the District Magistrate to deal with the child protection and adoption process. The government has also notified the Adoption (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 in September 2021. The government also launched the ‘PM-CARES for children’ scheme aimed at supporting children who lost both their parents or caretakers to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether these changes reduce the delay in the adoption process & increase the adoption numbers remains to be seen.
Featured Image: Children

created: December 3, 2021


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Adult Literacy: Reviewing the ‘Saakshar Bharat’ programme
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 18, 2019
India made considerable progress in ‘Adult Literacy’ in the last few decades. However, as per the 2011 Census, close to 24 crore adults are yet to attain literacy. The Government’s ‘Saakshar Bharat’ programme, a revised version of NLM launched in 2009, is aimed at increasing adult literacy. Here is a review of the programme.
According to Census 2011, only 69.3% of the adults above the age of 15 years in India are literate. In other words, 30.7% of them or close to 24 crore adults are illiterate as a result of numerous social and economic factors persistent in the country. The government of India upon realising the need to educate the adults introduced the National Literacy Mission (NLM) in 1988, aimed at imparting functional literacy to non-literates in the age group of 15 to 35 years. The scheme was later revamped to address its shortcomings and meet the changing demands. Saakshar Bharat Programme, modified version of NLM, was launched more than a decade ago with the objective of reaching 80% literacy level by providing an opportunity to those aged 15 years & beyond and those who are non-literate and non-numerate. In this story, we look at the programme in detail and the related data.
24 Crore adults in India are not literate as per
census 2011
As per the Census2011, India’s literacy rate stood at 74% with male literacy at 82.1% and femaleliteracy at 65.5%. However, in the case of adults aged 15 and above, theliteracy rate among men is 78.8% and that among women is 59.3%. As is evidentfrom the chart, the literacy rates of adults (both men and women) has beenincreasing with every census. Despite the progress made, about 24 crore adultsare not literate in India as per the Census 2011.
The gender gap interms of adult literacy is observed to be decreasing with time. However, thedisparity in adult literacy is stark between Urban & Rural areas.  Literacy rate of urban adults is 82.8% andthat of rural adults is 62.6%. It is also observed that gender disparity in theurban areas is lesser than that in the rural backdrop.
Saakshar Bharat was launched in 2009 to improve the
literacy rate among Adults
On InternationalLiteracy Day which falls on 08 September every year, the then Prime MinisterDr. Manmohan Singh launched the Saakshar Bharat Programme in 2009 during the 11th five year plan. The centrally sponsoredscheme is implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL)of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The nodal agency of thescheme at the national level is the National Literacy Mission Authority.
Unlike the previous scheme, Saakshar Bharat offered
opportunities for people to continue with their education
The objectives ofthe scheme, similar to the erstwhile NLM, include imparting functional reading,writing and mathematical skills which are required in the day to day life, tothose adults who are devoid of any formal education in their childhood due to amultitude of reasons.  In addition,Saakshar Bharat also gives them an opportunity to continue their education andoffers skill development programs. To minimise the gender gap, social gap aswell as inter and intra state disparities in literacy levels, prominence hasbeen given to females, people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribesand other minorities, especially in the rural backdrop.
7.62 crore adults across 410 districts have been
educated under the scheme
Saakshar
Bharat was implemented from October 2009 indistricts with female literacy rate 50% and below based on Census 2001 data. Leftwing extremism affected districts were also included in the programmeirrespective of the literacy rate. The programme had a target to impart basiceducation to at least 7 crore adults including 1.4 crore people belonging to ‘ScheduledCaste’ category and 80 lakh people belonging to ‘Scheduled Tribe’ category.
According to numberspresented by MHRD in the Lok
Sabha earlier this year, 7.64 crore adultswere certified as literates between August 2010 and March 2018. Of this, UttarPradesh and Bihar together constitute 36%. The programme covered 410 districtsacross 26 states in the country. Kerala, Goa and Mizoram are the three excludedstates. Female literacy rates in these three states are the highest in the country as per Census 2011. Considering the census 2011 numbers and thecoverage of the scheme, around 16 crore adults would still lack literacy.
Adult Education Centres have been set up in Gram Panchayats
Adult EducationCentres (AEC) or Lok Shiksha Kendras were set up to implement the programme atthe grass root level. In each gram panchayat with a minimum population of 5000,at least one AEC has been established and is led by two paid coordinatorscalled ‘Preraks’. Preference to the post of ‘Prerak’ was to be given to womenand marginal groups. In urban areas, the programme is implemented through JanShikshan Sansthans, NGOs, State Resource Centres and other institutions whichhave been identified by NLM Authority.
Under the scheme, there are four different programmes with
specific objectives
FunctionalLiteracy Programme, Basic Education Programme, Vocational Education andContinuing Education Programme are the programmes offered by the government tomeet the objectives of Saakshar
Bharat.
Bi-annual examinations are conducted to assess those
who are engaged in the programme
To assess thecompetency of those engaged in the programme, based on the rules and guidelinesput forth by the National Institute for Open Schooling, Basic Literacy Assessmentsare conducted twice in a year based on the results of which certification of literatestakes place.
Funds for the programme dry up in 2018-19 since
operation period of the program has ended
The centralgovernment has released over Rs. 2,500 crore for the programme since 2010 out of the total approved grant amount of Rs. 6000 crore as revealedby Lok
Sabha answers. From Rs. 456 crore in2011-12, the last financial year (2018-19) saw an expenditure of Rs. 44.52crores for the programme. The scheme was originally planned to be operational up to 31 March 2012 (12 five year planning period). It was later extended up to 31 March 2018. Many lost
their jobs which led to protestswhen the program came to an end in 2018. There have been reports that a new
scheme ‘Padhna Likhna Abhiyan’ will berolled out replacing Saakshar Bharat. Whether Saakshar Bharat bore fruits ornot, will be revealed in the upcoming 2021 census results.
Literacy empowers people along with other positive
social and economic impact
Not only doesliteracy empower people, it also helps eradicate poverty by impacting theirwell-being, informed decision making and employability. Investing in adulteducation will also benefit the future generations. Literacy helps bolster theresults of other social development schemes and initiatives. One of the targetsof the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goal 4 on Quality Education isto eliminate the gender gap in literacy by 2030. Ensuring education isaccessible by all is also a part of this goal.
Samagra Siksha is an integrated scheme introduced last
year
Since
2018-19, the Department of School Educationand Literacy introduced Samagra Shiksha which is an amalgamation of theerstwhile schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik ShikshaAbhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). Samagra Shiksha is also a centrallysponsored scheme which covers all classes from pre-school to class 12 under onehead. Through this scheme, the government aims to ensure inclusive andequitable education for all children including transgender and minorities.

created: November 18, 2019


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Advani did not refer to Rahul Gandhi as the 'Hero of Indian Politics' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 15, 2024
A social media post accompanying a news clip allegedly from ‘Townhall Times’ suggests that L.K. Advani praised Rahul Gandhi (here, here & here). According to the clip, former home minister L.K. Advani hailed Rahul Gandhi as the ‘hero of Indian politics.’ This article aims to verify the accuracy of the assertion presented in the post.
Claim: Former home minister L.K. Advani hailed Rahul Gandhi as the ‘hero of Indian politics.’
Fact: L.K. Advani did not make the comments regarding Rahul Gandhi. These remarks were erroneously attributed to Advani by certain news agencies. However, they later clarified this misattribution and retracted their reports. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The news clip claiming that BJP leader and former home minister L.K. Advani praised Rahul Gandhi as the ‘hero of Indian politics’ was indeed published by the agency ‘Townhall Times’ on 09 May 2024. Another agency, ‘Avadhbhuminews,’ also published a similar report, attributing the alleged remarks to L.K. Advani. Nevertheless, these reports lack substantiation from credible sources. To investigate further, we searched for other sources that reported these alleged comments but found none. If Advani had actually made such remarks, it would have been widely reported.
Also, the news agencies that initially reported this have since retracted their stories. Both agencies have removed the news from their websites. Additionally, as the news spread widely, Townhall Times issued an erratum in its 11 May 2024 edition, clarifying that the attributed comments were incorrect and not made by Advani. They explained that similar remarks regarding Rahul Gandhi were made by Arun Maji, the secretary of the ‘New Democratic Party of India’. This clarification was also provided in our correspondence with them.
Furthermore, in communication with ABP, Deepak Chopra, a close associate of L.K. Advani, confifmed that Advani had never made any remarks about Rahul Gandhi of the kind reported. Therefore, all these make it clear that the viral comments regarding Rahul Gandhi are falsely attributed to Advani.
To sum up, Advani did not refer to Rahul Gandhi as the ‘hero of Indian Politics’. These statements have been falsely attributed to him.


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Advocates in India are not exempted from paying toll fees - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 12, 2019
On social media, a letter purportedly from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stating that all Advocates in India are exempted from paying toll fees at the toll plazas is being widely circulated for the past few days. Let’s analyze the authenticity of the claim.
Letter from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) exepmting all Advocates in India from paying toll fees at the toll plazas.
Fact: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), an agency under the MoRTH, has clarified that it hasn’t exempted Advocates from paying toll fees at the toll plazas. So, the letter is a ‘fake’ one and the claim is FALSE.
The letter in the post seems to be issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). So, when we visited the official Twitter account of MoRTH,  we found a retweet of the tweet by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on the same issue. In the tweet, the NHAI clarified that it hasn’t exempted Advocates from paying toll fees at the toll plazas on the National Highways. So, the letter carrying such information is a ‘fake’ one.
NHAI clarifies that the user fee collection on National Highways is governed by NH fee rules.  As per these rules, Advocates are not exempted from paying user fee (Toll) in NH Fee plazas. @MORTHIndia @MORTHRoadSafety @ihmcl_official
As the news went viral, PIB India tweeted terming this letter as a fake one.
#PIBFactCheck
Claim: A Letter is being circulated on Social Media, stating that all Lawyers in India are exempted from paying Toll Fees
Reality: #NHAI has clarified that as per NH fee rules lawyers are not exempted from paying Toll Fees
Conclusion: #FakeNews pic.twitter.com/4YCfQdVxeU
During the search process, a Facebook post with the same claim but with a different letter was found. In that letter of MoRTH, it was mentioned that an Advocate’s letter to enlist their ‘class’ in the exempted list of toll payment on the National highways was forwarded to the Chairman of NHAI for necessary action. So, that letter is also being falsely shared stating ‘no toll to advocates’.
To sum it up, misleading letters are being circulated on social media stating that all Advocates in India are exempted from paying toll fees.
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created: December 12, 2019


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Adyar Ananda Bhavan remains under the ownership of the founder's descendants - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 1, 2023
A post with an image displaying an ornate box with Urdu inscriptions, along with the logos of Adyar Ananda Bhavan and A2B, a vegetarian restaurant chain headquartered in Chennai, is being shared claiming that the firm was taken over by a Muslim group and that they kept the photos of original owners of the firm and the Hindu gods intact in order to retain the customers. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Adyar Ananda bhavan and A2B is bought by a Muslim group. They still exhibit the photo of the old owner couple and pictures of Hindu gods to hold onto customers
Fact: Adyar Ananda Bhavan remains under the ownership of the founder’s descendants and has not been acquired by a Muslim group. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On performing a relevant keyword search about Adyar Ananda Bhawan, We found that the Times of India reported Srinivasa Raja as the director of the company in 2022. Further research of their website and Facebook page revealed that the brand was started by K.S. Tirupathy Raja and is now passed on to his sons, K.T. Venkatesan and K.T. Srinivasa Raja from the brand’s website.
Further, we searched for details of the company ownership on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and found that both sons of the founder have held director positions within the company since 2009. There was an increase in the number of directors in 2019, with more individuals joining the board. This indicates that ownership stayed with them and was not transferred to others. If there is such a change, the Ministry would have updated the status.
When we reached out to Adyar Ananda Bhawan, they categorically dismissed the claim as false and confirmed that its ownership and management remain with the descendants of the founders.
To sum up, Adyar Ananda Bhavan remains under the ownership of the founder’s descendants and has not been acquired by a Muslim group.

created: November 1, 2023


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Afghanistan journalist’s photo shared as burqa-clad Qatari news anchor expressing concern over religious freedom in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 13, 2022
An image is being shared on social media claiming it is a picture of a burqa-clad Qatari news anchor who was expressing her concern over religious freedom in India. This post mentioned the news anchor’s name as Fatima Sheikh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a burqa-clad Qatari news anchor expressing concern over religious freedom in India.
Fact: The photo shared in the post shows a picture of Khatereh Ahmadi, an Afghanistan TV anchor working at the ‘TOLO News’ channel in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban government in Afghanistan had enforced an order mandating all-female TV news anchors in the country to cover their faces while on-air. Following the Taliban orders, on 22 May 2022, Khatereh Ahmadi was seen covering her face while reading the news on the ‘TOLOnews’. The image does not show a Qatari news anchor. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found published by the ‘Associated Press’ news agency on 22 May 2022. The description of the photo states, “TV anchor Khatereh Ahmadi bows her head while wearing a face covering as she reads the news on TOLO NEWS, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 22, 2022”.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan enforced an order mandating all-female TV news anchors in the country to cover their faces while on-air. Following the Taliban orders, on 22 May 2022, Khatereh Ahmadi was seen covering her face while reading the news on the ‘TOLOnews‘. Reporting the same, several other news websites have also published articles. A few of them can be seen here and here.
On 09 June 2022, a Twitter user named ‘Advisor Zaidu’ had tweeted this photo with a similar claim that was made in the post. In the bio section of this Twitter handle, it is stated that all the tweets made from the Twitter handle are fake and any resemblance to any person dead or alive is purely coincidental. The photo shared in the post does not show a journalist in Qatar.
To sum it up, an Afghanistan journalist’s photo is shared as picture of burqa-clad Qatari news anchor expressing her concern over religious freedom in India.


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Data: After a decrease in 2020, the number of ATMs deployed across India register an increase in 2021 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 16, 2022
In one of our earlier stories in 2019, it was observed that the number of ATMs deployed across the country remained largely stagnant for about two years. The latest data from the RBI indicates that while the number of ATMs across the country decreased slightly during 2020, the number has significantly increased by the end of 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected various walks of life. The mode of financial transactions by the general public in view of the lockdown measures and social distancing norms are among those that saw a sea change. In an earlier story, we highlighted that lockdown measures had a significant influence on Digital Transactions.
On the other hand, ATMs are a key indicator to assess the mode of transactions, especially with respect to cash. The overheads involved in maintaining ATMs and their utilization are important factors in a bank’s decisions to continue, close, or even set up a new ATM. The trend in the number of ATMs across types, and regions provides important insights on this issue.
In an earlier story on ATMs, we had highlighted that as of the first quarter of 2019, while the total number of ATMs has largely remained stagnant, there was a marked decrease in the number of ATMs of Public sector banks. In this story, we look at the trend in the number of ATMs since 2019 to ascertain any possible impact of the pandemic on the ATMs.
Number of ATMs increases during 2021, after a fall during 2020.
We had earlier observed there was a slight increase in the number of ATMs during the first quarter of 2019, as against the declining trend observed in the earlier quarters.
This increase is observed all through 2019, when the number of ATMs deployed across the country increased from 2.21 lakhs by end of March  2019 to 2.32 lakhs by end of December 2019. The increasing trend continued that by March 2021, the total number of ATMs deployed in the country was 2.34 lakhs.
However, the onset of the first wave of the pandemic had a marginal effect with the quarter ending June 2020 reporting 90 fewer ATMs than the previous quarter.  However, a major fall in the number of ATMs was during the last quarter of 2020 with 1,178 fewer ATMs.
The trend reversed in 2021 when there is a quarter-on-quarter increase in the number of ATMs deployed. The increase has been higher, especially during the first quarter and the fourth quarter of the year. Overall, 16.3 thousand additional ATMs were deployed during the year i.e an increase of 7% in a year.
Increase in the number of ATMs deployed across all Bank Types, with increase  in White Label ATMs being more prominent
The increase in the number of ATMs in 2021 is observed across most of the Bank Types.
The number of ATMs of Small Finance Banks, even though fewer in number has increased, especially after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The overall increase in the number of ATMs during the last quarter of 2021, can also be attributed to the inclusion of ATMs of Co-operative banks (State, Urban, District-Central) along with those of Regional Rural Banks in the data released by RBI.
Meanwhile, after an increase in the number of ATMs of Payment Banks during the first half of 2021 (130), there is a fall by the end of the year to reach 66.
No major variation in the trends among the regions
The RBI data categorizes the ATMs deployed across the country into four regions – Metro, Urban, Semi-Urban & Rural.
The trends since 2019, do not show any marked difference between the regions. The generic trend across the regions conforms to the overall trend i.e., a drop in the number of ATMs during 2020 with an increase in 2021.
Increase in the total number of ATMs deployed across India during 2021
As the data indicates, there has been an increase in the total number of ATMs deployed across the country in 2021 despite a fall during the last three quarters of 2020.
Barring a few exceptions highlighted above, this trend is more or less similar across the different types of banks as well as regions.
Unlike the trend observed prior to 2019, there has been an increase in the number of Public Sector bank ATMs. SBI, the largest Public Sector Bank in the country has increased in the number of its ATMs across the country.
Another significant observation is the continuing trend of increase in the White Label ATMs. This increase is observed across the country. Though the increase is observed across states, the largest number of White Label ATMs are in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & Bihar. This was also the case earlier as well.
While there is a significant increase in the volume of digital transactions, the increase in the number of ATMs could reflect a parallel increasing demand for cash. One of the reasons could be the Direct Transfer benefits that were provided to the marginalized sections of the society during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in ATMs of SBI both in Metros as well as Rural centres, substantiates this trend.
While a fall in the number of ATMs during the pandemic could be an effort to cut down the overhead expenses, the increase in the numbers during 2021 points to a return to some sort of normalcy.


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After Jio’s free offers, TRAI initiates consultation on network testing before commercial launch
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 20, 2017
After Reliance Jio enrolled lakhs of subscribers during its test phase, TRAI has been asked by the government to come up with a framework for the testing phase of new mobile operators.
It is common for most Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to use test SIM cards to check the quality of service and network before the commercial launch of services. This is done to confirm to the standards & regulations on quality of service as laid down by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). But neither extensive discussions were held nor testing standards were laid down in the past. This has changed with the introduction of Reliance Jio, who enrolled lakhs of customers free of cost. Following this, many existing TSPs have requested TRAI to take a look at this issue as they were of the opinion that it is an unfair trade practice. Following the representation, TRAI has now floated a consultation paper on ‘Network Testing before Commercial Launch of Services’.
Are there any existing rules for testing?
Department of Telecom (DoT) issued a circular in 2005 on ‘subscriber base methodology’. This circular stipulates that test SIM cards are those SIMs that are given free of cost to Business Partners including roaming operators to check the Quality of Service from time to time.
But there are no other guidelines on testing of network, time-line of testing, acquisition of subscribers during test-phase, limit on number of SIM cards that can be issued etc.
In the past, the TSPs were following erstwhile practices of BSNL and test SIM Cards were issued by such licensees to check the quality of network. No time limit was set for the test phase.
So why now?
After Reliance Jio rolled out free SIM cards to lakhs of customers during its test phase, the existing operators sent a representation to the government alleging that Jio was following an unfair trade practice.  In their representation, they mentioned the following reasons.
Jio on its part contended that LTE/ VoLTE is a new technology and its throughputs are highly dependent on Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and hence such test trials are necessary estimate optimal network parameters in loaded condition.
The government had asked TRAI to discuss the issue in detail and suggest a framework. It is in this context that TRAI has floated the consultation paper.
What is the consultation about?
In the consultation paper, TRAI has listed the following issues for consultation.
TRAI has invited comments with any additional suggestions to be sent by 12th June. Comments or counter comments can be posted on the TRAI website. The comments can also be sent on email to advmn@trai.gov.in
Featured Image: Reliance Jio free offers


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After widespread misuse, only 3 categories of vehicles can now use the red, blue or white beacon
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2017
After indiscriminate misuse of coloured beacons atop the vehicles of various dignitaries, the government has now issued a notification limiting the use of the coloured beacon to only 3 categories of vehicles on emergency & disaster management duties.
A couple of weeks ago, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to prohibit the use of beacons on all categories of vehicles in the country except in the case of emergency & other duties. The government mentioned at that time that the use of beacons was perceived as a VIP symbol by common public.  Now the government has issued a notification amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (1989) to implement this decision.
Provision of Beacons was widely misused
Rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (1989) empowered the central & state governments to decide the type of dignitaries who would be authorized to use the red or blue light. The Central Government on its part issued a notification authorizing more than 20 dignitaries to use the red beacon. Various state governments also issued similar notifications adding more & more names to this list.
For instance, the government of Andhra Pradesh in 2003 issued a notification allowing 15 dignitaries to use the different beacons. Later, the government added a few more names to this list.
Even UTs issued notifications specifying dignitaries who could use the beacons atop their vehicles. The provision was widely misused by various people who set up beacons atop their vehicles even when the law did not allow the same.
The Supreme Court also came down heavily on this culture while hearing a PIL in 2013. The court ruled that the governments cannot expand the scope of rule 108 to include more dignitaries in the list other than those holding constitutional posts. The court also directed the Chief Secretaries of all the States to publish a notice in the newspapers with the specific orders of the court.
Only 3 categories of Vehicles can now use the beacons
The Central Government has now issued a notification to implement the decision of the union cabinet. The following 3 categories of vehicles desginated for emergency & disaster management duties will only be allowed to use the multi coloured red, blue and white light on their top.
The multi coloured light will not be used when the vehicle is not on the designated duty. The transport department of the state government has also been directed to issue a public notice to make the general public aware of the type of vehicles allowed to use the coloured beacons. Such vehicles should also have a sticker issued by the transport department.
Featured Image: Use of beacons on vehicles


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5% of the Agricultural land Holdings account for close to a third of the total Agricultural Land
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 14, 2015
The summary of the Agricultural Census of 2010-11 was released recently. The number of land holdings saw a rise while the average size of the land holding came down. This has been a consistent trend over the last few censuses. The only exception is the marginal increase in the total area under operation compared to 2005-06.
The Agricultural Census of 2010-11 was released recently. Agriculture Census forms part of a broader system of collection of Agricultural Statistics in India.  It is a large-scale statistical operation for collection of requisite data and derivation of quantitative information about the structural characteristics of agriculture in the country. The basic unit of data collection in Agriculture Census is the operational holding. As per the latest census, close to 5% of all the agricultural land holdings account for about a third of all the agricultural land in operation.
What is the Agricultural Census?
Agriculture Census in India is conducted at five yearly intervals for collection of information about structural aspects of agricultural holdings in the country. The basic statistical unit for data collection is ‘Operational Holding’. The concept of agricultural operational holdings does not include those holdings which are not operating any agricultural land and are engaged exclusively in livestock, poultry and fishing etc. The reference year for the present Census was Agriculture Year 2010-11 (July-June). Agriculture Census data is collected in three phases. During Phase-I, data is collected on primary characteristics such as number and area of operational holdings. In Phase-II, detailed data is collected on sample basis from 20 percent villages covering characteristics such as tenancy, land use, irrigation, cropping pattern, dispersal of holding etc. During Phase-III, generally referred to as Input Survey, data is collected on pattern of use of inputs.
Number of Holdings & Average Size
As per Agriculture Census 2010-11, total number of operational holdings was estimated as 138.35 million. The total operated area was 159.59 million hectare. (1 Hectare is 2.47 acre & 1 acre is 4046 Sq.mtr)
The average size of the holding has been estimated as 1.15 hectare. The average size of holdings has shown a steady declining trend over various Agriculture Censuses since 1970-71.
The number of agricultural operational holdings in the country has seen a steady increase over the years. From 115.58 million operational holdings in 1995-96, this number has increased to 138.35 million operational holdings in 2010-11, an increase of 20% over 16 years.
The total operated area has seen mixed trend.  It reduced from 163.35 million hectares in 1995-96 to 158.32 million hectares in 2005-06. In 2010-11, it increased to 159.59 million hectares.
The average size of land holding has been continuously decreasing on account of increasing number of land holdings From an average of 1.41 hectares in 1995-96, it went down to 1.15 hectares in 2010-11, a decrease of 18%.
Category wise breakup of Land Holdings
On the basis of operated area, operational holdings in Agriculture Census are categorized as follows,
The percentage of marginal holdings has gone up from 62.9% in 2000-01 to 67.1% in 2010-11. Except the percentage of marginal holdings, the percentage of all other holdings has gone down marginally from 2000-01 to 2010-11. The percentage of large holdings has gone down from 1% in 2000-01 to 0.7% in 2010-11. The percentage of medium holdings went down from 5.3% in 2000-01 to 4.3% in 2010-11.
Going with the trend of percentage of land holdings, the percentage of area operated increased for marginal holdings and decreased for all other categories except small holdings. Surprisingly, though the percentage of small land holdings has gone down from 18.9% in 2000-01 to 17.9% in 2010-11, the percentage area under small land holdings increased from 20.2% in 2000-01 to 22.08% in 2010-11. This could be probably because of the increase in total area  under operation. The percentage area under marginal land holdings increased from 18.7% in 2000-01 to 22.5% in 2010-11.
Less than 5% land holdings account for close to 1/3rd of total area
While the number of Medium & Large holdings account for less than 5%, they make up for close to 1/3 of the total area under operation. Though the number of Marginal & Small holdings account for 85% of the total number of holdings, they together account for only 45% of the total area under operation.
Featured Image: By ILRI (Ploughing with cattle in West Bengal) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

created: December 14, 2015


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Ahmedabad Airport is not renamed as ‘Adani Airport’; the train in the video not owned by Adani - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 17, 2020
While some people are posting the picture of a hoarding on social media and claiming that the name of the Ahmedabad Airport (‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’) has been renamed as ‘Adani Airport’, others are posting a video of a train and claiming that it shows ‘Adani Railways’. Let’s fact-check the claims made in the posts.
Ahmedabad Airport got renamed as ‘Adani Airport’?
Claim 1: Ahmedabad’s ‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’ has been renamed as ‘Adani Airport’.
Fact: The Ahmedabad Airport (‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’) has not been renamed as ‘Adani Airport’. The operations, management & development of Ahmedabad Airport have been handed over to the Adani Group by the AAI. While exiting the Airport, one can see ‘Welcome to Ahmedabad’ (with ‘Adani Airports’ written on the sides) on the hoarding. On the same hoarding, from the other side, one can see ‘Welcome to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’ (with ‘Adani Airports’ written on the sides) when one is entering the Airport. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched on the internet, we found that the Ahmedabad Airport (‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’) has not been renamed as ‘Adani Airport’. The ‘Airports Authority of India (AAI)’ has made an agreement with the Adani Group with respect to the operations, management & development of the Ahmedabad Airport. The press release can be found on the AAI website.
The tweets made by the AAI regarding the above agreement can be seen here and here.
Also, on the website and Twitter account of Ahmedabad Airport, it can be seen that the name of the Airport is written as ‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’. In a tweet made by the ‘Adani Group’, they have also mentioned the same (‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’).
The photo being shared on social media is related to Ahmedabad Airport. But a Twitter user has mentioned that while exiting the Airport, one can see ‘Welcome to Ahmedabad’ (with ‘Adani Airports’ written on the sides) on the hoarding. On the same hoarding, from the other side, one can see ‘Welcome to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’ (with ‘Adani Airports’ written on the sides) when one is entering the Airport. Recently, ‘TV9 Gujarati’ has also uploaded a video mentioning the same.
The operations, management & development of Lucknow Airport have also been handed over to the Adani Group by the AAI. Even on the hoarding related to the Lucknow Airport, one can see ‘Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow’ (with ‘Adani Airports’ written on the sides). So, the Ahmedabad Airport (‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport’) has not been renamed as ‘Adani Airport’.
Video shoes ‘Adani Railways’?
Claim 2: Video of ‘Adani Railways’ train.
Fact: The train in the video is not owned by the Adani Group. It is an ‘Indian Railways’ train. Only the advertisement on the train is related to the Adani Group. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In the video, one can see that ‘पश्चिम रेलवे, वडोदरा’ (‘Western Railway, Vadodara’) is written on the train. So, when we searched with a few keywords, a tweet by the ‘Western Railway’ related to the train in the video was found in the search results. In the tweet, it was mentioned – ‘WR has got the branding of its 10 Electric Locomotives done at Electric Loco Shed, Vadodara, fetching revenue of Rs. 1.05 Cr besides saving Rs 8 lakhs on painting.’ The news articles regarding those trains can be read here, here, and here. So, the train in the video is not owned by the Adani Group. It is an ‘Indian Railways’ train. Only the advertisement on the train is related to the Adani Group. The ‘Press Information Bureau (PIB)’ has also clarified the same.
Opening up avenues under Non Fare Revenue, WR has got the branding of its 10 Electric Locomotives done at Electric Loco Shed, Vadodara, fetching revenue of Rs. 1.05 Cr besides saving Rs 8 lakhs on painting. Sh Mukesh Sharma, Sr.Technician inaugurated it in presence of @DRMBRCWR. pic.twitter.com/N1xlD6EBMn
Not only the Adani Group, but multiple companies also display their advertisements on the ‘Indian Railways’ trains. Some of them can be seen here, here, and here. The ‘Indian Railways’ gets revenue under the ‘Non-Fare Revenue’ for displaying commercial advertisements. The messages related to COVID-19 were also displayed on the trains. The comments made by the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, in July 2020, on the privatization of trains can be watched here.
Nagpur Division of Central Railway has completed the work of Physical branding of Locomotives and earned the Non fare revenue for Railways. pic.twitter.com/CVisMgKLxw
To sum it up, neither the Ahmedabad Airport has been renamed as ‘Adani Airport’ nor the train in the video is owned by the Adani Group.

created: December 17, 2020


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AI-generated image falsely claimed as a Child’s Sand Art of Virat Kohli - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 8, 2024
A collage of photos (here, here and here), allegedly showing a sand art portrait of Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli crafted by a young boy, is going viral on social media. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: These photos showcase the sand art of Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli created by a little boy.
Fact: According to the AI content detection tool ‘Hive’, these images have been generated by Artificial Intelligence. Therefore, the claim presented in the post is False.
To fact-check this claim, we observed the viral images closely. Firstly, one of the photos in the collage presented a spelling error; ‘Sports’ was incorrectly spelled as ‘Spoot’. Additionally, some of the social media accounts (here and here) sharing the image included a ‘#PhotoEditingChallenge’ hashtag along with the collage. Furthermore, these accounts often identified themselves as ‘Digital Creators’ in their social media bios.
These observations led to doubts regarding the authenticity of the photos, suggesting they might have been generated using Artificial Intelligence. To confirm these doubts, we ran the viral collage through a AI Content Detection tool known as ‘AI Classifier’ by Hive. The results suggested that the image is 100% likely to be AI-generated.
Another AI content detection tool known as ‘Maybe’s AI Art Detector’ also identified this as an AI-generated image.
To sum up, the images in question are not genuine sand art of Virat Kohli crafted by a child, but rather AI-generated images.


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AI-Generated Image Falsely Portrayed as a Real Chinese Drone Toilet Unit - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 7, 2023
An image resembling a potential drone toilet unit is circulating on social media with a claim that China has developed a drone mobile toilet that can be summoned at any time for immediate use. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: China developed a mobile drone toilet that can be summoned at any time for immediate use.
Fact: This image is not real but generated by AI using Mid Journey software. There are no reports of implementing a concept like a drone toilet anywhere. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, we conducted a comprehensive search across various Chinese media outlets (here, here, and here) to investigate whether any news reports or discussions regarding a drone toilet unit existed. However, despite our thorough efforts, we were unable to find any media reports or discussions that substantiated the existence of a drone toilet.
During our investigation, we did encounter reports of drones being deployed for diverse purposes, including the delivery of goods, food items, and even toilet paper, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Nevertheless, we found no evidence or reports indicating the implementation of drone toilets in any context.
However, we subsequently came across the work of a digital artist named Jyo John Mulloor. On 15 May 2023, along with the current viral image, he also shared over 30 images of drone toilet units on his Facebook page. Notably, he explicitly stated that these images were generated using an artificial intelligence program called Midjourney.
Additionally, he also shared AI-generated images featuring various historical figures, sports personalities, and movie artists in different scenarios on his Facebook page.
Based on this evidence, it can be inferred that while the concept of drone toilets is intriguing, the viral image circulating online is, in fact, not a real image but rather an AI-generated one.
To sum it up, the image shared as a genuine depiction of a Chinese drone toilet unit is, in fact, an AI-generated representation of a futuristic mobile toilet model.


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AI-generated image is being shared as a real image of an ancient 21 billion years old drone unearthed in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 11, 2024
A picture purported to be of a 21 billion-year-old drone recently excavated in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is making rounds on social media platforms. Let’s verify this claim through this fact-check article.
Claim: The photo depicts a 21 billion-year-old drone that was unearthed in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has released no official statement about the excavation of an ancient drone in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The image is a creation of artificial intelligence. Hence, the claim made in the social media post is False.
To check the credibility of the claim, we did a keyword search on the internet to find any official statements from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) regarding the excavation of the ancient drone in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. No such discovery was mentioned either on the ASI’s official website or on their social media profiles.
Further, we performed a reverse image search to find out more about the viral photo. This search directed us to an ‘X’ account named ‘Convomf’, which posted the same picture on 7 March 2024.
Gambaran jika drone sudah menjadi artefak 😁😁😁
(Generated by Ai) 💙
Sanxingdui archaeological site-2000 years ago drone.. pic.twitter.com/JE3YekZLXI
According to the caption, the image was generated using artificial intelligence. The same image was also found in a video on the Chinese video-sharing platform, Xigua, where the caption identifies the photo as an AI creation and labels it as ‘completely fictitious’.
Though we could not independently verify the source of the image, it’s clear that the drone seen in the viral image has not been excavated in Prayagraj. Thus, it’s safe to conclude that the viral claim is a fabrication.
Also, according to estimates by scientists and astronomers, the Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, and the Big Bang likely occurred 10 to 20 billion years ago, so the figure of 21 billion years old for the drone is a wild exaggeration by all estimates.
To sum up, the viral image claiming to be of a 21 billion-year-old drone excavated in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is false. The picture is an AI-generated image and has no connection to any archaeological discovery.


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AI-generated image is being shared as McDonald's new logo depicting cruelty to cows - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 21, 2023
A widely circulated social media post alleges that the well-known fast-food chain McDonald’s has unveiled a new logo depicting cruelty to cows. The post includes an image featuring a cow’s head emerging from the iconic arches of the company’s logo. In this article, we aim to verify the accuracy of the claim presented in the post.
Claim: McDonald’s has unveiled a new logo depicting cruelty to cows.
Fact: McDonald’s has not unveiled a new logo portraying cruelty to cows. The widely shared viral image is the creation of an independent artist utilizing AI tools and is unrelated to McDonald’s management or its official logo. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Initially, we checked the McDonald’s official portal to investigate any alterations to their logo. However, no such modifications were identified, and their website continues to showcase the enduring golden arches logo. In January 2023, there were speculations about a logo change when the fast-food giant unexpectedly altered its profile picture and shared a cryptic animation on its feed. Nevertheless, no modifications to the logo have occurred since that time.
Moreover, the current viral image is largely generated by artificial intelligence. Hive, an AI detection tool designed to identify images and text produced or altered using AI, has assessed the present viral image as being AI-generated.
Moreover, conducting a reverse image search on the current photograph led us to social media posts by PETA, which featured the identical image (here, here & here). In these posts, PETA attributed the image to an artist named ‘Itzhak Garbuz.’ Following this lead, a search on various social media platforms led us to the profile of this artist.
In one of the artist’s posts, he shared an identical image and text indicating that he crafted it using various AI tools. Moreover, in response to a query in the comment section, the artist explicitly stated that he generated the image using tools such as ‘stable diffusion’ and ‘control net.’ Consequently, these details affirm that the viral image is a product of artificial intelligence, confirming that McDonald’s did not adopt the current viral image as its new logo.
To sum it up, an AI-generated image is being shared as McDonald’s new logo depicting cruelty to cows.

created: December 21, 2023


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AI-generated image is shared as real visuals of Jharkhand police catching a truck full of cash and gold coins - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2024
A photo (here, here) allegedly showing a truck full of cash and gold coins caught by the Jharkhand police during the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections is doing the rounds on social media. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Photo shows a wheat truck full of cash and gold coins caught by the Jharkhand police recently.
Fact:  This is an AI-generated image. No news reports validate the claim that Jharkhand police caught a wheat truck transporting huge sums of money and gold coins. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we first performed a keyword search looking for news reports about any wheat truck seized by the Jharkhand police during the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The search did not yield any results. If such a truck with a huge amount of cash and gold coins was caught by the police, it would have gained significant attention from the media but we found none.
Suspecting that the viral photo could be an image generated by Artificial Intelligence -AI, we carried out searches to know its authenticity by running through AI content detection tools like ‘Hive’ and ‘True Media.’ We found that the viral photo is actually an AI-generated image.
To sum up, this photo of a wheat truck full of gold coins and cash captured by the Jharkhand police is an AI-generated image.


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AI-Generated Image of PM Modi in Lavish Attire Circulating as Real Event Photo - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 18, 2023
A photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in lavish attire has been circulating on social media, with a claim that it depicts him at a recent event. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Picture of PM Modi in a lavish attire is a real photo clicked at an event.
Fact: The image is an AI-generated creation, not an authentic photograph, and depicts an imaginary scenario of PM Modi attending a Met Gala event. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Initially, we searched for official government sources and media websites to determine whether PM Modi had recently attended an event where he dressed in such attire; however, we were unable to find any evidence. Additionally, we couldn’t locate any reputable media outlets featuring this image.
Next, we conducted a reverse image search on the viral photo and discovered that it was initially shared by a West Bengal-based digital creator named Sahid. On 03 April 2023, he posted this image, along with others featuring politicians like Rahul Gandhi and Joe Biden, stating that they represent AI-generated depictions of politicians attending the Met Gala. When social media users began sharing the AI-generated image of Modi as a real one, Sahid clarified that many people mistakenly believed these images to be genuine, when in fact, they were imaginative creations produced using Artificial Intelligence. Sahid confirmed to us that the image in question was generated with the AI image generation software Midjourney.
Likewise, Sahid’s page showcases an array of AI-generated images featuring well-known personalities in various situations. A few examples of these creations can be viewed here, here, and here.
A post shared by Sahid (@sahixd)
To sum it up, the image circulating on social media of PM Modi wearing lavish attire is an AI-generated creation and not a genuine photograph.


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AI-Generated image shared as the picture of a monkey flower that blooms once every 20 years in the Himalayas - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 12, 2023
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it is a picture of a monkey flower that blooms once every 20 years in the Himalayan mountains. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo showing the monkey flower that blooms once every 20 years in the Himalayan mountains.
Fact: The image shared in the post is generated using Artificial Intelligence tools. The picture does not show a real picture of a flower in the shape of a monkey face, and it has nothing to do with the Himalayas. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an article published by the ‘mygopen’ website in June 2023. This news site reported it is a digitally created image using the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by a Toutiao page named ‘Leaf Beauty Gallery’.
When we searched for further sources of the image using this information, we found the same image published on the Toutiao page of Leaf Beauty Gallery.
The author described it as an AI painting depicting cat face flowers. The biography section of the Toutiao page clearly stated that they generate paintings using Artificial Intelligence. A few other AI-Generated paintings published on this page can be seen here and here.
The Dracula Orchids, a unique orchid family whose arrangement of columns, petals, and lip strongly resembles a monkey’s face, predominantly grows in Ecuador and Peru regions in South America. The images of Dracula orchids, also called ‘Monkey Orchids’, can be seen here, here, and here. But the image shared in the post was generated using Artificial Intelligence.
To sum it up, an AI-Generated image was shared as the picture of a monkey flower that blooms once every 20 years in the Himalayas.


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AI-generated image shared as the picture of a railway station in Kerala beautifully decorated with flowers for Onam - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 29, 2023
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it is the picture of a railway station decorated with an abundance of flowers on the occasion of the Onam festival in Kerala. The picture shows a train painted in floral patterns, stopped at a railway station decorated with flowers. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a railway station that was beautifully decorated with flowers for the Onam festival in Kerala.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is an AI-generated image. The image was created by Aneesh Chakkottil, an employee of the UAE-based Copper and Black advertising company. The divisional Railway Manager of Thiruvananthapuram Division through a tweet confirmed it is an edited image and said the viral image does not show the picture of any railway station in Kerala. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On observing the photo carefully, one could see the watermark ‘Copper & Black’ at the top left of the image. On reverse image search of the image and by searching with relevant keywords, we found the same image on the Facebook page of Aneesh Chakkottil. Aneesh Chakkottil published the image describing it as a picture of a special Vande Bharat train that is said to start from Kasaragod to Trivandrum on the occasion of the Onam festival.
Responding to a few posts in the comment section, Aneesh Chakkottil confirmed it is an AI-generated image depicting the Vande Bharat train which was expected to start on the occasion of Onam in Kerala. Aneesh Chakkottil is an employee of the UAE-based ‘Copper and Black’ advertising company.
The Divisional Railway Manager of Thiruvananthapuram Division published a tweet confirming that the viral image was edited. The tweet published by DVM Thiruvananthapuram states, “Fake news alert! An edited picture of a colourful train is circulating in social media with a claim that is from a railway station in Kerala. The claim is false. The train in the image is from Kyoto, Japan. Do not fall for fake news“.
Fake news alert! An edited picture of a colourful train is circulating in social media with a claim that is from a railway station in Kerala. The claim is false. The train in the image is from Kyoto, Japan. Do not fall for fake news! @GMSRailway @RailMinIndia @PIBFactCheck pic.twitter.com/kiArZnygJR
A similar image of a train adorned with floral patterns was found on the ‘Pngtree’ website. This site reported it is a train from Kyoto in Japan.
To sum it up, an AI-generated image is shared as the picture of a railway station beautifully decorated for the Onam festival in Kerala.


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AI-generated image shared as the picture of rescue team celebrating following the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 29, 2023
An image is being shared on social media claiming it is a picture of the rescue team posing with the Indian national flag and celebrating the success of the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation. In the wake of NDRF and SDRF teams successfully rescuing 41 workers trapped inside Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel, the photo is going viral on social media.  Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of rescue team celebrating the success of the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is an AI-generated image. The image does not show the real celebrations of the rescue team after Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel rescue operation. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an Instagram post made by ‘theexclusiveminds’ on 28 November 2023. Publishing the image with the title, “Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue Successfully”, this Instagram handle provided a disclaimer stating- “It’s an AI Generated photo.” ‘theexclusiveminds’ published a series of AI-generated images in this Instagram post celebrating the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation.
The AI-generated content detection application ‘Hive’ also confirmed that the image was 100% AI-generated.
A few visuals of NDRF rescue team celebrations after rescuing the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel can be seen here and here.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue | NDRF personnel engaged in the rescue operation begin celebration as the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel were successfully rescued. pic.twitter.com/ZxIxAskZ5U
To sum it up, an AI-generated image is shared as a picture of rescue team celebrating following the successful Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation.

created: November 29, 2023


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AI-Generated images falsely represented as mysterious creatures from the reign of King Rama V in Thailand - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 18, 2024
A post accompanying several images of hunters posing with mysterious creatures is being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that these mysterious animals existed during the reign of King Rama V in Thailand. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images depicting the existence of mysterious creatures during the reign of King Rama V in Thailand.
Fact: The photos shared in the post are AI-generated images and do not depict any mysterious creatures that existed during the reign of King Rama V in Thailand. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon conducting a reverse image search on the viral photos shared in the post, we found the same photos on the ‘Midjourney Official’ Facebook page published in April 2023, uploaded by a user ‘ธตรัฐ ไตรณรงค์‘. Several AI-generated images are uploaded by this user on the Facebook page. ‘About this group’ section of the Midjourney Official Facebook group states that, ‘This is the official Facebook group for Midjourney, a cutting-edge text-to-image generative artificial intelligence program and service…..’ .This clearly indicates that the images being shared in this group are AI-generated images.
Also, upon careful observation of the viral images, it becomes evident that many of the people depicted have misshapen faces and hands, and some have extra or missing limbs. Such anomalies are typical of AI rendering, even though the technology continues to improve. Below, you can observe these AI rendering mistakes.
To verify whether the viral photos were generated using Artificial Intelligence, we subjected them to the Hive AI detector tool. This tool indicates the percentage likelihood of a photo being generated using AI. The results indicated a 99.9% likelihood of being generated by AI. Based on all this information, it is evident that the viral images are generated by AI.
To sum it up, AI-generated images are being falsely presented as pictures of mysterious creatures that purportedly existed during the reign of King Rama V in Thailand.

created: January 18, 2024