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No scientific evidence to suggest ultrasonic neckband helps in weight-loss by reducing fat - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 23, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming that an ultrasonic neckband helps in weight loss by reducing fat. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ultrasonic neck band aids weight loss by reducing fat.
Fact: Ultrasonic neck bands are not approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as weight-loss/weight-management devices. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also warns consumers not to believe such false advertisements which promote miraculous weight-loss. FTC further states, “Nothing you can wear or apply to your skin will cause you to lose weight. There’s no magical way to lose weight without a sensible diet and regular exercise”. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
First, we looked at official website of US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the list of approved ‘Weight-loss and weight-management devices”. But the list doesn’t name ultrasonic neck band as an approved device.
Moreover, FDA states that before prescribing medicine or recommending devices or surgery, most doctors request their patients to demonstrate healthy lifestyles that include better nutrition and increased physical activity. Even after the prescription of a medicine, device or surgical treatments, patients will need to maintain a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives. Despite treatments and lifestyle changes, some patients may not be able to lose weight or maintain weight-loss. Also, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued multiple advisories and warned consumers not to believe such false advertisements. They can be seen here and here.
FACTLY debunked multiple weight-loss advertising scams earlier. They can be seen here and here
To sum it up, no scientific evidence to suggest ultrasonic neckband helps in weight-loss by reducing fat.

created: November 23, 2022


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Shehbaz Sharif did not tweet welcoming Indian Muslims, viral screenshot is fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 13, 2024
The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the rules for enforcing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, passed by Parliament in December 2019. As a result of this development, there is widespread circulation of a screenshot purportedly showing a tweet by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, denouncing the implementation of the CAA and pledging to introduce a similar law in Pakistan modelled after India’s. This article aims to fact-check the authenticity of the tweet.
Claim: Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, tweeted announcing their own CAA, extending a welcome to Indian Muslims.
Fact: Shehbaz Sharif did not tweet about the implementation of their own CAA or extend a welcome to Indian Muslims. An analysis conducted using a Twitter analytics tool confirmed this. The viral screenshot has been digitally manipulated. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Despite the viral screenshot closely resembling Shehbaz Sharif’s official Twitter account, it is a digitally manipulated image, and Sharif has not posted any such tweet extending a welcome to Indian Muslims. A search on Shehbaz Sharif’s Twitter account did not reveal any tweet matching the described content on 11 March 2024. The latest tweet from this account was made on 10 March 2024.
Moreover, an analysis conducted using Social Blade, a Twitter analytics tool, confirmed that Shehbaz Sharif did not post any tweets on 11 March 2024. According to the analytics, he made eight tweets on 09 March 2024, four on 10 March 2024, and none on 11 March 2024.
If it’s assumed that he deleted the tweet in question, the total number of tweets made through his account each day could vary. However, the total remains consistent without any discrepancies, indicating that he did not tweet on 11 March 2024.
Moreover, if the Prime Minister of Pakistan had indeed tweeted in response to India notifying rules for implementing the CAA, it would have been reported by the entire media. However, no such reports were found, further confirming that the viral screenshot is digitally manipulated.
To sum it up, no, Shehbaz Sharif did not tweet extending a welcome to Indian Muslims, the viral screenshot is fake.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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No, Shahrukh Khan did not challenge people to make ‘Pathaan’ a box-office failure - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 28, 2022
Update (13 December 2022): Another post is being widely shared claiming that Shahrukh Khan said “No one has the guts to make Pathan flop. If Pathan flops, I will leave India”. However, there are no reports of Shahrukh Khan making any such statements.
A couple of screenshots of breaking news templates of a news channel are being shared on social media claiming that Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan has challenged bhakts to make ‘Pathaan’ a box-office failure. This post claims that Shahrukh was furious over people for making Laal Singh Chaddha a box-office failure and so, he challenged them to do the same with his movie. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Shahrukh Khan challenged bhakts to make his upcoming film ‘Pathaan’ a box-office failure.
Fact: Shahrukh Khan did not make any such statement challenging people to boycott his upcoming movie ‘Pathaan’ or make it a a box-office failure. As on date, Shahrukh Khan did not react to the box office failure of Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether Shahrukh Khan had made any such  statement challenging people to make his upcoming movie Pathaan a box-office failure, we could not find any reliable information. If Shahrukh Khan had made such a statement, several news and entertainment websites would have reported them owing to his celebrity status.
Further, Shahrukh Khan did not make any such statement on any of his official social media handles like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Tweets made by Shahrukh Khan related to his ‘Pathaan’ movie can be seen here. While responding to a Twitter user’s question about whether he watched the Laal Singh Chaddha movie, Shahrukh Khan replied, “Arre yaar Aamir kehta hai pehle ‘Pathaan’ dikha!!”(Aamir is asking to screen ‘Pathaan’ for him first!!). Shahrukh Khan as of now did not make any statement about the box office failure of Laal Singh Chaddha.
Arre yaar Aamir kehta hai pehle Pathaan dikha!! #Pathaan https://t.co/dBWCqD7g05
Earlier, when a similar fake statement was attributed to Aamir Khan alleging that he called out people for wasting milk on Hindu idols, FACTLY published a fact-check article debunking that claim. Also, FACTLY debunked many fake social media posts shared in the context of Laal Singh Chaddha film They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, Shahrukh Khan did not challenge people to make his upcoming film ‘Pathaan’ a box-office failure.

created: November 28, 2022


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Shah Rukh Khan did not say that he would have to sell his house if ‘Pathaan’ movie flops - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 23, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has made an emotional appeal to his fans and audience that he would have to sell his house if his upcoming film ‘Pathaan’ flops at the box office. ‘Pathaan’ filmmakers recently announced that the movie is set to be released on 25 January 2023. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Shah Rukh Khan said that he would have to sell his house if his upcoming film ‘Pathaan’ flops at the box office.
Fact: Shah Rukh Khan did not make any such appeal to his fans and audience regarding his upcoming film ‘Pathaan’. Shah Rukh Khan had never said that his house would be sold if his ‘Pathaan’ or any other film flops at the box office. Shah Rukh Khan’s team has confirmed that this narrative circulating on social media is fake. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan had made any such appeal, we could not find any such statement on the official Twitter handle of Shah Rukh Khan. Sharing a promotional video on 02 March 2022, Shah Rukh Khan announced the release date of the Pathaan movie as 25 January 2023. But he did not make any such appeal to his fans and audience that he would have to sell his house if his film Pathaan flops at the box office. If Shah Rukh Khan had made any such appeal to people, several mainstream media websites would have reported that information, but we could not find a single article reporting this information on the internet.
I know it’s late… But remember the date… Pathaan time starts now…
See you in cinemas on 25th January, 2023.
Releasing in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Celebrate #Pathaan with #YRF50 only at a big screen near you. @deepikapadukone |@TheJohnAbraham | #SiddharthAnand | @yrf pic.twitter.com/dm30yLDfF7
When ‘Dainik Jagran’ journalist Smita Srivatsava contacted Shah Rukh Khan’s team for more clarification regarding this message, Shah Rukh Khan’s team clarified that this narrative is fake. ‘Vishwas News’ published a fact-check article reporting this clarification from Shah Rukh Khan’s team.
To sum it up, Shah Rukh Khan did not say that he would have to sell his house if his film ‘Pathaan’ flops at the box office.


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The Indian Government does not release tax-related data based on religion - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 3, 2019
Update (09 December 2022):
Another post is now being shared widely with a similar claim that Jains contribute 24 percent of tax collection in India. However, the Government of India does not release direct or indirect tax data based on religion. The Income Tax department releases the figures of direct tax collection, but these are not based on religion. The methodology adopted in Income Tax Return statistics is also not based on any religion. So, there are no official figures to confirm the claim made in the post.
Published (03 October 2019):
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that 33 per cent of Income Tax in India comes from the members of the Sikh community. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Sikhs contribute 33% of Income Tax in India.
Fact: The Direct Tax collection from Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana (where the Sikh population forms a significant part of the total population) is less than 4 per cent of India’s Total Direct Tax Collection. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On the website of the Income Tax Department, it can be found that the Direct Tax collection figures for each state are given. There are no figures based on religion. However, from Census 2011, it was found that the Sikhs formed more than 5% of the total population in Punjab (58%) and Chandigarh (13%), and approximately 5% in Haryana. These three states represent more than 80 per cent of India’s Total Sikh Population.
The Direct Tax Collection data (for the year 2016-17) for these regions show that they contributed less than 4 per cent of the Total Direct Tax Collection in the country. Even if it is considered that all the tax collection from these states came from the Sikh community, it can be concluded that the Sikh Community does not contribute 1/3 of the total Direct Tax Collection in the country as is claimed in the post. There are other claims in the post which could not be verified due to lack of data.
To sum it up, Sikhs do not contribute 33% of Income Tax in India.
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created: October 3, 2019


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Singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away on 06 February 2022 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 24, 2022
UPDATE: Lata Mangeshkar passed away on 06 February 2022. The Government of India has announced two days of State Mourning from 06 February 2022 throughout India. The National Flag will be flown at half-mast from 06 February 2022 to 07 February 2022 throughout India and there will be no official entertainment. A State Funeral will be accorded to Lata Mangeshkar.
A lot of posts are being shared on social media with a claim that well-known singer Lata Mangeshkar has passed away in Mumbai. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Singer Lata Mangeshkar has passed away.
Fact: This news first went viral on 24 January 2022 when Lata Mangeshkar was recovering in the ICU. However, she passed away on 06 February 2022.
When we searched for news regarding the alleged death of Lata Mangeshkar, no such news reports were found. As there were speculations about her death in the last week, a health update was given through the official Twitter and Instagram accounts of Lata Mangeshkar on 22 January 2022.  An update from Dr Pratit Samdani (Breach Candy Hospital) clarifies that she “is showing positive signs of improvement from earlier and is under treatment in the ICU”. Also, in the tweet, there is a request to stop disturbing speculations.
Heartfelt request for the disturbing speculation to stop.
Update from Dr Pratit Samdani, Breach Candy Hospital.
Lata Didi is showing positive signs of improvement from earlier and  is under treatment in the ICU.
We look forward and pray for her speedy healing and homecoming.
The news reports about the health condition of Lata Mangeshkar can be read here and here.
To sum it up, the social media posts about the death of Lata Mangeshkar are not true. She is alive as on 24 January 2022.

created: January 24, 2022


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No, sniffer dogs weren’t killed in the Pulwama attack - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 25, 2020
An image of dogs garlanded is doing the rounds on social media with the claim that 13 sniffer dogs were also killed in the Pulwama attack along with the soldiers. Let’s check the authenticity of the claim.
13 sniffer dogs were killed in the Pulwama attack.
Fact: Sniffer dogs weren’t killed in the Pulwama attack. The news is fake. So, the claim is FALSE.
When searched with the text ‘Sniffer dogs killed in Pulwama attack’, no corroborating information was found in the results. The media, in their news reports about Pulwama attack, have reported only about the death of 40 CRPF jawans; they did not mention about the death of sniffer dogs. Those reports can be seen here, here and here. When the image is cropped to the extent of dogs and subjected to reverse image search technique, it was found in a Facebook post from 2016. So, it has nothing to do with the Pulwama attack that occurred in ‘February 2019’.
Also, earlier, when ‘The Quint’ had contacted ‘CRPF’ about information regarding the death of sniffer dogs in the Pulwama attack, they were told that sniffer dogs weren’t killed in the attack as the convoy was transporting only jawans.
To summarize, sniffer dogs weren’t killed in the Pulwama blasts.
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created: February 25, 2020


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No, SriLankan singer Yohani de Silva has not been appointed India's cultural ambassador - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 1, 2021
A social media post claiming that Yohani de Silva, a SriLankan singer who rose to fame with the song ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ has been appointed as the cultural ambassador between Sri Lanka and India is being shared widely. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Yohani de Silve, SriLankan singer has been appointed as the cultural ambassador between Sri Lanka and India.
Fact: SriLankan singer, Yohani de Silva is not appointed as the cultural ambassador between Indian and Sri Lanka. Indian High Commission in Colombo’s congratulatory message praising Yohani as cultural ambassador is misconstrued as if she is officially appointed as one. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Indian High Commission in Colombo’s official Facebook page posted a congratulatory message on 18 September 2021 praising Yohani de Silva, Sri Lankan singer who rose to fame in India with the song ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ as she is celebrated by the Indian TV networks.
The congratulatory message reads “A proud moment as the newest cultural Ambassador Yohani is feted by national TV networks in India. And why not? With >110 million YouTube views, her  #manikemagehithe has captured millions of Indian hearts from celebrities to common people. True spontaneity and depth of thousands-year old India-Sri Lanka relations at its best!”.
However, the phrase ‘newest cultural Ambassador’ is misconstrued by netizens as she is officially appointed as the cultural ambassador, which is not the case. As of today, there is no information regarding her appointment on the High Commission of India website or on the website of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Further, Yohani shared few pictures of her on social media stating ‘Dr. Rewant Vikram Singh Director, Indian Cultural Centre (now called Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre), High Commission of India, hosted us today in his office.’ But nowhere she mentioned that she was appointed as a cultural ambassador.
AFP, a fact-checking agency was told by the Indian High Commission in their correspondence that Yohani was not appointed as a cultural ambassador.
To sum it up, Sri Lankan singer Yohani de Silva has not been appointed as a cultural ambassador.

created: October 1, 2021


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No state or central government is providing Rs. 36,000 per month to pregnant women under any scheme - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2024
A post claiming that the government is providing Rs. 36,000 per month to all pregnant women under the “Prasuti Sahaayata Yojana” is being widely shared across social media. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post through this article.
Claim: The government is providing Rs. 36,000 monthly to pregnant women under the ‘Prasuti Sahaayata Yojana’.
Fact: There is no scheme from the central government or any state government offering Rs. 36,000 monthly to pregnant women. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) scheme, the central government provides pregnant women up to Rs. 6,000 for two childbirths. This amount is paid in two installments. However, the website mentioned in the viral post redirects to “Shramyogi Prasuti Sahai Yojana” offered by the Gujarat Government to building and other construction workers. Under this scheme, the Gujarat Government provides financial assistance of Rs. 6,000 to the wife of a registered construction worker and assistance of Rs. 37,500 to a registered female construction worker for the first two deliveries. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet. However, we could not find any scheme from the Government of India or any state government offering Rs. 36,000 a month to pregnant women.
During this search, we found a scheme with a similar name, ‘Prasuti Sahaayata Yojana,’ which is a maternity assistance scheme provided by the Madhya Pradesh government to building and other construction workers. We then checked the official website of the labour service portal of Madhya Pradesh regarding this ‘Maternity Assistance Scheme,’ which was launched by the ‘Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) board in 2004. This scheme is exclusively for female construction workers and the wives of registered male construction workers who are registered with the board and have a valid identity card. Under this scheme, a total amount of Rs. 16,000 is given in two instalments as maternity assistance.
Subsequently, we also discovered that the central government offers financial assistance to pregnant women under the scheme “Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).” In this scheme, pregnant women will receive up to Rs. 6,000 in two instalments. According to the guidelines of this scheme, this benefit is available to a woman for her first two living children, provided that the second child is a girl. For the first child, the amount of ₹5,000 is provided in two instalments, and for the second child, the benefit of ₹6,000 will be provided in one instalment after the birth, subject to the second child being a girl. However, for availing benefits for the second child, registration during pregnancy is mandatory.
Furthermore, we also explored the Ojas Club website mentioned in the viral post and searched for the mentioned “Prasuti Sahaayata Yojana.” Instead, we found information about the “Shramyogi Prasuti Sahai Yojana” by the Gujarat Government. To learn more about this scheme, we visited the official website of the Labour, Skill Development, and Employment Department of the Government of Gujarat. According to the information provided on this website, under a maternity support scheme (prenatal), the Gujarat Government provides financial assistance of Rs. 6,000 to the wife of a registered construction worker for the first two deliveries and assistance of Rs. 37,500 to a registered female construction worker.
To sum it up, no state or central government is providing Rs. 36,000 per month to pregnant women under any scheme.


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No such massive Buddhist conversion event was held in Jaipur recently; images show ‘Dhamma Mela’ organized in Maharashtra - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 18, 2022
In the context of Delhi’s recent Buddhism conversion event controversy, images of a massive crowd are being widely shared on social media claiming that they show 1 lakh people converting to Buddhism at an event held in Jaipur on 16 October 2022. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of 1 lakh people converting to Buddhism at an event held in Jaipur on 16 October 2022.
Fact: There is no news about such a mass conversion event anywhere in Jaipur recently. Also, the pictures shared in the viral post belong to “Dhamma Mela”, organised by Indian Buddhist Mahasabha on the occasion of 66 Dhamma chakra Pravartan Day concluded on 15 October 2022 at Pimpri-chinchwad near Pune, Maharashtra. Though several Buddhist conversions are reported on this occasion, no such event was held in Jaipur recently. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE
In the first place, we searched for the media reports about this mass conversion event but couldn’t find any such report either by national or local media. We then did a reverse image search of the images shared in the viral post and found that the same images were shared in a twitter post by official twitter account of ‘Prabuddh Bharat’, a media house founded by Dr B.R. Ambedkar in 1956.
तू उभा सूर्यापरी, राहिले कोठे निशा !
ऐवढे आम्हा कळे, ही तुझी आहे दिशा !!
66व्या धम्मचक्र प्रवर्तन दिनानिमित्त भारतीय बौद्ध महासभा आयोजित भव्य धम्म मेळावा, आज पिंपरी चिंचवडमध्ये लाखोंच्या जनसमुदायाच्या उपस्थित संपन्न झाला.
लाखोची जनता, तिचा एकच नेता !@Prksh_Ambedkar pic.twitter.com/tGV4TIuDbl
According to this post, these images belong to ‘Dhamma Mela’ organised by Indian Buddhist Mahasabha on the occasion of 66 Dhamma chakra Pravartan Day that concluded on 15 October 2022 at Pimpri-chinchwad near Pune, Maharashtra. Tweets made by Prakash Ambedkar and others regarding this event can be seen here and here.
According to the News18, Dhammachakra Pravartan Din is celebrated on Ashoka Vijayadashami every year to mark the Buddhist conversion of B.R Ambedkar along with his followers on 14 October 1956 at Nagpur. Even though several people accept Buddhism on this occasion, no such mass event was reported from Jaipur on 16 October 2022.
To sum it up, no such mass Buddhist conversion event was reported from Jaipur this year, the viral images show ‘Dhamma Mela’ held in Maharashtra on 15 October 2022.

created: October 18, 2022


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No, Sundar Pichai did not cast his vote in the Indian Elections-2019. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 19, 2019
Many users on Facebook are sharing a post with the image of Google CEO Sundar Pichai claiming that he has voted in the Indian Elections-2019. Also, people started comparing him with the role played by actor Vijay in the Tamil movie ‘Sarkar’, wherein the hero travels from abroad to cast his vote in India. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Sundar Pichai voted in the Indian Elections-2019.
Fact: Sundar Pichai is a US citizen, so he cannot vote in the Indian elections. The photo in the post was taken in 2017 when Pichai visited IIT Kharagpur. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the image in the post was run through Google Reverse Image Search, it is found that the picture has been tweeted by Pichai himself on his Twitter account. It was during his visit to IIT-Kharagpur (his alma mater) in 2017. So, the picture in the post is an old photo taken two years back.
Also, Sundar Pichai has become an American citizen, so he cannot vote in the Indian Elections.
Finally, Sundar Pichai did not cast his vote in the IndianElections-2019.


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No, Sunder Pichai has not posted the message about changing the Indian Political system - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 19, 2019
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Google CEO Sundar Pichai has posted on his Facebook account about changing the Indian Political system. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Sundar Pichai posted comments about changing the Indian Political system.
Fact: The message about changing the Indian Political system was not posted by Sundar Pichai. There are a lot of profiles and pages on his name. It can also be observed that his name is spelt wrong in the posted profile. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on Google about Sundar Pichai making those comments, no information was found. It is also found that there is no verified account of Sundar Pichai on Facebook and there are a lot of profiles and pages on his name. Also, the same message was posted by various other users in 2016 without attributing it to him.
It can also be observed that his name is spelt wrong in the posted profile. It should be ‘Sundar’, not ‘Sunder’. On his official Twitter and Instagram accounts, it can be seen that his name is written as ‘Sundar Pichai’.
Also, when searched if he made any similar comments from his Twitter account, no such comments were found.
To sum it up, Sunder Pichai has not posted the message about changing the Indian Political system.
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created: November 19, 2019


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No Supernatural force is behind the visuals of this invisible Bicycle; this was digitally created - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 30, 2022
A post is being shared on social media with a video showing people riding invisible bicycles. The post description contains the #ghost which implies that this is a supernatural event. Let’s find out the truth behind this video through this article.
Claim: Supernatural power is behind the invisible Bicycles shown in this video.
Fact: This is a work of fiction created by Argentine Filmmaker and visual artist Fernando Livschitz and is just a tiny portion of his film titled Perspective. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We performed a reverse image search on Yandex with a few keyframes from the video, leading us to an Instagram account. It belongs to a user named Fernando Livschitz, a Filmmaker and a VIsual Artist. We searched his Instagram videos for the clip from the viral post and found the same. He posted the video on 16 August 2019, and the post’s title reads 인증됨 Perspective / #vimeostaffpick.
With this hint, we searched on the internet with relevant keywords to find his film, Perspective, uploaded five years ago to Vimeo. Fernando Livschitz directed this video. The visuals of a woman riding an Invisible bicycle appear at the 1 minute 10 seconds mark. These are the same visuals the viral post claims as a supernatural whole.
This is just a work of fiction which was created digitally. The post description also links to Fernando Livschitz’s website (Black Sheep films), where he has uploaded similar digitally created videos. To know more about him, click here and here.
To sum up, no supernatural force is behind the visuals of this invisible Bicycle; this was digitally created.


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No, Supreme Court did not ban ‘TV9 Telugu’ news channel for spreading fake news - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 22, 2021
A post is being circulated on social media with a claim that the Supreme Court of India had recently banned ‘TV9 Telugu’ news channel for spreading fake news, creating controversies about people, and showing unwanted information on their channel. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Supreme Court banned ‘TV9 Telugu’ news channel for spreading fake news.
Fact: The Supreme Court of India had never passed such orders to ban the ‘TV9 Telugu’ news channel. This news was created by a meme creator Instagram page named ‘Trendy Trollers’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether the Supreme Court of India had issued any such orders to ban ‘TV9 Telugu’ channel on the television network, we could not find any news articles or videos reporting this information on the internet. If Supreme Court had issued such orders, several news outlets would have published articles reporting this information.
On the image shared in the post, we could see a logo of ‘Trendy Trollers’. When searched for this image using these keywords, we found the same image on the Instagram handle named ‘Trendy Trollers’. In the description of the Instagram page, ‘Trendy Trollers’ proclaimed itself as a meme creating platform. ‘Trendy Trollers’ published this meme of the Supreme Court banning the ‘TV9 Telugu’ news channel on 16 September 2021. A few other memes created by Trendy Trollers can be seen here and here.
In June 2014, the Telangana Government passed a resolution in the state Assembly authorizing the speaker to initiate action on ‘TV9 Telugu’ and ‘ABN Andhra Jyothi’ for telecasting objectional news that degraded elected legislators. Following this, Telangana multiple system operators (MSOs) stopped the telecast of these channels.  According to a news report, the Telecom Disputes  Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) in October 2014, had given an order in favour of TV9 to restore its telecast over cable TV networks. After this incident, ‘TV9 Telugu’ has never been banned in the Telugu states.
To sum it up, the Supreme Court of India had not banned the ‘TV9 Telugu’ news channel for spreading fake news.

created: September 22, 2021


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No, Supreme Court of India did not ban the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 23, 2024
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on 15 February 2024 unanimously struck down the Centre’s electoral bond scheme which facilitates anonymous political donations for being unconstitutional. It underscored that the scheme violates the right to information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. In this context, a video of a press conference held by some persons is widely circulating across social media platforms, claiming that the Supreme Court of India has banned the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs), marking a significant victory for these lawyers. In this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Supreme Court of India has banned the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Fact: There are no reports indicating that the Supreme Court of India has banned the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs). If the Supreme Court had indeed made such a decision, it would have been widely reported. A fact-check by PIB (Press Information Bureau of the Government of India) on 15 February 2024, also refuted a similar claim suggesting that EVMs were banned by the Supreme Court of India. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search on the internet. However, no reports were found stating that the Supreme Court of India has banned the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs). If the Supreme Court had really made such a decision, it would have been widely reported. During this search, we found an X(Twitter) post by PIB Fact Check (Press Information Bureau of the Government of India) on 15 February 2024, refuting a similar claim that EVMs were banned by the Supreme Court of India.
During our search, we found multiple reports (here, here & here) about the Supreme Court of India dismissing several PILs filed against the usage of EVMs. According to these reports, in November 2019, the Supreme Court rejected the petition to use ballot paper in place of EVMs in the Lok Sabha elections. The court stated that no system is perfect. The PIL was filed in court by A Subba Rao on behalf of the NGO Nyaya Bhoomi. He argued that EVMs can be misused and, therefore, should not be used during elections.
In September 2022, the Supreme Court bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli refused to entertain a petition filed by advocate CR Jaya Sukin seeking to stop the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the use of ballot paper in elections.
In the viral video, they were talking about the Supreme Court’s decision on electoral bonds. We went through the decision of the Supreme Court in this matter and there is no mention of a ban on EVM or its use anywhere in this decision. On further search, we found an extended version of the video on YouTube uploaded by Voice News Network on 15 February 2024. Upon watching the video, it is clear that the person wearing the white shirt was discussing the Supreme Court’s decision on electoral bonds, criticizing the central government on this issue. However, at the end of the video, the person expresses opposition to EVMs. He states that EVM is a violation of the Constitution and urges people to unite against EVMs so that the Supreme Court can deliver a verdict against them.
There are many videos on this channel in which people are seen expressing their opposition to EVMs. Upon searching, it was revealed that these individuals are lawyers who have been campaigning against EVMs for an extended period. They have also formed an organization named “EVM Hatao Sanyukt Morcha,” which is consistently protesting against the use of EVMs. The person speaking in the viral video is Mahmood Pracha.
To sum it up, the Supreme Court of India did not ban the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

created: February 23, 2024


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No, Sushma Swaraj hasn’t been appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 11, 2019
Many Facebook posts with claims that BJP leader Sushma Swaraj has been appointed as the new Governor to the state of Andhra Pradesh are going viral across social media.  Let’s try to check the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Sushma Swaraj is appointed as the new Governor to the state of Andhra Pradesh
Fact:  Sushma Swaraj herself has stated that the news of her appointment as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh isn’t true. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
This news has started spreading after Union Minister Harsh Vardhan has tweeted congratulating Sushma Swaraj on being appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. But the tweet was soon deleted. Sushma Swaraj through her twitter account has clarified that the news of her appointment as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh state wasn’t true. She said that her meeting with the Vice President of India on demitting the office as Minister of External Affairs was enough for people on Twitter to appoint her as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
The news about my appointment as Governor of Andhra Pradesh is not true.
Hence, the news about Sushma Swaraj’s appointment as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh state is fake.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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No, Sweden has not recognised Sex as a sport - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 7, 2023
A social media post claims that Sweden has recognised sex as a sport and is organising the first-ever sex tournament. Various Indian media outlets like Times of India, India Today, News 18, and Hindustan Times have also published news reports about the same. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Sweden recognised sex as a sport and is organising a tournament.
Fact: Sweden has not recognised sex as a sport. An organisation named Swedish Sex Association applied to be part of the Swedish Sports Confederation, but their application was rejected. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Firstly, to check the claim’s veracity, we looked for news reports from Swedish and international media outlets by performing a keyword search on the internet. This search did not yield any credible news reports validating the viral claim.
In fact, we found news reports revealing this information as a hoax. A Swedish media outlet, Göteborgs-Posten, published a news report on 26 April 2023, stating that Sweden’s National Sports Confederation rejected an application filed by the Swedish Sex Association to be a part of it.
When the Swedish Sex Association’s head, Dragan Batic, submitted this application in January, Björn Eriksson, the Chairman of the National Sports Confederation, said that “sex is not part of their business.” He was quoted by TV4 news saying, “I just hope this nonsense goes away. It will be a unanimous no from us.” The TT News Agency, a Sweden-based news agency, also reported the news of the Swedish Sex Association’s application getting rejected by the country’s Sports Confederation. The reason for the rejection was cited as incomplete application.
Additionally, Anna Setzman, a spokesperson for the Swedish Sports Confederation, denied these claims. She said, “Right now, false information is being spread in some international media about Sweden and Swedish sports.” With all this evidence, it is clear that Sweden has not recognised sex as a sport.
Meanwhile, the Swedish Sex Association states on its website that the European Championship in Sex will be organised on 08 June 2023. However, since they are not part of the National Sports Federation of Sweden, it is safe to assume they are unrelated to this championship.
To sum up, Sweden has not recognised sex as a sport.


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No Swedish newspaper has published the story narrated in the post - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2019
A post in being shared in multiple languages with the claim that a Swedish newspaper reported the various back door talks that purportedly took place between various countries before the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
A Swedish newspaper reported about the various events that took place before Abhinandan’s release.
Fact: Neither any Swedish source nor any other credible source was found on the internet for the story posted on Facebook. Hence the claim that a Swedish newspaper has written about it is FALSE.
The events and story narrated in the post cannot be fact-checked as they are all back-door talks between the diplomats of various countries. But, it can be checked whether any Swedish newspaper has really published the story narrated in the Facebook post. When searched for the news related to Abhinandan in Swedish newspapers, no such article was found on the internet. For further clarity, FACTLY has written to the Swedish embassy in India. This article will be updated if there is any reply from the embassy.
To sum it up, no Swedish newspaper has published the story narrated in the post.
Update: The Swedish Embassy has responded saying that they do not have any knowledge about such media report.


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No, Tata group is not constructing the new Parliament building free of cost - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 5, 2023
A social media post which claims that the TATA group, as a gift to the nation, is constructing the New Parliament building at a cost of only 1 rupee, is being widely shared. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: TATA is building the New Parliament at a cost of only 1 rupee.
Fact: Tata Projects Limited secured the contract to construct the new Parliament building for Rs. 861.9 crores. However, in January 2022, CPWD estimated an increase in the cost of construction by 29% to a little over 1200 crore rupees. Hence, the cost of construction is borne by the government, i.e. tax payers money.  Further, the building, for which foundation stone was laid in December 2020, is yet to be completed. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Construction of the New Parliament building is part of the central government’s flagship Central Vista project. Central Public Works Department, the nodal agency for construction of the Central Vista as well as the new Parliament building.
According to a written response in the Lok Sabha from December 2021, the estimated cost of the new Parliament building is Rs. 971 crores and is estimated to be completed by October 2022.
Tata Secured the bid:
In September 2020 Tata Projects Limited secured the contract to construct the new Parliament building for Rs. 861.9 crores. Tata secured the project quoting lower than L&T’s bid of 865 crore rupees. Several news agencies  reported the news back then, these reports can be viewed here & here.
Accordingly on 10 December 2020, Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the construction of the new Parliament, and it was reported  that the construction would complete in 2022.
Cost shot up & deadline is extended:
However, as per the news reports in January 2022, CPWD increased cost of construction by about 29% to over 1250 crore rupees. Reportedly, CPWD has sought in-principal approval of the Lok Sabha Secretariat in this regard (here & here).
Recently Prime Minister Modi made a visit to the new Parliament building and  as per reports, the construction is nearing completion and is expected to be inaugurated soon.
Thus, this establishes that Tata group is neither building the new Parliament building free of cost nor the construction is expected to complete in record time of seventeen months, as claimed.
To sum it up, no, Tata group is not constructing the new Parliament building free of cost.


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No, taxation laws of the country do not provide any relief on religious grounds - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2022
A social media post highlighting the alleged discrimination being faced by Hindus when compared to Muslims of the country is being widely circulated. In this context, the post purportedly claims that ‘minorities of the country are paying less taxes, when compared to the majority.’  Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Minorities of the country are paying less taxes when compared to the majority.
Fact: Neither the corporate tax laws nor the personal income laws of the country provide any exemption on religious grounds. Tax rates varies based on the income levels and every citizen of the country falling in the same tax bracket is subjected to same tax rate, irrespective of their religious affiliation. Even the corporate tax laws do not provide any relief on religious grounds. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In general, the taxation laws of the country do not provide any exemptions or rebates on the grounds of religion. The tax rates vary based only on the income levels. All individuals falling in the same income bracket are subjected to same tax rate, irrespective of their religious affiliation.
Income tax act, which deals with different rules and regulations that govern the taxation of individuals does not provide any concession based on religion or caste. Section 192 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 provides that every person responsible for paying any income which is chargeable under the head ‘salary’, shall deduct income tax on the estimated income of the assessee under the head salaries.
There is no reference of religion in this particular section which deals with the income tax deduction of every salaried employee of the country, which means there is no religion or caste based exemptions as far as the taxation of an individual is concerned.
However, this act provides an exemption to tribal community of the north-east, section 10(26) of the Income Tax Act, provides income tax exemption to those belonging to Scheduled Tribes in states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura.
Except for the above mentioned exemption, there are no such reliefs provided to any individual on the grounds of religion. Apart from the income tax act which deals with individual income, even the corporate taxation laws of the country do not provide any relief on the grounds of religion.
Thus the question of minorities paying less tax as claimed in the post does not arise. However, as India is a Hindu majority country, the quantum of tax collected from Hindus will obviously be significantly higher when compared to the minorities (especially Muslims).
Further, it is noteworthy to mention that the fertility rate among Muslims is much less than what is claimed in the post. According to a survey conducted by the Union Health Ministry, ‘the fertility rate among Muslims has dropped to 2.3 during the 2019 to 2021 period, from 2.6 recorded in 2015-16’. The findings of the study are in contradiction to the claim made in the viral post.
To sum it up, taxation laws of the country do not provide any relief on religious grounds; Hindus & Muslims are subjected to same tax rates.


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No, Telangana government did not raise any loans from the World Bank - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 2, 2022
A social media post claims that the reason for the debt position of Telangana is that the state has raised huge debts from the World Bank. Further, the post alludes that loans for the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project were also raised from the World Bank. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Telangana government has raised huge loans from the World Bank.
Fact: The total outstanding debt of the Telangana state are sourced through internal agencies like corporations, banks and also loans from the central government, loans from Provident fund etc. There are no debts due to borrowing from external agencies. As far as Kaleshwaram project is concerned, total borrowing for the construction was done internally from banks and corporations and no amount from the world bank was raised for the construction. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Telangana Government – World Bank loans?
Telangana State budget 2021-22 provides the details of the actual debt of the state by the end of March 2020 at Rs. 1,94,957.74 crores and the budget further estimates by the end of the financial year the total outstanding public debt to be at Rs. 2,86,804.64 crores, out of which the loans raised through the open market form a major chunk with Rs. 2,44,538.88 crores and the remaining portion of debts are raised through other financing instruments like corporations, banks and also loans from the central government, loans from Provident fund, etc.
However, all these loans are raised through different internal sources. And there is no mention of any debt or loan sourced from external financing agencies like World Bank, IMF, etc.
Detailed composition of loans raised from different sources and repayments made over the years are clearly mentioned in the budget documents. Even RBI’s study of state budget document enumerates the detailed composition of loans obtained through various sources of each state. Even there, is no mention of Telangana raising loans from the World Bank.
As far as the World Bank loans are concerned, several states have received Development policy loans (DPL’s) from the World Bank. Erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have also received these loans in areas concerning social development of the state. However, these loans are transferred to the states through the concerned central ministry and not directly to the state.
Hence, from all these, it is evident that the debt of the Telangana state is due to loans raised from internal sources within the country and not any external agencies like World Bank or IMF, and other financial institutions.
Kaleshwaram Project :
As far as the Kaleshwaram project is concerned, the state government has raised loans internally from different sources like central sector corporations and consortiums of nationalized banks, and not from external sources such as the World Bank or any other institution.
Telangana state budget mentions the details of the loans raised for the construction of the project through various sources over the years and also about the repayments done. According to the budget, loans for the Kaleshwaram project were raised through separate corporations established under the irrigation department like Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project Corporation Limited (KIPCL) and Telangana State Water Resources Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (TSWRIDCL).
Responding to a question seeking the details of funding for the construction of the project, the Union government in the Lok Sabha has stated that a little over Rs. 86,000 crores were sanctioned for the construction of the project in the form of loans from various corporations and consortiums of nationalized banks.
Limitations on State borrowings:
Usually, state governments borrow from different sources mentioned above to meet their budget deficit. However, state government borrowings come with some reasonable restrictions, as they cannot borrow over their financial capacity. There are certain constitutional obligations, wherein the center plays the role of watchdog in matters of state borrowings.
For example, Article 293 (3) of the Indian Constitution states that State governments cannot raise loans without the Centre’s consent if it has any loan outstanding which is repayable to the Government of India. Also, unlike the Centre, States usually do not directly borrow from external sources.
Back in 2017, the center has allowed financially sound States to borrow directly from external sources for their development projects. However, these borrowings would be included under the State’s borrowing limits set by the FRBM.
Another obligation is that both State and Central governments have to follow the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) regulations in matters related to borrowings so as to maintain the State’s fiscal position. Although these regulations are suggested by the Finance Commission, it is the Central government that accepts and directs the State governments to follow these regulations.
It is only when the Central government permits, the State governments can borrow more than the prescribed limit, as was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example in 2020, due to the pandemic,  the Central government raised the net borrowing limit for State governments from 3% of the GSDP to 5%.
Thus, the above explanation proves that Telangana did not raise any loan from the World Bank for the Kaleshwaram project.
To sum it up, the Telangana government did not raise any loans from the World Bank.


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The BJP is not considering any legislation to decrease the minimum age for entering into relationships to 15 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 13, 2024
After the Uttarakhand assembly’s recent passage of the state ‘Uniform Civil Code’, which enforces standardized regulations across all communities concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships, a social media post featuring a video asserting that the BJP is introducing a law allowing children aged 15 and above to engage in relationships. This article aims to fact-check the claim presented in the post.
Claim: The BJP is proposing a law that allows individuals aged 15 and above to enter into relationships.
Fact: The recent Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill enacted by the Uttarakhand legislature mandates that girls and boys can marry at ages 18 and 21, respectively. The UCC imposes up to six months of imprisonment for individuals engaged in a marriage where either  parties are below the legal marriage age. In 2021, the union government introduced The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, to increase the minimum marital age for girls from 18 to 21 years. These developments suggest that contrary to the viral claim, the BJP government is not seeking to decrease the minimum age for entering into relationships. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Given that the viral video bears a watermark labeled “Uniform civil code,” it is probable that the viral assertion pertains to the recent UCC legislation passed by the BJP government in Uttarakhand. However, the Uttarakhand government did not incorporate any provision reducing the minimum age to 15 years to engage in relationships, as claimed.
Uttarakhand has recently emerged as the first legislative body in the nation to approve a bill (The Uniform Civil Code of Uttarakhand, 2024) mandating uniform regulations for all communities, excluding Scheduled Tribes, regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships. Nevertheless, in contrast to the claim, the proposed legislation introduces a consistent legal structure permitting girls and boys to marry at 18 and 21, respectively.
While Muslim personal laws permit girls to marry upon reaching puberty, typically at the age of 15, the UCC, however, prohibits it. The UCC stipulates imprisonment for up to six months for individuals involved in a marriage where either or both parties are below the legal age of marriage.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 :
Apart from the legislation above, we have not come across any reports or discussions indicating that the ruling BJP government is considering reducing the age limit for entering relationships. Had there been any such developments, the media would have reported them. However, we could not find any such reports.
In fact, in 2021, the union government introduced The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which aims to raise the minimum marital age for girls from 18 to 21 years. The Bill seeks to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, to establish parity in the minimum age of marriage for men and women, superseding all existing laws, including any custom, usage, or practice governing the parties concerning marriage.
In June 2020, the central government established a task force to explore the relationship between the age of marriage and motherhood. The committee submitted its report recommending raising the age of marriage for females to 21. While the proposed bill was referred to the Standing Committee, these developments suggest that contrary to the viral claim, the BJP government is not seeking to decrease the minimum age for entering into relationships.
To sum it up, no, the BJP is not considering any legislation to decrease the minimum age for entering into relationships to 15.

created: February 13, 2024


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The boy seen in this photo was not caught or taken into custody by the Sri Ganganagar district police - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 5, 2022
A boy’s photo is being widely shared on social media claiming him as an unknown missing child who was staying in the Ganganagar Police station for the last 45 days. This user asks people to share the child’s photo with every friend and group so that the child can meet his parents. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of an unknown missing boy who is staying in the Ganganagar Police station for the last 45 days.
Fact: The same photo was being circulating on social media at least since 2015. The Sri Ganganagar district police and the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have confirmed that the boy seen in the photo was not caught or taken into custody in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district. The boy in the photo went missing from his home in Pakistan’s Charsadda district on 06 June 2014. In 2015, a few social media users have shared the same photo mentioning that he was taken into custody in Makkah, Khorramdhara and other police stations. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found that the child’s photo was being circulated on social media with a similar description at least since 2015. A few of those posts that shared this photo in 2015 can be seen here and here. All these posts shared the photo with the same description that the child is in Ganganagar police station for the past 45 days. On searching for further details using keywords on the internet, we found a similar photo of the same boy in a tweet published by a journalist named Farah Khan. Farah Khan published the photo by stating, “A 7 year old boy who went missing from Pakistan, 2 years ago was found in the Indian state of Rajasthan”.
A 7 year old boy who went missing from Pakistan, 2 years ago was found in the Indian state of Rajasthan. pic.twitter.com/THZoUdjW3z
When we searched for further sources using this information, we found the details of the boy in an article published by the Pakistan-based ‘Dawn’ news website on 29 May 2016. ‘Dawn’ article reported that a seven-year-old boy who went missing from his home in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda two years ago was found in the Indian state of Rajasthan. According to the article, Tufail Ismail went missing on 06 June 2014, while his family was shifting homes from Sardaryab to Ternab in Pakistan. Reporting the same, several Indian news websites also published articles on 30 May 2016. They can be seen here and here.
Tufail Ismail’s family reportedly came to know of his whereabouts when Tufail’s maternal uncle in Saudi Arabia saw a picture on social media shared by an Indian social worker. While believing their child is in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, Tufail’s parents appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian PM Narendra Modi to help bring their son home. Even Pakistan’s Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan wrote a letter to the then Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj calling for expediting legal formalities for the immediate repatriation of the child.
But the Sri Ganganagar District Police denied all these rumours of taking a missing Pakistani child into their custody. Speaking to the media on 30 May 2016, Sri Ganganagar Superintendent of Police Rahul Katakey said, “For the last eight months such rumours are doing the rounds. This boy is not in our district, not in any of our police stations”. Rahul Katakey further added, “It is just an Internet rumour doing the rounds. Social networking sites have queried about this boy. I completely deny this”. The then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj through a tweet confirmed that the boy was not in Ganganagar.
In 2015, a few social media users have shared the same photo by mentioning that he was taken into custody in Makkah, Khorramdhara and other police stations. They can be seen here and here. The Khorramdhara Police have issued a similar clarification confirming that the child was not taken into custody in their police station. Though we could not ascertain the present details of the child, from all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the boy seen in the photo was not taken into custody by the Sri Ganganagar police.
To sum it up, the child seen in the photo was not taken into custody in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.

created: September 5, 2022


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No, the central government did not approve any proposal for establishment of a SC bench in Bangalore - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 9, 2021
A post claiming that the Union government has decided to establish a permanent bench of the Supreme Court in Bangalore is being widely shared across social media platforms.  Let’s fact-check the veracity of the claim made in the post.
Claim: Union government has decided to establish a permanent bench of the Supreme Court in Bangalore.
Fact: The Union (Central) Government did not approve any such proposal seeking establishment of a SC bench in Bangalore. In a written reply to a question seeking information regarding establishment of the court of appeal in four parts of the country, citing a 2016 Writ Petition, the Union Law minister said that the matter is sub-judice before the Supreme court. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The Union government did not approve any such proposal regarding the establishment of a Supreme Court bench in Bangalore. If at all the central government has cleared ay such proposal, the media would have reported it. However, we could not find any news reports regarding the same.
Recently in a written reply to a question seeking information regarding the implementation of the Law commission’s suggestions regarding splitting of the Supreme court into the Constitutional court and the Court of Appeal, and the establishment of the latter in four parts of the country, the Union Law minister Kiren Rijiju has said that ‘the matter is sub-judice before the Supreme court’, citing a 2016 Writ Petition regarding the establishment of the National Court of appeal.
Back in 2016, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking structural reforms at the highest echelons of the Indian judicial system. The petition seeks for the establishment of a National court of appeal with regional benches at major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai & Chennai. Upon hearing the matter, the Chief Justice of India referred the matter to a Constitutional bench and the same is pending until now. In fact, the case has not been listed since July 2016.
Further, it is noteworthy to mention that in his reply, the Union Minister also said that in 2010, the then Chief Justice of India had informed that the Full Court of the Supreme Court had found no justification for setting up benches of the top court outside Delhi.
To sum it up, the central government did not approve any proposal for the establishment of an SC bench in Bangalore.

created: August 9, 2021


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No, the Central Government did not cancel pensions for Ex-MPs with assets more than 10 crores. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 6, 2019
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the Central Government cancelled pensions for Ex-MPs (Ex-Member of Parliament) who have more than 10 crores worth of assets. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
‘Central Government Cancels Pension for Former Ministers and Ex-MPs who have more than Ten Crores of assets’.
Fact: No, the Central Government did not cancel pensions for Ex-MPs who have more than 10 crores of assets. In ‘The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954’, it can be seen that Ex-MPs are entitled to get Rs 25,000 pension per month (and extra Rs. 2,000 per month for every year served in excess of five years). There is no rule specified in the Act that Ex-MPs with assets above a certain limit will not get pensions. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the news on Google with the keywords, ‘Pension for ex-MPs with 10 crore assets removed’, no relevant news regarding the Central Government’s decision to scrap pensions was found
To scrap the pensions being given to Ex-MPs, the Central Government should amend ‘The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954’. But, no such amendment was found in the Act. According to the Act, an Ex-MP is entitled to get Rs 25,000 pension per month (and extra Rs. 2,000 per month for every year served in excess of five years). There is no rule specified in the Act that Ex-MPs with assets above a certain limit will not get pensions. It can also be read in an order issued by Lok Sabha Secretariat recently that pension was increased from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 in 2018.
To sum it up, the Central Government did not cancel pensions for Ex-MPs with assets more than 10 crores.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?

created: September 6, 2019


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No, the central government did not establish 9 medical colleges in Telangana in the past three years - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 2, 2021
A post claiming that the Narendra Modi led central government established 9 medical colleges in Telangana during the last 3 years is being widely shared across social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Narendra Modi government has established 9 medical colleges in Telangana during the last 3 years.
Fact: The Central government has not established any medical college in Telangana since the inception of the centrally sponsored scheme. Information regarding MCI’s recognition to 9 medical colleges in Telangana is misconstrued as central government establishing those medical colleges. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On 30 July 2021 in a written reply to a question seeking information regarding the recognition of medical colleges by the Medical Council of India during the last three years, Union Health Minister stated that ‘As informed by National Medical Commission (NMC), 90 medical colleges have been established during the last three years.’
In this response, Union Minister used the term ‘established’ rather than recognized which led to the confusion. However, these colleges are not established by the central government rather recognized by the National Medical Commission or the erstwhile MCI. This is evident as the list of the colleges provided by the minister in the same response also features private colleges. For example out of the 9 colleges recognized by the MCI in Telangana,  5 are private colleges. Permission accorded by the central government to one such college recognized by MCI in Telangana can be viewed here.
Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS):
Currently central government has been implementing a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) namely ‘Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals.’ The fund sharing pattern between the central and state government for establishment of a medical college under the Scheme is 90:10 for NE/Special Category States and 60:40 for other States. Further, the establishment of 157 new Medical Colleges has been approved under the scheme in three phases.
However, to date, no college was allotted to Telangana under the scheme. This is evident as Telangana did not find a mention in the list of states in which medical colleges are approved under three phases of the scheme. The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also stated the same in a written response to a question regarding the same back in March 2021.
Procedure followed in establishing a Medical College:
As per the provisions of the Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act, 1956 and the amendments made to this act in 1993, prior permission of central government is mandatory for opening of a new medical college, increasing the admission capacity and starting of new or higher course of studies. Accordingly, eligibility and qualifying criteria for opening of a new medical college are laid down in ‘Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999’. The following procedure is followed for according recognition to a medical college.
To sum it up, the central government did not establish 9 medical colleges in Telangana in the past three years.

created: August 2, 2021


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No, the central government is not selling off assets worth 6 lakh crores through the proposed National Asset Monetisation Pipeline - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 26, 2021
In the light of the Union Finance Minister launching the ‘National Asset Monetisation Pipeline’, wherein the union government plans to monetize 6 lakh crore rupees worth assets over the next four years, a social media post claiming that the Modi government is planning to sell 6 lakh crore rupees worth assets is being widely shared. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Modi government is planning to sell 6 lakh crore rupees worth national assets over the next four years.
Fact: Through National Asset Monetisation Pipeline, the government is planning to lease out public assets for specified time period through different instruments including the PPP model. Ownership of these assets will remain with government and the government will retain these assets after the specified lease period. This idea is misconstrued as government trying to sell off the national assets. In fact such attempts were made even during the previous UPA regime when the then government proposed to monetise assets of Air India. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Earlier this week, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the National Asset Monetisation Pipeline, wherein the government envisages to monetise 6 lakh crore worth of assets like roads, airports, sports stadiums, railway stations, warehouses etc. over the next four years from FY 2022 to FY 2025, with assets worth Rs 0.88 lakh crores to be rolled out for monetization in the current financial year.  The pipeline has been developed by NITI Aayog, and accordingly NITI Aayog released a report elucidating the proposed monetisation pipeline.
The proposed idea of asset monetization is misconstrued as the union government selling off the national assets. However, the government claims that ‘the ownership of these assets (listed for monetization) remains with the government. There will be a mandatory hand-back. They will have to be given back (to the government) after a certain time’.  Even as per the report released by the NITI Aayog, the proposed ‘asset monetisation entails a limited period license/ lease of an asset, owned by the government or a public authority, to a private sector entity for an upfront or periodic consideration.’
Accordingly, NITI Aayog delineated four approaches namely Market approach, Capex approach, Book value approach and the Enterprise value approach to estimate the monetization value of the assets. Assets identified through these methods are monetised through range of instruments like Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) to monetise assets in the roads and power sectors under the structured financing models. Likewise, different PPP models namely Operate Maintain Transfer (OMT), Toll Operate Transfer (TOT), and Operations, Maintenance & Development (OMD) are followed to monetise brownfield assets like highways & airports under direct contractual models.
Asset Monetisation- Congress government:
However, this is not the first time government of India is monetizing the national assets. Even during the UPA regime, attempts were made to monetize the assets of Air India. Back in 2014, in a written reply to a question regarding the same, the then government stated that it is considering a proposal to monetize assets of the Air India, and the answer further listed the properties which the government was planning to monetize.
Responding to the criticism towards the proposed monetization pipeline Union minister Smriti Irani recalled instances like Mumbai-Pune highway monetisation, proposal to monetize New Delhi railway station during the Congress rule.
To sum it up, the central government is not selling off assets worth 6 lakh crores through the proposed National Asset Monetization Pipeline.


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No, the claim that 317 companies have already moved out of Karnataka amidst growing communal tensions has no basis - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 12, 2022
A social media post claiming that in a span of two months, 317 foreign companies have moved out of Karnataka is being widely circulated across all platforms. The claim is shared in the backdrop of growing communal tensions in the state. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: In a span of two months, 317 foreign companies have moved out of Karnataka.
Fact: Lately, Karnataka has been witnessing communal tensions. Leaders from the business community have expressed apprehensions over the increasing communal tensions. However, there are no official or unofficial reports of companies in such large numbers moving out of the state as claimed in the post. Moreover, it is noteworthy to mention that Karnataka witnessed the highest inflows of FDI during the financial year 2021-22. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Lately, Karnataka has been witnessing communal tensions, starting with tensions over a government order banning Muslim women from wearing hijab to educational institutions, followed by Muslim traders being barred at temples during religious fairs, and the latest one calling for a boycott of halal meat.
In wake of these communal tensions, a couple of leaders from the business community have expressed apprehensions over the increasing communal tensions (here & here). Kiran Mazumdar Shah took to Twitter to express concern over the increasing communal divide in the state.
Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion- If ITBT became communal it would destroy our global leadership. @BSBommai please resolve this growing religious divide🙏 https://t.co/0PINcbUtwG
However, there are no official or unofficial reports of such a large number of companies moving out of the state lately as claimed in the viral post. If companies in such large numbers have indeed moved out of the state, the media would have reported it. However, there are no such reports.
Further, as per the latest available information, Karnataka has witnessed the highest inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. Moreover, according to the Maharashtra Economic survey report, Karnataka leads with Rs 1,02,866 crore FDI inflow in 2021-22.
To sum it up, the claim stating 317 companies have already moved out of Karnataka amidst growing communal tensions has no basis.


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The number of female users of Facebook is not 5.77 billion - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 5, 2022
A social media post claiming that there are 5.77 billion female users on Facebook is being shared widely. The post wonders that while the world’s female population is only about 3.52 billion, how can there be 5.77 billion female users on Facebook. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Count of female Facebook users is 5.77 billion.
Fact: As per the Facebook’s investor earnings report for Q3 2021, Facebook had 2.91 billion monthly active users as of 30 September 2021. As per the report, the largest metric, family monthly active people (MAP) stand at 3.58 billion. Moreover, as of October 2021, over 56% of Facebook users worldwide were male, whereas the 43% of its users were female. This proves that the total count of female users is not 5.77 billion. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
This post is making rounds on social media for quite some time. The initial share was traced back to 2018 and since then, it is being shared every year. However, the claims made in the post are not true.
As per Facebook’s investor earnings report for the third quarter of 2021, Facebook had 2.91 billion monthly active users as of 30 September 2021. This proves the claim made in the post as false since the number of total users itself is around three billion.
Further, 1.93 billion people on average logged into Facebook daily in  September 2021 and are considered daily active users. As per the report, the largest metric, family monthly active people (MAP– registered and logged-in user of one or more of Facebook’s Family products) stands at 3.58 billion. This means that the count of female users claimed in the post is way more than the MAP.
In terms of Facebook’s gender split, although Facebook did not reveal the absolute count of users based on gender, according to the reports generated by the researchers, think tanks and business analysts, as of October 2021, over 56% of Facebook users worldwide were male, whereas the 43% of its users were female. Few other reports on Facebook users can be read here, here, and here.
As of January 2021, around 349.2 million Indians use Facebook, making it the leading country in terms of size, followed by the United States and Indonesia. As far as gender split is concerned, in US and Canada, the number of female Facebook users outnumbered the male users as of July 2021. In US, 55% of Facebook users are female as against the 45% male users. Same with Canada, wherein 55.2% are females as against 44.8% males.
From the above-mentioned observations, it is evident that the number of female users of Facebook is not as high as mentioned in the post. And except for US and Canada, the share of male users is greater than the female users in other countries.
To sum it up, the count of female users of Facebook is not 5.77 billion.

created: January 5, 2022


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The count of Hindus appointed in various departments is not less than Muslims and Christians. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 23, 2020
A post claiming that during the tenure of the Congress government(2004-14), posts in various departments ranging from Supreme court judges to university vice-chancellors to Indian ambassadors to secretaries in different ministries are filled up with Muslims and Christians whereas the count of Hindus in these posts is meagre is doing rounds on social media. In the post, this was attributed to to Muslim-Christian reservation. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
During the tenure of Congress government(2004-14), posts in various departments ranging from Supreme court judges to university vice-chancellors to Indian ambassadors to secretaries in different ministries are filled up with Muslims and Christians whereas the count of Hindus in these posts is meagre and this is due to Muslim-Christian reservation.
Fact: According to the Supreme Court of India and the Department of Personnel & Training,  the count of Hindus appointed as Supreme court judges and IAS officers is very high compared to Muslims and Christians.  Data provided in the post is not authentic. Also, the Constitution of India does not provide any reservation on the basis of religion. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The data provided in the post comparing the count of Hindus to that of Christians and Muslims in various departments and Ministries appears to be arbitrary rather than authentic data. Sheer count of Hindus in various departments as mentioned in the post raises concerns about the authenticity of the data.
Appointment of Supreme Court Judges:
According to the post, the total number of supreme court judges appointed during congress regime (2008) is 23. Among these Muslims and Christians are 20 in number and Hindus are only 3. However, according to the information provided on the Supreme court website, during the 10-year UPA (Congress regime) i.e. 2004-14, a total of 46 judges were appointed as Supreme court judges.  The count of Hindus among these is very high compared to Muslims and Christians. Also, a person is appointed as a Supreme court judge by the union government after receiving a proposal from the Chief Justice of Supreme court after consulting the collegium of the four senior-most judges of the Supreme court. The role of executive in this process is limited. Hence the numbers about supreme court judges is wrong.
Appointment of IAS Officers:
The information regarding IAS officers is provided on the Department of Personnel & Training website. Just by taking into account the category of the candidate mentioned in the list and by following the general convention of guessing religion by the name, the total count of Hindus is far greater than the count of Muslims and Christians during 2008–2014.
Also, contrary to what is stated in the post, Constitution of India does not allow for any reservation on the basis of religion. Though we could not find specific data related to various category posts mentioned in the post, it is pretty clear that the numbers are random & inauthentic.
To sum it up, the data provided in the post is not authentic.

created: September 23, 2020


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No, the crashed Private Jet in these images was not carrying 40 missionaries - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 25, 2021
A collage with a group of images is being shared on social media claiming that a plane carrying 40 missionaries recently crashed but all passengers inside the plane have survived the crash. The images shared show the visuals of a crashed private jet. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images of a crashed private jet that was carrying 40 missionaries.
Fact: These images show old photos of crashed Gulfstream G200 Galaxy Corporate Jet in Honduras. This private jet suffered a runway excursion while landing at the Toncontin International airport in 2018. This private jet was carrying four passengers and two pilots onboard during the crash. All the six occupants were Americans and suffered minor injuries in this accident. It is nowhere reported that a plane carrying 40 missionaries suffered a crash and all of them have survived the accident. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the photos shared in the post, similar images were found in an article published by the ‘BBC’ news website on 23 May 2018. This article reported that the Gulfstream 200 commercial aircraft had skidded off the runway and crashed at Toncontin International airport in Honduras’s capital, Tegucigalpa. This incident reportedly took place on 22 May 2018. According to this article, six Americans were injured in this crash and no fatalities were reported. Reporting the same, several news websites have published articles. They can be read here, here, and here.
When we searched for more details using these keywords, we found the complete details of this accident on ‘The Aviation Network’ website. This website reported that the Gulfstream G200 Galaxy Corporate Jet had suffered a runway excursion while landing at the Toncontin International airport in 2018. According to ‘The Aviation Network’ website reports, the crashed private jet plane had departed with four passengers and two pilots on board from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas, USA. ‘The Aviation Network’ reported that the aircraft was completely destroyed but the occupants survived with minor injuries. More visuals of the destroyed Gulfstream G200 Galaxy jet plane can be seen here.
On 23 May 2018, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández tweeted about this accident. In the tweet, Juan Orlando Hernández informed that no fatalities were reported in this accident and declared that all injured passengers and crew are stable. It is nowhere reported that a plane carrying 40 missionaries had suffered a crash and all of them have survived the accident.
He sido informado del accidente de aeronave en las cercanías del Aeropuerto Toncontín; nuestros elementos de emergencia han reaccionado a tiempo para brindar las atenciones correspondientes. Gracias a Dios no se reportan pérdidas humanas, los heridos están estables y atendidos.
To sum it up, the US private jet that crashed in Honduras was not carrying 40 missionaries at the time of the accident.


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No, the crowd did not chant Modi slogans at the Congress meeting. It’s a doctored video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 23, 2019
A video is being shared on Facebook by many users claiming that the crowd chanted ‘Modi, Modi…’ when the leader asked the crowd to chant ‘Rahul Gandhi Zindabad’. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be found here.
People chanted ‘Modi, Modi…’ and the leader shouted on them to stop.
The video has been doctored. People did not shout ‘Modi, Modi…’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The leader in the video is Alpesh Thakor, a Congress MLA in Gujarat. When searched for “Alpesh Thakor Speech at Congress Rally” on YouTube, it is found that the video posted is from an event where Alpesh Thakor joined the Congress party as a similar video can be seen in the search results.
So, when searched for ‘Alpesh Thakor speech at joining Congress party’, the original video can be found in the search results.
At ‘23.20 seconds’ in the original video, it can found that the crowd did not chant Modi slogans but shouted ‘Zindabad’ when Alpesh shouted ‘Rahul Gandhi’. Also, Alpesh asks people to remain silent at the beginning of his speech but in the video posted on Facebook, it has been placed after the slogans to make it look that he is stopping people from chanting pro-Modi slogans. So, it can be concluded that the video posted on Facebook is a doctored video.
Finally, the crowd did not chant Modi slogans at the Congress meeting.


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No, the double-decker train in the video was not ‘Made in India’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 25, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the Sydney Metro train being shown in the video was manufactured in India. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The Sydney Double-Decker Metro Train in the video was ‘Made in India’.
Fact: The Sydney metro train coaches manufactured in India were single-decker, not double-decker. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched about the double-decker Sydney metro train on Google, the same video was found to be uploaded on YouTube in 2018 whereas the metro trains made in India by the Alstom company began operations only in May 2019. While it is true that 22 ‘Made in India’ trains manufactured at Alstom’s Sricity facility (Andhra Pradesh) were delivered to Sydney Metro, the train in the video is not one of them. On the Sydney Metro website, it can be seen that the design of the metro coaches made in India is very different from the train design shown in the video. Also, the coaches manufactured in India by Alstom   were single-decker, not double-decker.
Also, in the search results, it was found that the double-decker train in the video is called ‘Waratah Series’. When looked for more about Waratah trains, it was found that the first CityRail double-decker built by ‘Reliance Rail’ (not Indian ‘Reliance’ company) was delivered in 2009. According to an article in Railway Gazette, the manufacturing process was done at China Northern’s Changchun plant and Downer EDI Rail’s plant (in Cardiff). Further details about the Waratah trains can be read here.
To sum it up, the double-decker train in the video was not ‘Made in India’.
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No, the ECI did not announce plans to prosecute people for social media posts under the Model Code of Conduct - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 19, 2024
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has declared a seven-phase schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, spanning from 19 April 2024 to 01 June 2024, with the results slated for announcement on 04 June 2024. Consequently, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force. Against this backdrop, a viral message circulating on social media alleges that the government is surveilling social media platforms to take legal action against users expressing dissent/politically motivated posts towards political parties/candidates. In this article, we will verify the validity of this assertion.
Claim: Government is surveilling social media platforms to take legal action against users for politically motivated posts.
Fact: Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comprises a set of guidelines issued to regulate the conduct of political parties and candidates. It does not include directives for monitoring the social media activities of citizens, nor does it suggest any form of prosecution. Importantly, the MCC lacks statutory support. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Following the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, the Chief Election Commissioner has urged all political parties to diligently observe its guidelines, which outline a set of rules and regulations for leaders and parties in the lead-up to elections.
Model Code of Conduct:
Essentially, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comprises a set of guidelines issued to regulate the conduct of political parties and candidates in the lead-up to elections. These regulations encompass various aspects including speeches, polling procedures, conduct at polling booths, portfolios, the content of election manifestos, processions, and overall behaviour to ensure the fairness and integrity of elections.
Generally, the MCC encompasses eight provisions covering aspects such as general conduct, meetings, processions, polling procedures, management of polling booths, presence of observers, the conduct of the party in power, and guidelines for election manifestos. Factly has previously produced explanatory stories and videos elucidating the MCC, which can be accessed here and here.
Nevertheless, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) does not include directives for monitoring the social media activities of citizens, nor does it suggest any form of prosecution. Importantly, the MCC lacks statutory support, implying that individuals who violate it cannot be legally pursued under any clause of the code. However, the Supreme Court has consistently upheld the MCC in various instances.
While law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities consistently monitor social media platforms to prevent misuse, this practice will persist independent of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) or the electoral process.
Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has unveiled plans to combat misinformation and false narratives disseminated through social media platforms. The commission has revealed the introduction of the “Myth vs Reality” initiative aimed at tackling the spread of fake news online. As part of this initiative, state officials tasked with monitoring social media will be empowered to take down deceptive and inaccurate posts under the provisions outlined in sections 69 and 73 (b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
To sum it up, the ECI did not announce plans to prosecute people for social media posts under the Model Code of Conduct.


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No, the Election Commission did not declare its intention to conduct elections using ballot papers - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 27, 2024
A social media post featuring a newspaper image claims that the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced new guidelines, indicating that voting will be conducted using ballot papers instead of EVMs. Moreover, the news clip includes the viewpoints of several stakeholders who endorse the ECI’s decision (here & here). This article seeks to fact-check the accuracy of the information presented.
Claim: Election Commission’s announcement of new guidelines, indicating that voting will be conducted using ballot papers instead of EVMs.
Fact: The Election Commission of India did not release any new guidelines indicating the use of ballot papers for conducting elections. In fact, according to the official schedule released for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the commission plans to conduct the elections using EVMs. Recently, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea advocating for the use of ballot papers in elections. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Recently, the Election Commission of India unveiled the complete schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and even issued notification for the first phase. However, the commission did not announce any intention to conduct the elections using ballot papers.
According to Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the Election Commission of India holds authority over the supervision, direction, and regulation of parliamentary elections. Additionally, in 1988, the Parliament amended the Representation of the People Act, 1951, introducing Section 61A, which empowers the Election Commission to utilize Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Even in the recently released official schedule, the ECI announced that the elections will be held using EVMs. Contrary to the viral claim, the ECI did not announce any inclination to conduct polls using ballot papers.
It is important to highlight that the Supreme Court recently rejected a plea advocating for the use of ballot papers in elections. In dismissing the petition, the Court expressed confidence in the reliability of EVMs. Previously, the Supreme Court and several state High Courts have also rejected similar pleas on multiple occasions.
Earlier, in a significant ruling, the Supreme Court recently declared electoral bonds unconstitutional and invalidated them. The Court deemed electoral bonds a breach of the right to information as per Article 19(1) of the Constitution. However, there is no judgment or order of the court about EVMs.
Moreover, both the government and specifically the Election Commission of India dismissed claims about conducting elections using ballot papers. When certain YouTube channels disseminated misinformation regarding EVMs, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) unequivocally refuted these claims as false.
इस #Youtube चैनल के एक वीडियो में इलेक्ट्रॉनिक वोटिंग मशीन से संबंधित कई फर्जी दावे किए गए हैं
दावा:
▪ #EVM पर बैन लगा दिया गया है
▪ प्रधानमंत्री पर ईवीएम से संबंधित घोटाले का आरोप
▪ ईवीएम से छेड़छाड़ के कारण राज्य चुनाव हुए रद्द#PIBFactCheck
▶यह सभी दावे फर्जी हैं pic.twitter.com/dOX6T6oY1D
To sum it up, the Election Commission did not announce conducting the elections using a ballot paper shunning EVMs.


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No, the first telephone line in Gujarat was not installed for Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 9, 2023
Accompanied by an image of Gandhi holding a telephone, a social media post asserts that the inaugural telephone line in Gujarat was established for Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram. Additionally, the post alleges that the British authorities spent a substantial amount, installing a dedicated line to facilitate communication between Gandhi and the English. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Inaugural telephone line in Gujarat was established for Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram.
Fact: The installation of the first telephone line in Gujarat dates back to 1897, well ahead of Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa in 1915. Moreover, there is no documented evidence of Gandhi utilizing a telephone at the Sabarmati Ashram. Furthermore, the image circulated shows Gandhi using a telephone at Maharashtra’s Sevagram Ashram. This telephone was reportedly set up by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, supposedly for his convenience to communicate with Gandhi. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The photograph depicting Gandhi with a telephone is not taken at Sabarmati Ashram but at Sevagram Ashram in Maharashtra. This image was taken in 1941. Reverse image search of the widely circulated photo led us to discover the same image in numerous stock image collections (here & here).
Moreover, a video showcased on the Sevagram Ashram’s official website affirms that the telephone was set up at the Ashram during the time of the then Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow. This installation was purportedly made ‘for his convenience,’ enabling communication with Gandhi.
Was the first telephone set up in Gujarat for Mahatma Gandhi?
As per information from BSNL Kolkata, back in 1881, the Indian government issued a license to the original Oriental Telephone Company Limited of England, allowing the establishment of Telephone Exchanges in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Karachi, and Ahmedabad. This suggests that the installation of telephone lines in Gujarat started well before Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa in 1915.
Further, as per the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the telephone service in the city was started in 1897.
An entry within a gazette accessible through the India Culture portal confirms that the inaugural telephone exchange was established on 17 July 1897, in the vicinity of Panchkuwa Gate within the city of Ahmedabad. During its initiation, the exchange accommodated 34 users.
All of these factors substantiate that the initial telephone connection in Gujarat was not set up specifically for Gandhi, but rather had been established long before his return to India. Additionally, there are no records available indicating that Gandhi utilized a telephone at Sabarmati Ashram, where he resided from 1917 to 1930.
To sum it up, no, the first telephone line in Gujarat was not installed for Gandhi

created: August 9, 2023


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No, the girl in the video has not died due to Coronavirus. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 29, 2020
A video of a girl collapsing in a store is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the girl died of Coronavirus. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of a girl dying of Coronavirus.
Fact: The girl in the video has not died due to Coronavirus. The family of the girl and the Malaysian Health Ministry have confirmed that the rumours about the girl’s death are FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were run through the Google Reverse Image Search, many news articles regarding the incident were found in the search results. In the ‘Harian Metro’ article, it was found that the incident happened in Malaysia and the girl (Nur Izzah Izzati) has not died due to Coronavirus. In the article, it can be read that her father has denied the rumours and asked the people not to share the video in the context of the recent Coronavirus outbreak. If she had really died due to Coronavirus, her body would have been quarantined.
The official Twitter handle of Malaysia’s Health Ministry (‘KKMPutrajaya’) has also tweeted the same article of ‘Harian Metro’ and asked the people not to share the fake news regarding Coronavirus.
Keluarga minta henti sebar video kononnya anak meninggal dunia kerana #coronavirus
Rakyat Malaysia, hentikan menyebar berita dan video palsu. #2019nCoV https://t.co/dxYuJG2GLU
Also, Nazirul, a friend of the girl, has shared the reports related to the girl’s death on his Twitter account and requested to delete the fake news.
Tolong bagi dia rehat dengan tenang . Tolong sangat sangat . Ni hasil post-mortem yang aku dapat daripada ayah izzah . Dan ni jugak cover report untuk izzah . So please stop simpan video arwah izzah . Aku mohon on behalf of ayah dan keluarga dan kawan kawan aku . pic.twitter.com/vZdn04Hkv8
To sum it up, the girl in the video has not died due to Coronavirus.
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created: January 29, 2020