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FRDI Bill, 2017 has been withdrawn by the government in 2018 itself - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 29, 2020
A link of ‘The Hindu’ article is being widely shared on social media with a claim that the government has come up with a new bill – the ‘Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017’, which has now been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee before getting it passed in the parliament. In the post, it is being claimed that there is a ‘bail-in’ provision in the Bill which empowers the bank to cancel a liability of the bank or change the form of an existing liability to another security. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The government has come up with a new bill – the ‘Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017’, which has now been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee before getting it passed in the parliament.
Fact: The ‘FRDI Bill, 2017’ mentioned in the post has already been withdrawn by the government back in 2018. So, there is no such bill now which is pending in the Parliament. In July 2020, the Government has clarified that it has not taken any decision to reintroduce the FRDI Bill. Also, the article given in the post has been published by ‘The Hindu’ back in 2017. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On clicking the given link in the post, it opens ‘The Hindu’ article published in November 2017. ‘The Hindu’ article talks about the ‘FRDI Bill, 2017’, with a focus on the ‘bail-in’ provision. In the article, it is mentioned that ‘the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017 that was referred to a joint parliamentary committee this August (2017) after cabinet approval. This covers bankruptcy of businesses such as banks and insurance. Financial resolution includes solutions for banks facing ‘material’ or ‘imminent’ risk to viability depending on their capital and asset worth. This Bill also introduces the provision for a “bail-in”, whose purpose is to provide capital to absorb the losses of a bank and ensure its survival.’ The Bill as introduced in the Lok Sabha can be read here. There was a lot of debate regarding this Bill back in 2017 and 2018. Some of the tweets made by the ‘Ministry of Finance’ on this issue can be found here.
On checking the status of the Bill on the Lok Sabha website, it was found that the Bill has been withdrawn. So, there is no such bill (‘Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017’) now pending in the Parliament.
In February 2020, many news agencies reported an alleged statement made by the Finance Minister which read “We are working on the FRDI Bill, but not sure when it can get through the House”. But, in July 2020, it has been clarified by the ‘Ministry of Finance’ that ‘the Government has not taken any decision to reintroduce the FRDI Bill’. The tweets regarding this clarification can be found here and here.
To sum it up, the ‘FRDI Bill, 2017’ has been withdrawn by the government back in 2018. As of today, no decision has been taken by the government to reintroduce the FRDI Bill.

created: September 29, 2020


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FSSAI issues draft guidelines for restricting High Fat foods in schools & nearby areas
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2015
Following the directions of the Delhi High Court in a PIL filed by Uday Foundation about the harmful effects of Junk foods in school children, the FSSAI has come up with draft guidelines to restrict/limit the availability of such foods in schools and nearby areas.
Following directions from the Delhi High Court in a writ petition filed by Uday Foundation, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has now come up with draft guidelines for making available ‘Wholesome, Nutritious, Safe and Hygienic Food’ to School Children. This is the first step of the consultative process following which these draft guidelines would be converted to regulations. The guidelines have been divided into two parts, namely;
The Writ Petition in Delhi High Court
The writ petition was filed in 2010 by Uday Foundation, about the important issue relating to easy availability of junk food and carbonated drinks to children and the harmful effects they might have on children consuming them. The petition sought a ban on both junk food and carbonated drinks in schools and initiation of measures to develop a comprehensive school canteen policy with emphasis on health and nutrition.
The FSSAI under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare filed an affidavit in the court stating the following,
The FSSAI submitted the draft guidelines to the court following which the court directed the FSSAI to convert these guidelines into regulation within a time frame. The FSSAI has thus put these draft guidelines in the public domain.
Summary of the Draft Guidelines
The draft guidelines lay down the following major points.
The guidelines also contain various other items such as listing the nutritional value, procurement, preparation, storage etc.
The Delhi High court had also directed CBSE to take a decision on whether these conditions be made part of the conditions for affiliation.
Featured Image: Abhisek Sarda | Flickr

source: news-factly

created: December 7, 2015

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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FSSAI has released a document calling the plastic eggs as a ‘myth’. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 14, 2019
A video is being shared on Facebook with the claim that plastic/fake eggs are being manufactured and sold in the Indian markets. Even though the person who posted the video was not sure of its authenticity, the other users are believing it to be true and are sharing the video widely. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post
Plastic/fake eggs are being manufactured and sold in the Indian markets.
Fact:  FSSAI has released a document countering the claim of plastic eggs manufacturing and also, called the plastic eggs as a ‘myth’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the news regarding plastic/artificial/fake eggs on Google, several news articles on this issue can be found in the search results. While some articles reported finding plastic/fake eggs in some parts of the country, the other articles contradicted the claim of artificial eggs.  .
There are diverse claims and counter-claims in the articles published by various media houses. So, when you look for any official order/announcements on this issue, it was found that FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has released a ‘Guidance Note’ to bust the myths about the plastic/ fake eggs. The document released by FSSAI reads, “Plastic eggs or artificial eggs are a myth mainly due to the fact that there is no technology available to produce a plastic/artificial egg that would perfectly resemble a natural egg”. The document also discusses assessing the eggs’ freshness and safety.
Also, in a press release by FSSAI about fake videos on food items, FSSAI CEO mentioned the false scare generated by media houses in the society on the issues of plastic rice and plastic eggs.
Similar claims about plastic eggs were shared globally last year with a video of a woman pouring some liquid into egg-shaped things. Some organizations have already fact-checked those posts and concluded that the things shown in the video are not plastic eggs but a toy for children.
To sum it up, plastic eggs being manufactured & sold in India is a myth and the food safety regulator, the FSSAI has released a document calling the plastic eggs as a ‘myth’.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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Funeral procession from Uttar Pradesh is passed off as Muslims celebrating Iftar in Hyderabad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 23, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it to be of Iftar celebrations by Muslims in Hyderabad. The description of the video states that those people who were spreading ‘Gyan’ (knowledge) about Kumbh Mela must also see this video. Let us fact-check the claim being made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslims celebrating Iftar in Hyderabad flouting COVID-19 norms.
Fact:  The video shared in the post is from Anjuman Muavinul Islam Madarsa in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. The large crowd seen in the video have gathered to attend the funeral procession of Maulana Abdul Momin Nadvi. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search on the screenshots of the video led us to a social media post published on 17 April 2021, which mentions that the video is from Anjuman Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. Google search with relevant keywords led us to a tweet by UP Tak which had a similar video. The video report states how people have gathered to attend the funeral procession of Maulana Abdul Momin Nadvi flouting COVID-19 norms in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases.
कोरोना संकट के बीच संभल के मदरसे की ये तस्वीरें चिंताजनक हैं। #Coronavirus #COVID19 #Sambhal pic.twitter.com/Reu6dVxsrl
When we searched for images of Anjuman Masjid in Google Maps, we observed that the façade of the building from the video matches with the one found on Google Maps.
To sum it up, funeral procession video from Uttar Pradesh is being passed off as Muslims celebrating Iftar in Hyderabad flouting COVID-19 norms.


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Funeral procession of AIMPLB President Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi passed off as the funeral procession of Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals from the funeral procession of Asad Ahmed, son of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, who was encountered by the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on 13 April 2023. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video from the funeral procession of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows the visuals from the funeral procession of Hazrat Maulana Syed Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi, the President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). AIMPLB President Maulana Rabey Hasni Nadwi died on 13 April 2023 due to a prolonged illness . The video does not show the funeral procession visuals of gangster Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, videos with similar visuals were found recently posted by a few users on YouTube. They can be seen here and here. These users published these videos mentioning them as visuals from the funeral prayers of Hazrat Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi, the President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).
When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords on the internet, we found videos showing similar visuals on ‘SahilOnlineTvnews’ and Mufti Badar official YouTube channels. These YouTube channels confirmed it is the visuals from the funeral procession of AIMPLB President Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi in Lucknow.
AIMPLB President Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi passed away on 13 April 2023 due to a prolonged illness. Many news websites published articles reporting the death news of AIMPLB president Maulana Rabey Hasni Nadwi.
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Hazrat Maulana Syed Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi Sahab, the President of @AIMPLB_Official.
May Allah (SWT) grant him maghfirah and bless him with the highest rank in Jannah.
We request everyone to pray for his maghfirah. pic.twitter.com/4DLt5y3Dm5
The visuals from the funeral procession of Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed can be seen here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows the funeral procession of AIMPLB President Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi, not  Asad Ahmed who died in an encounter by UP Police. He was accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.
To sum it up, the funeral procession of AIMPLB President Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi passed off as the funeral procession of Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed.


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How do we Reward the Men in Uniform? A look at the rewards extended to Gallantry Award Winners
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 15, 2018
The Men in Uniform spend a major part of their life in serving the country. The government presents various Gallantry Awards  to the men in uniform. For each of these awards, cash reward  and various other benefits are extended. The state governments also extend cash awards to the Gallantry awardees. Gujarat stands at the bottom of the list in terms of cash given to these awardees.
The Men in Uniform guard our borders and spend a major part of their life serving the country. They risk their lives in a bid to save the nation. The least we could do is to understand what the Government does for them. In the context of the Independence Day, we felt it is important to know about the rewards extended to the Gallantry Award winners like the Param Vir Chakra etc. The information is sourced from the website of the Indian Army.
Different Gallantry Awards
Apart from the Civilian honours conferred by the Government, two other categories of awards are given to the men in uniform.
The gallantry awards are presented in two different categories
The first category of the gallantry awards comprise the following
The second category of the gallantry awards comprise the following
Award Details
The Central Government extends a cash award for each of these awards apart from various concessions extended by different central government departments. The cash award is in the form of a monthly pension as listed below for each of the different Gallantry awards.
Various central government departments also extend concessions/incentives to the gallantry award winners as listed below.
Cash Award by Various State Governments
Various State Governments also extend cash and other incentives to the award winners from their states. State Governments extend the award in three forms
Different cash amounts are given by different states. For instance, the cash award for Param Vir Chakra (PVC) ranges from the highest of Rs 2.25 crore given by the Government of Telangana to the lowest of Rs 22,500 given by Governments of Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha etc. Meghalaya does not extend any of above three forms of award to any winner.
Param Vir Chakra
Ashok Chakra
The cash amounts for Param Vir Chakra (PVC) & Ashoka Chakra (AC) are given above. Similarly, recipients of different awards are extended different amounts of cash by the state governments. For instance, the details of cash amount extended by the Government of Telangana is given below.
Only few states extend CIL & Annuity. Majority of the States only extend a cash amount. It is surprising to note that, Narendra Modi’s own state of Gujarat, where he was the Chief Minister for more than 10 years, is at the bottom, when it comes to the cash amount extended to the Gallantry awardees.


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Gandhi on multiple occasions appealed to Lord Irwin for suspension of Bhagat Singh's execution - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 23, 2023
A social media post claims that Gandhi & Nehru’s inaction about Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya’s plea led to Bhagat Singh’s death. Further, the post delineates a few other references which put Gandhi and Nehru in a bad light with respect to the hanging of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru. Through this article let’s fact-check the claims made in the post.
Claim: Gandhi & Nehru’s inaction about Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya’s plea led to Bhagat Singh’s death.
Fact: Gandhi, on a few occasions, made requests to the viceroy at the time, Lord Irwin, seeking a reprieve of Bhagat Singh’s death sentence. In fact, even before Malaviya’s plea, Gandhi had already appealed for the suspension of Bhagat Singh’s execution during a conversation with the viceroy in October 1930. Contrary to the viral claim, Lord Irwin, in his speech, unequivocally supported the punishment of Bhagat Singh, disregarding Gandhi’s plea. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral post alleges that Gandhi & Nehru did not act on Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya’s plea to stop the hanging of Bhagat Singh. Additionally, the post suggests that Lord Irwin was surprised by the absence of any action from Gandhi and Nehru, stating that if they had made a request, he might have considered it.
It is true that, on 14 February 1931, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya appealed to the Viceroy for mercy in the case of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, and to commute the death sentence into that of transportation for life. However, there is no evidence to say that reacting to the plea, the then Viceroy Lord Irwin sought Nehru and Gandhi’s consent letters, and inaction of both these leaders with respect to the issue led to their hanging.
Gandhi’s appeal to Irwin:
As a matter of fact, much before Malaviya’s plea, in October 1930, during an interaction with the Viceroy, Gandhi requested the suspension of Bhagat Singh’s execution to which the Viceroy responded saying “I am very grateful to you that you have put this thing before me in this manner. Commutation of a sentence is a difficult thing, but the suspension is certainly worth considering.”
In fact, even hours before the day of Bhagat Singh’s hanging, Gandhi tried to stop Bhagat Singh’s execution by writing to Viceroy Lord Irwin asking for the cancellation of the hanging. However, despite Gandhi’s request, the British government executed the trio on 23 March 1931.
Irwin ignored Gandhi’s plea:
Further, in the viral post, it is argued that Lord Irwin himself said in London that “if Nehru and Gandhi had appealed to stop Bhagat Singh’s execution even once, we would certainly have canceled his execution.”
On the contrary, Lord Irwin in his farewell speech made some statements contradicting the viral claim. He said “As I listened the other day to Mr. Gandhi putting the case for commutation formally before me, I reflected first on what significance it surely was that the apostle of non-violence should so earnestly be pleading the cause of devotees of a creed fundamentally opposed to his own, but I should regard it as wholly wrong to allow my judgment on these matters to be influenced or deflected by purely political considerations. I could imagine no case in which under the law the penalty had been more directly deserved.”
To sum it up, Gandhi on multiple occasions appealed to Lord Irwin for suspension of Bhagat Singh’s execution.


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Garbage-filled River in Philippines is falsely shared as Mithi River in Mumbai - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 28, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that an image of a plastic-choked river is that of Mithi river from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Mithi River in Maharashtra compared to Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat.
Fact: While the first image is of Sabarmati Riverfront, the photo which is to be claimed to be Mithi River from Mumbai, Maharashtra is actually from Manila, Philippines. The caption in Shutterstock, a stock photo website is read as ‘A river of garbage prevents the flow of water on January 6, 2008, in Manila, Philippines.’ Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search of the first image in the post – which claims to be from Sabarmati Riverfront, Gujarat – is done, it is found to be actually true. The  same image can be seen in a news article titled, ‘Sabarmati Riverfront project: Gujarat looks to promote tourism’ published on 18 November 2013.
When reverse image search of the other photo is done, a BBC article titled, ‘A simple online system that could end plastic pollution’ was found with the same image. The caption of the image in the article reads, ‘Many of the poorest communities are the most affected by plastic waste.’ This article talks about the promising innovation of digital payouts to combat ocean pollution in Manila, Philippines. Another article titled, ‘Philippines tackles its waste problem by building roads from recycled plastic’ has the same photo with the caption, ‘Shanties on stilts standing on a polluted river in the Philippines.’ The same photo can be seen in stock photo website Shutterstock with the caption read as ‘A river of garbage prevents the flow of water on January 6,2008 in Manila, Philippines. Poverty and garbage disposal are major issues in the Philippines.’
In a Twitter post published on 09 June 2021 by ANI, a video is shown where, due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai, the Mithi river overflowed and its water entered nearby localities in the Kurla area. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recently thrown open an east-west connecting road bridge over the Mithi River. The new bridge was constructed in the place of the old bridge which had been demolished by the civic body in December 2020, according to the Mumbai Mirror article. According to Frontline article, BMC has set aside Rs. 1,400 crores this year for the rejuvenation and beautification of Dahisar, Poisar, and Oshiwara (or Walbhat) rivers; ‘The Mithi River will receive special treatment because it has received a high level of abuse. It has a separate budget of Rs 569.52 crore,’ says the report.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Mithi river overflows and its water enters nearby localities in Kurla area
"The ground floor of our building is waterlogged. It happens every year," says a local pic.twitter.com/hLaiGrwe2Q
To sum it up, Garbage-filled River in Philippines is falsely shared as Mithi River in Mumbai.


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Gargling warm water with salt or vinegar will not eliminate Coronavirus - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 19, 2020
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that gargling warm water with salt or vinegar can eliminate Coronavirus from the throat. Let’s try to find out the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Gargling warm water with either salt or vinegar can eliminate Coronavirus.
Fact: The World Health Organisation (WHO) or Indian government has not mentioned anywhere that the gargling of warm water with salt or vinegar can eliminate coronavirus. Indian government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) has also said that the message that was circulating on social media is fake. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched to find out if the usage of warm water with salt or vinegar can eliminate Coronavirus, no credible information from the  World Health Organisation (WHO) or Indian government was found. Earlier, when the same message (gargling of warm water with salt can prevent the spread of coronavirus) was circulated, WHO has sent an email to ‘AFP‘ that they don’t have any concrete evidence to substantiate that news.
According to the WHO, there is no vaccine to treat COVID-19 yet. From the information found on the National Institute of Health (NIH) website, an investigational vaccine (mRNA-1273) developed by a company is being tested in America. However, it takes time to find out if the vaccine is efficient enough to treat COVID-19. ‘PIB Fact Check’ has also tweeted that the above message that’s been circulating on social media is false. PIB is the official public information department of the central government.
#Coronavirus CANNOT be treated by gargling with warm water mixed with salt and vinegar.
This is #fakenews circulating on social media and WhatsApp.
For authentic information on #Coronavirusoutbreak, follow @PIB_India and @MoHFW_INDIA #PIBFactCheck #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/gKUGDBqR9Q
The information about the protective measures advised by the WHO to prevent coronavirus can be found on their website.
To sum it up, there is no proof that gargling with warm water and salt or vinegar can eliminate Coronavirus.
Did you watch our new video?


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‘Garlic is healthy but no evidence that it protects people from the new Coronavirus’, says WHO. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 5, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that one bowl of freshly boiled garlic water can cure the disease caused by the 2019 novel Coronavirus. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
2019 novel Coronavirus can be cured by one bowl of freshly boiled garlic.
Fact: World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a clarification that garlic may have some antimicrobial properties but there is no evidence that it can protect people from the 2019 novel Coronavirus. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for information on garlic and its efficacy to cure Coronavirus, it was found that the World Health Organization (WHO) has already issued a clarification, regarding garlic, on its website. On the WHO website, it can be read that ‘garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.’ Also, on the website, it can be read that ‘to date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the novel coronavirus’.
Many other myths regarding the novel Coronavirus have been busted by WHO, which can be seen below.
To sum it up, ‘Garlic is healthy but no evidence that it protects people from the new Coronavirus’, says WHO.
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?

created: February 5, 2020


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Gautam Gambhir's alleged comment on Virat Kohli is fabricated - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 9, 2023
A statement allegedly made by Gautam Gambhir, a former Indian cricketer, is circulating on social media, attributing a specific commentary to him about Glen Maxwell’s double century in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. The statement claims that Gambhir said, “Virat Kohli would have taken singles on 195 if he had been there. But Maxwell chose to hit a six. That’s what makes him different.” Through this fact-check article, we aim to verify the authenticity of this claim.
Claim: Gautam Gambhir made a comment comparing Virat Kohli and Glen Maxwell’s cricketing strategies during his commentary stint.
Fact: Gautam Gambhir denied making such a statement, calling it “bullsh*t” on his social media handle. Also, News 18, credited with originally posting the statement, issued an apology, suggesting the claim is False.
To verify the facts behind the viral claim, we started with a keyword search on the internet, which led us to Gautam Gambhir’s X handle. Here, Gambhir rubbished the claim, tweeting, “What bullsh*t! When I say something, I say it openly.” He further asked for the source of the quote or an apology.
What bullsh*t! When I say something I say it openly. To all the so called verified handles – cite source or apologise! pic.twitter.com/zDS9MaOv1N
Responding to Gambhir’s tweet, News 18 issued an apology on their social media handle X. Gambhir responded appreciatively to this prompt action and expressed his disdain for verified handles spreading false information for monetary gains.
Thank you @CNNnews18 for prompt action. Much appreciated. To all other verified handles, there are better ways of making money. Hatred will not take you far! https://t.co/jIZdqN9sEv
To sum up, the quote attributed to Gautham Gambhir regarding Glen Maxwell’s double century is proven false, as per Gambhir’s statement and News 18’s subsequent apology.

created: November 9, 2023


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Gender Diversity in IIMs: Intake of Women down 4% in 5 years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 9, 2018
IIMs have been trying to improve gender diversity in campuses for the last 10 years through means like specific weightage for gender diversity. While some IIMs consistently had more than 30% women, others have fallen back.
Historically, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have been male bastions with majority of the incoming students having a degree in engineering. Over the past few years, several public policy and research studies have been pushing for a more gender diverse pool of students at India’s top management institutions. The coveted IIMs have made a conscious effort in the last 10 years to improve the gender diversity in campuses.
Data shared by the government and individual IIMs shows a mixed trend in terms of gender diversity. From 31.7% women in the 2013-15 batch, it has come down to 27.5% women in the 2017-19 batch. It is observed that some IIMs have been performing better than the others in improving diversity. These numbers relate to the flagship Post Graduate Program (PGP) of the IIMs.
Number of Women in IIMs crosses 1200 in 2017
For both the 2013-15 & 2014-16 batches, only 13 IIMs were operational. In 2015, six (6) more IIMs started operations taking the total number to 19. IIM Jammu started operations in 2016 taking the total number of IIMs to 20. The total intake of the IIMs has also increased by about 30% between 2013 and 2017. The total intake increased from 3394 for the 2013-15 batch to 4399 for the 2017-19 batch.
The intake of women crossed 1000 for the 2013-15 batch only to progressively decrease the next two years. Ironically, the lowest intake of women in the last five years has been for the 2015-17 when the number of IIMs increased from 13 to 19 for the first time. Since 2015, the intake of women has seen an increasing trend again and reached an all-time high of 1211 for the 2017-19 batch.
In terms of percentage, the women in IIMs reached a peak of 31.7% in the 2013-15 batch only to fall to 23.3% in the 2015-17, the lowest in these 5 years. Since then, it has again increased to 27.5% in the 2017-19 batch. On the whole, in 5 years, there has been a 4% drop in women intake.
What about the old IIMs?
The gender diversity trend in the oldest IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore & Calcutta) is mixed. In IIM Ahmedabad where there is no specific weightage for gender diversity, the percentage of women reached a high of 35% in 2014-16 batch only to go down by almost half in the subsequent year. In the last two years, there has been an increase again with the 2017-19 batch comprising 33.4% women.
In the case of IIM Bangalore which has a specific gender diversity weightage, the percentage of women has more or less been around 25% in every batch.
In the case of IIM Calcutta that also has a weightage for gender diversity, women intake reached a low of 16.4% in 2016-18, only to increase to an all-time high of 30.9% in 2017-19.
IIM Lucknow has maintained the women intake percentage of more than 30% except for the 2015-17 batch.
IIM Indore also maintained the 30% mark except for the 2014-16 batch. The women intake in the 2017-19 batch of IIM Indore crossed 40%.
The case of IIM Kozhikode is strange because the women constituted more than half the batch in 2013-15 whereas the percentage of women in 2017-19 batch was only 28.9%.
The combined women intake in the six old IIMs was around 30% except in the 2015-17 & 2016-18 batches.
Old IIMs doing better, new IIMs need to catch up
If all the IIMs are grouped into the following categories, the old ones seem to be doing better on the gender diversity front.
In the case of IIM Shillong & other IIMs established in 2010-11, the percentage intake of women was more than 25% in 2013-15, but it has come down continuously after that to fall below 20% in 2017-19.
In the case of the other seven IIMs established in 2015-16, the intake of women increased from 9.8% in 2015-17 batch to 20.3% in 2017-19 batch.
But there are exceptions within IIMs. For instance, intake of women in IIM Ranchi has been more than 50% in three of these five years. On the other hand, intake of women in IIM Rohtak went down from 48.3% in 2013-15 batch to less than 10% in 2017-19 batch. It has to be noted that both these IIMs have a specific gender diversity weightage as a part of their selection criteria.
Gender Mainstreaming in IIMs
Majority of the IIMs include weightage for gender diversity in one of the stages for selection while others like IIM Ahmedabad, Shillong & Nagpur do not have any weightage for gender diversity. But the percentage of women intake in both the sets of IIMs is not very different and doesn’t seem to be correlate positively with the weightage.
Even the location of the IIM does not seem to be a major factor driving women intake in IIMs. Also, the difference in percentage of women candidates per every batch in the same institutions as well as other institutions in the same year needs to be studied to understand if the number of women candidates appearing for Common Admission Test (CAT) has drastically varied or the process of intake at individual institutions was the factor in having fluctuating gender diversity percentages.
The process of mainstreaming gender diversity needs to be streamlined in a way that all the IIMs follow a consistent weightage across the locations at least on the gender front. This is critical because all the candidates getting admitted are entering these institutions through a common examination in CAT immaterial of the location of final admission. Even though every IIM should freely choose an appropriate approach that reflects the values and culture of the respective campus philosophy like they are doing now,  there is a need for a process which will hold them accountable to the commitment of a diverse pool. The mere inclusion of the gender diversity clause cannot make considerable and consistent progress to change to the pool of candidates without an aggressive implementation plan that keeps its engagement to inclusion and opportunity. Preferably a time bound plan, that is measurable and paves way for other education institutions in India to follow path.
Gender mainstreaming benefits in these institutions will not just be limited to access to more women candidates but it will indirectly also address the other social, cultural and educational background diversity deficit that IIM’s are parallely working to mitigate.
Data Analysis by Rakesh Dubbudu


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German farmers' protests are being shared with misleading claims linking them to India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 17, 2021
A post accompanying a video of a tractor parade is being widely shared with a claim that the video shows German farmers’ tractor protest in solidarity with protesting Indian farmers. Another post (archived) which shares a set of images claiming to be those of recent protests by farmers in Germany is also being widely shared. Through this article let’s fact-check the claims made in these post.
Claim: Video of German farmers tractor parade in solidarity with protesting Indian farmers; Images of recent farmers’ protest in Germany.
Fact: The video actually shows a recent tractor parade organised by German farmers in Berlin protesting against their government policies. The parade is not in solidarity with protesting Indian farmers. And the set of images are actually of 2019 protests by German farmers against few government policies. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Video:
Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video led us to a website that uploaded the same video on 08 February 2021, the title of the video reads ‘FARMERS PROTESTING BERLIN GERMANY’. Further search also led us to few social media posts which shared the same video attributing it to farmers’ protest in Berlin. One such post can be seen here.
Taking a cue from the above posts, Google search with relevant keywords led us to a news video by Ruptly dated 06 February 2021 which reported about farmers tractor rally in Berlin. The description of the video reads ‘Farmers are demanding new regulations that require imported food to meet German standards and the suspension of the German Fertiliser Ordinance in place since 2021’. In both the viral video and the news report, we can see the same white colour vehicle adorned with tiny red colour lights and a poster with a slogan which reads ‘NO FARMERS NO FOOD NO FUTURE’.
Further Google search with relevant keywords yielded us multiple news articles which reported the farmers tractors parade in Berlin streets protesting against the new German Fertiliser Ordinance which limits the use of pesticides on agricultural lands to save insects. Few such news articles can be read here, here and here. All these suggest that the video in the post shows German farmers’ tractor parade against a new legislation but not in solidarity with protesting Indian farmers.
Image 1:
Reverse image search of this photo led us to a news article dated 26 November 2019 which published the same image. This article reported a protest by farmers against the German government and the European Union for their agricultural policies. This proves that the image is old and is connected to the recent protests in Germany.
Image 2 :
Reverse image search of this photo led us to a news article dated 26 November 2019 which published the same image. According to this article, the image is related to farmers protest on multiple issues like the government’s proposals to phase out and ban the weedkiller glyphosate by 2023, tighter regulations on the use of fertilizers and slurry to reduce nitrate content in groundwater, and also EU’s plans to reduce direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2021 and link payments more closely to environmental measures. Video footage of the protest can be seen here.
Image 3:
Reverse image search of the photo yielded multiple 2019 news articles which published the same image. According to one such news article, the image shows farmers protesting against the government policies. Further search led us to the Getty Images collection in which the same image is also featured. Even the description of the image reiterates that the image is related to 2019 farmers’ protests in Germany.
Although farmers in Germany have protested recently against the government policies, these images are not related to the recent protests. In the light of the Indian farmers’ protest against the new farm laws, posts like these are being shared with misleading claims.
To sum it up, images and videos of German farmers’ protests are being shared with misleading claims linking them to India.

created: February 17, 2021


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Get Information about every Toll Plaza in the country (Rates and other details) from the Toll Information System
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 25, 2015
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently extended a cash reward of Rs 10,000 to Mr. Prashant Burge from Karnataka for exposing excess toll collection. Information on Toll rates and other relevant details are often hard to find. The National Highways Toll Information System (NHTIS) is a one stop portal for all the information about toll plazas in the country.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently awarded Mr. Prashant Burge for exposing overcharging by a Toll Plaza operator in Belgaum, Karnataka. The toll plaza operator was charging five rupees in excess of the approved rate. Prashant Burge used RTI to expose this and NHAI immediately stopped the collection of excess fee.  Also, the excess collection of Rs. 1.8 crore was recovered from the Toll Agency and as a corrective measure; notice boards came up on all toll booths, displaying that the excess user fee of Rs. 5/- can be collected by the passengers. This may not be only case of overcharging at a toll plaza. There could be multiple other cases where the toll operator could be overcharging the passengers. Hence it is important to be aware of the toll plaza rates before one begins a journey. The National Highways Toll Information System (NHTIS) provides all the required information regarding various toll plazas across the country.
The Toll Plaza Information System
NHAI is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of National Highways entrusted to it. National Highways across the country are built either in the EPC or BOT or PPP mode. Once the highway is built, Toll Plazas are setup and rates are fixed by the government. The operation of the toll plaza is entrusted to a private party. These private parties man the toll plazas across the country and collect the toll amount as decided by the government from time to time. The NHTIS has all the information about any toll plaza in the country. The portal has information on all the toll plazas are mapped and coloured based on the mode in which they are built. One can also download an android application of the NHTIS.
How to find a Toll Plaza?
There are multiple ways one can find a specific toll plaza from the NHTIS portal. One can search using the name of the toll plaza or find toll plazas between any two places on the national highway. For e.g., there are eight (8) toll plazas between Hyderabad & Bengaluru and the total one way charge is Rs 599.
What all information is available about each Toll Plaza?
The portal has the following information about each toll plaza. Here is the information about a toll plaza at Gamjal in Telangana on the Hyderabad – Nagpur Highway.
The portal also has details of the average traffic per day and cumulative toll revenue among other details. The rates are revised frequently and it is best to check the latest rate revision order to find the latest rate.
Toll Plaza details through SMS
Toll Rates can also be accessed through mobile phones by sending SMS to 56070 with predefined text messages in the following format
Here is how you can make a complaint if you find a discrepancy
If you find any discrepancy in the toll fee collected or have any other complaint about the operation of the toll plaza, there are multiple ways you can take this to the notice of the NHAI.
The NHAI is also extending cash reward of up to Rs 25,000 for information about corruption in NHAI or its projects. This is the scheme under which Prashant Burge was rewarded.
Regular Updates on the Portal
Regular updates about various new rules, circulars are also posted on the portal. For instance, there is a circular issued in July 2014 on curbing wrong practices & checking the performance of the toll collection contractors. According to this circular, toll contractors are prohibited from giving Namkeen/Coffee/Wafer packets instead of giving change for the balance amount while paying the toll fee. The penalty for such practices is also enhanced to Rs 10 lakh apart from possible termination of the contract. The circular also talks about the contractor giving ads in local newspapers for returning the change in case Namkeen/Coffee/Wafer packets are given instead of change.
Each Toll plaza operator is also instructed to put up placards in the following format for providing information to the passengers.
Featured Image: By Rsrikanth05 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

created: October 25, 2015


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Getting on Board – Gender Diversity in Company Board of Directors
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 20, 2017
Data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs shows that many publicly listed companies did not comply with the provision of appointing a woman director to their boards.
Across the world, women are underrepresented in the highest positions of leadership in corporate world despite being a significant proportion of the corporate talent pool in the middle and lower rungs. The corporate world generally maintains that there is no systemic exclusion of women and that it is a gender-blind meritocracy with a pipeline problem (a situation where there are insufficient number of candidates in organisations to promote to higher positions). However empirical studies and testimonies shared by women in corporate world reveal that implicit bias, social favoritism, historical understandings of gender roles, stereotypes of gender, status group politics and unintended, subtle discriminatory policies impede the professional advancement of women in the highest positions of leadership.
Why Gender Diversity?
Since the issue of gender diversity in corporate world became mainstream, governments and   consultancy groups have urged companies to diversify their boards. Gender diversification has been shown to increase profits, improve strategic organization, boost goodwill, reduce group think and increase innovation and creativity by exposing company boards to multiple worldviews and perspectives. The diversity in input thus created leads companies to produce diverse products that cater to a wider consumer base and thereby increase market share. However, an important aspect of gender diversification is missed in mainstream discussion. Gender diversification cannot be conflated with merely appointing women to company boards. Gender diversification includes the responsibility of dismantling unintended, subtle discriminatory practices and creating an environment for equal opportunity, participation and collaboration. Only then does gender diversification truly fulfil its purpose, enable companies to capture maximum benefits and utilize the capabilities of the population of States.
What does the law say?
In India, the number of women appointed to company boards remains abysmal. The 2016 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap report indicates that the female-to-male ratio of boards of publicly traded companies is 0.11.  To encourage gender diversification in the corporate sector in India, Section 149 of the Companies Act, 2013 mandates that every Listed Company and every other public company either having a paid up share capital of at least Rs 100 crores or having a turnover of at least Rs 300 crores must appoint at least one woman director.  Companies incorporated under the Act are required to comply with the provision within six months of their incorporation whereas companies incorporated under Companies Act, 1956 were given a period of one year to comply with the provisions. The Act also provides for the imposition of fines when companies do not comply. Additionally, Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement was amended by SEBI to ensure that the board of directors of listed companies had at least one-woman director.
What do the numbers say?
While these legal reforms are an acknowledgement of the gender gap and manifest an intention to build gender parity and inclusiveness in corporate world, we must be sceptic of their efforts in ensuring gender diversification. Though Section 149 of the Companies Act, 2013 imposes a minimum mandatory quota on companies, the minimum quota is itself so small that it appears merely tokenistic. There is reasonable doubt over the difference one female director can make as compared with having at least three or more women directors on board. The Indian minimum mandatory quota of one female director also does not match up to global standards. (For instance, Norway, Finland, France and Spain require 40% whereas Belgium, Kenya and Italy require 33% women on boards.) At the least, the minimum mandatory quota must reflect the proportion of women working in the country’s corporate world. The reforms also have a superficial understanding of gender diversification, as they primarily suggest that gender diversity is merely about appointing women to company boards and do not extend thought on creating equal opportunities to work and advance in careers. To that extent, the legal provisions allow companies to indulge in diversity doublespeak. The instrumentalist approach that companies have taken in complying with the provisions also does not indicate gender diversification in company boards.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs reported that notwithstanding the fact that it was September 2016, 169 National Stock Exchange listed companies, 15 Central Public Sector Enterprises and 1106 Bombay Stock Exchange listed companies had failed to comply with the provisions. News media has chronicled the shoddy, undesirable and last-minute manner in which hundreds of companies have appointed female directors with the sole purpose of  technically complying with provisions. In many instances the female directors appointed are relatives of important office-holders in the corporations. Trophy women directors sit on multiple company boards simultaneously. This raises serious questions over the qualifications and independence of such female directors appointed and defeats the intended purpose of shattering the glass ceiling for experienced women candidates in the company’s talent pool who are excluded.
How can this change?
It is also important to reflect on the other mechanisms corporate governance could use to put an end to the systemic exclusion of women in the higher rungs of corporate ladders. Apart from mandatory quota laws, there exist multiple ways by which States around the world can urge companies to prioritise gender diversification.
It has also been suggested that the matter of gender diversification be allowed to be expressed by stakeholders in a non-binding vote.
The issue of gender diversification is one of fairness and equity for women in the corporate sector. It is imperative that the vestiges of possibly unintended and subtle yet structural discrimination be eradicated. Indian companies must comply with gender diversification provisions in the spirit of the law. However, to effectuate real change in the corporate culture a wide variety of measures need to be implemented – mentorship programs, annual diversity reports, expansion of the discourse on leadership qualities, diversity training programs, reconstruction of internal operations etc.
Featured Image: Gender Diversity in Company Board of Directors

created: January 20, 2017


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Giorgia Meloni did not share this photo of her strolling on a beach after PM Modi’s Lakshadweep visit. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 8, 2024
A collage of two photos featuring the Prime Ministers of India and Italy, Narendra Modi and Giorgia Meloni, is doing the rounds on social media. This comes after PM Modi’s photos from his recent visit to the Lakshadweep islands went viral online. In the viral collage, Italian PM Meloni’s photo that looks like a screenshot of an ‘X’ post contains a caption that reads, ‘I have suddenly started loving beaches, IYKYK.’ The post’s description states that she posted this photo on X after PM Modi’s Lakshadweep photos were released on 4 January 2024. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Italian PM Giorgia Meloni posted a photo of herself in a beach after PM Modi’s Lakshadweep visit’s photos were posted on 4 January 2024.
Fact: The viral photo is old and reportedly from September 2022, which was shot during Giorgia Meloni’s visit to a beach in Italy. She has not posted this photo on her official ‘X’ handle on 4 January 2024. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the viral claim, we performed a reverse image search on Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni’s photo, which is in the viral collage, leading us to reports (here and here) from September 2022 that contained the same photo.
Reportedly, this photo was taken during her visit to a beach in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, with her partner and their daughter. To verify if she had posted this photo after 4 January 2024, the day on which PM Modi’s photos of his Lakshadweep visit were posted on X, we skimmed through the official ‘X’ handle of Giorgia Meloni.
Un anno intenso si è concluso e nella conferenza stampa di oggi ho avuto l’occasione per illustrare il cammino percorso, le decisioni prese e i progetti che vogliamo realizzare. Ringrazio i giornalisti intervenuti con le loro domande e per il confronto proficuo e voi tutti che… pic.twitter.com/JgIhtCqVs1
However, we did not find this photo associated with the caption seen in the viral photo on her ‘X.’
This evidence clarifies that the viral claim is fake and the screenshot could be edited. Also, the viral post is shared on a Facebook page named ‘Bakri Premi Bapu’ which looks like a troll page based on the content that is shared on it (here, here, and here)
To sum up, an edited photo is being shared on social media to claim that Italian PM Georgia Meloni shared a photo of herself strolling on a beach after PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep.

created: January 8, 2024


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ఇస్లాంకు ఐరోపా మధ్య కంపాటబిలిటీ సమస్యలున్నాయని జార్జియా మెలోని 2018లో చేసిన వ్యాఖ్యలను ఇటీవల చేసినవిగా చేస్తున్నారు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 28, 2023
Update (28 December 2023):
“అల్లా కానుక అంటూ పదేసి మందిని కనే వాళ్ళు,వారి పోషణకయ్యే ఖర్చును ఆ అల్లా నుండే పొందాలి. ప్రజల టాక్సుల నుండి ఇవ్వం” అని ఇటలీ ప్రధాని జార్జియా మెలోని చెప్పినట్లుగా ఒక పోస్టు సోషల్ మీడియాలో బాగా ప్రచారంలో ఉంది. దీంట్లో ఎంత నిజముందో ఇప్పుడు చూద్దాం.
ముందుగా ఇటలీ ప్రధాని జార్జియా మెలోని ఇటీవల ఇటువంటి వ్యాఖ్యలు ఏమైనా చేశారా అని ఇంటర్నెట్లో వెతకగా మాకు ఎటువంటి సమాచారం లభించలేదు. ఇటలీ పార్లమెంటు మరియు ఇతర అధికారిక సభలలో ఆమె చేసిన ప్రసంగాలలో కూడా ఈ వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్లు ఆధారాలు లేవు. అయితే 2022లో ఇటలీ ఎన్నికల ప్రచార సమయంలో ఇటలీలోని ముస్లిం వలసదారుల పట్ల, వారి సిద్ధాంతాలను ఆమె విమర్శించారు. కానీ, ప్రధాని అయ్యాక ఇటలీలోని ముస్లింలకు ప్రభుత్వం నుంచి ఎటువంటి సంక్షేమం రాదని ఆమె చెప్పినట్లు ఆధారాలు లేవు.
Published (21 December 2023):
ఇస్లాం మతానికి యూరోప్ దేశాలలో చోటు లేదని, దీనికి ఇస్లాంకు యూరోప్‌కు మధ్య ఉన్న కంపాటబిలిటీ సమస్యలు ఒక కారణమని ఇటలీ ప్రధానమంత్రి జార్జియా మెలోని ఇటీవల వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్టు సోషల్ మీడియాలో ఒక పోస్ట్ బాగా షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఇస్లాం సంస్కృతి ఐరోపా నాగరికతకు సరిపొదని జార్జియా మెలోని అన్నట్టుగా ఈ పోస్టులోని వీడియోలో తెలుపుతున్నారు. ఇదే విషయాన్ని రిపోర్ట్ చేస్తూ పలు వార్తా సంస్థలు ఇటీవల ఆర్టికల్స్ కూడా పబ్లిష్ చేశాయి. అవి ఇక్కడ, ఇక్కడ మరియు ఇక్కడ చూడవచ్చు. ఆ పోస్టులో ఎంతవరకు నిజముండో చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: ఇస్లాంకు ఐరోపాకు మధ్య కంపాటబిలిటీ సమస్యలున్నాయని జార్జియా మెలోని ఇటీవల వ్యాఖ్యలు చేశారు.
ఫాక్ట్ (నిజం): ఈ వ్యాఖ్యలను జార్జియా మెలోని 2018లో, ఇటలీ ప్రధానమంత్రిగా ఎన్నికవకముందు చేశారు. 2018లో ఒక ఇంటర్వ్యూలో జార్జియా మెలోని మాట్లాడుతూ, ఇస్లాంకు ఐరోపా యొక్క విలువలు మరియు నాగరికతతో కంపాటబిలిటీ లేదని వ్యాఖ్యలు చేశారు. అక్రమ వలసలను నీయంత్రించడంలో తమ ప్రభుత్వం విఫలమైందని జార్జియా మెలోని ఇటీవల వ్యాఖ్యలు చేశారు. కానీ, ఇస్లాంకు ఐరోపాతో కంపాటబిలిటీ సమస్య  ఉందని జార్జియా మెలోని ఇటీవల మళ్ళీ వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్టు ఎక్కడా రిపోర్ట్ కాలేదు. కావున, పోస్టులో చేస్తున్న క్లెయిమ్ తప్పుదోవ పట్టించే విధంగా ఉంది.
పోస్టులో చేస్తున్న క్లెయింకు సంబంధించి కీ పదాలను ఉపయోగించి వెతికితే, జార్జియా మెలోని ఇస్లాంకు సంబంధించి ఇటువంటి వ్యాఖ్యలే 2018లో, అంటే తను ఇటలీ ప్రధానమంత్రిగా ఎన్నికవకముందు, చేశారని తెలిసింది. “ఇస్లాం ఐరోపా విలువలకు విరుద్ధంగా ఉంది”, అని మాటియొ సాల్వాని చేసిన వ్యాఖ్యలను జార్జియా మెలోని సమర్ధిస్తూ, “సాల్విని చెప్పింది నిజమే. ఇస్లాం మన సంస్కృతికి విరుద్ధం”, అని వ్యాఖ్యలు చేశారు.
2018లో ఒక ఇంటర్వ్యూలో జార్జియా మెలోని మాట్లాడుతూ, “ఇస్లాం ఖచ్చితంగా మన విలువలు మరియు మన నాగరికతతో  కంపాటబిలిటీ లేదని నేను నమ్ముతున్నాను, ఇస్లామిక్ కేంద్రాలలో  జరిగేది దీనికి నిదర్శనం. దీని అర్థం జెనెరలైజ్ చేయడం కాదు, కానీ మన సంస్కృతికి ఇస్లాంకు కంపాటబిలిటీ లేదు.”, అని తెలిపారు.
జార్జియా మెలోని 2022 సెప్టెంబర్ నెలలో ఇటలీ మొట్టమొదటి మహిళా ప్రధానమంత్రిగా ఎన్నికయ్యారు. అక్రమ వలసలను నీయంత్రించడంలో తమ ప్రభుత్వం విఫలమైందని జార్జియా మెలోని ఇటీవల రోమ్ నగరంలో జరిగిన ఒక రాజకీయ కార్యక్రమంలో వ్యాఖ్యలు చేశారు. కానీ, ఇస్లాంకు ఐరోపాతో కంపాటబిలిటీ సమస్య ఉందని జార్జియా మెలోని ఇటీవల మళ్ళీ వ్యాఖ్యలు చేసినట్టు ఎక్కడా రిపోర్ట్ కాలేదు.
చివరగా, ఇస్లాంకు ఐరోపా మధ్య కంపాటబిలిటీ సమస్యలున్నాయని జార్జియా మెలోని 2018లో చేసిన వ్యాఖ్యలను ఇటీవల చేసినవిగా షేర్  చేస్తున్నారు.

created: December 28, 2023


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Global Migration Report: India source & USA destination of most migrants
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 14, 2019
As per the International migrant stock 2019 report released recently by the UN, the share of migrants in the global population has slightly increased compared to 2015. India is the source & USA is the destination of most migrants in the world.
All through the known history,humans have been migrating to different places. Over the past few decades,advancements in transportation and communication have made global opportunitiesaccessible to a greater human population.
Whether it is the availability of better living options or escape from a turmoil in the country of origin, the number of people migrating to different countries has seen a remarkable increase over the last few decades.
However, the trends aren’t evenacross the globe with various factors influencing migration and population. Inthis story, we explore the numbers and the trends with respect to internationalimmigration.
Share of migrant population among
World’s population is on the rise
As per the data provided in International Migrant Stock 2019
report,published by United Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairsPopulation Division, the share of migrant population in the total worldpopulation is 3.5% in mid-2019. This is a noticeable increase from 2015 wherethe share was 3.4% and from 2010, when it was 3.2%.
While the increase of share appearsto be marginal, the growth rate of migrant population is higher than the globalpopulation growth rate.
What about the absolute numbers of
Migrant population?
As of mid-2019, the total World’smigrant population is 27.16 crores, whereas in 2015 it was 24.88 crores i.e. anincrease by 9.15%. Meanwhile, the Global population as of mid-2019 is 771.31crores while it was 737.97 cores in 2015 i.e. an increase by 4.52%. The highergrowth rate of migrant population contributes to the increased share of migrantpopulation. This trend of higher growth rate in migrant population compared toworld population growth rate is observed since 2000.
It can also be observed that there isa fall in migrant population growth rate compared to previous years, in linewith the falling growth rate of global population.
Increase in share of migrant
population in more developed regions
The UN report groups the countriesinto – ‘more developed regions (MDRs)’ and ‘less developed regions (LDRs)’.
As per International Migrant Stock 2019
report, 12%of the population in MDRs is migrant population. The share of migrantpopulation in MDRs has gone up compared to the previous years, wherein it was11.2%, 10.6% and 9.8% in 2015, 2010 and 2005 respectively.
On the other hand, the share ofmigrant population in LDRs is less with only 1.9% as of mid-2019. Earlier itwas 1.8%, 1.6% and 1.2% in 2015,2010 and 2005 respectively.
Over the years, there is a marginalincrease in the share of migrant population even in the less developed regions.There is a fall in the share of migrant population in Least Developed countrieswithin the Less developed regions and an increase in the share of migrantpopulation in other countries within this region. This indicates migration fromleast developed countries into countries comparatively better off than themalbeit being less developed themselves.
The World Bank categorizes thecountries as per income. As per UN’s data on migration, the share of migrantsin the population of High-Income countries is 14%, up from 13% in 2015 and 12.1%in 2010. This share has shown a constant increase over the decades.
Among the Middle-Income countries,the share of migrants among ‘Upper Middle-Income countries’ shows a marginalincrease with a corresponding decrease in ‘Lower Middle-Income Countries’.
Low Income countries have seen adecline in the migrant population share over the years.
It is remarkable to note that in 1990,migrant population was 7.5% of the total population in High-Income countrieswhich has nearly doubled (14%) in two decades (by mid-2019).
USA has the highest migrant
population followed by Germany and Saudi Arabia
As of Mid-2019, United States ofAmerica has the highest migrant population in the world with 5.07 crores. This accountsfor 15.4% of total population of USA. In 1990, the migrant population of USAwas 2.3 crores which accounted for around 9.2% of the US population.
Germany and Saudi Arabia have thesecond highest migrant population in the world with 1.313 crores and 1.312crores respectively as of mid-2019. They are followed by Russian Federation,United Kingdom, UAE, France, Canada, Australia and Italy completing the top 10countries.
These top 10 countries constitutehalf (50.36%) of the world migrant population.
While India ranks 13 with 51.54 lakh migrant population, it is negligible in context of overallpopulation of India where the migrants make up only 0.4% of the totalpopulation.
India is the country of origin for
the highest number of migrants
International Migrant Stock’s By destination and origin report indicates that the highest numberof migrant population has India as their country of origin followed by Mexico,China and Russian Federation.
A total of 1.75 crore migrants havetheir country of origin as India. Mexico, China, Russia have been mentioned asthe country of origin by 1.17 crore, 1.07 crore and 1.04 crore migrantsrespectively. Syria is the country of origin for 5 highestpopulation at 82.25 lakhs.
32.87% of the total migrantpopulation in the world belong to top 10 countries. Palestine which like Syriais another country amidst conflict is the origin of 38.9 lakh migrants makingit the 16 in the list of countries.
UAE, USA and Saudi Arabia are
destination countries for highest number of migrant Indians
As far as Indians are concerned, 34.19lakh Indian migrants have UAE as their country of destination followed by USAwith 26.61 lakhs.  Saudi Arabia has thethird highest Indian migrant population with 24.4 lakhs as of mid-2019.
Data from the UN report furtherindicates that Pakistan is the country with fourth highest Indian migrantpopulation with 15.88 lakh. Other Middle Eastern countries like Oman, Kuwaitand Qatar rank 5, 6 and 9 respectivelyin the list of destinations for Indian migrants.
UK, Canada and Australia make the restof top 10 countries with the highest Indian migrant population.  The Middle Eastern countries of UAE, SaudiArabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar have 51.44% of the total Indian migrantpopulation.
Influx of Migrants is into countries
with higher incomes & better opportunities
As per the data on internationalmigration, the trend clearly suggests that people are migrating to thecountries which have a higher income than their own.
At a Global level, USA with its vastopportunities is the country with the highest number of immigrants from acrossthe world. USA has migrants from 150 out of 232 countries enumerated in thereport.
Other top 10 destination countriesare also among the highest income countries in the world. Apart from being theglobal destinations, there are countries within a region which are profferedoptions for migration (like the Middle eastern countries for other Asiancountries especially South Asia).
A trend as highlighted earlier isthat people from least developed countries move to countries which arecomparably better off even though these countries are not themselves developed.
Overall trends suggest influx ofpeople towards countries with comparably better incomes & opportunities.

created: October 14, 2019


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Global terrorist Syed Salahuddin did not contest 1987 election on Congress party ticket. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 14, 2020
A post claiming that global terrorist Syed Salahuddin fought the assembly elections from Kashmir in 1987 on Congress party ticket is doing rounds on social media. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Global terrorist Syed Salahuddin contested assembly election from Kashmir on the congress party ticket in 1987
Fact: As per Election Commission of India (ECI), Mohammed Yusuf Shah (also known as Syed Salahuddin) had contested from Srinagar’s Amirakadal constituency as an independent candidate in 1987 and lost. Also, the Congress party did not contest in this constituency. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with the keyword ‘Syed Salahuddin’ led us to a Wikipedia page which is on his name. From this page, we found that Syed Salahuddin’s actual name is ‘Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah’ which he later changed to ‘Syed Salahuddin’. He is the head of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, a pro-Pakistan Kashmiri separatist terrorist organization.
According to the information available on Election Commission of India (ECI) website about the 1987 assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammed Yusuf Shah (also known as Syed Salahuddin) had contested from Srinagar’s Amirakadal constituency as an independent candidate and lost to Gulam Mohiuddin Shoh of JKN(Jammu& Kashmir National Conference). Also, in this election, Congress party did not filed any candidate in this constituency. With this, we can conclude that Syed Salahuddin did not contest on behalf of the Congress party.
On 26 June 2017, the U.S Department of State has designated Syed Salahuddin, head of the terror group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HIM) as a global terrorist. Indian External Affairs Minister had confirmed the same in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha regarding Syed Salahuddin’s designation as a global terrorist in 2017. When an individual or an organization is designated as a ‘Global Terrorist’ or a ‘Terrorist Organization’, assets in the US are blocked. Designation of individual or groups would expose and isolate them and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system. Also, these designations help law enforcement in other nations. Details of what happens when someone is designated as a global terrorist can be read here.
In November 2019, the ED (Enforcement Directorate) had attached Kashmir assets linked to Syed Salahuddin.  To sum it up, Syed Salauddin did contest 1987 election on the Congress party ticket.

created: September 14, 2020


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Goa Banned Alcohol Consumption at Tourist Places in 2013 while Licensed Shacks are Allowed to Still Serve - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 9, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media platforms claiming that Goa banned drinking alcohol on beaches and a fine of ₹5,000 to ₹50,000 would be imposed if there is a violation. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Goa banned drinking alcohol on beaches and a fine of ₹5,000 to ₹50,000 would be imposed if there is a violation.
Fact: Goa Government has banned the alcohol consumption in the open in 2013 itself. However, the amendment to the existing ‘Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001’ was made in 2019. According to this rule, consumption of liquor, cooking food in open and breaking of glass bottles were prohibited in tourist places (which includes beaches). The latest order issued on 31 October 2022, just directs the police authorities to strictly implement these provisions. However, all the licensed shacks at the beaches are allowed to serve alcohol to their customers. This ban only restricts open consumption of alcohol at beaches and other tourist places. Violating this rule may lead to a fine of ₹5000 to ₹50,000. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched the internet with the relevant keywords and found an article on ‘The Hindu’ published on 24 April 2013. According to this article, Goa government banned drinking liquor on beaches in a bid to curb littering and nuisance caused to women tourists. The ban has been imposed under ‘Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act’ which gives the right to the state government to ban things which create nuisance in the tourism zones. The violation will attract arrest. However, the prohibition order is not applicable to drinking in licensed shacks or any other places where retail sale of liquor is allowed.
Taking a cue from this, We searched the said ‘Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001’ . According to NDTV’s article dated 25 January 2019, Goa Government passed a new bill amending this act in January 2019.
As per the amendment, consumption of liquor/cooking food in open, littering waste materials, breaking glass bottles are prohibited in tourist places. Any person violation the above provisions would be liable to pay a fine of ₹ 2000 and ₹10,000, if a group of people flouted the law. In case, the person/persons refused to pay the fine, they shall be liable for imprisonment. Moreover, this law holds the seller of the liquor responsible if their customers carry alcohol bottles and cans to tourist places.
The list of places which are considered tourist places in Goa can be seen here. This explains that people are not allowed to consume alcohol at any beach openly in Goa. They are allowed to do it only at the licensed shacks or other authorised places at the beach.
However, on 31 October 2022, Goa’s Director of Tourism Nikhil Desai issued an order to the concerned police officers to strictly implement the following rules which were already enforced under various laws made by the Goa Government earlier like ban on consumption of alcohol in open and breaking of glass bottles etc. As per this order, violators of the said rules are liable to pay a fine of ₹5000 which may be extended up to ₹50,000.
Also, according to Tourism shack policy 2022-23, for sale of any food and alcoholic beverages, necessary license shall have to be obtained by the allottee from the Department of Food & Drugs Administration and Excise.
To sum it up, consumption of liquor in open areas at beaches has been prohibited in Goa since 2013. But one can consume alcohol at any licensed shack or any other place where retail liquor sale is allowed.

created: November 9, 2022


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The Central Government did not introduce any widow pension scheme called ‘PM Vidhva Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 17, 2020
A video is being shared on YouTube claiming that Government of India is going to provide 5 lakh rupees pension directly into the accounts of widows under the new  ‘PM Vidhva Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’. Let’s verify the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Claim: Government of India is going to provide 5 lakh rupees pension to widowed women under ‘PM Vidhva Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’.
Fact: No such scheme is found in the official website of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. Press Information of Bureau (PIB) through their tweet clarified that there is no such scheme by the name ‘PM Vidhva Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’ run by the Indian Government. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On searching for the scheme mentioned in the video, we could not find any such scheme run by the Government of India. It found no mention in the official website of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. National Repository of Information for Women (NARI) also did not mention any such pension scheme run by the Government of India.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) in a tweet clarified that Government of India hasn’t introduced any pension scheme called ‘PM Vidhva Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’ for widows. The Government of India has many different schemes for the welfare and empowerment of women in distress like widows and young single women. But, there is no widow pension scheme called ‘PM Vidhva Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’ run by the Indian Government.
दावा: एक #Youtube वीडियो में दावा किया जा रहा है कि केंद्र सरकार 'विधवा महिला समृद्धि योजना' के तहत सभी विधवा महिलाओं के बैंक खाते में 5 लाख रुपये की नकद राशि एवं फ्री सिलाई मशीन दे रही है। #PIBFactcheck: यह दावा फर्जी है। केंद्र सरकार द्वारा ऐसी कोई योजना नहीं चलाई जा रही है। pic.twitter.com/hDplDHh9eb
FACTLY had earlier debunked a similar claim of a fake scheme about Government providing 2000 rupees to every girl in the country.
To sum it up, Government of India did not introduce any widow pension scheme called ‘PM Vidhva Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’.

created: December 17, 2020


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GoI has not come up with any new amendment mandating capital punishment to every rape convict - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 24, 2021
A post is being circulated on social claiming that the Narendra Modi led BJP Government had passed a new amendment to award capital punishment to every rape convict. This post claims that President Ram Nath Kovind had approved the new amendment passed by the Government of India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Narendra Modi led BJP Government had passed a new amendment to award capital punishment to every rape convict.
Fact: In August 2018, The Government of India passed The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 by amending the Indian penal code. This amendment by the Indian Government allows courts to award capital punishment to those who are found guilty of raping a woman under twelve years of age. The Government of India had not passed any new amendments to the Criminal Act Law, 2018. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched to check whether the Government of India had passed any such ordinance recently by amending the existing laws, we could not find any such ordinance on the Ministry of Law and Justice website. In August 2018, The Government of India passed The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 by amending few sections of the Indian penal code. This amendment by the Indian Government allows Courts to award capital punishment to those found guilty of raping a girl under twelve years of age. President Ram Nath Kovind had given his consent to this Criminal (Amendment) law act on 11 August 2018.
Let’s look at the changes made by this amendment act.
In 2013, after the Delhi Nirbhaya rape incident, people across the country protested demanding stringent punishment for the rape convicts and had pressed for amendments to the existing law.  By amending the then prevalent law, the UPA Government passed The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013’ in the parliament. After the Kathua and Unnao rape incidents in 2018, the Narendra Modi led BJP government had introduced the criminal law amendment ordinance. Later, by amending this ordinance,  the Government of India passed ‘The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018’ in Parliament.
‘The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018’ has amended the Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. This law amended section 376 of the Indian penal code and made some significant changes to the punishments for raping minor girls. According to this law, Courts can award capital punishment to those found guilty of raping a girl under twelve years of age. The difference in rules between The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 and 2018 can be seen in the table below.
‘The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018’ provides other rape accused a maximum punishment of imprisonment for life. Courts will make the final decision regarding this punishment to rape accused based on the circumstances in a particular case.
To sum it up, the Government of India did not pass any new amendment mandating capital punishment to every rape convict.


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Gold Vahanas donated to Bhadrachalam temple shared as those donated to TTD by NRIs - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 27, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows visuals of all new gold vahanas (vehicles) donated by NRIs from the USA to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of new gold vahanas donated by US based NRIs to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board.
Fact: The video shows the gold vahanas donated to the Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam. The donation was made by a US-based NRIs association named NRI Vasavi Association (NRIVA). The video has nothing to do with the TTD. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots from the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by the V6 news channel, with the title, “12 New Gold Divya Vahana Pratista At Bhadrachalam Temple, NRI Vasavi Sangham Donate Vahanas “, on 21 March 2023. The video shows the new gold vahanas donated to the Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam.
The donations were made by a US-based association named NRI Vasavi Association (NRIVA). This association reportedly donated 12 new vehicles with a cost of 65 lakhs to the Badradri Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple. Reporting the details of these news vehicles donated for Thiruveedi Seva at the Bhadrachalam temple, several news websites published articles. They can be seen here, here and here.
To sum it up, a video of gold vahanas donated to Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam is shared as those donated by US NRIs to TTD.


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Golden Temple’s langar has been provided with some exemptions & Ramdev’s Patanjali products are not exempted under GST - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 11, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that the GST tax burden on Gurudwara kitchen is approximately 10 crores whereas Ramdev Baba products are exempted from GST. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post.
While the kitchen of Amritsar Gurudwara has to bear the burden of Rs. 10 crore GST annually, the products of Ramdev Baba are exempted from the GST.
Fact: A burden of Rs. 10 crore GST burden on the Golden Temple kitchen is old news. Currently, the Golden Temple kitchen has been provided with some exemptions from the state government and the central government, under the ‘Seva Bhoj Yojana’ for the langars. Also, Ramdev’s Patanjali is not exempted from GST. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the news regarding ‘Rs. 10 crores GST tax burden on the Golden Temple Kitchen’ on Google, it was found that the same news was reported back in 2017 when SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) demanded an exemption for the langar meals under GST. It was also found that, in February-2018, the SGPC claimed that it paid an amount of Rs. 2 crores as GST for the months July 2017 to January 2018. In March 2018, the Punjab State government has declared that it will waive off its half of the GST on langar items being served at the Golden Temple. In June-2018, after pressure from various quarters, the Central government agreed to refund GST on the langar items through a new scheme called ‘Seva Bhoj Yojana’. Also, it can be found that, in June-2019, the central government released Rs. 57 lakhs as GST refund for the langars. Further information on the ‘Seva Bhoj Yojana’ can be read here.
When looked for the GST on the Ramdev’s Patanjali products, it was found that a tax of 12 per cent was levied on his Ayurveda products (as ayurvedic medicines and products came under the 12 per cent tax in July 2017) and also, other commercial products had different GST rates. Several newspaper articles on GST affecting the profits of Patanjali can be read here and here.
To sum it up, old news on Rs. 10 crore GST burden on the Golden Temple kitchen is being shared as some latest news. While the Golden Temple’s langar has been provided with some exemptions, Ramdev’s Patanjali products are not exempted under GST.
Did you watch our new Episode of DECODE series on Parliament?


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Golden Vahanas donated to Bhadrachalam temple are being falsely shared as those donated to Ayodhya Ram Mandir by NRIs. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 2, 2024
A video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows visuals of 12 new Golden vahanas (vehicles) donated by Arya Vaishya Vasavi Association in USA to Lord Ram at Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of 12 Golden vahanas (vehicles) donated by Arya Vaishya Vasavi Association in USA to Lord Ram at Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
Fact: The video shows the Gold plated vahanas donated to the Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam, Telangana by Arya Vaishya Vasavi Association in USA. The video has nothing to do with the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
On reverse image search of the screenshots from the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by the V6 news channel, with the title, “12 New Gold Divya Vahana Pratista at Bhadrachalam Temple, NRI Vasavi Sangham Donate Vahanas “, on 21 March 2023. The video shows the new Golden vahanas donated to the Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam, Telangana.
The donations were made by a US-based association named NRI Vasavi Association (NRIVA). This association reportedly donated 12 new vehicles with a cost of Rs. 67 lakhs to the Badradri Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple. Reporting the details of these news vehicles donated for Thiruveedi Seva at the Bhadrachalam temple, several news websites published articles. They can be seen here, here, and here. Factly debunked the same video last year when it was attributed to TTD.
To sum it up, a video of golden vahanas donated to Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam, Telangana is shared as those donated to Ayodhya Ram Mandir.

created: February 2, 2024


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How should Good Samaritans be treated by the Police? - factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 26, 2016
The Union Government released the Good Samaritan Guidelines last year. It has now released the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed while dealing with the Good Samaritans. The Superintendent of Police (SP) should ensure that these guidelines are implemented in their jurisdiction.
The Union Government had in May 2015 notified guidelines for the protection of Good Samaritans. This was a result of the Supreme Court directions in October 2014. Now the Central Government has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the examination of Good Samaritans by the Police or during trial. In essence, the SOP details how the Police should treat the Good Samaritans.
The Good Samaritan to be treated respectfully
The SOP includes the following key points.
If the Good Samaritan chooses to be a witness
The SOP also include the following key points to be followed by the Police while examining the Good Samaritan who chooses to be a witness
The government has put the onus on The Superintendent of Police (SP) or Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to ensure that all the above mentioned procedures are implemented throughout their respective jurisdiction.

created: January 26, 2016


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Good Times for India Post with Increasing Revenue & Traffic - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 5, 2016
India Post is one of the largest public sector employers in the country employing close to 1.9 lakh people. With more than 1.5 lakh post offices, it has presence even in the remotest of places. In the last few years, the revenues of India Post have increased with increased traffic from Parcels & Speed Post.
India Post is one of the largest public sector employers in the country employing close to 1.9 lakh people. It has presence even in the remotest of places with more than 1.5 lakh post offices. The size, which was supposed to be the achilles heel of the postal department might well become its biggest strength, thanks to the e-commerce boom and welfare payments through banks and post offices.
Continuous Growth in Revenues
The revenue of India Post has been on the rise for the past few years. Its revenue increased from 9366.6 crore in 2012-13 to 10730.4 crore in 2013-14. In 2014-15, it further increased to 11635.98 crore. This indicates a 14.6% growth in 2013-14 and 8.4% in 2014-15.
Speed Post & Parcels lead the way
Two of India Post’s major services are leading this revival. Revenues from both Speed Post and Parcels are increasing over the past few years.
The revenue from Parcels increased from 78.87 crore in 2012-13 to 112.47 crore in 2014-15, an increase by more than 40%. The trend is continuing in 2015-16 with the revenues touching 107.9 crore in just the first nine months.
Revenue from Speed post has also continuously increased in the last few years. From 1372.21 crore in 2013-14, the revenue increased to 1495.21 crore in 2014-15. In the first nine months of 2015-16, the revenue has already touched 1146.99 crore. The speed post traffic also increased from 36.99 crore in 2013-14 to 39.87 crore in 2014-15.
More Parcel centres to cater to the e-commerce demand
48 dedicated Parcel centres have been established in 2014-15 and another 9 have been established in 2015-16 to meet the growing demand. The department is said to be laying special emphasis on the Parcel segment through up gradation of infrastructure, improvements in the delivery system and revamping parcel transmission modes and routes. The following measures are being taken to improve the delivery system.
The growth is also evident from the fact that Rs. 970 Crore Cash On Delivery (CoD) collections were done by India Post in just the first eight months of 2015-16.
CAG finds Speed Post better than private Couriers
The CAG report for the year 2012-13 highlighted that Speed Post is far better than private couriers, in terms of reach, assured delivery and delivery time.
In order to compare the performance/quality of Speed Post with Private Courier Agencies, a test check was conducted by CAG in eight circles. The test check was conducted by posting letters to local, major cities and Tehsils (blocks). A total of 284 test letters were posted by speed post and 287 by different private courier service providers like DTDC, First Flight, Blue Dart/DHL and Local couriers.
98.94% of the letters posted by speed post were delivered to the addressee while only 90.24% letters posted by the private couriers were delivered. In fact at the block level, 100% letters by speed post reached the addressee while only 83.54% letters by courier reached the addressee. This proved the inherent strength of India Post in reaching the remote areas of the country.
Vacancies & Complaints remain a threat
Vacancies and complaints are two things that India Post has to resolve to keep the momentum going. There are more than 13000 vacancies in post offices in different parts of the country as of December, 2015. The most affected is Delhi with more than 20% vacancies.
With increased traffic, India Post is also witnessing increased number of complaints about delay in delivery of articles. The number of such complaints for registered letters increased from 70 odd thousand in 2012-13 to more than 80000 in 2014-15. Similarly, the number of complaints in parcels increased from around 23000 in 2012-13 to about 32000 in 2014-15. The complaints in speed post also increased from around 59500 in 2012-13 to more than 1.08 lakh in 2014-15.
Featured Image: [By Harikrishnank123], [CC BY 3.0]


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Google Maps removed LoC? No, it appears so only when searched from India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 8, 2020
A photo of Indian map taken from Google Maps is being shared widely on social media with a claim – ‘BreakingNews: Google Maps removed #LoC…It’s just matter of time #POK will be ours”. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Google Maps removed LoC from its India Map.
Fact: Google Maps does not show LoC if you see the maps from India, but it still shows LoC if you see the maps from other countries. Based on the country from where you search, Google Maps shows the disputed territories accordingly. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the comments section of the post itself, one can see that people are sharing the screenshots of the Indian map on Google Maps shown in various other countries and LoC (Line of Control) can be seen in those maps.
Also, FACTLY has got a picture from the USA which shows that the Indian map still shows LoC. On the Google Maps website, it can be read that ‘Disputed boundaries are displayed as a dashed gray line. The places involved don’t agree on a boundary’.
In an article by ‘The Washing Post’, it can be read that ‘Google Maps changes disputed borders based on which country you search from’. The article was published in February 2020 and it mentions the differences in the Jammu & Kashmir map when searched from different countries. So, there is nothing ‘Breaking’ (as mentioned in the post) regarding LoC being removed from the Google Maps when searched from India. A video by ‘The Washing Post’ explaining how various disputed territories are shown on Google Maps can be watched here.
To sum it up, LoC can be still found on the Indian map on Google Maps when searched from other countries.
Update (11 May 2020): In a few other posts on social media, it is claimed that Google changed this policy of not showing LoC when viewed from India, after the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) started including Gilgit (in Pakistan occupied Kashmir) in its weather reports.
During analysis, it was found that this claim is also false. In fact, there are news articles as far as back in 2016 which highlight the same (the dotted line or LoC is shown outside India while it is not shown when you check from within India). There are stories from the Guardian and from the week, both published in 2016, which highlight the same issue. This means that the development is not a recent one and has nothing to do with the IMD including Gilgit Baltistan in its weather reports.
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Google neither owns the user data, nor it retains the deleted data permanently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 13, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media claiming that Google becomes the owner of the data, once the user saves it on Google. The post also claims that Google continues to store the data, even after the user deletes it. Let’s find the truth behind these claims.
Claim: Google owns the user data and retains it even when the user deleted the data permanently.
Facts: It is clearly mentioned in Google’s terms of service that an individual retains the ownership of data & content, “You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours”. Google’s privacy policy also explains that, “Our services also use encrypted backup storage as another layer of protection to help recover from potential disasters. Data can remain on these systems for upto 6 months”. Hence, this claim is FALSE.
We read the “Terms of service” and “Privacy Policy” documents of Google products to verify the claims made. Google explains the ownership of the data in its “Terms of Service” document.
One can read it in the highlighted text below. It clearly states that “You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours”
Google uses redundant systems for effective and smooth user experience. As a result, data is stored both in active and backup systems. So, when the user deletes a file from Google drive or any other Google product, it will not be deleted immediately from Google’s servers. The following text from Google’s “Privacy Policy” explains the process and the time required to permanently delete the file.
Below text explains the retention time period of the various meta-data:
If the user wants to delete his/her Google account, Google explains, “We then begin a process designed to safely and completely delete the data from our storage systems. Safe deletion is important to protect our users and customers from accidental data loss. Complete deletion of data from our servers is equally important for users’ peace of mind. This process generally takes around 2 months from the time of deletion. This often includes up to a month-long recovery period in case the data was removed unintentionally.” A video explaining the same process, can be found here.
To sum it up, Google neither owns the user data nor retains it permanently. It is evident that Google saves the user data for a short period of time, after the user deletes it.


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Government auctions 41 Coal Blocks – What it means?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 26, 2020
The government operationalized the ‘Mineral Laws (Amendment) Act’ by launching the auction of 41 coal blocks in five states. What is new with this auction and what are the different issues involved?
The human race witnessed a major turning point in the 18 century with the industrial revolution transforming economies. It was during this period that the demand for coal soared following the invention of steam engine by James Watt, which made transportation of this fuel easier. Since then, many uses for coal were discovered. In India, coal continues to fuel more than 50% of the power supply in the country for addition to its domestic and industrial purposes. Although India has the fifth largest coal and lignite reserve in the world, the country is the second largest importer of thermal coal.
Source: Coal in India, 2019. Department of Industry, Government of Australia
Reforms in coal sector announced in tranche four of ‘Atmanirbhar Abhiyan’
The government plans to push the idea of self-reliant India through the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan to face and overcome the challenges due to COVID-19. As a part of the package, during the announcement of fourth tranche of the economic package, major reforms have been proposed in the coal sector as well. Broadly, the reforms announced are introduction of ‘commercial mining’ in coal sector, creation of diversified opportunities and a liberalized regime in the sector.
Source: Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Government of India
State’s monopoly over coal mining has been replaced by commercial mining
Through the introduction of commercial mining, the government will be ending its monopoly on coal mining  and wishes to bring in competition and transparency. The private sector will be allowed to participate coal mining through a revenue sharing mechanism in the place of ‘fixed rupee per tonne’ regime. Now, anyone can take part in auctions for coal blocks including partially explored ones, in contrast to the earlier norm which allowed only captive consumers with end use ownership to participate.
Further, it was also announced that coal gasification/ liquefication will be incentivized through rebate in revenue share. Coal gasification or liquefaction refers to the process by which solid coal is converted into fuel gas or liquid fuel. This move will result in significantly lower environment impact while also assisting India to switch to a gas-based economy, according to the Finance Minister. Rs. 50,000 crores has been pledged by the government to develop the infrastructure in coal sector. Coal Bed Methane rights will also be auctioned from Coal India Limited’s (CIL) coal mines.
41 coal blocks in Eastern and Central India have been opened for auction
On 18 June 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the auction of 41 coal blocks for commercial mining spread out in Eastern and Central India in the states of Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. This means that 41 coal mines are now open for private companies, even those which do not have previous experience in coal mining, to mine coal commercially without any end-use restrictions. The only requirement is that the companies must make an upfront payment.
Source: Government of India
The government is expecting a capital investment of around Rs. 33, 000 crores in the next 5 to 7 years. 100% FDI is also permitted in the sector implying that even international companies can participate in the auctions. The producer is free to sell, use, or export coal without any restriction.
PM Modi emphasized on benefits of allowing private firms in his speech
PM Modi repeatedly stressed on the following three major benefits during the launch of the auction of the 41 mines.
Nationalisation of coal mines took place in 1973
During his speech, the PM added that India’s coal sector was being unlocked from decades of ‘lockdown.’ Until 1970s, private sector participation was permitted in coal mining in India. But growing needs in the steel industry and burgeoning energy needs of the country resulted in employment of unscientific mining techniques, exploitation of coal reserves, and poor working conditions of labour. This forced the then government led by Indira Gandhi, to nationalize coal mines. It was done is two phases- first with the coking coal mines in 1971-72 and then with the non-coking coal mines in 1973. After more than four decades, the sector is now open again to private sector without any restrictions.
SC asked for policy reform in coal sector to ensure transparency, after declaring all allocations as illegal
During the period from 1993 to 2011, Ministry of Coal, had allocated 218 coal blocks under the provisions of Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973 to the erstwhile eligible government PSUs, private companies for specified end use projects such as power, steel, and cement and for commercial mining by PSUs. This was challenged in the Supreme Court, Manohar Lal Sharma Vs. Principal Secretary & Others on allocation of coal blocks, 25/08/2014, saying the allocation of these blocks is illegal & unconstitutional. The Supreme Court declared all the allocations as arbitrary and illegal. Allocations of around 204 coal blocks were cancelled when the Manmohan Singh led UPA’s second term was about to end.
Later in 2015, the NDA government enacted the Coal Mines (Special provisions) Act of 2015 to reallocate the cancelled coal blocks to new allottees through auction or to a government company. Nevertheless, end-use restrictions were in place which meant that these companies could use the product only for select purposes such as cement, iron and steel production, etc. and not for trade. The restrictions were later relaxed in 2018. In March 2020, the government passed the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Act with the aim to promote ease of doing business by removing the restrictions and other measures, as proposed in the Atmanirbhar package.
However, the central government’s decision to privatize coal sector has attracted criticism, particularly from environmentalists since coal mining comes with both social and environmental concerns. The decision is being questioned because there is a global shift towards cleaner fuels.
Coal mining has serious social and environmental implications
Mining activities result in air, water, and noise pollution along with land degradation. This can impact the already vulnerable indigenous populations’ health, culture, and livelihood. Since most of the coal blocks are in forest areas and ecologically sensitive zones, destruction of forests will lead to irreplaceable loss of flora and wildlife. This will only accelerate global warming and climate change. Measures need to be taken by the government to ensure that the green cover and ecological balance are restored. A CAG 2019 report on environmental impact due to mining activities of Coal India Limited reveals that many environmental norms are being flouted.
Congress criticizes, but it overruled the ‘No Go’ condition in 2011
Former environment minister & Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has written a letter to the current environment minister, Prakash Javadekar highlighting the environmental problems due to opening up coal blocks in dense forests. He has referred to it as ‘triple disaster’- environmental cost of mining and transportation of coal in dense forests, loss of carbon sink and dense forest cover which cannot be compensated, and effect on public health.
In 2009-10, Ministry of Environment & Forests headed by Jairam Ramesh classified coal blocks into ‘go’ and ‘no-go’ areas in the five states, based on the forest cover. ‘No-go’ areas are those where the biodiversity is rich and should not be considered for mining. Out of 602 blocks in total, 153 were classified as ’no-go’. About 30% of the blocks fell in the ‘no-go’ area. Ramesh further tweeted that several blocks opened for auction fell in the ‘no-go’ category.
However, in 2011, Ramesh himself overruled the recommendations of the expert forest advisory committee not to give approval for coal mining in three blocks in the dense forest area in Hasdeo Arand in Chhattisgarh, which fell in the ‘no-go’ category. He has also been reported to have said that the blocks were clearly only on the fringe and not within the biodiversity region.
It is ironic that political parties criticise the government actions when they are in opposition but do the same very things when in power. Environment seems to the ultimate loser in this political blame game.
Featured Image: Government auctions 41 Coal Blocks