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There is no conclusive evidence to prove that drinking a mixture of tamarind and plum cures fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 14, 2022
A video is being shared on social media where a man explains that drinking juice prepared by soaking tamarind and plum in water cures fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis. Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: Drinking a mixture of tamarind and plum soaked in water cures fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis.
Fact: Although a few studies show both tamarind and plum demonstrate positive effects against liver ailments, further investigation is required to prove their effectiveness in curing fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis. Contrary to what the post claims, no studies prove the effectiveness of the mixture of tamarind and plum in treating the said liver diseases. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Fatty Liver Disease and Liver Fibrosis.
According to Cleaveland clinic,’ Fatty liver disease is a common condition caused by the storage of extra fat in the liver. Most people have no symptoms, and it doesn’t cause serious problems for them. In some cases, though, it can lead to liver damage. The good news is you can often prevent or even reverse fatty liver disease with lifestyle changes.‘ ‘Liver fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins including collagen that occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases.’
Factly searched the internet with relevant keywords for research done on the mixture of tamarind and plum as the cure for fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis. But, we could only find a few studies on tamarind and plum’s effectiveness on liver ailments and not on the mixture. A study on the effect of prunes (plums) on liver function showed that ‘prunes may have clinical relevance in appropriate cases, and prunes might prove beneficial in hepatic disease.‘ But we found no study aimed at liver fibrosis or fatty liver disease proving the effect of prunes in curing them.
A study showed a positive effect of tamarind on high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats. But this has to be further explored as a cure for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Healthline states that tamarind may have medicinal properties and can be used as a tarnish remover.
The studies mentioned above do not prove that drinking a mixture of tamarind and plum soaked overnight in water cures fatty liver disease or liver fibrosis. Also, there is no scientific evidence to suggest the same.
Treatment for fatty liver disease
According to the Cleveland clinic, ‘The liver has an amazing ability to repair itself. If you avoid alcohol or lose weight, it’s possible to reduce liver fat and inflammation and reverse early liver damage.’  Mayoclinic says, ‘Ideally, a loss of 10% of body weight is desirable, but improvement in risk factors can become apparent if you lose even 3% to 5% of your starting weight.’ No drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating this.
As per the fatty liver foundation, ‘Currently, the experts who treat liver disease (AASLD), recommend no specific diet for liver health. There are not enough well-designed clinical trials focused specifically on the liver to give the organ experts confidence to make official dietary recommendations.’
Treatment for liver fibrosis
Healthline says, ‘Treatment options for liver fibrosis usually depend upon the underlying cause of the fibrosis. A doctor will treat the underlying illness, if possible, to reduce the effects of liver disease.’ According to medical news today, ‘Scientists have yet to develop medications that directly reverse or treat the damage associated with liver fibrosis. However, research into antifibrotic drugs, which will reduce or prevent the fibrotic process, is ongoing.’ To learn more about the treatment options, click here.
To sum up, there is no conclusive evidence to prove drinking a mixture of tamarind and plum cures fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis.

created: November 14, 2022


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There is no conclusive evidence to prove that Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy cures cancer - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 13, 2024
A video posted by Rahiem Shabazz on Instagram features a guest claiming that hyperbaric oxygen therapy heals Cancer is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy cures & heals cancer.
Fact: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy could potentially slow down the growth of certain types of cancers and aid in healing and tissue repair by elevating oxygen levels in the body. However, there’s not enough evidence to confirm its effectiveness in curing cancer. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
On performing a reverse image search using the keyframes of the video, we found that the original video subject was initially streamed on YouTube on 5 August 2023. It was hosted by Latasha Kebe, who is also recognized as Tasha K. The guest in the episode discussing cancer was introduced as “Yahki Awakened” in the title. He runs an online herb-selling store called Yahki Awakened, and the founder, Alexander Hickman, is sometimes known as Yah’ki. He is described as a “master herbalist” on his website, but there is no information about any formal medical training in the field of cancer. Yah’ki mentions finding inspiration in “Dr. Sebi,” an herbalist whose name has been associated with false health claims debunked several times (here, here, and here).
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for cancer involves patients breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The increased pressure allows the lungs to take in more oxygen. In our research on Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its relationship with cancer, we found that no study explicitly indicates that hyperbaric therapy cures cancer. According to MedlinePlus, an information service of the National Library of Medicine, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recognized for helping recover from radiation injuries, including those linked to cancer treatment. However, it doesn’t state that it can cure cancer. The National Institute of Cancer also clarifies that hyperbaric oxygen chambers don’t independently cure cancer but may enhance the impact of radiation therapy or chemotherapy on cancer cells.
A 2012 study examined the impact of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on various cancer types. The findings suggested that HBOT could potentially slow down the growth of certain cancers, like breast cancer. However, it doesn’t appear effective for cancers such as cervical and bladder cancers. Despite aiding in healing and tissue repair by elevating oxygen levels in the body, there’s not enough evidence to confirm its effectiveness in curing cancer or preventing cancer recurrence.
To sum up, there is no conclusive evidence proving that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy cures cancer.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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There is no evidence indicating that this purported Hanuman coin was issued by the British and discontinued by Nehru - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 9, 2024
A photo of the purported coin of Hanuman from 1818 is being shared on social media claiming that the coin was issued by The East India Company in 1818 and that its circulation was stopped by Nehru after becoming Prime Minister. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: A photo of a purported 1818 Hanuman coin issued by the British East India Company. Its circulation was later stopped by Jawaharlal Nehru after becoming Prime Minister.
Fact: There is no record of the East India Company minting Hanuman coins. This depicted coin is likely counterfeit, falling into categories such as Temple Tokens or Lebbo coins. No credible sources confirm Jawaharlal Nehru ceasing the circulation of any coin of this kind. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On performing a keyword search, we did not find any credible source confirming that Jawahar Lal Nehru ceased the circulation of the coin featuring Hanuman. Besides, coins that are considered legal tender in India can be found on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) website. However, the coin featuring an engraving of Hanuman is not listed on the website. Even in the museum section of the RBI’s website, the coins from the British Era do not resemble the one depicted in the viral claim.
According to the information available on the website about the history of British coins, in 1717, the British obtained permission from the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar to mint coins at the Bombay Mint, and the English pattern coins were minted there. Though the minting of coins was permitted in 1717, the British authorities legislated for coinage only in 1835 through the Coinage Act, of 1835.
The Archaeological Survey of India of the Government of India has a document discussing the coin history in regions controlled by the East India Company in India. The pictures in the document don’t show any coins depicting Hindu gods, contrary to the claim.
Further, CoinQuest mentions that while these items carry valid denominations like anna and rupee and seem to be issued by recognized authorities like the East India Company, they are not conventional coins and are not issued by East India Company. Instead, these are counterfeit coins that fall into categories such as Temple Tokens or Lebbo coins, having religious or magical significance rather than being legally recognized tender.
To sum up, there is no evidence indicating that this purported Hanuman coin was published by the British and discontinued by Nehru.

created: January 9, 2024


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This message about the new Omicron variant from 'All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists' is false - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 6, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that a message about the Omicron variant was given by the ‘All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists’. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Message from All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists about the Omicron variant.
Fact: There is no evidence that the ‘All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists’ had given out such a message about the new Omicron variant. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. According to the World Health Organisation, the PCR tests continue to detect the infection with Omicron variant. A new variant of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.529 was reported to the World Health Organisation on 24 November 2021. This variant was named Omicron and classified as a Variant of Concern by the WHO on 26 November 2021. As of now, there is not much credible information available about this variant. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched on the internet about the message by ‘All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists’ regarding Omicron, no credible information was found about the same. However, we found that the exact content was being shared on social media since March 2021 during the prevalence of the Delta variant also, much before the emergence of Omicron.
Symptoms of Omicron:
There is no evidence that fever and cough are not the symptoms of the Omicron variant. “There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants.”
Effectiveness of current tests:
There is no evidence that more and more pharyngeal nasal tests are turning out to be false. According to World Health Organisation, the PCR tests continue to detect the infection with the Omicron variant. “Studies are ongoing to determine whether there is any impact on other types of tests, including rapid antigen detection test.”
A new variant of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.529 was reported to the World Health Organisation on 24 November 2021. This variant was named Omicron and classified as a Variant of Concern by the WHO on 26 November 2021. As of now, there is not much credible information available about this variant. Scientists are working to gather data and virus samples that can be studied to answer important questions about Omicron.
India detected 21 cases of the Omicron variant so far. We could not confirm whether the ‘All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists’ have given out this message, which has no factual basis.
To sum it up, there is no evidence that the ‘All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists’ had given such a message about the new Omicron variant, which has no factual basis.

created: December 6, 2021


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There is no evidence that the Congress Party has adopted the symbol of Islam as its election symbol - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 7, 2023
A post claiming that “the Congress party has chosen the symbol of Islam as its election symbol” is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Congress party has adopted the symbol of Islam as its election symbol
Fact: The Congress party didn’t originally have the ‘Hand’ as its election symbol. It used the ‘Pair of Oxen Carrying a Yoke’ symbol from 1951 to 1969, ‘Cow-calf’ from 1971 to 1977, and ‘Hand’ (an open palm) from 1980 onwards. However, Indira Gandhi was informed about the Emur Bhagwati (Hemambika) statue in Palakkad, Kerala, by her friend Soundara Kailasam. This temple featured an idol with the deity’s hands offering blessings to the devotees rather than a traditional idol. It is believed that this influenced the choice of the hand symbol as the party’s election symbol. In 1982, after winning the election, Indira Gandhi visited this temple, and the hand symbol became associated with her. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On conducting a reverse image search of the hand image in the viral post, we discovered numerous similar hand images. We found that these are known as ‘Panja Alam.’ According to the Delhi National Museum, the ‘Panja Alam’ holds significant religious importance and is used during the morning procession of Muharram. These Alams are crafted in various shapes, with the ‘claw’ or ‘protective hand’ shape being regarded as the most sacred. The five fingers of the Panja Alam symbolize the last Prophet Hazrat Mohammad, Hazrat Fatima, Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Hasan, and Hazrat Hussain.
The current Congress party symbol is similar to this symbol. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Congress chose this symbol because of Panja Alam.
Furthermore, the Congress party did not originally utilize this symbol. Following India’s independence, the inaugural general elections took place in 1951-52. During this election, the Congress party, led by Nehru, participated with the symbol of ‘a pair of oxen carrying the yoke.’
In 1969, owing to internal conflicts within the Congress party, Indira Gandhi, backed by the majority of Congress party members, chose to establish a new party known as the Congress(R). The emblem of the Indira Congress or Congress(R) from 1971 to 1977 was the “cow-calf.” However, following the loss of support from 76 out of its 153 members in the Lok Sabha, a new political entity emerged as the Congress(I) in preparation for the 1980 elections, subsequently adopting the open palm symbol of Indira Gandhi.
A journalist named Rashid Kidwai revealed the same in his book ’24 Akbar Road’.
Indira Gandhi made a visit to the Emur Bhagavathy (Hemambika) temple located in Palakkad, Kerala, where the deity is represented by hands blessing the worshipers instead of a traditional idol.
As per a report in the Malayalam newspaper Kerala Kaumudi, Soundara Kailasam, the wife of former Supreme Court judge Justice PS Kailasam, had a close association with the Nehru family. She informed Indira Gandhi about the unique hand statue at the Emuru Hemambika Bhagwati temple, the only one of its kind in India (here and here). Learning about this is believed to have influenced Indira Gandhi’s decision to adopt the hand symbol. Under Indira Gandhi’s leadership, the Congress party achieved a significant increase in seats, surpassing the 1977 results, following the adoption of the hand symbol. Subsequently, during K Karunakaran’s tenure as Chief Minister, Indira Gandhi visited the Emuru Bhagwati temple.
To sum up, there is no evidence that the Congress Party has adopted the symbol of Islam as its election symbol.

created: November 7, 2023


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There is no evidence that the Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying CDS General Bipin Rawat was shot down by Tamil Nadu Liberation Army - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 10, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat was shot down by the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army. The post even claims that Tamil Nadu Liberation Army had put out a statement in this regard; and that the area where the crash happened has been infested with Tamil insurgents. There is also a Twitter link provided at the end of the post. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Mi-17 V5 helicopter carrying India’s CDS was shot down by Tamil Nadu Liberation Army.
Fact: There is no evidence that the Mi-17 V5 helicopter carrying India’s CDS was shot down by Tamil Nadu Liberation Army. Tamil Nadu Liberation Army is one of the banned organisations in India; is one of the terrorist organisations listed in the first schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The twitter link/account which is propagating this information is based out of Pakistan and is tied to some ‘Pakistan Strategic Forum’ which ‘is an Islamabad-based defence related think tank’. The cause of the crash is not yet known. A tri-service enquiry had been ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF). It has also been reported that Retired Brigadier Sudhir Sawant had alleged that the crash was not an accident but a conspiracy by the LTTE and ISI. However, nothing has been reported about Tamil Nadu Liberation Army shooting down the helicopter carrying India’s CDS Bipin Rawat. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet for credible reports about Tamil Nadu Liberation Army shooting down the helicopter carrying India’s CDS, we could not find any. If such a thing would have happened, all the major news outlets would have covered it.
Tamil Nadu Liberation Army is one of the banned organisations in India. It is one of the terrorist organisations listed in the first schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. We could not find any official social media accounts handled by the organisation. Had they put out a statement with reference to the helicopter crash, it would have been in the public domain and carried by the news outlets; we could not find any such information online.
The Twitter link/ account which is propagating this information is based out of Pakistan. It states that it is part of some ‘Pakistan Strategic Forum’, which according to its bio, ‘is an Islamabad-based defence related think tank’.
The cause of the MI-17 V5 helicopter crash that killed CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others is not yet known. The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his brief statement to the Parliament said that a tri-service enquiry had been ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
It has been reported by several news outlets that Retired Brigadier Sudhir Sawant had alleged that the crash was not an accident but a conspiracy by the LTTE and ISI. The reports can be seen here and here. However, nothing has been reported about Tamil Nadu Liberation Army shooting down the helicopter carrying India’s CDS Bipin Rawat.
To sum it up, there is no evidence that the Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying India’s Chief of Defence Staff was shot down by the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army.

created: December 10, 2021


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There is no evidence that this purported 1818 coin depicting Lord Ram was issued by Mughals - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2022
A photo of a purported coin from 1818 is shared through a social media post claiming that even during Mughal era in India, coins depicting Lord Ram were issued. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a purported coin from 1818 confirms that coins depicting Lord Ram were issued even during Mughal rule.
Fact: We could not find any evidence to show that the purported 1818 coin depicting Lord Ram was issued by a Mughal emperor. Though Mughal emperor Akbar had issued few coins depicting Lord Ram and Sita, those coins were unlike the coin shown in the viral photo. Such coins from Akbar weren’t issued in large numbers and minting ended right after Akbar’s death in 1605. Some coins claiming to be from 1818 are modern, counterfeit coins made to look old and valuable. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Coins issued in India which are of legal tender are available on the RBI website. This coin with the engraving of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman, could not be found on the website. Even in the museum section of RBI’s website, the coins of the Mughal Empire were unlike the one shown in the viral claim.
With the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the decline of Mughal empire slowly started. “Although they (provinces like Hyderabad and Awadh) continued to recognise the Mughal emperor in Delhi as their master, by the eighteenth century the provinces of the empire had consolidated their independent political identities.” From 1760s onwards British started grabbing Indian territory. In 1818, Mughals were no more a major power in India. Hence, in 1818, the Mughals could not have issued such a coin depicting Lord Ram.
Few coins depicting Lord Ram and Sita were issued by Mughal Emperor Akbar. However, such coins weren’t issued in large numbers and minting ended right after Akbar’s death in 1605. The coins are unlike the viral coin in the post.
Kingdoms in the South had reference to Gods in the coins issued. Madras presidency in early 19 century had coins featuring temple gopuram and Vishnu. However, we could not find the exact coin mentioned in the viral post.
According to coinquest website, the copper coins with the inscription of East India Company and, dates like 1616, 1717, 1818, are mostly a ‘spiritually oriented token recently manufactured and sold to tourists.’ “…these pieces are modern, counterfeit coins made to look old and be valuable.”
To sum it up, there is no evidence that this purported 1818 coin was issued by Mughals.


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There is no evidence to attribute this story to freedom fighter Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 31, 2022
A social media post that shares an incident of how an elderly woman named Kamala Devi Hazarika taught a Christian pastor about Hinduism is being widely shared. The post accompanies images of freedom fighter and activist Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, attributing the story to her. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Kamala Devi Hazarika’s befitting reply to a Christian pastor.
Fact: The images shared in the viral post are of Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, noted Indian social reformer and freedom fighter from Karnataka. However, there are no credible reports attributing this story to her. There is no mention of this story in her biography. An online blog published a similar story, the blog credited the story to a book titled ‘Beware of the tactics used for religious conversions’, about religious conversions targeting Hindus. Most likely, the viral story could have been inspired from this book. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The images shared in the viral post are of Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, noted Indian social reformer and freedom fighter from Karnataka.
However, there are no reports attributing the viral anecdote shared in the post to her. Even in her biography, there is no mention of any such account of interaction with a Christian pastor. There are no reports that establish a connection between Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay and the viral anecdote.
Further, we could not find about any popular personality by the name Kamala Devi Hazarika hailing from Assam.  As far as the viral anecdote is concerned, the same story is doing rounds on the internet at least from 2017. Since then, the same story is being circulated in different languages. An online blog that shared the same story in 2017 can be read here.
Another blog shared a similar story by the name Kamala Devi Hazarika. The blog mentions the reference of the story as ‘Beware of the tactics used for religious conversions.’
Taking a cue from this, Google search with relevant keywords yielded books with the same title on various online portals (here & here). The book is about religious conversions targeting Hindus and lays emphasis on northeastern states. Most likely, the viral story shared in the post could have been inspired from a story about religious conversions mentioned in this book.
Moreover, we could not find any credible reports attributing it to the freedom fighter Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to attribute this story to freedom fighter Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay.


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There is no evidence to claim that Akhilesh Yadav signed a petition seeking commutation of Kasab’s death sentence. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 10, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Akhilesh Yadav had signed a petition in the past seeking commutation of Kasab’s death sentence. Ajmal Kasab was the last surviving terrorist from the 26/11 terror attack that killed 166 people; he was hanged to death on 21 November 2012. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Akhilesh Yadav had signed a petition in the past seeking commutation of Ajmal Kasab’s death sentence.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that Akhilesh Yadav had signed a petition in the past seeking commutation of Ajmal Kasab’s death sentence. Several websites and blogs have published a list of people who signed the petition addressed to the President of India for Kasab’s pardon, there is no mention of Akhilesh Yadav in such a list. Ajmal Kasab was the last surviving terrorist from the 26/11 terror attack that killed 166 people; he was hanged to death on 21 November 2012. Mercy petition filed by Ajmal Kasab was rejected by the President on 05 November 2012. We could not find any news reports about any statements made by Akhilesh Yadav on Kasab’s death sentence. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched online, we could not find any credible information or news reports that said Akhilesh Yadav signed a petition seeking the commutation of Kasab’s death sentence. If Akhilesh Yadav had signed such a petition, it would have been reported by all major news outlets. In fact, when Kasab was hanged to death in November 2012, Akhilesh Yadav was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Anything said or done by him, would have surely been reported by the media. The social media handles of Akhilesh Yadav – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – do not mention signing such a petition.
According to an article by the Indian Express, more than 200 people signed a petition addressed to the then President Pranab Mukherjee to pardon Kasab. There were several prominent names in the list of signatories who opposed Kasab’s execution. However, there is no mention of Akhilesh Yadav in this list.
Several websites and blogs have published a list of people who signed this particular petition. Which can be seen here, here, and here. There is no mention of Akhilesh Yadav in the list shared by them.
Ajmal Kasab was the last surviving terrorist from the 26/11 terror attack that killed 166 people; he was hanged to death on 21 November 2012. “The Mumbai trial court had on May 6, 2010, awarded death sentence to Kasab which was upheld by the Bombay High Court on February 21, 2011. The apex court rejected his appeal on August 29 (2012).” Mercy petition filed by Ajmal Kasab was rejected by the President of India on 05 November 2012. We could not find any news reports about any statements made by Akhilesh Yadav on Kasab’s death sentence.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to claim that Akhilesh Yadav signed a petition seeking the commutation of Kasab’s death sentence.


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There is no evidence to link Jay Shah with Jain Infra Project Limited - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 1, 2022
A social media post claims that RBI has waived Rs. 1073 crores loan of Jain Infra Pvt Ltd company owned by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: RBI waived Rs. 1073 crores loan of Jain Infra Pvt Ltd company owned by Jay Shah.
Fact: According to a RTI response, a sum of Rs. 1073 crores have been written off  to Jain Infra Projects Limited. As per the information available on Ministry of Consumer affairs, Jay Shah is not featured in the list of directors of the company. Also there are no reports of associating Jay Shah to this company. There are allegations of meteoric rise in revenues and unsecured loans acquired by the company owned by Jay Shah. However, here is no mention of loan waiver or write off to this company. It is noteworthy to mention that it is not RBI who waives or writes off loans, but the concerned banks. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Back in April 2020, Saket Gokhale, a RTI user and now a national spokesperson of AITMC had shared a list of the top 50 willful defaulters which he had obtained from RBI in response to his RTI request.
As per the information shared by RBI, a sum of Rs. 1073 crores have been written off to Jain Infra Projects Limited. Most likely, this RTI revelation could be the source of the news going viral in the name of Jay Shah.
After @nsitharaman refused to answer Wayanad MP @RahulGandhi's question on top 50 willful defaulters in the Lok Sabha, I'd filed an RTI asking the same question.
The RBI responded to my RTI with a list of willful defaulters (and the amount owed) as of 30th Sep, 2019.
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/gJMCFv8fAX
However, according to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Jay Shah is not featured in the list of directors of the Kolkata based Jain Infra Projects Limited. Moreover, we could not find any report associating Jay Shah with this particular company.
In 2015, CBI has registered a case against three promoters of Jain Infra Projects Limited company for defrauding banks and other charges. Status of the charges pressed against this particular company on Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
News articles have also reported about the CBI charges against the company back in 2015. These articles can be read here and here. Even these articles did not mention anything about Jay Shah or associating him with the company.
However, there were news reports alleging meteoric rise in revenues of Kusum Finserve, owned by Jay Shah, and that it acquired loans and unsecured loans. These articles did not report any instances of loan waiver/write-off to the companies owned by Amit Shah. Moreover, the company offers financial services and is not an infra company as claimed in the post.
On the other hand, it is noteworthy to mention that it is not RBI that writes off the bad loans but the concerned bank. Banks are equipped with provisions to identify and writing off bad loans or non-performing assets as per existing rules. The RBI frames rules and regulations to be followed by the bank in recognising and writing off these loans.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to link Jay Shah with Jain Infra Project Limited.

created: February 1, 2022


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There is no evidence to prove that China banned Coca-Cola for human consumption. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 30, 2024
A lengthy message (here and here) is doing the rounds on social media claiming that China banned Coca-Cola for human consumption and classified it as a cleaning material. Let’s verify the authenticity of this claim through this article.
Claim: China bans Coca-Cola for human consumption.
Fact: There are credible reports to support this claim. The Coca-Cola website in China is still functional. Additionally, news reports related to Coca-Cola China too have not mentioned anything about China banning the drink for human consumption. Contrary to that, recently, the President of the Greater China and Mongolia operating unit for the Coca-Cola company, Gilles Leclerc, spoke to the CEO magazine for an article about what’s next for Coca-Cola in the Chinese market. Nowhere in this article was it mentioned that Coca-Cola was banned for consumption in China. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the viral claim, we first searched the internet using relevant keywords to see if the mainstream media had reported on China banning Coca-Cola for human consumption. This search did not yield any such news reports. Coca-Cola is a multi-billion dollar company that operates in many countries. If one of the world’s biggest economies, like China, decides to ban the beverage for human consumption, it would generally garner huge media attention. But that is not the case here.
Furthermore, we also checked whether Coca-Cola’s Chinese website is functional and learned that it is fully functional and has all the beverages sold by them listed on the website.
In addition to this, a keyword search on the internet to find recent news articles about Coca-Cola in China led us to several reports (here, here, and here). On 29 January 2024, the CEOMagazine published an interview with the President of the Greater China and Mongolia operating unit for the Coca-Cola company, Gilles Leclerc. In this interview, he was asked about the future of Coca-Cola in China. If China had banned Coca-Cola for human consumption recently, that would have been discussed in this interview, which is not the case. Also, they would not discuss the company’s future in the Chinese market without mentioning anything about the alleged ban.
All of this evidence proves that the viral claim could just be a false rumour. Also, through an additional internet search, we found an article on a Russian parody website named Panorama titled ‘Coca-Cola will be sold as a drain cleaner in China.’ The text in this article matches the lengthy viral message. This could very well be the source of the fake rumour. Further, we checked online to see if there were posts similar to the viral message before 2018 when Panorama published this article. We have not found any in 2017, but there were a few Facebook posts in 2018.
To sum up, China has not banned Coca-Cola for human consumption.

created: January 30, 2024


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There is no evidence to prove that the Detox pads which are shown in this video have health benefits - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 20, 2022
A post is being shared on social media with a video that shows a white pad that can reduce fat, remove toxins from the body among various other benefits. Let’s fact-check these claims.
Claim: A white adhesive pad called Detox pad, which can be attached to the sole of a leg, has various health benefits like removing toxins from the body.
Fact:  There is no scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of Detox pads in removing toxins from the body, which are confirmed based on independent tests. Hence the claims made in the post are FALSE.
A reverse image search on Yandex with the screenshots of the video confirmed that the white pads shown in the video are known as Detox Pads. It is also understood that the marketers of Detox Pads claim that the product when attached to sole of a person’s leg, will remove harmful toxins and heavy metals from their body. It is also claimed that it causes weight loss and reduces anxiety and depression, among other benefits.
To further understand the Detox pads and their benefits, we looked at scientific journals and various tests and analyses done by doctors and news organisations. We found multiple articles about the effectiveness of detox pads that counter the claims made in the video of the post. According to a research article published in imedpub.com, no scientific evidence was found which proves that the Detox pads remove harmful toxins through the feet.
A Judge in the USA has banned Kinoki Foot Pads at the request of FTC. The reasons given by FTC  were ‘The defendants falsely claimed to have scientific proof that the foot pads removed toxic materials from the body.’ ABC news reported that in their testing of the Detox pads, they did not find any heavy metals. NPR has performed an independent lab test in which they found no difference in the levels of metals in the used and the unused pads.
The central claim made by the marketers of the Detox pads is that they turn black after use which they say indicates that the Detox pads work. To check the truth behind it, the journalists at NPR held the Detox pad over a boiling pot, and it tuned black.
Stephen Barrett, M.D. author, and co-founder of the National Council Against Health Fraud, also runs quackwatch.org. He said in an article ‘The Detox foot pad scam’ that the pads turning black because of steam indicates that a chemical inside the pads causes that after it reacts with moisture. He also writes, ‘Real detoxification of foreign substances takes place in the liver…Sweat glands in the feet can excrete water and some dissolved substances. However, its minor role in ridding the body of unwanted substances is not changed by applying foot pads.’
USA Today and Rappler published fact-check articles on the Detox pads debunking similar claims. More information about Detox Pads can be found in these articles (here and here).
To sum it up, there is no scientific evidence to state that the Detox pads have various health benefits like removing toxins from the body and reducing body fat.


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There is no evidence to prove the effectiveness of weight loss patches (Transdermal) in burning fat or controlling diabetes - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 11, 2022
Update (08 December 2022):
Another video is being shared on social media claiming that diabetic patches made of a Chinese traditional medicine mixture when applied in the navel area help in reducing blood sugar instantly. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Diabetic Patches made of Chinese traditional medicine help in reducing blood sugar levels instantly, when applied to the navel
Fact: These kinds of herbal patches are not FDA-approved. Right now, there’s no standalone patch that you can stick on the skin to control diabetes. The patches that do help manage this disease are part of complex medical device systems. Moreover, the product description says, “This Product cannot replace drugs”.Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
According to FDA and WebMD,  these kinds of herbal patches are not FDA-approved. Moreover, there isn’t any reliable research even on the combination of herbs these patches claim to deliver. Right now, there is no standalone patch — prescription or non-prescription — that you can stick on the skin to control diabetes. The patches that do help manage this disease are part of complex medical device systems. Also, the product description of this diabetic patch says, “This Product cannot replace drugs”.
However, the smart insulin patch developed by UCLA researchers is applying for FDA approval for human clinical trials. This smart patch monitors blood sugar (or glucose). It has doses of insulin preloaded in very tiny microneedles, less than 1 millimeter in length, that delivers the medicine quickly when the blood sugar levels reach a certain threshold.
To sum it up, no evidence to suggest that herbal diabetic patches decrease blood sugar levels instantly.
Published (11 October 2022):
A post is being shared on social media which claims that slim patches help in weight loss. A WhatsApp number is also provided in the post to place an order. Let’s fact-check the claim made in this post through this article.
Claim: Slim patches/ weight loss patches are effective in weight loss.
Fact:  Patches are a Transdermal way of administering a drug to the body. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states, ‘Nothing you wear or apply to the skin can cause substantial weight loss. So weight-loss claims for patches, creams, lotions, wraps, body belts, earrings, and the like are false.‘ Research on the effectiveness of Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems (TDDS) is also in its nascent stage to confirm the efficacy of TDDS in treating obesity. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Before knowing about the effectiveness of slim patches in aiding weight loss, understanding patches in general and the method they employ to deliver the drug to the human body is essential.
Transdermal Drugs
Transdermal Drug Delivery (TDD) is an alternative to oral and injection-based drug delivery. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ‘Transdermal drug products are administered to the skin, through which the drugs permeate into the systemic circulation and are delivered throughout the body to the site of action.‘ These transdermal drug patches are placed on the skin like an adhesive bandage. A nicotine patch is an example of a Transdermal drug used by persons trying to quit smoking.
Effectiveness of Slim/Weight-loss patches in aiding weight loss.
According to medical news today,’Weight loss patches contain different ingredients that manufacturers claim can assist people in losing weight. The patches supposedly work by releasing active ingredients from an embedded delivery system onto the skin’s surface. Then, the skin must absorb the particles of the active ingredient to allow them to enter the person’s bloodstream.’
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states, ‘Weight loss is an internal metabolic process. Nothing you wear or apply to the skin can cause substantial weight loss. So weight-loss claims for patches, creams, lotions, wraps, body belts, earrings, and the like are false.’ They also warned consumers not to fall prey to advertisements that claim one can lose weight with a patch.
According to R.O health guide ‘Weight loss patches often contain ingredients that have been studied as oral supplements for weight loss. But, that doesn’t mean the ingredient will have the same weight loss effects when used in patch form (Pastore, 2015). At least one clinical trial has evaluated the topical application of natural ingredients for their slimming effect and the results weren’t particularly promising (Berardesca, 2011). ‘
A study says, ‘ At present, drugs through transdermal administration to treat human obesity have not been reported. In general, TDDS for the treatment of human obesity still needs further study to investigate the effectiveness of drugs on the human body….’
Several other articles that state that there is no evidence to prove the effectiveness of the weight-loss patches in aiding weight loss can be read here, here and here. With all this evidence, we can conclude that slim or weight loss is not a proven way to lose weight.
To sum up, there is no evidence to prove the effectiveness of weight loss patches (Transdermal) in burning fat.

created: October 11, 2022


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There is no evidence to show that 318 cardiac arrests and 178 deaths occurred among COVID-19 vaccinated athletes - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 18, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that there were 318 cardiac arrests and 178 deaths among athletes vaccinated for COVID-19. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: 318 cardiac arrests and 178 deaths among athletes were vaccinated for COVID-19.
Fact: Currently, there is no evidence to show that 318 cardiac arrests and 178 deaths among athletes happened only after they were vaccinated for COVID-19. Recently, multiple incidents of athletes collapsing or dying because of heart issues like myocarditis has been linked to COVID-19 vaccines. Reuters debuked a similar claim that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to reported incidents of athletes collapsing in public. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We could not find any credible reports which confirm that there were 318 cardiac arrests and 178 deaths among professional athletes because they were vaccinated for COVID-19.
Google search led us to an article which says, ‘318 Athlete Cardiac Arrests, Serious Issues, 178 Dead, After COVID Shot’. The article gives a list of athletes who died in 2021, with links to news stories. But the article has no case studies, no links to scientific or medical research, no scientific resources, or any peer-reviewed studies linking these deaths to COVID-19 vaccines and it also does not provide any evidence of these athletes having taken the vaccine. It gives a list of athletes who died in 2021 and a claim or implication that they are COVID-19 vaccination-related. Though there are reports of severe side effects because of vaccines in rare cases, there is no information to link them to COVID-19 or vaccine as their cause of death was undetermined.
There is a website named ‘goodsciencing’ which is apparently updating the figures for 2022 with a graph, linking the deaths and cardiac arrests of young adults to COVID-19 vaccination. The ‘About’ page of the website does not reveal who runs the website, calls themselves as ‘a small team of investigators, news editors, journalists, and truth seekers, now backed up by others, who are discovering pieces of information that we can investigate.’ At the end of the page, they thank a website and Stew Peters, who had spread conspiracy theories earlier about COVID-19.
Recently,  multiple incidents of athletes collapsing or dying because of heart issues like myocarditis has been linked to COVID-19 vaccines. Reuters had recently debunked this claim that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to reported incidents of athletes collapsing in public.
To sum it up, currently, there is no evidence to show that 318 cardiac arrests and 178 deaths among athletes happened only after they were vaccinated for COVID-19.

created: January 18, 2022


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There is no evidence to show that an Italian teacher named Roberto Neville invented homework in 1905 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 13, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Homework was invented by an Italian teacher named Roberto Neville in 1905 as a punishment to his students. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Homework was invented by an Italian teacher named Roberto Neville in 1905.
Fact: The concept of homework was present even before 1905. In 1901, the California legislature banned homework for students under 15 years of age. It is reported that the first mention of homework appeared in 1 AD in the writings of Pliny the Younger. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The same claim is viral on the internet at least since 2015, with different years mentioned as the year of invention; Some say 1905, and others say 1095.
When we searched on the internet about an Italian teacher named Roberto Neville, we could not find any credible information regarding such a person who invented homework.
According to an article by ‘The Sun’, there is ‘no clear idea’ of who invented the concept of homework. Roberto Neville ‘may not even be real’; ‘there is no official source that backs up this story or even his existence.’
There was an anti-homework movement that started in the United States of America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. According to an article by Los Angeles Times, in 1901, the California legislature banned homework for students under 15 years of age. And it is reported that the first mention of homework appeared in 1 AD in the writings of Pliny the Younger. So clearly the concept of homework was present even before 1905.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that an Italian teacher named Roberto Neville invented homework in 1905.


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There is no evidence to show that Buddha had said this quote about the difference between ‘liking’ and ‘loving’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 31, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Buddha said, “When you like a flower, you just pluck it. But when you love a flower, you water it daily”. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Buddha said, “When you like a flower, you just pluck it. But when you love a flower, you water it daily.”
Fact: There is no evidence to show that Buddha said something like that. According to ‘fakebuddhaquotes’ website which debunks popular quotes misattributed to Buddha, the quote cannot be attributed to Buddha. The quote was also present on the internet in various versions. It is found quoted as a conversation between Alexander the Great and Socrates. Similar quotes are also attributed to Osho sometimes. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The quote has been attributed to Gautama Buddha at least since 2019. It had been tweeted by Harsh Goenka in December 2019. However, the quote had been shared by verified social media handles (here and here) without any attribution to Buddha.
When we searched online whether Buddha had made such statements, we could not find any credible evidence to confirm that Buddha said something like that.
According to ‘fakebuddhaquotes‘ website, the quote cannot be attributed to Buddha. The quote was also present on the internet in various versions. It is found quoted as a conversation between Alexander the Great and Socrates. Quotationize says it’s a bogus Buddha quote.
The article on the website fakebuddhaquotes is by Bodhipaksa. Bodhipaksa is an author who debunks popular quotes misattributed to the Buddha. He authored a recent book named, ‘I can’t believe it’s not Buddha! What Fake Buddha quotes can teach us about Buddhism’.
However, there are quotes online which are quite close to the one made in the claim. But they had been attributed to others like Osho.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that Buddha had said this quote about the difference between ‘liking’ and ‘loving’.


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There is no evidence to show that consumption of soft drinks immediately after eating a mango is fatal to the body - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2022
A newspaper clipping that says consumption of a cool drink immediately after eating a mango causes death, is being widely shared through a post. The clipping states that people travelling to Chandigarh who had taken a cool drink immediately after eating a mango had died. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Consuming a cool drink immediately after eating a mango causes death.
Fact: We could not find any evidence about such an incident in Chandigarh where people died after consuming cool drink immediately after eating a mango. Citric acid in a mango and carbonic acid in a carbonated drink generally do not react in a solution because they are weak acids with similar dissociation constants. Experts believe that consuming a mango together with a carbonated drink is not fatal, but it increases sugar and acidity levels in the body which is not advisable for a healthy living. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched about the incident of people dying in Chandigarh after consuming a cool drink immediately after eating a mango, we could not find any credible information online. We could not find any articles or news reports which confirm that such an incident took place in Chandigarh.
Organic acids like malic and citric acids are present in mango, which are the major reasons for the fruit acidity of a mango. However, the citric acid content in lemons is much higher than in mango. Carbonated drinks contain carbonic acid (dissolves in water, breaking into hydrogen and carbonate in a sealed container) which is decomposed when the bottle is opened.
A weak acid is an acid that partially dissociates into its ions in water or an aqueous solution. Citric and Carbonic acids are two such weak acids. Generally, two weak acids with similar dissociation constants will co-exist in a solution without much interaction. They have similar dissociation constants in water. Dissociation constants describe the reaction ability or affinity.
Vishwas News had reached out to the National Executive Committee member of India Dietetic Association (IDA) Nazneen Hussain about the same viral claim. To which, she said that the claim was false. However, mangoes and soft drinks are high in sugar content, consuming both will increase sugar levels and acidity in the body.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that consumption of soft drinks immediately after eating a mango is fatal to the body.


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There is no evidence to show that Pakistan PM Imran Khan had been expelled by the OIC - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 31, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had been expelled from the Conference of Islamic Countries for condemning the construction of ‘Ram Temple’ in Ayodhya, India. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Pakistan PM Imran Khan was expelled from the Conference of Islamic Countries for condemning the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Fact: There is no evidence that Imran Khan had been expelled from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. There is no organisation which is named, ‘Conference of Islamic Countries’ presently. In 2019, OIC had voiced its concerns over the ‘issue of citizenship rights and the Babri Masjid case’. OIC has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with them in its disputes with India. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet whether Imran Khan was expelled from the Conference of Islamic Countries, we could not find any credible information about such news. If such a thing had happened, it would have been reported by all the major news outlets.
There is no organisation which is named, ‘Conference of Islamic Countries’ presently. However, there is an organisation called ‘Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’. OIC is a grouping of 57 member states with largely Muslim population; Pakistan is a member, but India (with third-largest Muslim population) is not. OIC calls itself the “Collective voice of the Muslim world”.
According to an article by WION, the OIC had snubbed Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir in 2020. The article refers to Pakistan, in 2020, when it wanted a mention of the issue of Kashmir on the OIC’s agenda on the 14 session of the Islamic summit conference. There was no mention of Imran Khan being expelled from the conference or the organisation.
OIC has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with them in its disputes with India. In a press release dated 22 December 2019, the OIC had voiced its concerns over the ‘issue of citizenship rights and the Babri Masjid case’. They said OIC is closely following the developments affecting Muslims in India. However, India had frequently rejected the resolutions adopted by the OIC referencing India.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that Pakistan PM Imran Khan had been expelled by the OIC.

created: December 31, 2021


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There is no evidence to show that Sardar Patel went to Maharaja of Jaipur to seek his help in merging Hyderabad in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 1, 2022
A photo through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Sardar Patel went to Maharaja of Jaipur to seek his help in merging the Hyderabad state in India. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo showing that Sardar Patel went to Maharaja of Jaipur to seek help in merging the Hyderabad state in India.
Fact: The photo is from 30 March 1949 when the then Home Minister Sardar Patel declared the Maharaja of Jaipur as the first Rajpramukh of Rajasthan. We could not find any evidence to show that Sardar Patel went to Maharaja of Jaipur to seek his help in merging Hyderabad in India. Sardar Patel planned a military action against the Nizam of Hyderabad as he refused to merge with India. The police action named ‘Operation Polo’ was done by Indian Armed Forces which attacked from three sides on 13 September 1948. The Nizam accepted the accession of Hyderabad State in India, on 17 September 1948. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When reverse image search is done on the photo, the same photo was found on Twitter, shared by different users. They have shared this photo to be of Maharaja of Jaipur taking the oath of accession to Indian Union.
Taking a clue that this photo could be related to Jaipur’s merger in India, Indian express archives were found. On 31 March 1949, there was a front-page article about the Maharaja of Jaipur being declared as the Rajpramukh of Rajasthan. On 30 March 1949, Sardar Patel declared the formation of the state of Rajasthan. The day is celebrated as ‘Rajasthan Day’.
We could not find any evidence to show that Sardar Patel went to Maharaja of Jaipur to seek his help in merging Hyderabad in India. Sardar Patel planned a military action against the Nizam of Hyderabad as he refused to merge with India. The police action named ‘Operation Polo’ was done by Indian Armed Forces that attacked from three sides on 13 September 1948. The Nizam accepted the accession of Hyderabad State in India, on 17 September 1948.
Sardar Patel was the Home Minister during that time. Sardar Patel also headed the Ministry of States; the Secretary to that government ministry being VP Menon. VP Menon wrote a book named, ‘The Story of the Integration of the Indian States’, where he wrote about the mergers of various states. Nowhere in the book was it mentioned that Sardar Patel sought the help of Maharaja of Jaipur in merging the Hyderabad State.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that Sardar Patel went to Maharaja of Jaipur to seek his help in merging Hyderabad in India.


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There is no evidence to show that ‘School’ means ‘Study Centre House of Organised Learning’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 29, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that ‘School’ is an abbreviation for ‘Study Centre House of Organised Learning’. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘School’ is an abbreviation for ‘Study Centre House of Organised Learning’.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that ‘School’ means ‘Study Centre House of Organised Learning’. According to its etymology, ‘School’ is from Greek’s ‘Skhole’. ‘Skhole’ in Greek means leisure. ‘School’ in English means a place of instruction. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched online regarding the full form or meaning of ‘School’, we could not find any credible information which say that it is an abbreviation for ‘Study Centre House of Organised Learning’.
The etymology (study of origin of the words) of School from the online etymology dictionary does not mention ‘School’ to be ‘Study Centre House of Organised Learning’. According to its etymology, ‘School’ is from Greek’s ‘Skhole’. ‘Skhole’ in Greek means leisure, ‘schola’ in Latin means leisure for learning. Whereas ‘School’ in English is a place of instruction.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that ‘School’ means ‘Study Centre House of Organised Learning’


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There is no evidence to show that Shakespeare made these statements about expectations and life - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 7, 2022
A quotation about expectations is being widely shared on social media through a post, claiming that it was said by Shakespeare. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: William Shakespeare’s quotation about expectations and life advice.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that these words were written by William Shakespeare. Snopes highlighted in a fact-check that though the quote had some of the general ideas that Shakespeare wrote about, but the words were not written by Shakespeare himself. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched on the internet with relevant keywords, the second part of the quotation is attributed to another writer. The second part of the quote, which starts with ‘Before you speak, listen…’ could have been lifted from the poem, ‘Before You’ by William Arthur Ward, a 20th-century writer of inspirational proverbs. He wrote more than 100 articles, poems, and meditations published in magazines such as Reader’s Digest, Science of Mind, and various other publications.
Snopes wrote in an article stating that, though the quote had some of the general ideas that Shakespeare wrote about, the words were not written by Shakespeare himself as the language, the prose, the cadence is different from that of the quote. When debunking a similar claim, PolitiFact asked Abbie Weinberg, a research and reference librarian at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Abbie Weinberg said, “it’s definitely not a Shakespeare quote!”
Shakespeare’s writings that include ‘Life is short’ and ‘expectations’ were different from the lines mentioned in the quote.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that Shakespeare gave this quotation.

created: February 7, 2022


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There is no evidence to show that the President of Ivory Coast performed Hajj by refusing the Saudi official protocol recently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 6, 2022
A photo through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara performed hajj with his own money, refusing the official protocol. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara performed hajj with his own money, refusing the official protocol.
Fact: President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara performed hajj in 2018 with his family and other prominent Ivorian personalities, but he did not refuse any official Saudi protocol. In April 2022, he performed Umrah in Prophet’s Mosque Madinah; then too he was received by Special Forces and officials of the Mosque. According to Anti-Rumours Authority, a media platform from Saudi Arabia, the person in the photo is not President Alassane Ouattara. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched online regarding the President of Ivory Coast’s recent visit to west Asia, we found articles which reported his visit in April 2022, to perform Umrah in Prophet’s Mosque Madinah. According to this report by Saudi Gazette, Alassane Ouattara, the President of Ivory Coast was received by Special Forces and officials of the Mosque. None of the photos reported online match with the viral photo.
Even in August 2018, President Alassane Ouattara made the pilgrimage to Mecca and Madinah. Though he performed Hajj in a wheelchair, he was there with his family and several other Ivorian personalities. Alassane Ouattara began his pilgrimage at the invitation of the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman Ibn Abdelaziz Al Saud. He was received by Saudi authorities, the photos of which can be seen here. None of these photos match with the viral photo.
When the same photo went viral as President Alassane Ouattara in Hajj 2018, Anti-Rumours Authority, a media platform from Saudi Arabia had tweeted saying that the person is not President Alassane Ouattara. It refuted the claim that Saudi protocol was rejected; saying that President Alassane Ouattara performed the Hajj with his private security.
مايتداول بعنوان «رئيس ساحل العاج يرفض البروتوكول السعودي في الحج» غير صحيح, والحقيقة أن الرئيس الحسن واتارا أدى فريضة الحج مع حراسته الخاصة عام 2018 بدعوة من خادم الحرمين الشريفين, والصورة المتداولة مؤخرًا عبر الواتساب ليست له. pic.twitter.com/nFLg7ec8S6
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that the President of Ivory Coast performed Hajj by refusing the Saudi official protocol recently.


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There is no evidence to show that these lines about Hindutva or Islam were made by these prominent people - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 8, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that these were nine quotes purportedly made by Western Philosophers. These quotes state the greatness of Hindus, Hindutva, and Hinduism. Some other social media posts (here and here) shared similar quotes about Islam allegedly made by the same people as mentioned in the post. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Nine quotes about Hindutva or Islam by Western Philosophers.
Fact: There is no evidence to conclude that these quotations were made by these prominent people. In fact, the word ‘Hindutva’ had come into prominence after VD Savarkar’s “Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?” which was published in 1923; by which time, Leo Tolstoy and Nostradamus were already dead. We also could not find any evidence that any of these people made such remarks about Islam. Some of the people mentioned have never spoken about themselves being very religious. It would be unlikely that they would have such extreme views about any religion. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We could not find any evidence that any of these people made such remarks about Hindutva, Hindus, and Hinduism. In fact, the word ‘Hindutva’ had come into prominence after VD Savarkar’s “Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?” which was published in 1923; by which time, Leo Tolstoy and Nostradamus were already dead.
We also could not find any evidence that any of these people made such remarks about Islam. Some of the people mentioned have never talked about themselves being very religious. It would be unlikely that they would have such extreme views about any religion.
In fact, in 1938, a British Muslim organisation protested some writings of HG Wells as there were references to Prophet Muhammad.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that these lines about Hindutva or Islam were quoted by these prominent people.

created: February 8, 2022


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There is no evidence to show that Vasundhara Raje had left BJP to join the congress party recently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 2, 2022
A video report through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Vasundhara Raje had left the Bharatiya Janata Party to join the Congress. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Vasundhara Raje left the BJP to join the Congress party.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that Vasundhara Raje had left the BJP to join the Congress party. Vasundhara Raje is the ex-CM of Rajasthan (from the BJP) who demitted office in 2018. Though there have been news reports that Vasundhara Raje had stopped attending some Rajasthan BJP meetings as there was rift with certain party members; but we could not find any recent reports which say that Vasundhara Raje had left the BJP and joined Congress. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched online whether Vasundhara Raje had left the BJP to join the congress party, we could not find any credible information online regarding such a news. If such a thing had happened, the news would have been carried by all the major news outlets.
The social media handles of Vasundhara Raje – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram – also do not mention anything about her exit from the BJP.
Vasundhara Raje is the ex-CM of Rajasthan (from the BJP) who demitted office in 2018. There have been recent news reports that Vasundhara Raje had stopped attending some Rajasthan BJP meetings as there was rift with certain party members. But we could not find any recent reports which say that Vasundhara Raje had left the BJP and joined Congress.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that Vasundhara Raje had left BJP to join the congress party recently.


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There is no evidence to state that 34 countries had supported India and Nupur Sharma after her comments on Prophet Muhammad - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 10, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that 34 countries supported India and Nupur Sharma after her statement on Prophet Muhammad. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: 34 countries including Netherlands and Israel, supported India and Nupur Sharma after her comments on Prophet Muhammad.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that 34 countries including Netherlands and Israel had supported India and Nupur Sharma after her comments on Prophet Muhammad. However, Geert Wilders, a politician from Netherlands extended his support to Nupur Sharma. He has been actively tweeting his support to Nupur Sharma and India. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched online about 34 countries supporting India and Nupur Sharma, we could not find anything. If such a thing had happened, it would have been reported by all the major news outlets, but they didn’t. In fact, such statements of support would come from official sources like spokespersons, ministries, etc. No such statement was found in any of the official channels of these countries on Twitter or other social media.
Nupur Sharma’s statements had outraged many Islamic countries, many condemning her statements. However, we could not find 34 countries supporting her statements.
Geert Wilders, a politician from Netherlands extended his support to Nupur Sharma. He has been actively tweeting his support to Nupur Sharma and India.
It is ridiculous that Arab and Islamic countries are angered by Indian politician #NupurSharma @NupurSharmaBJP for speaking the truth about #ProphetMuhammad who indeed married Aisha when she was six years old and consumed the marriage when she was nine. Why does India apologize?
To sum it up, there is no evidence to state that 34 countries had supported India and Nupur Sharma after her comments on Prophet Muhammad.


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There is no evidence to state that a Nupur Sharma’s supporter named Naresh had chopped off Rauf’s head off in self-defence - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 14, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that ‘Naresh’ had chopped off the head of ‘Rauf’ in self-defence, because of the threats he received for supporting Nupur Sharma. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Nupur Sharma supporter ‘Naresh’ chopped off Rauf’s head in self-defence.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that Nupur Sharma supporter ‘Naresh’ chopped off Rauf’s head in self-defence. On 21 June 2022, a pharmacist named Umesh Kolhe was murdered in Amaravati. Maharashtra. On 28 June 2022, Ghaus Mohammad and Riyaz Attari killed a Hindu tailor named Kanhaiyalal in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Both the killings happened because they had supported Nupur Sharma on social media. However, we could not find any recent reports which confirm that a supporter of Nupur Sharma beheaded someone. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We could not find any credible information to prove that a Nupur Sharma supporter had killed someone named ‘Rauf’ in self-defence.
On 21 June 2022, a pharmacist named Umesh Kolhe was murdered in Amaravati. Maharashtra. On 28 June 2022, Ghaus Mohammad and Riyaz Attari killed a Hindu tailor named Kanhaiyalal in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Both the killings happened because they had supported Nupur Sharma on social media. However, we could not find any recent reports which confirm that supporters of Nupur Sharma beheaded someone.
When a similar claim went viral about such an incident in Kolhapur, AajTak had reached out Kolhapur SP and confirmed that it to be fake news.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that a Nupur Sharma’s supporter named Naresh had chopped off Rauf’s head in self-defence recently.


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There is no evidence to state that Bill Gates made this statement about choosing a lazy person to do a hard job - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 15, 2022
A quotation about choosing lazy people for a hard job is being widely shared on social media through a post attributing it to Bill Gates. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘I will always choose a lazy person to do a hard job, because he will find an easy way to do it.’ – Bill Gates.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that this statement about choosing a lazy person for a hard job was made by Bill Gates. Similar statements about choosing a lazy person were at least available since 1920. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched whether Bill Gates had made such a statement about lazy people, we could not find any credible information online to confirm that he said something like that. We also could not find any credible news reports.
We searched for the same in the books written by Bill Gates – The Road Ahead, Business @ The Speed of Thought, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,  but could not find any similar statements made by him. We also could not find any statements by Bill Gates on his personal blog. There is no such statement on his official Twitter and Facebook accounts too.
According to the Quote Investigator website, words with a similar meaning to the viral statement could be traced back to at least 1920. In an article published in ‘Popular Science Monthly’, Frank B. Gilbreth Sr. made some statements with similar meaning. A thematically related statement was also made by Clarence Bleicher in a 1947 Senate testimony.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to state that Bill Gates made this statement about choosing a lazy person to do a hard job.


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There is no evidence to state that Gandhi accepted Jinnah’s proposal for a corridor between the then East and West Pakistan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 18, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that one of the reasons why Godse killed Gandhi was, that he accepted Jinnah’s proposal for a corridor between the then East Pakistan and West Pakistan. The post even claims that the book ‘Naked Ambition’ by Jad Adams gives more details about the proposed corridor. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Gandhi accepted Jinnah’s proposal for a corridor between the then East Pakistan and West Pakistan.
Fact: There is no evidence to state that Gandhi accepted Jinnah’s proposal for a corridor between the then East Pakistan and West Pakistan. When Jinnah made such a demand, it was outrightly rejected by Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru. Patel called it, ‘a fantastic nonsense as not to be taken seriously at all.’ Nehru said, ‘The demand for a corridor is fantastic and absurd.’ Gandhi never made any statement related to this demand of a corridor. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We could not find any credible information online that confirms, that Gandhi had accepted Jinnah’s proposal for a corridor between Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) and Pakistan (erstwhile West Pakistan). We could not find evidene that confirm the same.
In an interview with Reuters in May 1947, it was reported that Jinnah demanded a corridor connecting Eastern and Western Pakistan, through India. It was even reported that Jinnah wrote a letter to Winston Churchill on 05 August 1947, demanding a corridor through UP and Bihar.
However, this demand by Jinnah was outrightly rejected by Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru. Patel called it, ‘a fantastic nonsense as not to be taken seriously at all.’ Nehru said, ‘The demand for a corridor is fantastic and absurd.’ Gandhi never made any statement related to this demand for a corridor.
Nathuram Godse assassinated Gandhi on 30 January 1948. Godse made his last statement before Punjab High Court on 05 May 1949, where he gave the reasons for killing Gandhi. Godse did not mention the demand for a corridor in this statement. The book, ‘Gandhi: Naked Ambition’ by Jad Adams, also does not mention Gandhi giving his approval for a proposed corridor through India by Jinnah.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to state that Gandhi accepted Jinnah’s proposal for a corridor between the then East Pakistan and West Pakistan.


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There is no evidence to state that Hitachi’s 2006 ‘Smart Dust’ RFID chip has GPS capabilities - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 22, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Hitachi had made a new chip called the ‘Smart Dust’. The post even claims that if one consumes that, it takes with it in the body. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Hitachi ‘Smart Dust’ having GPS capabilities.
Fact: Hitachi did show off such a tiny ‘Smart Dust’ -like chip in 2006. It was an RFID chip which was an improper choice for injecting into a person as it would not be possible to read the chip under a layer of skin. There is no official mention of that Hitachi ‘Smart Dust’ chip having GPS capabilities or being able to work after being ingested. There are some ‘Smart Dust’-like tiny chips that could be implanted into the body for different uses, but these are mostly for tracking body processes rather than complete GPS capabilities. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched about Hitachi company’s ‘Smart Dust’ on the internet, a news article from 2007 about such a similar chip was found. According to the article, the Japanese Electronics maker- Hitachi- had shown off an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip that measures 0.002 inches by 0.002 inches, which looks like bits of powder or a speck of dust (smart dust). However, there was no mention of it having GPS capabilities; or it being able to functionally be injected or absorbed into a human body.
Hitachi had disclosed this information about this tiny RFID chip in a news release in February 2006. Hitachi earlier developed a tiny new RFID with an embedded antenna microchip and unveiled it in a news release in 2003. According to Hitachi, these chips can be used in securities, identification, preventing counterfeiting, and tracing ingredients for safety in agricultural products. There was no mention in any of these news releases that they have GPS capabilities. We have not yet seen any official mention of such “smart dust” chip having GPS capabilities or being able to work after being ingested.
RFIDs need to be brought near special reading devices that beam energy to the chips, which then send information back to the readers. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It uses a signal processor to receive low-power satellite signals and calculate positioning. It generally transmits information through a cellular network.
Some ‘smart dust’ like tiny chips could be implanted into the body for different uses. These are mostly for tracking body processes rather than complete GPS capabilities. According to the RFID journal, these tiny RFID chips unveiled by Hitachi are not a proper choice for injecting into a person as it would not be possible to read the chip under a layer of skin.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to state that Hitachi’s 2006 ‘Smart Dust’ RFID chip has GPS capabilities or can be functional after ingested into a human being.


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There is no evidence to state that Madhya Pradesh Government is planning to shut down 90% of Government schools - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 5, 2022
A Facebook post is being widely shared claiming that the Madhya Pradesh Government is planning to shut down 90% of the schools in the state out of 1.2 lakh Government schools. Let’s fact- check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Madhya Pradesh Government is planning to shutdown 90% of the Government schools in the state.
Fact: This post has been viral since 2016. At that time, there was no initiative by the government to merge and shutdown the schools. However, on 01 May 2020, Madhya Pradesh Government launched CM Rise initiative, under which some Government schools are merged to result in bigger schools with better infrastructure. According to the official data by Government of India, there was a decline of 18.7% in the number of government schools in Madhya Pradesh in 2020-21, when compared to 2015-16. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING
We ran the reverse image search of the news slipping shared in the post and found that the same has been viral since 2016. The official twitter account of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee had also shared this post on 20 January 2016. At that time, Shivraj Singh Chouhan of BJP was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (14 December 2013 – 17 December 2018).
90% सरकारी स्कूल बंद करने के पीछे सरकार की विफलता की पुष्टि होती है
गरीब बच्चों को शिक्षा से वंचित करने की तैयारी pic.twitter.com/rhW3R0b3wq
We searched online with relevant keywords and came across an India Today article published on 27 December 2020 (Congress government was in power at that time and Kamal Nath has served as the CM from 17 December 2018 till 23 March 2020). According to this article, Madhya Pradesh schools were to be merged and rebuilt into bigger schools upto senior secondary if they share a boundary of 15 km of radius as a part of CM Rise school initiative, announced by the Madhya Pradesh School Education Department. The objective of this initiative is to provide education to state-level schools equivalent to the CBSE and ICSE. The plan will be divided into two phases – in the first phase, schools that are built within a radius of 3 and 5 km will be merged. The limit is 5 km for primary and 8 km for middle-level schools with 1248 students and 25 teachers. In the second phase, schools built within 10 km will be put merged.
Taking a cue from this, we searched on Education portal of Madhya Pradesh Government to check whether there is any policy about closing down of 90% Govt schools, but couldn’t find anything related to it. In December 2020, The Lallantop reached out to Madhya Pradesh Education Department official who ruled out the news as baseless.
According to the Government of India’s official data, below table shows the number of Government schools in Madhya Pradesh in different years.
The data indicates that there is 18.7% decline in the number of Government schools in 2020-21 compared to 2015-16. As of 31 August 2022 , a total of 2,40,818 students were enrolled in 274 CM Rise schools in Madhya Pradesh, reported News18
To sum it up, there is no evidence to state that Madhya Pradesh Government is planning to shut down 90% of Government schools in the state.

created: September 5, 2022


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There is no evidence to state that scientists had revealed the exact date of the end of the Universe - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 10, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that scientists revealed the exact date of destruction of the world. The post has a link to an article which claims in its title that the Universe is going to end along with the end of Sun in 5 billion years. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Scientists revealed the exact date of destruction of the Universe.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that scientists had revealed the exact date of destruction of the Universe. Several possible scenarios like Big Crunch, Big Freeze, etc. are discussed by scientists and astronomers, but no exact date was confirmed. There is a scenario of destruction of the earth (not Universe) in relation to the Sun. The time mentioned is about 5 billion years, exact date wasn’t mentioned. According to Scientists, Sun will run out of hydrogen in about 5 billion years. Once all the hydrogen gets used up, the sun will grow out of its now stable phase. Sun starts expanding so large that it will envelope inner planets including Earth. Earth starts engulfing into the Sun as the Sun transforms into a ‘red giant’ star thereby leading to destruction of the earth. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched online about Scientists revealing the exact date of destruction of the Universe, we could not find any credible information that confirm that Scientists have confirmed a date.
Astrophysicist Katie Mack’s book ‘The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)’, discussed several possible scenarios (like Big Crunch, Big Freeze, etc.) on the end of the Universe. However, an exact date was not given as ‘the Universe’s fate depends on whether that (its) expansion will continue, accelerate, or reverse.’
Several articles were found about the likely scenario of destruction of the earth (not Universe) in relation to the Sun. The time mentioned is about 5 billion years, exact date wasn’t mentioned. According to Scientists, Sun will run out of hydrogen in about 5 billion years. Once all the hydrogen gets used up, the sun will grow out of its now stable phase.
“In a star, gravitational force pulls all the gases towards the centre. When the star has hydrogen to burn, the creation of helium produces enough outward pressure to balance out the gravitational pull. But when the star has nothing left in the core to burn, gravitational forces take over.”
After 5 billion years, Sun starts expanding so large that it will envelope inner planets including Earth. Earth starts engulfing into the Sun as the Sun transforms into a ‘red giant’ star. Thereby leading to destruction of the earth.
“A red giant is a dying star in the final stages of stellar evolution. In about five billion years, our own sun will turn into a red giant, expand, and engulf the inner planets — possibly even Earth.”
According to a study, however, for the life on earth it can be difficult if there is increase in sun’s brightness. It’s expected that it would vaporise Earth’s oceans in 1 billion to 1.5 billion years.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to show that scientists had revealed the exact date of the end of the Universe.


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There is no evidence to state that Subramanian Swamy had called Congress a ‘hidden terrorist Muslim organisation’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 1, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Subramanian Swamy had called Congress party a hidden terrorist Muslim organisation. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: “Congress is not a political party but a hidden terrorist Muslim organisation” – Subramanian Swamy.
Fact: There is no evidence to show that Subramanian Swamy said something like that. However, Subramanian Swamy had been very critical of the Congress party in the past. In 2011, Subramanian Swamy claimed that he had threats from both Congress and Islamic terrorists, because of his views and stand against the then Congress government in courts. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched online whether Subramanian Swamy had made such a statement, we could not find any credible evidence to confirm that Mr. Swamy said something like that.
However, Subramanian Swamy had been very critical of the Congress party in the past. Swamy attacked the Congress recently for a supposed blocking of Dwarka undersea expedition. In 2011, Subramanian Swamy claimed that he had threats from both Congress and Islamic terrorists, because of his views and stand against the then Congress government in courts.
Subramanian Swamy, earlier said that India is gravely affected by jihadi terrorist attacks; he called for a ‘clear-cut’ policy to deal with Islamic terrorism.
To sum it up, there is no evidence to state that Subramanian Swamy had called Congress a ‘hidden terrorist Muslim organisation’.


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There is no evidence to suggest that the Uttarkashi tunnelling expert Arnold Dix is originally an Indian native named Anand Dixit. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 5, 2023
After all the 41 tunnel workers trapped in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel were rescued successfully, a piece of news started to float around on social media that the Australian tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who was part of the mission, was actually an Indian born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It is being claimed that his birth name was Anand Dixit, and he later changed it to Arnold Dix once he moved to and settled in the US. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: International Tunneling expert Arnold Dix is an Indian named Anand Dixit.
Fact: According to news reports, Arnold Dix is from Monbulk, Victoria, Australia, not from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. None of the media reports that covered his role in the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue mentioned anything about him being born in India or that his name was Anand Dixit. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the claim’s veracity, we performed a keyword search on the internet using relevant keywords and carefully went through all the recent reports on him and his role in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel rescue operation.
News reports (here, here, and here) identified Arnold Dix, who is also a professor and a Barrister, as an Australian from Monbulk, Victoria. While interviewing Arnold Dix, Today Show Australia called him a “Melbourne Man.”
When writing about prominent Indian-origin celebrities working abroad, media outlets generally mention the celebrities’ Indian ties in their stories (here and here). But, when it comes to the news reports on Arnold, none of the major media outlets (here and here) mentioned anything about him being an Indian from Kanpur or that his name was originally Anand Dixit. This contradicts the viral claim.
After the success of the Uttarkashi Tunnel rescue, Australian PM Anthony Albanese tweeted about him on X. “A wonderful achievement by Indian authorities. Proud that Australian Professor Arnold Dix played a role on the ground,” Albanese wrote.
A wonderful achievement by Indian authorities. Proud that Australian Professor Arnold Dix played a role on the ground. 🇦🇺🇮🇳 https://t.co/RI1oSnaUkK
Responding to the Prime Minister’s tweet through ANI, Arnold said, “Thank you, Mr Prime Minister. But as an Australian, sir, if you’re watching, it’s been my privilege and my pleasure to show that we’re fantastic at not just cricket, I love cricket, but we do other things as well, including tunnel rescue.” All of this makes it pretty clear that he is an Australian and not a native of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, whose original name was Anand Dixit.
We have also written to Arnold Dix seeking clarification about his claim. We will update this article once we get a response.
To sum up, there is no evidence to suggest that the Uttarkashi tunnelling expert Arnold Dix is originally an Indian native named Anand Dixit.

created: December 5, 2023


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There is no fixed compensation amount if a satellite falls on your house - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2022
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that if a satellite falls on a house, the owner of that house will receive a compensation of 74 crore rupees from the country which launched the satellite. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: If a satellite falls on a house, the owner of that house will receive a compensation of 74 crore rupees from the country which launched it.
Fact: While it is true that the State which launched the satellite will have to pay compensation for the damage caused by a fallen satellite, the compensation amount is not pre-determined or fixed. In the ‘Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects’, it can be read that “a claim for compensation for damage shall be presented to a launching State through diplomatic channels”. Also, there are other conditions. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched with the keywords on the internet, we found that there is a convention that deals with such incidents i.e., the ‘Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects’. On looking for the details mentioned in the document related to these incidents, it can be read that – “a launching state shall be absolutely liable to pay compensation for damage caused by its space object on the surface of the earth or to aircraft in flight”. However, the compensation amount is not pre-determined or fixed.
Regarding the compensation amount, the convention says – “the compensation which the launching State shall be liable to pay for damage under this Convention shall be determined in accordance with international law and the principles of justice and equity, in order to provide such reparation in respect of the damage as will restore the person, natural or juridical, State or international organization on whose behalf the claim is presented to the condition which would have existed if the damage had not occurred.”
It is mentioned in the Convention document that “a claim for compensation for damage shall be presented to a launching State through diplomatic channels”. Also, there are other conditions, for example: if a settlement of a claim is not arrived at through diplomatic channels, the parties concerned shall establish a Claims Commission at the request of either party.
Some of the news articles published on the same topic can be read here and here.
To sum it up, there is no fixed compensation amount you get if a satellite falls on your house.

created: December 7, 2022


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There is no GST on using toilets; the posted receipt was called ‘fake’ by related authorities in 2017 itself - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 22, 2022
A photo of a receipt is being shared on social media with a claim that now GST is also being imposed for using toilets. The receipt is reportedly from Punjab where one extra rupee is collected as GST on a toilet usage charge of five rupees. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Now there is also GST for using toilets. The photo shows a receipt as an example from Punjab.
Fact: No, there is no GST on using toilets. The GST is NIL on “Services by way of public convenience such as provision of facilities of bathroom, washrooms, lavatories, urinal or toilets.” Also, the posted receipt photo is an old one that was already called ‘fake’ back in 2017 by related authorities. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we checked on the CBIC-GST website for information related to the claim made in the post, it was found that there is no GST on using toilets. It can be read that the GST is NIL on “Services by way of public convenience such as provision of facilities of bathroom, washrooms, lavatories, urinal or toilets.”
The posted receipt photo is an old one. The same photo is viral on the internet since July 2017 as a receipt of the Sulabh toilet at Ludhiana Bus stand. As the photo went viral, ‘The Indian Express’ reported in 2017 that – “AK Singh, Controller of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation in Punjab, said that they don’t even have a centre at the said bus stand in Ludhiana. Gursewak Rajpal, Ludhiana bus stand manager, also agreed with Singh and said it’s fake.” Also, the extra rupee GST collected on the five rupees toilet usage charge in the posted receipt translates to 20% GST, which is not one of the GST tax slabs.
To sum it up, there is no GST for using toilets. The posted receipt was called ‘fake’ by related authorities in 2017 itself.


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There is no judge with the name Mohammad Gustakh Khan in Karnataka High court; This judgment related to hijab row is fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 16, 2022
Amid the ongoing hijab row, a social media post claiming that Mohammad Gustakh Khan, one of the judges in the larger bench of Karnataka High Court had ruled that ‘Muslim girls can only come in school dress, they will not be allowed to wear hijab/burqa. They can only cover their head if they want according to their religion, but hijab is not allowed. If a girl does not do this then the school will have the right to cut off her name and send her home for which no further court can appeal’ is being widely circulated. Through this article, let’s fact-check the veracity of the claim.
Claim: Karnataka High Court judge Mohammad Gustakh Khan’s ruling of the hijab case.
Fact: A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S. Dixit and Khazi Jaibunnisa Mohiuddin of the Karnataka high court through an interim order restrained the students from wearing religious clothing to classrooms. Further hearing of the case is underway. However there is no judge by the name Mohammad Gustakh Khan listed under Karnataka High Court. Further, the interim order did not empower the school management to cancel the enrolment of those students who fail to comply with the interim order. Moreover, the claim that students cannot further appeal the order goes against the constitutional right of  providing safeguards to the citizens in matters related to the court. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Lately, Karnataka has witnessed pro & anti-hijab protests. In wake of these protests, the Karnataka High Court through an interim order restrained all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing religious clothing to class if their college has a prescribed uniform until the time the court decides the matter.
As of now, the interim order is the only judgement pronounced in this case. Further hearings of the case by the larger bench resumed on 15 February 2022 and are underway.
The interim order was pronounced on 10 February 2022 by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S. Dixit and Khazi Jaibunnisa Mohiuddin after it was referred to a larger bench. No judge by the name Mohammad Gustakh Khan is involved in this case. And as a matter of fact, there is no judge with this name in the list of Karnataka High Court Chief justice and judges.
Further, the post claims that school management can strike off the enrolment of the student who does not comply with the order and that no further appeal can be made to any court in this regard. However, the interim order did not empower the school management in this regard as claimed in the viral post.
Moreover, it is noteworthy to mention the claim that court judgment ruled out a further appeal in this matter goes against the constitutional right of providing safeguards to the citizens in matters related to the court. As the case deals with the fundamental right to freedom of religion, the aggrieved citizen can appeal to the Supreme court, which is the highest court of appeal.
To sum it up, there is no judge with the name Mohammad Gustakh Khan in Karnataka High court; Fake judgment related to hijab row going viral in his name.

created: February 16, 2022