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Fact Checking Government claims on School Education
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 23, 2018
The government made certain claims related to learning outcomes, tinkering labs and special toilets for Divyang children. This article is a fact check of these claims.
The government published an infographic on the 48-months portal as a part of the larger section on harnessing yuva shakti, that makes claims related to learning outcomes, tinkering labs and special toilets for Divyang children. This article is a fact check of these claims.
Is there a distinct focus on learning outcomes for the first time?
The first claim is that for the first time, there is a distinct focus on learning outcomes among students and accountability among various stakeholders.
‘Learning outcomes are assessment standards indicating the expected levels of learning that children should achieve for the class they are studying in. These outcomes can be used as check points to assess learning levels at different points of time. The learning outcomes would help teachers to understand the learning levels of children in their respective classes individually as well as collectively. Learning outcomes should be the point of reference for conducting achievement surveys.’ This is the definition of learning outcomes according to the ‘Learning Outcomes at Elementary Stage’ document that is available on the MHRD website.
According to this response of the government in the Lok Sabha in March 2017, ‘the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) in its meeting held in October 2016 has agreed that Learning Outcomes be codified and made a part of Central Rules of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. Accordingly, the Department of School Education & Literacy has amended Rule 23(2)(c) of Central RTE Rules, 2010, vide notification dated 20th February, 2017 to include class-wise, subject-wise Learning Outcomes for all Elementary Classes and link achieving the defined Learning Outcomes with Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE).’
The ‘Learning Outcomes at Elementary Stages’ document points out that, ‘the National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986, revised in 1992 and the Programme of Action(PoA) 1992 emphasised that the Minimum Levels of Learning (MLLs) should be laid down and children’s learning should periodically be assessed to keep a track of their progress towards ensuring the achievement of NPE goal that ‘all children should acquire at least minimum levels of learning’. The MLLs developed class-wise and subject-wise for primary stage in 1992 in the form of competencies were highly product-oriented and had a limited scope for assessment of the overall development of children.’  This implies that the idea of incorporating learning outcomes is not new but the adaptation of it is. The same document also states that the learning outcomes defined explicitly can guide and ensure the responsibility and accountability of different stakeholders for its accomplishment by expectations in different curricular areas.
Claim: For the first time, a distinct focus on learning outcomes among students and accountability among various stakeholders.
Fact: On 20th February 2017, the RTE rules were amended to include learning outcomes for all elementary classes. This does not provide for any enforceable accountability among stakeholders.  It should also be noted that the idea of including learning outcomes is not new. Hence, the claim is only PARTLY TRUE.
How many Atal tinkering labs have been sanctioned?
The second claim is that for building innovative skills, 2400 Atal tinkering labs were sanctioned in schools at 20 lakh rupees each.
According to the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) website,  ‘Atal Tinkering Labs are dedicated work spaces where students (Class 6th to Class 12th) learn innovation skills and develop ideas that will go on to transform India. The labs are powered to acquaint students with state-of-the-art equipment such as 3D printers, robotics & electronics development tools, IoT & sensors etc.’
The AIM website also shows that, across the country, as of November 2018, there are 2441 schools where Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) has been set up. In response to a question in the Lok Sabha in March 2017, the government stated that each school selected for setting of an ATL shall receive an amount of  20 lakh rupees over four years.  In another response to a question in the Lok Sabha in August 2018, the government stated that 3000 more schools were selected for setting up of ATL in June 2018 and that they are yet to complete their compliance stage. As per government data, an amount of Rs. 225.24 crore rupees has been released to 1877 schools as of August 2018.
Claim: For building innovative skills 2,400 Atal tinkering labs sanctioned in schools at 20 lakh rupees each.
Fact: 2441 Atal Tinkering Labs have been sanctioned and they shall receive rupees 20 lakhs over four years. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
How many ramps, railings and special toilets have been built for Divyang children?
The third claim is that 54,000 ramps and railings were built and 50,000 special toilets were built for Divyang children.
Under the Scheme for Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), financial assistance is provided for a number of activities including creating a barrier free environment for persons with disabilities in schools, colleges and other academic institutions.  The 2017-18 annual report of the Department of Empowerment of Person with Disabilities gives further details. The Sarva Siksha Abhiyan also calls for a barrier free environment for all children.
The centrally sponsored scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) provides for barrier free access in the elementary schools for the benefit of Divyang children. As per an answer provided by the government in the Lok Sabha in March 2018, more than 7.66 lakh government schools have ramps and more than 2.18 lakh government schools have CWSN (Children with Special Needs) toilets. But it is not known as to how many of these are built by the current government. Hence this claim cannot be verified.
Claim: 54,000 ramps and railings built and 50,000 special toilets for Divyang children.
Fact: As per an answer provided by the government in the Lok Sabha in March 2018, more than 7.66 lakh government schools have ramps and more than 2.18 lakh government schools have CWSN (Children with Special Needs) toilets. But it is not known as to how many of these are built by the current government. Hence this claim remains UNVERIFIED.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here.

created: November 23, 2018


text:
Fact Checking Government claims on Smart Cities
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 2, 2019
The BJP government published an infographic on the government’s 48-months portal that makes claims about the smart city mission. This article is a fact check of the claims.
The BJP government published an infographic on the government’s  48-months portal that makes claims about the smart city mission. This article is a fact check of the claims.
How many urban centers have been chosen as smart cities?
The first claim is that around 100 urban centers are chosen as smart cities to ensure improved quality of living, sustainable urban planning and development.
According to an answer in the Lok Sabha , 100 cities have been selected for development as Smart Cities under the Mission in five (5)  rounds including a fast track round. The selection process of the smart cities mission can be understood from the following flow chart as uploaded on the smart cities mission website.However, as per government’s own admission in the Lok Sabha, ‘There is no universally accepted definition of a Smart City. Each selected city has formulated its own vision, mission and proposal for Smart City development that is appropriate to its local context, resources and levels of ambition. This development is through twin strategy of Area Based Development (ABD) and Pan-city Development. ABD looks at development of compact areas in a city to create a replicable model for other areas within the city. Pan-city development envisages application of selected Smart solutions to the existing city-wide infrastructure. Overall objective is to improve quality of life of the citizens.’
Another answer in Lok Sabha states that, ‘The objective of Smart Cities Mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens by application of ‘Smart’ Solutions. The core infrastructure elements in a Smart City would include; adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation (including solid waste management), affordable housing, especially for the poor, etc. The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities.’
Yet another answer points out that, ‘Smart Cities are those that are able to attract investments and experts & professionals. Good quality infrastructure, simple and transparent online business and public services processes that make it easy to establish an enterprise and run at efficiently without any bureaucratic hassles are essential features of an investor-friendly smart city. Institutional Infrastructure, Physical infrastructure, Social Infrastructure & Economic Infrastructure refer to the activities that relate to governance planning and management of a city, urban mobility system, energy system, water supply system, sanitation facilities, education, healthcare and creation of employment opportunities.’
Claim: Around 100 urban centers are chosen as smart cities to ensure improved quality of living, sustainable urban planning and development.
Fact: 100 urban centers have been chosen as smart cities through a competitive process. Various descriptions of the mission point out that quality of living; sustainable urban planning and development are the goals of the mission. While it is TRUE that 100 urban centers are chosen as smart cities, whether they have ensured improved quality of living, sustainable urban planning and development remains UNVERIFIED.
How much will the development projects in smart cities cost? How many people will they benefit?
The second claim is that various development projects in these cities will cost Rs. 2,01,979 crores and positively impact almost 10 crore Indians. As stated in an answer in Lok Sabha, ‘100 cities have been selected for development as Smart Cities under the Mission in various rounds as follows.
As per the mission documents,  the Central Government shall give financial support to the extent of Rs. 48,000 crores over 5 years, on an average of Rs. 500 crores per city. An equal amount, on a matching basis, will have to be contributed by the State/Urban Local Body (ULB). The mission documents also mention additional funds have to be mobilized through PPPs, user charges, municipal bonds etc.
As per a Lok Sabha answer in December 2018, Rs. 13,846.20 crores have been released to State Governments/UTs since the beginning of the Mission in June 2015. Further, a total of 5,151 projects worth Rs. 2,05,018 crores have been included by the selected 100 cities in their Smart City Proposals. As of November 2018,  a total of 2,342 projects worth Rs. 90,929 crores have been tendered, of which 1,675 projects worth Rs. 51,866 crores are under implementation. It is also true that the population of these 100 cities is close to 10 crores or 100 million.
Claim: Various development projects in these cities will cost Rs. 2,01,979 crores and positively impact almost 10 crore Indians.
Fact: A total of 5,151 projects worth Rs. 2,05,018/- crore have been included by the selected 100 cities in their Smart City Proposals. The Central Government shall give financial support to the Mission to the extent of Rs. 48,000 crores over five years, on an average of Rs. 500 crores per city. An equal amount, on a matching basis, will have to be contributed by the State/ULB. For the remaining amount, other avenues of funding such as user charges, municipal bonds, PPPs have to be explored by these cities. It is also true that the population of these 100 cities is close to 10 crores or 100 million.  However, since the claim is about a future goal of the mission, it remains UNVERIFIED.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here

source: news-factly

created: January 2, 2019

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Fact Checking Government claims on ‘Social Empowerment of Women’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 17, 2019
The BJP government made
claims about promoting social empowerment of women. Here is a fact-check.
The BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes four claimsabout social empowerment of women. This article is a fact check of the claims.
What about the Triple Talaq bill?
The first claim is that a ‘bill that empowers Muslim women against triple talaq
passed in Lok Sabha.”
A response in Lok Sabha fromDecember 2017 states that ‘the Government
has decided to bring in a legislation, namely, the Muslim Women (Protection of
Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which would protect the rights of married
Muslim women and children and to prohibit divorce by pronouncing triple talaq
by their husbands. The Government is of the view that the issue arises from the
humanitarian concept of gender justice, gender equality and dignity of women
and not arising from faith and religion’.
The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Courtin the matter of (Shayara Bano Vs. Union of India and Others [Writ Petition (Civil) No.
118 of 2016] and other connected matters), on 22nd August, 2017,in a majority judgment of 3:2 set aside the practice of ‘talaq-e-biddat’-triple talaq. The Court found that the said practice of divorce is manifestlyarbitrary in the sense that the marital tie can be broken capriciously andwhimsically by a Muslim husband without any attempt at reconciliation so as tosave it.
In order to prevent the continuedharassment meted out to the married Muslim women by their husbands, who arestill resorting to talaq-e-biddat to divorce them in spite of the same havingbeen set aside by the Supreme Court, the Government has introduced, a Bill,namely the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, in Lok Sabha in December 2017 and the same was passed by that House onthe same day. Presently, the Bill is pending in Rajya Sabha.
As per official government sources, theabove bill is pending consideration in Rajya Sabha and the practice of divorceby triple talaq (i.e., talaq- e- biddat) was continuing, the government felt anurgent need to take immediate action to prevent such practice. Accordingly, thegovernment passed an ordinance to that effect as theparliament was not in session. The ordinance was promulgated on the 19thSeptember, 2018.
However, when asked if the government has consulted with any Muslim organizations on this matter, the answer was a ‘No’ as per a response in the Lok Sabha.  There has also not been any review of the impact that this law on married Muslim women. Hence the effectiveness of the legislation remains unverified.
Claim: Bill that empowers Muslim women against triple talaq passed in Lok Sabha.
Fact: The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, was introduced in Lok Sabha on the 28th December, 2017 and the same was passed by that House on the same day. An ordinance was also passed to give effect to the provisions of the bill pending its passage in Parliament. Hence it is TRUE that the government has introduced this bill and later promulgated an ordinance to give effect to the provisions of this bill. However, the impact of the bill in empowering the women cannot be measured for want of any official data or review. Hence the impact remains UNVERIFIED.
Can Muslim women now perform Haj without a male
guardian?
The second claim is that ‘Muslim women can now perform haj without a
male guardian’.
The annual report of the Ministry of Minority Affairs
(2017-18) states that ‘the work related to management of Haj pilgrimage
including administration of the Haj Committee Act, 2002 and Rules made there
under has been transferred from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry
of Minority Affairs in 2016. Accordingly, a separate Division in the Ministry
headed by Joint Secretary (Haj) has been set up to look after the Haj affairs’.
The annual report also states that ‘Lady Pilgrims: The Government’s decision to lift ban on Muslim women for going to Haj without Mehram (male companion) has received encouraging response.  A total of 1304 women have applied from across the country (11 States/ Union Territories) for Haj without Mehram. It has been decided to select these pilgrims for Haj 2018 without qurrah’.
The Ministry constituted a Committee to review Hajpolicies of the Government for Haj 2013-17 and to suggest framework for new Hajpolicies for next five years. The Committee has submitted its report in October 2017. Someof the recommendations of the committeeinclude allowing women above 45 years to travel in a group of four without amale Mehram provided their Maslak (school of thought) permits and retainingpriority in selection of pilgrims of age of 70 years or more.
Claim: Muslim women can now perform haj without a male guardian.
Fact: Muslim women can now perform Haj without a male Mehram if they are above the age of 45, provided their school of thought permits. The claim is MISLEADING since it is not applicable to all Muslim women and is subject to certain conditions.
Are women given preference in PMAY?
The third claim is that ‘preference given to women in Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana (PMAY)’.
The PMAY has multiplecomponents that address different regions and types with the goal of improvinghousing. Under the PMAY Urban, there are:
While preference for women is not mentionedunder all the categories, it is mentioned under two of these. The scheme guidelines of PMAY-U state that,under the Credit linked Subsidy, ‘preference
under the scheme, subject to beneficiaries being from EWS/LIG segments, should
be given to Manual Scavengers, Women (with overriding preference to widows),
persons belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes,
Minorities, Persons with disabilities and Transgender’.
For the Affordable Housing Partnership, itstates that ‘preference in allotment may
be given to physically handicapped persons, senior citizens, Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minority, single women, transgender
and other weaker and vulnerable sections of the society. While making the
allotment, the families with differently-abled persons and senior citizens may
be allotted house preferably on the ground floor or lower floors’.
Under the PMAY Rural, the guidelines being followed are the same as the Indira Awas Yojana, implemented duringthe UPA. The document states that ‘first
priority should be given to families of manual scavengers, including those
rehabilitated and rehabilitated bonded labourers. Thereafter the priority to be
adhered to is as follows:- (i) Women in difficult circumstances, including
widows, those divorced or deserted, women victims of atrocities and those whose
husbands are missing for at least three years, and, women headed families’.
While at a scheme level, preference isbeing granted to women in both rural and urban regions, the data ofbeneficiaries cannot be analysed in order to come to a conclusion with regardsto the number of female beneficiaries of the scheme.
Claim: Preference given to women in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Fact: At a policy level, preference is being given to women but data to prove the same is not available.  Hence, the claim remains UNVERIFIED.
Have passport rules been relaxed for single mothers?
The last claim is that ‘passport rules relaxed for single mothers’.
In order to streamline, liberalize and easethe process of issue of passport, the Ministry of External Affairs has taken anumber of steps in the realm of passport policy to ease the process of issue of passports. One such change is that the online passportapplication form now requires the applicant to provide the name of father ormother or legal guardian, i.e., only one parent and not both. This would enablesingle parents to apply for passports for their children and to also issuepassports where the name of either the father or the mother is not required tobe printed at the request of the applicant.
Claim: Passport rules relaxed for single mothers.
Fact: The online passport application form now requires the applicant to
provide the name of father or mother or legal guardian, i.e., only one parent and not both. This implies that single parents can now apply for passports for their children. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here


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Fact Checking Government claims on 'Soil Health Cards' to Farmers
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 5, 2019
The BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal about enhancing agricultural productivity. It makes 2 claims about soil health cards and organic farming in this infographic. This article is a fact check of the claims.
The BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal about enhancing agricultural productivity. It makes 2 claims about soil health cards and organic farming in this infographic. This article is a fact check of the claims.
What is Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)?
The first claim is that under the ‘Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), 10,000 clusters are identified covering 2 lakhs hectares area for organic farming in the 2015-18 period’.
As per a response in the Lok Sabha, ‘PKVY  has been implemented since 2015-16 for the first time in the country to promote chemical free organic farming in cluster approach with Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification. The scheme aims at maintaining soil health, reducing cost of cultivation, empowering farmers through Institutional building and also supports farmers in providing value addition and marketing linkage to their organic products. Under the scheme, assistance is provided to the farmers for cluster formation, capacity building, procuring inputs, processing, packing, labelling, branding and marketing of organic products’.
According to the same response in Lok Sabha in December 2018, ‘during the period 2015-16 to 2017-18, the scheme brought in 2,37,820 hectare (11,891 clusters of 20 hectares each) of area under organic farming against the target of 2 lakh hectares and 5,94,550 farmers got benefited under the scheme . An amount of Rs. 582.47 crore has been released to the States.’
The previous UPA government has also promoted organic farming through various schemes. According to an answer in Lok Sabha in August 2013, ‘government is promoting organic farming through National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY), National Project on Management of Soil Health and Fertility (NPMSHF), Network Project on Organic Farming under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and various schemes of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).’
Each of the above schemes under the UPA had different provisions for organic farming like capital subsidy, financial incentive for adopting organic farming in the North East etc.
Claim: Under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), 10,000 clusters are identified covering 2 lakhs hectares area for organic farming in the 2015-18 period
Fact: As per data shared by the government in the Lok Sabha in December 2018, a total 2.38 lakh hectares (11,891 clusters of 20 hectares each) have been covered under the scheme. Hence, the claim is TRUE. However, the previous UPA government also implemented multiple schemes for promotion of organic farming.
How many soil health cards have been distributed?
The second claim is that more than 12.5 crore Soil Health Cards (SHCs) have been distributed. The government in an answer to the Lok Sabha stated that, ‘Soil Health Card Scheme is being implemented to assist all State Governments to evaluate fertility in all farm holdings across the country and issue soil health cards to farmers regularly in a cycle of 2 years. The aim and objectives of the scheme is to issue soil health cards giving information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.’
The government also stated that National Productivity Council (NPC), in their study, has reported savings of 8-10% of fertilizers and 5-6% increase in crop yield, as a result of fertilizer application as per the recommendations of soil health cards.
In another response to a question in the Lok Sabha in July 2018, the government stated that, ‘In the 1st Cycle of the scheme (2015-16 to 2016-17), against the target of distributing 10.74 crore soil health cards full target has been achieved. In the 2nd Cycle of Scheme (2017-18 to 2018-19), against the target of distributing 12.20 crore soil health cards, 4.71 crore soil health cards have been distributed to farmers.’
The above numbers imply that a total of 15.45 crore SHCs have been distributed. The Soil Health Card website, as of 04th February 2019, shows that, in the first cycle  (2015-16 & 2016-17) 10.73 crore SHCs have been dispatched whereas  7.52 crore SHCs have been dispatched in the second cycle (2017-18 & 2018-19). The total does add up to more than 18 crore SHCs. It has to be noted that this claim was made in May 2018 and hence the current numbers are more than the numbers mentioned in the claim.
Soil Health Cards (SHCs) were also distributed during the previous UPA government. According to an answer provided in the Rajya Sabha, the UPA government had setup 1206 Soil Testing Laboratories across the country and issued 5.69 crore SHCs by March 2013.
Claim:  More than 12.5 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed.
Fact: A total of 15.45 crore SHCs have been distributed till July 2018 and this number is currently more than 18 crore. Hence, the claim is TRUE. It has to be noted that the number of SHCs issued by the current government is substantially higher than the ones issued by the previous government.

created: February 5, 2019


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Fact Checking Government claims on Stand Up India
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 19, 2019
The government made certain claims on the MUDRA & Stand Up
India scheme. Here is a fact check.
TheBJP government published an infographic on the 48 months portal, that has fourclaims on MUDRA & Stand Up India scheme. This article is a fact check ofthe claims made.
What is the MUDRA
scheme?
Thefirst claim is that ‘MUDRA:
This scheme provides collateral free loans to entrepreneurs’.
The Pradhan Mantri
MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) is a scheme launched in April  2015 for providingloans up to Rs. 10 lakhs to the non-corporate, non-farm Micro & Smallenterprises (MSEs). All such loans are classified as MUDRA loans under PMMY.These loans are extended by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks,Cooperative Banks, MFIs and NBFCs. The borrower can approach any of the lendinginstitutions mentioned above or can apply online through the portal.
Theapplication for loans under the MUDRA scheme require proof of identity, proofof residence, quotation of machinery etc but the Banks are not supposed to takeany processing fee and are not supposed to ask for any collateral.
However,it has to noted that the focus on the MSME sector is not a new phenomenon. Thefirst NDA government launched the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for MSMEs inAugust 2000 to provide guarantee cover for collateral free credit facilitiesextended to micro and small enterprises (MSEs). During the UPA, the Governmenthad constituted a Prime Minister’s Task Force on Micro, Small & MediumEnterprises (MSME) in September 2009, which submittedits report in January 2010. The report had maderecommendations in the areas of credit, marketing, labour issues,rehabilitation and exit policy, infrastructure/technology/skill development,taxation and special measures for North-Eastern Region and Jammu & Kashmir.
Amongother things, the recommendations of the task force also include advice to thebanks to achieve a 20% year-on-year growth in credit to MSEs and a 10% annualgrowth in the number of micro enterprise accounts.  The banks have alsobeen advised that the allocation of 60% of the MSE advances to the microenterprises is to be achieved in stages viz., 50 per cent in the year 2010-11,55 per cent in the year 2011-12 and 60 per cent in the year 2012-13. Many othersteps were also recommended and somewere implemented during the previous government.
ThePMMY being implemented by the current government is a dedicated scheme for MSEsthat led to the establishment of Micro Units Development & Refinance AgencyLtd (MUDRA). MUDRA bank is essentially a refinancing institution and does notdirectly lend loans to end customers. Rather, the loans are given by CommercialBanks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, MFIs and NBFCs.
Claim: MUDRA: This scheme provides collateral free loans to entrepreneurs.
Fact:  PMMY is a scheme launched in April 2015 for providing loans up to Rs. 10 lakhs to the non-corporate, non-farm Micro & Small enterprises (MSEs) without any processing fee or collateral. Hence, the claim is TRUE. However, the focus on credit to the MSME sector is not a new phenomenon.
Are 70%
of the MUDRA beneficiaries’ Women?
The second claim is that ‘MUDRA:
More than 70% of the beneficiaries are women’.
ThePMMY website has year wise performance
reports onthe website. Data from these reports suggests that out of a total of 12.27crore loan accounts under the MUDRA scheme between 2015-16 and 2017-18, 9.03crore belong to women entrepreneurs and 6.71 crore belong to SCs/STs/OBCs.Hence the percentage of loan accounts belonging to women is around 74%.
Claim: MUDRA: More than 70% of the beneficiaries are women.
Fact: Out of a total of 12.27 crore loan accounts under the MUDRA scheme between 2015-16 and 2017-18, 9.03 crore belong to women entrepreneurs. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
What is
Stand up India initiative?
The third claim is that ‘Stand
up India: This initiative provides loans of up to 1 crore rupees to women/SC/ST/OBC
entrepreneurs’.
Government of
India launched the Stand Up India scheme in April 2016. Stand Up India scheme catersto promoting entrepreneurship amongst Women, SC & ST category i.e. thosesection of the population facing significant hurdles due to lack of advice/mentorship as well as inadequate and delayed credit. The scheme intends toleverage the institutional credit structure to reach out to these underservedsectors of the population in starting greenfield enterprise. It caters to bothready and trainee borrowers. The Scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs.10lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe borrowerand at least one Woman borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banksfor setting up greenfield enterprises in trading, manufacturing and servicessector.
Toextend collateral free coverage, Government of India has set up the Credit GuaranteeFund for Stand Up India (CGFSI). The scheme is built on the concept ofproviding handholding support to those borrowers who might have a project inmind but lack the confidence and capability to start up. It also provides forconvergence with Central/State Government schemes. Applications under thescheme can also be made online. An online tracking system in the dedicated Stand Up India portal is being utilized. As of December 2018, more than 68000loans have been sanctioned under the scheme out of which 53,284 are disbursed.
Italso has to be noted that there are multiple schemes for the economicdevelopment of the Scheduled Castes
(SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes
(STs) that have been implemented even during the UPA.
Claim: Stand up India: This initiative provides loans of up to 1 crore rupees to women/SC/ST/OBC entrepreneurs.
Fact: The Stand Up India scheme caters to promoting entrepreneurship amongst women, SC & ST category. The Scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one Woman borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks for setting up greenfield enterprises in trading, manufacturing and services sector. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
Did 9
crore women benefit from MUDRA and Stand up India?
The fourth claim is that ‘9
crore women have benefitted jointly from MUDRA and Stand up India’.
ThePMMY website has year wise performance
reports onthe website. The data shows that 9.03 crore accounts under the MUDRA schemebelong to women. The annual report  (2017-18) of the Standup India mission showsthat 41,639 women have benefitted from the scheme.  This means that a total of more than 9 crorewomen have benefitted from both the schemes.
Claim: 9 crore women have benefitted jointly from MUDRA and Stand up India.
Fact: 9.03 crore women under the MUDRA scheme and 41,639 women under the stand up India were benefitted. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here


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Fact Checking Government claims on the Global Innovation Index
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 22, 2019
An infographic published by the BJP made claims about India’s improved
Global Innovation Index ranking. The infographic also makes claims about
notable gains in patent applications, ICT services, exports,
labour productivity etc. Here is a detailed fact-check of these claims.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) posted thefollowing infographic on its twitter handleon 25 July 2019,  along with the caption ‘India takes a
huge leap of 29 places to reach 52nd rank in 2019 from 81strank
in 2015 in the Global Innovation Index. Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi, India continues
on improving innovation including ICT services, exports, patents and R&D.’ Here is a factcheck of this claim.
Claim: India’s Global Innovation Index Ranking   has improved from 81 in 2015 to 52 in 2019 with notable gains in patent   applications, ICT services, exports, labour productivity, Gross Expenditure   on R&D and Global R&D companies.
Fact: The details of the Global Innovation Index   Rankings reveals that India was ranked 81 in 2015 and 52 in 2019, but the   ranking with respect to the individual indicators has not improved in all the   cases. Moreover, this is not India’s best ranking ever. Hence, the above claim is Misleading.
What is the
Global Innovation Index?
Global Innovation Index (GII) is an annualranking which measures the innovation performance of a country’s economy basedon innovation capabilities and results. GII is a joint effort among CornellUniversity, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and INSEAD. Thisyear, the 12th edition of the index was launched in India byPiyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry. The theme of GII this year isMedical Innovation.
How is GII
calculated?
The overall GII is calculated as the simple average of Input Sub Indexscore and Output Sub Index Score. Innovation Input Sub Index is arrived at by takinginto consideration Institutions, Human Capital and Research, Infrastructure,Market Sophistication and Business Sophistication. Similarly, the InnovationOutput Sub Index Score is calculated based on Knowledge and Technology outputsand Creative outputs. Each of these seven pillars is further subdivided intothree sub pillars which have individual indicators associated with them basedon which GII is calculated.
What is the
difference between Global Innovation Index 2015 and 2019?
The GII theme in 2015 was ‘EffectiveInnovation Policies for Development’- where an attempt was made to identifysuccessful policy intervention in 141 economies across the globe. The theme forthe GII 2019 is ‘Creating Healthy Lives- the Future of Medical Innovation’-where focus has been on improving healthcare through medical innovations, bothtechnological and non-technological in 129 economies. The 2015 GII wascalculated on the basis of 79 indicators whereas in 2019, a total of 80indicators were used.
India’s position in the annual ranking since 2007 is in the followingchart. The high variation in the ranking can be attributed to the modificationsmade to the methodology for calculating the ranks. India’s best rank so far wasin 2007 when it was ranked 23 out of 107 countries.
The GII ranking involved a different number of countries each year. Theranking was done for 107 countries in 2007 which increased to a high of 143 in2014. In 2019, a total of 129 countries were ranked.
Has India’s
ranking improved in the last few years with respect to the Individual
Indicators?
While India was ranked 81 in 2015, India’s rank in 2019 has gone up to52, an improvement of 29 positions. Notable gains in patent applications, ICTservices, exports, labour productivity, Gross Expenditure on R&D and GlobalR&D companies have been claimed to be made under the NDA government. Here,we take a closer look.
What about Patent
applications?
The measure of ‘Patent families filed in more than two offices’ is anindicator of Business Sophistication while Patent applications by origin and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications by origin areindicators under the pillar of ‘Knowledge and Technology Output.’
Patent families filed in twooffices is the number of patentfamilies filed by residents in at least two offices (per billion PPP $GDP). Bypatent family, reference is made to a set of interrelated patent applicationsfiled in one or more countries/jurisdictions for the same invention. In 2015,the calculation was done including those filed in minimum three offices.
Patent applications by origin (Domestic resident patent) refers to the number of resident patent applications filed at a givennational or regional patent office (per billion PPP$ GDP).
PCT applications by origin is the numberof patent applications filed by residents (per billion PPP$ GDP) through theWIPO-administered Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
India’s Ranking: The ranking on the basis of number of PCT
applications filed in India has increased from 49 in 2015 to 51 in 2019. Further,
difference in methodology with respect to patent families could have influenced
the ranking. The ranking with respect to the Domestic Resident Patent has
improved by one position and the ranking in patent families filed has improved
by 6, from 52 in 2015 to 46 in 2019.
Information and
Communication Technologies services
The report also highlighted the Government’s online service ande-participation under Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) asstrengths. At the same time, access and use of ICTs have been identified asweaknesses.
How are these indicators are calculated?
Use of ICT– weights Percentage of individuals using the Internet; Fixed (wired)-broadbandInternet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants and active mobile-broadbandsubscriptions per 100 inhabitants at 33% each.
ICT Access– weights Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants; Mobilecellular telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants; International Internetbandwidth (bit/s) per Internet user; Percentage of households with a computerand Percentage of households with Internet access at 20% each.
Government’s Online
Service Index– Measures government’suse of ICT in delivering public services at national level with the help of anOnline Service Questionnaire which consisted of a list of 140 questionsassessed by UN volunteers.
Online e-participation- calculated as E-Participation Index, it reflects the e-participationmechanisms that are deployed by the government as compared to all othercountries.
India’s ranking in each of these categoriesin 2015 & 2019 is as follows.
India’s Ranking: India’s ranking has improved substantially in
all of these indicators. The greatest improvement was seen in Government Online
Service where the ranking improved from 57 in 2015 to 9 in 2019. Even in
e-participation, ranking has improved from 40 in 2015 to 15 in 2019. However,
India’s rank is still above 100 in both ICT use & ICT access.
Exports
From the report, there are four main export types which serve as indicatorsin the Index. These are high-tech exports and ICT service exports which fallunder the pillar of ‘Knowledge and Technology Outputs’ and Cultural andCreative services exports and Creative good exports which fall under the pillarof ‘Creative Outputs’. The definition of each of these export types is thefollowing.
High-tech exports- net high-techexports as the percentage of total trade have been considered in the ranking.It is calculated as high-technology exportsminus re-exports as percentage of total trade.
ICT services exports is found out as the Telecommunications, computers, and informationservices exports as percentage of total trade
Cultural and Creative services exports is calculated interms of percentage of total trade and includes information services,advertising, market research, cultural and recreational services and more.
Creative good exports are determinedas the total value of creative goods exports, netof re-exports (current US$) over total trade. Creative goods are those whichare defined by UNESCO Framework in 2006 which include arts and craft and cultural goods.
India’s ranking in 2015 & 2019 each ofthese categories is as follows
India’s Ranking: India’s ranking has improved in the ‘Cultural
& creative services exports’ from 59 in 2015 to 39 in 2019. In the other
categories, India’s rank has deteriorated. India has retained the top position
in the ICT exports.
Labour Productivity
The labour productivity is be measured from ‘growthrate of GDP per person engaged’. It is defined as output per unit of labourinput. India was ranked 38 in 2015. In 2018
and 2019, labour productivity has improved and India’s ranking is 4.
Gross expenditure
on Research and Development
Calculated as the total domestic intramural expenditure (Totalexpenditure for R&D within a statistical unit or sector of economy during aspecific period) on research and development during a given period as apercentage of GDP, the indicator is used to determine the performance ofR&D in a country. India was ranked 42 in 2015, 52 in 2018 and 50 in 2019. Hence, India’s rank has deteriorated in this
aspect compared to 2015.
Global Research
and Development Companies
This indicator was not available in the 2015 report. In the 2019 report,India has been ranked 15 based on the average expenditure by the top 3companies in Research and Development. The 2018 report ranked India at 18. Thus, there has been an improvement in
India’s rank.
Overall, while India’s rank has improved, ithas not improved on all the indicators and this is not India’s best rank ever.

created: September 22, 2019


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Fact Checking Government claims on ‘Welfare of the Girl Child’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 10, 2018
An infographic published by the government claims that financial future has been secured for crores of girls in India. This claim is part of a series on ‘speed and scale of transformation’ in India. Here is a fact check of the claim.
An infographic published by the government claims that financial future has been secured for crores of girls in India. This claim is part of a series on ‘speed and scale of transformation’ in India. Here is a fact check of the claim.
What is the  Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme?
The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is as girl child prosperity scheme under the Beti Bachao Beti padhao program. The scheme is targeted at the girl child and her welfare. The natural or legal guardian of the girl child can open a bank account from the time of her birth till she attains an age of ten. The scheme requires the family to deposit small amounts into a bank account on the girl’s name. The current interest rate offered for this scheme by the government is 8.5% per annum. The normal tenure of the account is till the girl child turns 21 years of age where after she is entitled to the entire amount in the account. The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Finance and it was notified in December 2014.
Claim: More than 1.26 crore SSY accounts opened with Rs 19,183 crore deposits
The minimum deposit amount under SSY has been reduced to Rs 250 from the existing Rs 1000. The scheme also provides for triple-E exemptions under the income tax act. The infograph claims that more than 1.26 crore  SSY accounts have been opened for the girl child with over Rs 19,183 crores deposited.
As on 30 June 2018, more than 1.39 crore have been opened under SSY as per the information shared by the government in Lok Sabha. The total deposits under SSY crossed Rs 25000 crore as of 30 June 2018.  There are wide state wise variations in terms of the accounts opened under SSY and the amount deposited. The highest average deposit per SSY account was in Delhi while the most number of accounts per 1000 female in the 0-10 age group was in Himachal Pradesh. Compared to the total female population in the 0-10 age group as per the 2011 census, the number of accounts opened is less than 15%.
The interest rate on the accounts opened under this scheme when it was initially launched was 9.1% and was increased to 9.2% in the subsequent year. It was reduced to 8.1%  in 2017-18 and is now increased to 8.5% per annum.
Claim: More than 1.26 crore Sukanya Samriddhi accounts have been opened for the girl child with over 19,183 crores deposited and that financial future has been secured for crores of girls.
Fact: As on 30 June 2018, 1,39,85,442 accounts have been opened under SSY and a total amount of Rs 25979.62 crore  has been deposited. The numbers are higher than the claim because of the dynamic nature of the scheme. Hence, this claim is TRUE. But the claim that financial future has been secured for crores of girls is FALSE since only 1.39 crore accounts have been opened under the SSY and this is less than 15% of the total female population in the 0-10 age group as per the 2011 census.
Did the previous governments have similar schemes?
While the larger Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme has a number of schemes similar to the ones started before 2014, the SSY is a new approach. The UPA government had also implemented multiple schemes for the welfare of the girl child like the Dhanalakshmi (conditional cash transfer scheme), SABLA for nutrition of adolescent girls, special focus on girl child in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan etc. But there was no small savings scheme like the SSY exclusively for the girl child.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here.

created: October 10, 2018


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Fact Checking Government claims over construction of Road Tunnels & Bridges
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 20, 2018
The BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes three claims about the tunnels and bridges in India constructed during the 48 months of the government. This article is a fact check of these claims.
The BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes three claims about the tunnels and bridges in India constructed during the 48 months of the government. This article is a fact check of these claims.
Has this government built India’s longest Road Tunnel?
The first claim is that India’s longest road tunnel, ‘the Chenani-Nashri tunnel in Jammu’ has been constructed. The annual report of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (2017-18) states that, ‘2017 is the year when engineering marvels like the Dhola Sadiya Bridge in Assam and Chenani Nashri tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir were opened.’
As per the annual report, this tunnel is not only India’s longest highway tunnel but also Asia’s longest bi-directional highway tunnel. It is built at an elevation of 1200 meters and cost Rs. 3,720 crores. The tunnel road is a part of the 286-kilometer-long project for four-laning of the Jammu and Srinagar National Highway.
This project was first approved in the year 2009 by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee in the Ministry of Finance in its 28 meeting in October 2009. The approval can also be seen from this press release of the government.  As per another press release of the government, the work on the tunnel started in May 2011.
In response to another question in the Rajya Sabha, the government stated that the physical progress of this tunnel road was 62.69% by August 2014. In other words, majority of the work was complete during the UPA regime.
Claim: India’s longest road tunnel, the Chenani – Nashri tunnel in Jammu is constructed.
Fact: It is true that the Chenani-Nashri tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in India and has been inaugurated in 2017. However, the project was approved in 2009, work started in 2011 and was 62% complete by August 2014, all during the UPA regime. Hence to claim that everything happened during the current government is MISLEADING.
Have bridges been constructed at Baruch and Kota?
The second claim is that bridges over Narmada at Bharuch and Chambal at Kota have been built. The annual report of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (2017-18) states that, ‘a new four lane, extra-dosed bridge across river narmada at baruch, was inaugurated by the prime minister in March 2017, has brought relief for the people travelling on the vadidara-surat section of NH-8.’  The 1.4 kilometre extra dosed cable stayed bridge is the second such bridge in the country and the longest. The report also states that ‘a 6-lane cable stayed bridge across river Chambal at Kota was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in August 2017.’  It was built at a cost of Rs. 278 crores and marks the completion of the east-west corridor.
As per this press release of the government in March 2017,  the extra-dosed bridge across river Narmada at Baruch has been completed in 34 months at a cost of Rs 380 crores. According to this press release of the government in December 2013, the bridge over Narmada was approved during the UPA government.
As far as the bridge at Kota over Chambal river is concerned, this response of the then UPA government in the Lok Sabha in 2011 makes it clear that the project was approved in the year 2006 and that the under construction bridge collapsed when the progress was around 60% in the year 2009. It also goes onto say that modalities are being worked out for completion of the bridge keeping in view the findings of the committee of experts that investigated the cause of collapse, and, taking into account various issue on safety, durability and design aspects of the existing structure. The scheduled date of construction of this bridge was March 2010. The information on when the construction of this bridge resumed is not available. However, it is true that the bridge was inaugurated in 2017.
Claim: Bridges over Narmada at Bharuch and Chambal at Kota.
Fact: The bridge over Narmada at Baruch was approved during the UPA and has been constructed by the present government. The bridge on Chambal at Kota has been under construction since 2006 before a part of it collapsed in 2009. The current government completed the bridge.  Since both the previous government and the current government had a role to play in the construction of these bridges, the claim is PARTLY TRUE.
Has this government constructed India’s longest bridge?
The last claim is that India’s longest bridge, the 9.15kms long Dhola-Sadiya bridge over river Brahmaputra in Assam has been constructed leading to 24×7 connectivity with Eastern Arunachal Pradesh.  The annual report of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (2017-18) states that, ‘India’s longest bridge – the 9.15 kilometre long Bhupen Hazarika Setu Bridge (Dhola Sadiya Bridge) over river Brahmaputra in Assam was inaugurated in May 2017 and that this bridge has ensured 24×7 connectivity between upper Assam and eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh’.
In the official documents of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, the mention of this bridge was found as far as back in the year 2007. And as per government’s response in the Rajya Sabha in April 2012, tenders were invited and the construction period was fixed as 4.5 years. Hence the bridge was approved and the construction began during the UPA.
Claim: India’s longest Bridge – the 9.15kms long Dhola-Sadiya bridge over river Brahmaputra in Assam. 24 x 7 with Eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
Fact: The Dhola-Sadiya bridge has been constructed over river Brahmaputra and was inaugurated in 2017. However, the construction was in progress before the present government came into power. Hence, the claim is PARTLY TRUE.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here

created: December 20, 2018


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Fact Checking Government claims over Railway track Development
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 8, 2019
The government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes certain claims about railway track development & reduction in the number of accidents. This article is a fact check of the claims.
The government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes certain claims about railway track development & reduction in the number of accidents. This article is a fact check of the claims.
Has there been a 50% increase in track renewal?
One of the claims is that there has been a 50% increase in track renewal in 2017-18 compared to 2013-14. In 2013-14, it was 2,926 kms and in 2017-18 it is 4,405 kms.
According the an answer provided in the Lok Sabha,  ‘railway tracks are replaced through track renewal works which is an ongoing process. Track renewal works are undertaken as and when stretch of track becomes due for renewal on the basis of criteria laid down in Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual on age/condition basis viz. traffic carried in terms of gross million tonnes, incidence of rail fracture/failure, wear of rails, corrosion of rails, maintainability of track as per standards, etc. Track Renewal works are planned in advance every year and their execution is prioritized according to the condition of track and overall availability of funds ensuring that track is in a sound condition all the time for safe running of trains. If any stretch of track is not renewed in time due to various reasons, suitable speed restrictions, if required, are imposed to ensure safe running of trains’
Track renewal data collated from the annual reports of the ministry of railways, the open data portal of the government, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha answers and a press release of the government suggests that in 2013-14, 2885 kms of tracks were renewed. In 2017-18, the number is more than 4400 kms as per the above collated data. The average length of renewal however was 3357 kms a year during UPA-2 while it is 3027 kms a year during the first four years of the current government.
Claim: There has been a 50% increase in track renewal in 2017-18 compared to 2013-14. In 2013-14, it was 2,926 kms and in 2017-18 it is 4,405 kms.
Fact: Track renewal data collated from the annual reports of the ministry of railways, the open data portal of the government, Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha answers suggests that in 2013-14, 2885 kms of tracks were renewed. In 2017-18, the number is more than 4000 kms as per the above collated data. Hence the claim is TRUE. However, the average length of renewal was 3357 kms a year during UPA-2 while it is 3027 kms a year during the first four years of the current government.
Has there been an increase in the length of Broad Gauge lines commissioned?
Another claim is that broad gauge line commissioned between the years 2009 and 2014 is 7,600 kms where as it is 9,528 kms between 2014 and 2018.
Commissioning of broad gauge railway lines includes the following,
The Indian Railways considers all the three together as the number of kms of commissioned broad gauge lines.
Data regarding broad gauge lines commissioned is collated from the press release of the Press Information Bureau and the annual reports of the Ministry of Railways. However, there is wide variation between the numbers mentioned in the press release and the data from the annual reports. As per the press release of the government, the annual average during the UPA-2 (2009-14) is 1520 kms where as it is 2049 kms as per the annual reports of the Ministry of Railways. As per the annual reports, the total broad gauge line commissioned during the UPA-2 (2009-14) is 10244.32 kms where as it is only 7600 kms as per the press release. Because of these varied numbers, this claim cannot be verified.
Claim: Broad Gauge line commissioned between the years 2009 and 2014 is 7,600 kms where as it is 9,528 kms between 2014 and 2018.
Fact: There is wide variation between the numbers mentioned in the press release of the government and the data from the annual reports. As per the press release of the government, the annual average during the UPA-2 (2009-14) is 1520 kms where as it is 2049 kms as per the annual reports of the Ministry of Railways. Because of these varied numbers, this claim remains UNVERIFIED.
Have consequential train accidents reduced during the current government?
The last of the claims is that the number of consequential train accidents reduced to 62% in 2017-18 compared to 2013-14. The claim also states that 118 accidents were recorded in 2013-14 whereas only 72 accidents were recorded in 2017-18.
As per the definition of Indian Railways, the term ‘accident’ envelopes a wide spectrum of occurrences with or without significant impact on the system. On the other hand, Consequential train accidents include mishaps with serious repercussion in terms of loss of human life or injury, damage to railway property or interruption to rail traffic of laid down threshold levels and values. Such consequential train accidents include collisions, derailments, fire or explosion in trains, road vehicles colliding with trains at level crossings, and certain specified types of ‘miscellaneous’ train mishaps. In other words, not all accidents/incidents involving trains or at level crossings are counted as consequential train accidents. The data mentioned in the claim is consequential train accidents and these usually cover most of the serious accidents.
According to the data available in the annual statistical publication & the year book of the Indian Railways, there were 118 consequential train accidents in the year 2013-14 and 73 such accidents in the year 2017-18.  While these numbers are true, this is only half the story. The number of consequential train accidents have been declining since 2003-04 except for 2014-15 when the number of accidents increased sharply compared to the previous year. It remains to be seen whether this decreasing trend continues in the years to come.The data also shows that the year 2016-17 saw the highest number of deaths in 7 years when 238 people lost their lives though the number of accidents reduced to 104.
Claim: The number of consequential train accidents reduced to 62% in 2017-18 compared to 2013-14. The claim also states that 118 accidents were recorded in 2013-14 whereas only 72 accidents were recorded in 2017-18.
Fact: There were 118 consequential train accidents in the year 2013-14 and 73 such accidents in the year 2017-18.  While these numbers are TRUE, this is only half the story. The number of consequential train accidents have been declining since 2003-04 except for 2014-15 when the number of accidents increased sharply compared to the previous year.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here

created: January 8, 2019


text:
Fact Checking Government claims over schemes for ensuring quality of life to Women
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 12, 2018
Has the Ujjwala scheme benefitted more than 3 crore households? Here is a fact check
The government published an infographic on its  48-month portal that talks about ‘Ensuring Quality Life to Women’.  This particular infographic makes two claims regarding two flagship schemes of the government: Ujjwala Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan. The following article is a fact check of these claims.
Has the Ujjwala scheme benefitted more than 3.8 crore households?
The first claim is that the government is ‘Ensuring smoke free lives for every Indian family through Ujjwala Yojana’. It says 3.8 crore poor women were provided with free LPG connections and that the target was raised to 8 crore. As per the website of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), the scheme aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel – LPG, so that they don’t have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood.
PMUY was launched in May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. Under this scheme, 5 crore LPG connections were to be provided to BPL families. Under PMUY, cash assistance up to Rs. 1600 is provided for releasing new LPG connection by the Government. The beneficiary bears the cost of Hot Plate and purchase of first refill. The beneficiary has option to take Hot Plate or the first refill or both on loan basis, from OMCs at zero interest rate and the same is recovered through subsidy received by the beneficiary as and when refill is purchased.
The overall allocation to the scheme was Rs. 8000 crores between 2016 & 2019.  Identification of the BPL families for the scheme is done through the Socio Economic Caste Census Data.
According to an answer provided in the Lok Sabha by the government, a total of 3.19 crore LPG connections were released under PMUY as of December 2016. This number was at 4.73 crore in July 2018. A press note from the government in February 2018 noted that the Cabinet has approved enhancing the target under PMUY to 8 crore connections from the earlier 5 crore with an additional budget allocation of Rs. 4,800 crores.
During the UPA government, under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitaran Yojana (RGGLVY), a one-time grant was provided to BPL families in the rural areas for release of new domestic LPG connection. In this scheme, the security deposit for the domestic LPG cylinder and pressure regulator was paid from a fund created through contributions from the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds of ONGC, OIL, GAIL, BPCL, HPCL and IOCL.
A scheme similar to Ujjwala is in operation in Andhra Pradesh since 1999.  The scheme was called the ‘‘Deepam’  where the connection fee was paid by the government for BPL households.
Claim: 3.8 crore poor women provided with free LPG connections, target raised to 8 crore.
Fact: The number of connections under PMUY crossed 4.7 crores as of July 2018.  The target has now been raised from 5 crore to 8 crore connections. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
What about the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan?
The second claim is that ‘Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan’ (PMSMA) is making safe pregnancy a mass movement and states that more than 1.16 crore antenatal check-ups have been conducted. According to the official government website, the PMSMA envisages to improve the quality and coverage of Antenatal Care (ANC) including diagnostics and counselling services as part of the Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) Strategy. The program was introduced in 2016.
As per an answer provided by the Government in the Lok Sabha in July 2018, free antenatal services are provided to all pregnant women visiting 13047 PMSMA sites across the country and over 1.35 crore antenatal checkups have been conducted under the program.
The previous UPA government had launched the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) in 2005. It was also a safe motherhood intervention under the National Health Mission with an objective of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among poor pregnant women. Even under this scheme, there were an average of one crore beneficiaries every year.
Claim: More than 1.16 crore antenatal check-ups have been conducted.
Fact: Over 1.35 crore antenatal checkups have been conducted under the program till July 2018. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here.

created: November 12, 2018


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Fact Checking government claims over use of Technology
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 6, 2018
In an infographic put out by the government, there are certain claims made pertaining to the use of technology to boost transparency and in turn eliminating corruption. Here is a fact check of these claims.
In an infographic put out by the government, there are certain claims made pertaining to the use of technology to boost transparency and in turn eliminating corruption. Here is a fact check of these claims.
Claim 1: More than 3.5 lakh crore transferred to beneficiaries through DBT
The first claim is that over Rs 3,65,996 crore have been directly transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries for 431 schemes in last 4 years. The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) website describes the DBT and its vision.
It mentions, ‘With the aim of reforming Government delivery system by re-engineering the existing process in welfare schemes for simpler and faster flow of information/funds and to ensure accurate targeting of the beneficiaries, de-duplication and reduction of fraud Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was started on 1st January, 2013. DBT Mission was created in the Planning Commission to act as the nodal point for the implementation of the DBT programmes. The Mission was transferred to the Department of Expenditure in July, 2013 and continued to function till 14.9.2015. To give more impetus, DBT Mission and matters related thereto has been placed in Cabinet Secretariat from September 2015.’ In other words, the DBT initiative was started by the UPA-2 government and is being carried on & expanded by the current government.
The list of schemes that are covered under the direct benefit transfer scheme is given on the DBT website. This list now includes 464 schemes & services (out of a total of 1131) from 57 ministries (out of a total of 74 ministries). The list is dynamic and new schemes keep getting added or the existing ones get taken out.  As of October, 2018, a cumulative amount of more than Rs 4.6 lakh crore have been transferred to the beneficiaries via DBT. Detailed reports of the transfer amounts and schemes are also available online on the website.
Claim: Over 3,65,996 crores rupees have been directly transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries for 432 schemes in last 4 years.
Fact: More than Rs 4.6 lakh crore have been transferred into the accounts of people availing 464 schemes and services from 57 different ministries. Hence, the claim is TRUE. But it has to be noted that the DBT initiative was started during the UPA-2 government.
Claim 2: Aadhaar given legislative framework
The second claim is that Aadhaar has been given legislative framework. The Aadhaar (targeted delivery of financial and other subsidies, benefits and services) act has been passed in 2016.
The Supreme Court in its verdict in September 2018, upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar but, struck down some of its provisions. The Supreme Court struck down section 57 of the Act meaning that only the government can use Aadhaar and that too for the specific purpose of welfare & subsidies. The court said that linking of Aadhaar to bank accounts & mobile numbers is illegal.  Moreover, private entities are barred from using Aadhaar as a mode of identification.  The national security exception under section 33 has also been struck down, meaning that no identity information or authentication records can be disclosed even for national security reasons. The court also held that CBSE, NEET and UGC cannot make Aadhaar mandatory. The court upheld the linking of Aadhaar with PAN and also directed the government to ensure that illegal migrants are not issued Aadhaar .
Claim: Aadhaar has been given legislative framework
Fact: The Aadhaar act has been passed in 2016 but the Supreme Court struck down some major provisions of the act in 2018. Hence, the claim is PARTIALLY TRUE.
Claim 3: More than 1 crore income tax payers linked their Aadhaar with PAN.
The third claim made is that more than 1 crore income tax payers linked their Aadhaar with PAN. According to an answer given in the Lok Sabha, more than 16.84 crore PAN numbers have been linked with Aadhaar as of March 2018. The number is higher than the claim because of the dynamic nature in which these details are collected and updated. However, it is important to note that all those people that have linked their PAN to Aadhaar need not necessarily be income tax payers. There is no other data available in the public domain to check how many income tax payers have linked their PAN to Aadhaar.
Claim:  More than 1 crore income tax payers linked their Aadhaar with PAN.
Fact: Since it has been made mandatory, more than 16.84 crore PANs have been linked to Aadhaar but how many of them are paying tax cannot be verified. Hence, the claim is UNVERIFIED.
Claim 4: Online Platform for Government Procurement
Government e-Marketplace (GEM) platform for government procurement from vendors was launched in 2017. As published in the gazette of India, in December 2017, the government of India (allocation of business) rules, 1961 have been amended to allow for ‘development, operation and maintenance of national public procurement portal – Government e-Marketplace.’ The online platform has aggregate details of the transactions made.  However, the details of the procurements of previous years for a comparative analysis are not available.
Claim: GEM online platform for government procurement from vendors to reduce corruption and increase transparency
Fact: The platform has been made operational. The contribution of the platform to reducing corruption and increasing transparency cannot be verified. Hence, the claim is UNVERIFIED.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here.

created: October 6, 2018


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Fact Checking Government claims about promoting Sports
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 11, 2018
The present BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes five claims about promoting sports in the country. These five claims are about the Khelo India scheme and the sports talent search portal. Here is a fact check of these claims.
The present BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes five claims about promoting sports in the country. These five claims are about the Khelo India scheme and the sports talent search portal. Here is a fact check of these claims.
What is Khelo India?
The first claim is that Khelo India is a mass movement to promote a culture of sports and fitness among the youth. In a response to a question in the Lok Sabha, the government stated that ,’The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is implementing the Central Sector Scheme named Khelo India, National Programme for Development of Sports  from the Financial year 2016-17 with the following objectives
The annual report of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (2017-18) says that, ‘A new umbrella Scheme Khelo India was launched during the financial year 2016-17 after merger of existing scheme Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) and National Sports Talent Search System Programme (NSTSSP).’
Claim: A mass movement to promote a culture of sports and fitness among the youth.
Fact: The claim is subjective and also the Khelo India scheme is the outcome of the merger of three  previous schemes, some of which were UPA era schemes. Hence the claim remains UNVERIFIED.
What is the financial assistance given to players?
The second claim is that there is an annual financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees per annum for 8 years to talented players.  According to the Khelo India website, ‘Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by the High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.’
The same is also stated in a Lok Sabha answer which states, ‘The Scheme, includes a vertical of Talent Identification and Development’ which has provisions for identification of talented players in priority sports disciplines at various levels through different avenues. Best talents in those sports discipline will be identified by the High Powered Committee and provided annual financial assistance, at the rate of Rs.5 lakh per annum, for a period of 8 years under a Long Term Athlete Development Programme.’
In response to another question in the Lok Sabha, the government stated that a total of 563 athletes have been identified till March 2018 under the ‘Talent Search and Development’ vertical of Khelo India Scheme in the first year for support under a Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) programme. The government also stated that further scrutiny was underway.
Claim: Annual financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees per annum for 8 years to talented players.
Fact: Best talents in those sports discipline will be identified by the High Powered Committee and provided annual financial assistance, at the rate of Rs.5 lakh per annum, for a period of 8 years under a Long Term Athlete Development Programme. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
What are the Khelo India school games?
The third claim is that, ‘First Khelo India school games launched on Jan 2018, 3507 players from 29 states and 7 UTs participated.’
According to the response to a question in the Lok Sabha, ‘The 1st Khelo India School Games, 2018, which were held in Delhi from 31st January to 8th February, 2018 witnessed participation of 3507 athletes from 29 States and 7 Union Territories (UTs).’
It has to be noted that the national school games are also organized by the School Games Federation of India.
Claim: First Khelo India school games launched on Jan 2018, 3507 players from 29 states and 7 UTs participated.
Fact: The 1 Khelo India School Games, 2018, which were held in Delhi from 31 January to 8 February, 2018 witnessed participation of 3507 athletes from 29 States and 7 Union Territories (UTs). Hence, the claim is TRUE.
What is the financial outlay for Khelo India program?
The fourth claim is that the revamped Khelo India program will have a financial outlay of 1,756 crore rupees for 2017-18 to 2019-10.   In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, the government stated that ‘the Khelo India Scheme, with an estimated financial implication of Rs.1756 crore from 2017-18 to 2019-20, aims at strengthening the entire sports ecosystem of the country.’  It is to be noted that there was budget allocation for various schemes earlier as well, but not at this scale. As far as Khelo India is concerned, the total allocation for 2017-18 & 2018-19 is about Rs. 1018 crores. It remains to be seen if the budget allocation in 2019-20 will be in excess of Rs. 700 crore for Khelo India to match the overall targets.
Claim: Revamped Khelo India program will have a financial outlay of 1,756 crore rupees for 2017-18 to 2019-10.
Fact: The total allocation for Khelo India  in 2017-18 & 2018-19 is about Rs. 1018 crores. It remains to be seen if the budget allocation in 2019-20 will be in excess of Rs. 700 crores so that the total outlay for the three years matches Rs. 1756 crores. Hence, the claim remains UNVERIFIED.
What is the sports talent search portal?
The last claim is that a transparent platform has been launched for talented youth to share their achievements. The annual report of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (2017-18)  states that, ‘Sports Talent Search Portal was launched to spot the best talent from among the young population of the country in August 2017 in the presence of Arjuna awardees and thousands of school children. The portal will provide a transparent platform for talented youth to upload their achievements. Shortlisted applicants will undergo selection trials and those who pass the trials will be offered admission to SAI schemes.’
Claim: Transparent platform for talented youth to share their achievements
Fact: Sports Talent Search Portal was launched in August 2017. The portal allows anyone to register and apply for the schemes implemented by the ‘Sports Authority of India’. While the portal is launched, whether it has given way to transparent selection process is not known. Hence the claim remains UNVERIFIED.

created: December 11, 2018


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Fact Checking government claims about Skill Development
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 10, 2018
The BJP government has made three claims about their flagship skill development scheme, the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ (PMKVY). These claims were made in an infographic published on the government’s 48-months portal. Here is a fact check of these claims.
The BJP government has made three claims about their flagship skill development scheme, the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ (PMKVY). These claims were made in an infographic published on the government’s 48-months portal. Here is a fact check of these claims.
What is the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)?
The annual report of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (2015-16) states that ‘PMKVY is the flagship outcome-based skill training scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The objective of this skill certification and reward scheme is to enable and mobilize a large number of Indian youth to take up outcome based skill training and become employable and earn their livelihood. Under the scheme, monetary reward would be provided to trainees who are successfully trained, assessed and certified in skill courses run by affiliated training provided. It is being implemented through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).’
The PMKVY is a rehashed version of the STAR (Standard Training Assessment and Reward) scheme that was implemented during the UPA regime. The idea of monetary reward was first mentioned by the then finance minister of the UPA in his budget speech of 2013-14.  As per government’s official data, more than 14 lakh were trained under this STAR scheme during the UPA between September 2013 to September 2014, after which it was discontinued.
The PMKVY was launched in July, 2015, on the occasion of World Youth Skills day. The annual report of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017-18) states that, ‘Owing to its successful first year of implementation, the Union Cabinet has approved the scheme for another four years (2016-2020) to impart skilling to 10 million youth of the country with an outlay of Rs 12,000 crores.’.
The PMKVY scheme has two components: centrally sponsored centrally managed (CSCM) and centrally sponsored state managed (CSSM). While 75% of the PMKVY (2016-2020) funds shall be available to MSDE for skilling through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), 25% will be allotted to the states.
How many training centers have been opened?
The first claim is that 13,000 training centers have been opened across India training in 376 trades. According to the response for a Lok Sabha question, about 13,000 Training Centres were involved under PMKVY 2015-16 for imparting skill training. The PMKVY dash board on the other hand shows that 331 job roles are available for training across 36 sectors and that 8464 training centers are available. The 2017-18 annual report of the NSDC mentions more than 11000 centers
Claim: 13,000 training centers opened across India training in 376 trades.
Fact: 13,000 Training Centres were involved under PMKVY 2015-16. But the number in 2017-18 was only over 11000 as per NSDC. The current number of training centers is 8464 as per the PMKVY website, providing training in 331 job roles. Hence, the claim is PARTLY TRUE.
How many youngsters have received training?
The second claim is that 1 crore youngsters to achieve training under PMKVY. In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, the government stated that, ‘PMKVY 2016-20 aims to train one crore youth for 4 years (2016-2020) with a total outlay of Rs 12,000 crores.’
According to another response in the Lok Sabha, more than 22 lakh have completed short-term training under PMKVY (2016-20) as of July 2018.
Claim: 1 crore youngsters to achieve training.
Fact: PMKVY aims to train 1 crore youth for 4 years. Since the claim is about a future target, it remains UNVERIFIED. Till July 2018, more than 22 lakh have completed short-term trainings.
How many PMKKs are being set up?
The third claim is that PM Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) are being set up in every district across India. ‘The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), implements Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) Scheme for setting up of model skill centre in every district of the country while ensuring coverage of all the parliamentary constituencies’ states the annual report of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017-18).
While the NSDC website states that the PMKKs have been allocated for all 676 districts, targets have been allocated to only 493 of them as of October 2018. Moreover, many new districts have been created by states.
Claim: PM Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) are being set up in every district across India.
Fact: The scheme aims to set up PMKKs in every district of India. The latest information accounts for 493 active PMKKs. Hence, the claim remains UNVERIFIED.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here

created: December 10, 2018


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Fact Checking Government’s claims on Forex Reserves & FDI
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 11, 2019
The current BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes two claims about India’s economic performance. This article is a fact check of the claims.
The current BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes  two claims about India’s economic performance. This article is a fact check of the claims.
Are India’s Forex Reserves booming?
The first claim is that India’s forex reserves are booming at $418.94 billion. This claim was made in May 2018 on the portal.
As per various definitions, Foreign exchange (Forex) reserves are foreign currency held by the central bank of a country. These reserves also used to maintain liquidity in times of an economic crisis, provide confidence to investors that the country can meet its international obligations and to invest in sectors such as infrastructure, if needed.
According to an answer in the Lok Sabha,  ‘India’s foreign exchange reserves (FER) comprise foreign currency assets, gold, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and Reserve Tranche Position (RTP) with the IMF. The level of foreign exchange reserves is largely the outcome of Reserve Bank of India’s intervention in the foreign exchange market to stabilise the rupee value. In line with the principles of preserving the long-term value of the reserves in terms of purchasing power, minimizing risk and volatility in returns and maintaining liquidity, the Reserve Bank of India holds foreign currency assets (FCAs) in major convertible currency instruments. These include deposits with other country central banks, the Bank for International Settlements and top-rated foreign commercial banks, and in securities representing debt of sovereigns and supranational institutions, etc. The Government and the RBI closely monitor the situation and take appropriate policies as and when required.’
According to a response in the Lok Sabha in February 2017, ‘India’s foreign exchange reserves (FER) increased from $361.6 billion at end May 2016, to $372 billion at end September 2016. It declined to $361.1 billion at end November 2016 and stood at $360.8 billion as on 20th January 2017’.
According to another answer provided in Lok Sabha in December 2017, it is stated that ‘India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves (FER) as on 30th November 2017, was $401.9 billion’. Another answer in Lok Sabha in January 2019 states that ‘India’s total Foreign Exchange Reserves were $393.1 billon as on 14th December 2018.’
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)  publishes the data on total foreign exchange reserves at the end of the every financial year. As per these stats, the forex reserves at the end of 2017-18 were $424.5 billion. The following graph shows the changes in the foreign exchange reserves in India over years (at the end of each financial year) since the time of NDA-1.Except for a sharp increase in 2007-08 followed by a decrease in 2008-09, the forex reserves have been steadily increasing over the years. Though the increase in forex reserves during respective governments may not indicate much, the reserves increased by 284% during NDA-1, 123% during UPA-1, 21% during UPA-2 and 40% during the current government (end of 2017-18).
Claim: Forex reserves booming at 418.94 billion USD.
Fact: As the exact date of the claim is not mentioned, it is not possible to match the number. However, RBI data shows that by the end of 2017-18, the forex reserves were $424.5 billion. Hence the claim must be TRUE. However, forex reserves have been steadily increasing during successive governments.
What about FDI in 2016-17?
The second claim is that FDI jumped to $60.08 billion in 2016-17. The RBI maintains & publishes the ‘Foreign Investment Flows’ data every year.It can be seen from the data that that though the numbers in the infographic are correct, there has been an upward trend in the gross FDI of the country since 2005-06. While gross FDI refers to the amount of money that has come into the country, investment can also be repatriated from the country. So, in order to get a better picture of FDI in the country, the net FDI (calculated after subtracting the repatriated amount from the gross FDI amount) needs to be analysed. Vivek Kaul analysed this earlier in his column on the Equity Master.
As it can be seen from the data, repatriation/disinvestment is also on the rise along with the increase of gross FDI inflows. Till 2008-09, the gross & net FDI were equal since there was virtually no disinvestment or repatriation. Starting 2008-09, the gross & net FDI numbers have diverged as noted by Vivek Kaul in his column on the Equity Master.  It should also be noted that while gross FDI inflow has increased continuously over the years, the net FDI has actually fallen both in 2016-17 as well as 2017-18. The net FDI fell from $ 44.907 billion in 2015-16 to  $39.431 billion in 2017-18.
Claim: FDI jumped to $60.08 billion in 2016-17.
Fact: FDI in India was 60.08 billion USD in 2016-17. Hence, the claim is TRUE. However, the increasing trend can be seen since 2005 (with minor differences). It is also to be noted that the net FDI inflows been decreasing over the last two years as noted above.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here

created: January 11, 2019


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Fact Checking Government’s claims on Labour Welfare
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 21, 2019
The BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes three claims about ensuring labour welfare. This article is a fact check of the claims.
The BJP government published an infographic on the 48-months portal that makes three claims about ensuring labour welfare. This article is a fact check of the claims.
What is the Shram Suvidha Portal?
According to the ‘Annual Report (2017-18)’ of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, ‘The Ministry of Labour & Employment has developed a unified Web Portal ‘Shram Suvidha Portal’, to bring transparency and accountability in enforcement of labour laws and ease complexity of compliance. It caters to four major Organizations under the Ministry of Labour, namely:  Office of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central); Directorate General of Mines Safety; Employees’ Provident Fund Organization; and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’.
Have unique identity numbers and online registration been established?
The first claim is that ‘Shram Suvidha Portal has been launched that allocates Unique labour identification number and enables online registration of establishments.’
As stated in the ‘Annual Report (2017-18)’ of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, ‘Allotment of Unique Labour Identification Number (LIN) to Units to facilitate online registration was started on the Portal with its launch in October 2014.. The unique Labour Identification Number has been issued to 2275391 units as of November 2017’.
Claim: Shram Suvidha Portal has been launched that allocates Unique labour identification number and enables online registration of establishments
Fact: Unique labour identification number has been launched along with the launch of the portal in 2014. Hence, the claim is TRUE.
What about hassle free transfer of EPFO accounts?
The second claim is that ‘Employees don’t undergo hassles to transfer EPFO accounts any more since Universal Account Number (UAN) boosts portability’.
As stated in the ‘Annual Report (2017-18)’ of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, ‘The portability of social security benefits has been extended to 6.57 million people through Universal account Number’. However, the annual report also gives data on the increasing number of EPF grievances year after year. As per the 2017-18 annual report, the total number of EPF grievances increased from 1.79 lakh in 2014-15 to 2.99 lakh in 2017-18 (only up to December 2017). Hence it is debatable whether the introduction of UAN has resulted in hassle free transfer of EPFO accounts.
Claim: Employees don’t undergo hassles to transfer EPFO accounts any more since Universal Account Number (UAN) boosts portability.
Fact: While it is true that the portability of social security benefits has been extended to 6.57 million people through Universal account Number, EPF related grievances are increasing year after year. As per the 2017-18 annual report, the total number of EPF grievances increased from 1.79 lakh in 2014-15 to 2.99 lakh in 2017-18 (only up to December 2017). Hence it is debatable whether the introduction of UAN has resulted in hassle free transfer of EPFO accounts. Hence the claim remains UNVERIFIED.
What about amendment to the Payment of Wages act?
The third claim is that ‘the payment of wages (amendment) act 2017 is empowering workers’.
The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in Lok Sabha in December. This bill amends the Payment of Wages Act, 1936. The Bill amends the 1936 act to permit the employer to pay an employee’s wages in the following ways.
The Bill removes the requirement of obtaining written authorization for payment of wages by cheque or through a bank account. The bill also specifies that the central or state governments may specify certain industrial or other establishments where the employer should pay his employees only by cheque or by crediting the wages in his bank account.
Since the bill could not be passed, an ordinance was issued in December 2016. The bill became an act in February 2017 after it was passed by the parliament.
The act only removes the requirement of obtaining written authorization from the employee for payment of wages by cheque or through a bank account. However, there is no evidence or data to suggest that the act has empowered workers.
Claim: The payment of wages (amendment) act 2017 is empowering workers
Fact: The act only removes the requirement of obtaining written authorization from the employee for payment of wages by cheque or through a bank account. However, there is no evidence or data to suggest that the act has empowered workers. Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here

created: January 21, 2019