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Madhya Pradesh MLA Rameshwar Sharma's old video is erroneously linked to the newly elected Chief Minister Mohan Yadav - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 13, 2023
Following the swearing-in ceremony of Mohan Yadav, the BJP MLA from Ujjain South, as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on 13 December 2023, a video alleging that it depicts Mohan Yadav warning Muslims about purportedly raising anti-national slogans in Ujjain is being shared widely. In the video, the individual can be heard saying that anyone raising slogans like “Pakistan Zindabad” on Indian soil will face severe consequences and be dealt with firmly. This article aims to fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting Mohan Yadav, the recently appointed Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, warning Muslims about making anti-national slogans.
Fact: The person featured in the video is identified as Rameshwar Sharma, the BJP MLA representing the Bhopal Huzur assembly constituency. News reports indicate that Rameshwar Sharma made the controversial comments in response to allegations against Muslims for supposedly raising anti-national slogans in Ujjain, in August 2021. The video has nothing to do with the newly elected chief minister, Mohan Yadav. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On 13 December 2023, Mohan Yadav, representing the Ujjain South constituency, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Contrary to the viral video’s portrayal, the person issuing warnings to Muslims is not Mohan Yadav but another BJP MLA from Madhya Pradesh. It’s worth noting that this video is not recent but from 2021.
A Google search using pertinent keywords yielded news articles connected to the viral video. According to these reports, the person featured in the video is identified as Rameshwar Sharma, the BJP MLA representing the Bhopal Huzur assembly constituency. Additionally, the reports indicate that Rameshwar Sharma made controversial comments in response to allegations against Muslims for supposedly raising anti-national slogans in Ujjain.
In August 2021, reports surfaced that during the Muharram procession in Ujjain, ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised by miscreants. Later the Muharram procession’s organizers released a video where people can be heard shouting “Qazi Sahab zindabad”. Following this the Ujjain police then released a 10-minute clip of the same event in which people can be heard shouting “Pakistan zindabad” and “Qazi Sahab zindabad”. Later the police had booked 16 people on sedition charges in connection with the incident (here & here).
Rameshwar Sharma’s controversial remarks in the viral video are a reaction to the aforementioned incident. A few other news reports related to Rameshwar Sharma’s controversial remarks can be viewed here & here. The video is erroneously linked to the newly elected chief minister, Mohan Yadav. A comparison of images between Rameshwar Sharma and Mohan Yadav makes it clear that the individual making these statements against Muslims in the video is BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma, not the newly elected chief minister.
To sum it up, Madhya Pradesh MLA Rameshwar Sharma’s old video is erroneously linked to the newly elected Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

created: December 13, 2023


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Madhya Pradesh’s largest COVID-19 care centre was not built by RSS - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 28, 2021
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has recently built India’s second-largest COVID-19 care centre in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. This post claims that RSS has built a 6000-bed capacity Covid care center and four oxygen plants in 45 acres of land in the Indore. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: RSS has built India’s second-largest Covid care centre in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Fact: Madhya Pradesh Government built the state’s largest Covid care centre at Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) ground in Indore. RSSB is a non-profit organisation with no affiliation to any political or commercial organisations. RSS workers are indeed volunteering at this centre. A lot of Industrialists and businessmen from Indore have donated money and instruments for this centre. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On searching for the details of the claim made in the post, it is found out that Madhya Pradesh Government has recently launched the state’s largest COVID-19 care centre in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. This Covid care centre in Indore named ‘Maa Ahilya COVID Care Centre’. Madhya Pradesh Government constructed this Covid care centre at Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) ground in Indore. In the wake of a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, Indore district officials decided to build this Covid quarantine centre at RSSB. According to the ‘NDTV’ news report, this Covid care centre is facilitated with 600 beds in the initial phase and has plans to raise the capacity to 6000 beds. There are 47 concentrator machines provided in this facility.
‘Radha Soami Satsang Beas’ (RSSB) is a Punjab-based spiritual organisation. RSSB is a non-profit organisation with no affiliation to any political or commercial organisation. More information related to the RSSB organisation can be found in this video published by RSSB on their official YouTube channel.
According to the article published by ‘Lokmat’, RSS workers are volunteering at ‘Maa Ahilya COVID Care centre’ in Indore. The ‘India TV’ news article reported that many industrialists and businessmen from Indore donated money for the construction of this Covid care centre.
In the wake of a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, RSS and its affiliates have proposed the Madhya Pradesh Government convert the educational institutions run by the RSS and its affiliates into quarantine centres. According to an article published by ‘The Times of India’, these quarantine centres take care of mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. But, ‘Maa Ahilya COVID Care Centre’ in Indore is not part of this list.
To sum it up, the ‘Maa Ahilya COVID Care Centre’ in Madhya Pradesh was not built by RSS.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Not just Maggi, more than 400 products are rejected by FSSAI including ones from Tata Starbucks, Kellog’s etc
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 11, 2015
After it was found that well known noodles brand Maggi contained lead in excess of permissible levels, it is the turn of other well known brands. Data from FSSAI indicates that more than 400 product proposals were rejected by FSSAI on various grounds. The list includes well known brands like Tata Starbucks, Kellog’s, Venky’s, Amway etc.
After the well known instant noodles brand ‘Maggi’ was in the news for three major violations of the Food Safety & Standards Act (FSS Act), it now seems that this is not limited to Maggi. Data available with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), more than 400 products are rejected as on 30  April, 2015. The list of products include products from some well known brands like Tata Starbucks, Kellogs, Ranbaxy, Amway, Venky’s etc.
The ‘Maggi’ Issue
It all started with the sampling and testing of Maggi by the office of Commissioner of Food Safety, Uttar Pradesh and recognizing the serious food safety concerns. The FSSAI then advised the Commissioners of Food Safety in various states to draw samples of Maggi and get the same tested from authorized laboratories.
Three major violations have been noted by the FSSAI
Samples Tested & found adulterated every year
As per the data released by the FSSAI, the percentage of food samples found adulterated is on the rise. In 2011-12, 64593 samples were tested out of which 8247 samples (12.8%) were found adulterated. This percentage went up to 14.8% in 2012-13 and to 18.8% in 2013-14. Out of the 72200 samples tested in 2013-14, 13571 samples were found adulterated. Surprisingly, the number of prosecutions launched has been decreasing since 2011-12. While prosecutions were launched in 83% of the adulterated cases in 2011-12, this percentage went down to 56.3 in 2012-13 and went up to 75.4% in 2013-14.
Which other products are rejected by FSSAI?
As on 30 April 2015, more than 400 proposals for products have been rejected on assessment of risk/ safety of the proposed products by the Product Approval & Screening Committee and the Scientific Panel. The list of products includes products of well known brands like Tata Starbucks, Kellogs, Amway, Ranbaxy, Venky’s etc.
Other than these, there are many other pharmaceutical, nutritional products that are rejected.


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Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have the highest farm-labourer suicides for the 2014-16 period - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 14, 2019
A post is being widely shared on Facebook with a claim that Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala are the states with the highest farm-labourer suicides for the 2014-16 period. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Tamil Nadu (1776), Andhra Pradesh (1437) and Kerala (1205) had the highest farm-labourer suicides for the 2014-16 period.
Fact: According to the numbers provided by the Minister of State (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare) in an answer to the Lok Sabha in 2018, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh were the states with the highest agricultural labourer suicides for the 2014-16 period. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala occupied 3rd, 5th and 6th places respectively. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When searched for the agricultural labourer suicides data on Google, it was found that the National Crime Records Bureau has not yet released the agricultural labourer suicides data for the year 2016. But, it was found that the Minister of State (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare) has provided provisional data of the year 2016 in his answer to a question in the Lok Sabha in March-2018. The annexure to the Lok Sabha answer had the data related to agricultural labourer suicides for the 2014-16 period (with provisional data for the year 2016). On calculating the total number of agricultural labourer suicides in each state during the period 2014-16, it was found that Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have topped with 3808 and 1803 suicides respectively. Tamil Nadu (1776), Karnataka (1686), Andhra Pradesh (1437) and Kerala (1205) have occupied 3, 4, 5 and 6 positions respectively. So, the post is misleading people by not mentioning that Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh that have recorded higher agricultural labourer suicides than the states mentioned in the post.
To sum it up, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have the highest farm-labourer suicides for the 2014-16 period.
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created: October 14, 2019


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Maharashtra Home Minister has said that there is no ‘Muslim’ among those arrested in the Palghar lynching incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 22, 2020
A post is being shared on social media claiming that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said that there is no ‘Hindu’ among those arrested in the Palghar lynching incident. On 16 April 2020, three men including two Hindu Sadhus were beaten to death by a mob in Palghar district (Maharashtra) on suspicion that they were thieves. The Maharashtra Government has arrested over 100 people allegedly involved in that incident. FACTLY has found the claim (there is no Hindu among those arrested in the Palghar incident) to be false. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh during a press meet about the incident had said that there is no ‘Muslim’ among those arrested in the incident. The Home Minister, in a tweet, also shared the list of names of those arrested in the Palghar incident saying that the incident is being communalized by a few. The Press Trust of India has also tweeted again clarifying that it made a mistake earlier.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. Maharashtra Home Minister’s Press meet – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0fgrslUjas
2. Maharashtra Home Minister’s Tweet – https://twitter.com/AnilDeshmukhNCP/status/1252830032315088899
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Maharashtra Police did not Issue a warning against joining a WhatsApp group called ‘Inter Schools’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 4, 2024
A graphic circulating on social media claims that the Maharashtra Police has issued a warning about a supposed WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools.’ As per the claim, this group is linked to ISIS, and once joined, members cannot leave. This article aims to fact-check the authenticity of this claim.
Claim: The Maharashtra Police has issued a warning against joining a WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools’.
Fact: The claim is an old hoax. The Maharashtra Police has not issued any such warning. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the claim, we started with a basic internet keyword search to find any notice or warning issued by Maharashtra Police against joining a supposed WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools.’ No credible news articles from Marathi media supported this claim. We also went through the official Maharashtra Police website and their ‘X’ handles, where they usually update such notifications. But we found no such warning issued by them.
On further search, we found that this claim is an old hoax. Multiple articles by various media organisations (here, here, here) have already addressed it.
A 2017 Deccan Chronicle article clarified that cyber experts had dismissed the rumour, confirming that the alleged ‘Inter Schools’ group was not created by ISIS.
Additionally, the FAQ section on WhatsApp contradicts the viral claim. It states that any user can exit a group at any time. It makes no mention of any such group that cannot be left once joined.
Moreover, Maharashtra Police have also debunked the viral claim as unfounded, according to a Newschecker fact-check.
To sum up, the Maharashtra Police has not issued any warning against joining a WhatsApp group named ‘Inter Schools’, allegedly linked to ISIS.


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Maharashtra still accounts for 1/3rd of the Farmer suicides in the country
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 27, 2019
The NCRB recently released the ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ report for 2016 after a long delay. The total number of reported suicides of farmers/agricultural labourers came down in 2016 and this number is the lowest-ever since 2000. Maharashtra still accounts for 1/3rd of all such suicides in the country. Among the bigger states, Telangana reported a 54% decrease in suicides in 2016.
The National CrimeRecords Bureau (NCRB) released yet another important annual report, ‘Accidental
Deaths and Suicides in India’ (ADSI)of 2016 earlier this month after the elections in Maharashtra. The government& the NCRB faced severe criticism for the long delay in the release of thisreport. Along with other data such as natural and unnatural deaths, this reportpresents the details of suicides including farmer suicides across India in acalendar year. The 2016 report, despite the delay, had omitted the reasonsbehind the suicides of farmers such as distress, drought, etc. which were partof the earlier
reports.
It is a known factthat the vast majority of the rural population is still dependent on agriculturefor making ends meet. Year after year, thousands of farmers succumb to the agrariancrisis and give up their lives, for varied reasons.
ADSI 2016 has omitted key sections related to Farmer
Suicides
The older  ADSI-2015
report contained a separate section forreporting farmer suicides. The report presented details regarding the causes offarmer suicides such as personal issues, health issues, financial issues andcrop related reasons. Data at both State/UT level and the national level wasgiven for farmer suicides on the basis of landholding size. This includedmarginal, small, medium and large farmers. These sections have been removed inthe 2016 report.
The number of suicides in the agriculture sector touched
a 16-year low in 2016
According to the ADSI
report of 2016, a total of 11,379persons involved in the farming sector have taken their own lives. The numberof ‘Farmers/Cultivators & Agricultural Labourers’  suicides reported in the year 2016 is thelowest reported in the 16 years since the year 2000.
Number of suchsuicides has reduced by almost 33% in 2016 when compared to the year 2006.  Compared to 2015, the number of cases has reducedby almost 10%.
The suicides inthe agriculture sector account for about 8.7% of the total number of suicides(131,008) reported across the country in 2016. The specific reasons for suicidesof those in involved in the agricultural sector have not been mentioned in the 2016report unlike in the older
reports.  Indebtedness, crop failures or even personalissues could have led to these suicides if one were to go by reasons mentionedin the previous reports.
Male Farmers & Labourers account for 92% of
suicides in the sector
Out of the total11,379 suicides reported in this sector, females constituted hardly 8% whilemales constituted the remaining 92%. No transgender in this sector was reportedto have committed suicide.
However, in thisyear’s report, separate data has been provided on the basis of land ownership,in other words if the person cultivated own land or leased land and data on agriculturallabourers.
55% Suicides by Cultivators & remaining 45% by
Labourers
Of the totalsuicides in the farming sector, farmers and cultivators accounted for 6,270 or 55%of the suicides while the remaining 45% of the suicides in this sector werethat of agricultural labourers.
Among the farmers,275 suicides were of women farmers and among the labourers, 633 were of womenlabourers. In other words, 4.3% of the farmer suicides and 12.4% of theagricultural labourers’ suicides were of women.
84% of the farmer suicides are by those who own the
land they cultivate
The category offarmers/cultivators includes both farmers who cultivate on their own land andfarmers who cultivate on leased land (land which does not belong to them). The2016 data reveals that majority of the suicide incidents (84%) were that offarmers who own the land they cultivate. A total of 5,052 male and 219 femalefarmers who own the land which they cultivate have committed suicide in 2016.Furthermore, 943 male and 56 female farmers who cultivated on leased land tooktheir lives in 2016.
Maharashtra yet again accounts for the maximum number
of suicides in this sector
A state
wise analysis of the available data showsthat Maharashtra continues to report the maximum number of farmer suicides inIndia. The suicides in Maharashtra (2550) account for almost 41% of the total farmersuicides in the country despite a reduction of 15% in such incidents. In 2015, Maharashtrareported 3030 such cases.
Karnataka reported1212 suicides (19.3%) followed by Telangana with 632 (10%) incidents. Thesethree states together have reported 70% of the total farmer suicides in thecountry. The states of Bihar, West Bengal, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Nagaland and Uttarakhand have not reported any suchincident.
In the case ofagricultural labourers as well, Maharashtra again has reported the maximumnumber of incidents (21.7% of the total incidents) reported in 2016. Karnatakareported 867 cases (17%), Madhya Pradesh- 722 cases (14%) and Andhra Pradesh-565 cases (11%). States of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur,Nagaland and West Bengal have reported zero incidents. All the suicidesreported in Haryana (250) are that of labourers.
One out of three deaths in farming sector is reported
in Maharashtra
If the totalnumber of suicides of persons involved in the agriculture sector is considered,it is observed that the suicides in Maharashtra amounted to 32% of the total suicidesin the country. This can also be interpreted as one out of three suicides ofthose involved in agriculture takes place in Maharashtra.
States which havereported more than 100 cases each have been represented in the above chart. Maharashtra,Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh together account for 69% of the totalsuicides in this sector.  The suicides offarmers and agricultural labourers in Maharashtra is almost 21% of all the suicides in the state whereas the national average is8.7%. The drought prone Marathwada and Vidarbha regions are in Maharashtra fromwhere the majority of these suicides are reported.
Karnataka witnessed an increase of 1,311 suicides in
the sector since 2014
Looking at thenumber of such suicides reported
by each state in 2015 and 2016, onecan observe that among the bigger states, in Karnataka, the number of incidentshas shot up by 510  (32.5%). In fact,Karnataka had also witnessed a 104% increase in 2015 as compared to 2014. Otherstates which reported an increase are given below.
In the states ofHaryana, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, it was observed that even in 2015, thenumber of suicides reported in the agricultural sector had increased by 36.1%,7.7% and 93.8% respectively compared to 2014.
Telangana has reported a reduction in suicides by 54% in
2016
States whichreported reduction of more than 50 suicides are listed below along with thepercentage reduction. Telangana has witnessed a decline in suicides in farmingsector by 54% and 755 cases compared to 2015.
In 2015, amongthese states, only Tamil Nadu had reported a decline by 32.3% compared to 2014.The number of suicides decreased from 895 in 2014 to 606 in 2015 and 381 in2016. A net decrease of more than 57% has been recorded.
What
about other studies?
A study on farmersuicides was conducted
by ISEC, Bengaluru in 2017, commissioned bythe ‘Department of Agriculture’ of Government of India. The study was conductedacross 13 major states in the country which reported high number of suicidecases. A total of 528 victims’ households were surveyed. Causes of farmersuicides were classified broadly into three categories- social, farming anddebt related causes.
In terms offarming related causes, expectation of non- institutional credit was the reasonbehind 37% of deaths while failure of rain resulted in 36% of deaths. 44% ofthe victims’ households claimed institutional loans to be the reason. Alcoholism/drug addiction also accounted for 26% of the deaths. Other reasons includeillness, fall in reputation, daughter’s wedding, family quarrel and more. Ithas to be noted that the study recorded debt related issues, farming relatedissues and social causes separately for each of the suicide cases consideredfor the study. Hence there could be multiple reasons attributed to a suicidefrom amongst the various categories.  Thestudy mentions that the act of committing suicide was a combination of severalcumulative causes which can be grouped into social, farming and debt-related.

created: November 27, 2019


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Scene of Mahatma Gandhi and Savarkar’s conversation from ‘Veer Savarkar’ movie shared as from ‘Gandhi’ movie - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 19, 2022
A video clipping is being shared on social media claiming that it shows a scene from the 1982 ‘Gandhi’ movie where Mahatma Gandhi’s is in conversation with Veer Savarkar. Sharing the video, this post claims it as the visuals of Savarkar strongly expressing his disagreement regarding the caste system, religious conversions and non-violence movement with Mahatma Gandhi. This post claims that Richard Attenborough directed ‘Gandhi’ movie had portrayed Gandhi’s lack of confidence in countering Savarkar’s strong views on Hinduism. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows Mahatama Gandhi and Savarkar’s conversation scene from 1982  ‘Gandhi’ movie.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows a clipping from ‘Veer Savarkar’ movie that released in 2001. The video does not show a scene from the Richard Attenborough-directed ‘Gandhi’ movie that released in 1982. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by a YouTube channel in April 2011. The description of the video states, “Vinayak Damodar Savarkar meets Mahatma Gandhi at Ratnagiri. Clip from the movie Veer Savarkar.” When we searched for further sources using the keywords, we found the same visuals in the  complete version of ‘Veer Savarkar’ film published on a few YouTube channels. They can be seen here and here.
Ved Rahi directed ‘Veer Savarkar’ movie was released in 2001. The detailed list of cast of the ‘Veer Savarkar’ film can be see here.
Richard Attenborough directed ‘Gandhi‘ movie was released in 1982. A conversation between Mahatma Gandhi and the Hindu right-wing activists, from the movie ‘Gandhi’, can be seen here. Ben Kingsley portrayed the character of Mahatma Gandhi in the Richard Attenborough directed ‘Gandhi’ movie. But, Ben Kingsley did not play the same character in the film ‘Veer Savarkar’. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows a scene from the Ved Rahi-directed Veer Savarkar’ movie, not from the 1982 released Gandhi movie.
To sum it up, a scene showing Mahatma Gandhi and Veer Savarkar’s conversation from the ‘Veer Savarkar’ movie is shared as from the 1982 ‘Gandhi’ movie.

created: October 19, 2022


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This photo shows Mahatma Gandhi with Passive Resisters soccer club members, not the British Army - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 2, 2022
Update (02 June 2022):
Another post with an image of Gandhi is being widely shared with the same narrative that M.K.Gandhi who preached nonviolence was a Sergeant-Major in the British Army and inspired large number of Indians to join the British Army.  But as explained below, Gandhi was awarded with a temporary rank of Sergeant Major for raising voluntary ambulance corps service to render medical aid to the British troops. The ambulance corps volunteers are non-combatants and were not deployed in on-ground combats. Mahatma Gandhi was never employed in British Army.
Published (29 May 2022):
An image is being shared on social media claiming it is a group photo taken when Mahatma Gandhi served as a Sergeant Major for the British army. This post claims that the British Government has awarded him two gold medals for his service in the British army. Let’s verify the claim made in the post. the ambulance corps volunteers are non-combatants and are they were not deployed in on-ground combats.
Claim: A group photo of Mahatma Gandhi when he served as a Sergeant Major of the British army.
Fact: The image shared in the post shows Mahatma Gandhi posing along with the Passive Resistors Football Club players and staff in South Africa, in 1913. During his two-decade stay in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi started two football clubs with the name ‘Passive Resistors’. Mahatma Gandhi started these football clubs to use sports venues as a platform to campaign his non-violent political views and issues related to racial discrimination. During the second Boer war in South Africa, Gandhi raised a voluntary ambulance corps service to render medical aid to the British troops. But the ambulance corps volunteers are non-combatants and they were not deployed in on-ground combats. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found on the ‘Alamy’ website. The description of the photo states, “Mahatma Gandhi, standing back row sixth from left with Secretary Miss Sonia Schlesin with Passive Resisters Soccer Club, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1913”.  This image was credited to ‘Dinodia Photos’. ‘Dinodia Photos’ published a colour version of the same photo with a description, “Pretoria vs Johannesburg Passive Resisters Johannesburg South Africa 1913”.
When we searched for further details using these keywords, we found the same photo in an article published by the ‘Live Mint’. According to the details provided in the article, during his two-decade stay in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi started two football clubs in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Both these football clubs are named ‘Passive Resistors’. Mahatma Gandhi started these football clubs with the objective of using the sports venues as a platform to campaign his non-violent political views and issues related to racial discrimination. Several other news websites have also published this photo with a similar description. They can be seen here and here.
During the 1899-1902 Boer war in South Africa, Gandhi raised a voluntary ambulance corps to render medical aid to the injured British troops. The volunteers of the ambulance corps are non-combatants, and they were deployed only to provide medical aid. A group picture of Mahatma Gandhi along with his ambulance corps volunteers can be seen here. Mahatma Gandhi continued his Ambulance Corps service during the Zulu rebellion in 1906 and the First World War. During the Zulu rebellion, felicitating the work of Mahatma Gandhi, a Chief Medical Officer designated Gandhi with a temporary rank of Sergeant Major.  The work of the corps was appreciated, and the leaders were awarded the War Medal.
The British Army did not award him two gold medals for his service as Sergeant Major. Mahatma Gandhi was never employed in British Army. From all these, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post has nothing to do with Gandhi’s service as voluntary ambulance corps.
To sum it up, this photo shows Mahatma Gandhi posing along with the players and the staff of Passive Resisters soccer club, not with the British Army.


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What are the major Inter-State Water disputes in the country? - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 6, 2016
Inter-State water disputes have only increased in the recent times. As per the information shared by the government, there are 8 major Inter-State water disputes in the country.
With river water being an important source of irrigation in various states, Inter-State river water disputes have only increased. The Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has once again reached the Supreme Court. But what are the major such disputes in the country?
Inter-State River water disputes
The Inter-State river water disputes are governed by the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. If a State Government makes a request regarding any water dispute and the Central Government is of opinion that the water dispute cannot be settled by negotiations, then a Water   Disputes Tribunal is constituted for the adjudication of the water dispute.
This act was further amended in 2002 to include the major recommendations of ‘The Sarkaria Commission’. The amendments mandated a one year time frame to setup the water disputes tribunal and also a 3 year time frame to give a decision.
List of major Inter-State Water disputes
Below is the list of major Inter-State water disputes as per the information shared by the Government in the Lok Sabha.
Other Inter-State Water disputes
Apart from the above mentioned disputes, the following are the other Inter-State water disputes
It also must be noted that there are occasions where the states had resolved their disputes on water sharing or joint projects through mutual discussions and agreements with/without the direct intervention of the Central Government. As per information available in central water commission publication “Agreements on Inter-State Rivers of Legal Instruments on Rivers In India”, about 114 inter-State agreements have been reached so far.

created: September 6, 2016


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Make in India Campaign - Who Designed it? - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 6, 2015
Make in India is an ambitious campaign initiated by the Government of India in September 2014. The campaign was launched with great fanfare by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi amidst the major bigwigs of India Inc. The primary objectives of the campaign are to promote India as an investment destination, transform the country into a global manufacturing hub helping large scale job creation among others.
The campaign also made its place into a Republic day parade tableau this year. A stall was also setup in Davos at the World Economic Forum. But which creative agency is driving the campaign? How did they win this deal and how much is being spent?
Information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application filed with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotions (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry shows that a creative agency by the name M/s Wieden + Kennedy India Pvt. Ltd (WK), a subsidiary of the American consultant firm Wieden + Kennedy has been engaged as the creative agency for this campaign. The firm has been engaged by DIPP as its creative agency for promoting India as an investment destination through a letter dated 27 August, 2014. The firm will be paid a total sum of Rs 4,32,50,000/- for a period up to 31 March, 2015. Out of this, an amount of Rs. 1,83,70,860/- has already been released to the firm. The said contract lasts up to 31 March, 2015.
Given the concept and objectives of the Make in India Campaign, it is ironic that the campaign has been designed by an affiliate of a foreign firm. To their credit, WK has done a commendable job with the logo and other creative works. It is to be noted that their clientele are some of the biggest names in the Industry like Nike, Chrysler, Coca Cola, Facebook to name a few. Four of their clients’ commercials were telecasted during the American Football Super Bowl 2015 (the most watched American television broadcast and is known for high profile commercials).
Two other firms also applied for the creative agency with the DIPP. They are:
M/s The India Works Design and Strategy (P) Ltd: We could not find any firm with this name.
M/s Promodome Communications (P) Ltd: Based in New Delhi, this firm has an impressive client list that includes Bata, Intel, Maruti Suzuki etc. They also provided consulting services for Public Sector units such as Delhi Police, Uttaranchal Tourism, HP Tourism, Delhi Tourism etc.
Among the three firms, the DIPP has selected M/s Wieden + Kennedy based on their proposal and quotation according to the RTI response.

created: February 6, 2015


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Making of the Indian Constitution - Infographic - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 26, 2015
Let us take a minute to understand what it took in making of the Indian constitution a reality.

created: January 26, 2015


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Making Sense of the Assembly Bye-Election Results
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 14, 2017
Out of the 10 constituencies that went for bye-polls, the BJP won 5 with a net gain of 2 and the Congress held onto its 3 seats.
The results of the bye-elections to ten (10) different Assembly constituencies were declared yesterday. These 10 constituencies are in eight (8) different states. The BJP won 5 of these, Congress won 3 and Trinamool Congress & the JMM won one each.
Himachal Pradesh (Bhoranj)
Bhoranj in Himachal Pradesh was held by the BJP before this Election. The BJP retained this seat though their vote share has gone down by more than 7%. Even the Congress’s vote share has gone down this time around because of an independent who polled close to 10% of the total vote.
Karnataka (Gundlupet, Nanjangud)
Both Gundlupet & Nanjangud were held by the Congress. The Congress retained both these seats and increased its vote share in both the seats. The reason why the BJP’s vote share in 2013 was very low is because former BJP CM Yeddyurappa had floated a regional outfit, the KJP in 2013 and KJP won a substantial vote share in both these places in 2013. The JD(S) also contested in Nanjangud in 2013, but this time it was a straight fight between the Congress & the BJP.
Madhya Pradesh (Ater, Bandhavgarh)
The BJP & the Congress held one seat each in Madhaya Pradesh. Both the parties retained their respective seats. In Ater, the BJP substantially improved its vote share and lost by a whisker. The Congress also improved its vote share here. The absense of  a BSP candidate who polled more than 17% in 2013 resulted in a two-way fight between the Congress & the BJP. In Bandhavgarh, the BJP won comfortably and both the parties increased its vote share, again thanks to BSP not contesting.
Rajasthan (Dholpur)
The BSP won this seat in 2013 elections with a vote share of close to 38%. With the BSP not choosing to contest this time, the entire BSP vote seems to have gone to the BJP and it increased its vote share by a whopping 35%.
West Bengal (Kanthi Dakshin)
The Trinamool Congress won this seat in 2016. This time around, it won handsomely with an increased vote share. But the real story of this election is BJP’s second place finish. In 2016, the CPI had won 34.22% vote and was in the second place. This time around, it has been relegated to the third place with only 10.21% vote share. The BJP gained more than 22% vote compared to 2016.
Jharkhand (Littipara)
This seat was won the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in 2014 with a vote share of 45.93%. The JMM retained this seat with a 46.39% vote share. The BJP improved its vote share, but could not win. The Congress did not contest this time around.
Delhi (Rajouri Garden)
The real story of this round of bye-elections is from Delhi. In 2015, the AAP won this seat with a vote share of 46.55%. The Akali Dal candidate (BJP’s ally in 2015) won 38.04% votes while the Congress could win only 12% vote. This time around, the Akali Dal candidate contested on a BJP ticket and won with a vote share of 51.99%. Last time winner the AAP has been relegated to the 3rd place with just 13.12% vote and forfeited its deposit. The Congress on the other hand recovered from its 2015 drubbing and polled 33.23% vote. It has to be noted that that overall polling percentage in 2017 decreased by over 25% compared to 2015.
Assam (Dhemaji)
The BJP won this seat in 2016 with a vote share of 40.9%. It retained this seat with an increased vote share. The Congress also increased its vote share by over 14% since it was a two-way fight between the Congress & the BJP this time around.
The BJP gains, Congress holds on and other lose
The BJP which held only 3 out of these 10 seats before this election has won 5 seats now gaining 2, one each from the AAP and BSP. The Congress on the other hand was able to hold on to the 3 seats it held before this election. The AAP & the BSP lost their seat while the Trinamool Congress & the JMM retained their respective seat.
Featured Image: Assembly Bye-Election Results


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Making sense of the Rajya Sabha results (March 2018)
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 25, 2018


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Making Sense of the Vehicle Registration Number - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 5, 2015
Every Vehicle bought in the country has to be registered with the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) who in turn allots a registration number. But what does the Registration Number indicate and how are these numbers allotted?
Every vehicle bought in the country has to be registered with the local Road Transport Authority (RTA) following a due process. The application for registration has to be submitted along with the requisite documents, and the prescribed fee for registration. The RTA in turn registers the vehicle and allots a registration number to the vehicle. But how is this registration number allotted? Here is a detailed explanation of the registration number and what it means.
The State Code (The first two letters)
The first two letters of any registration number indicate the state or the union territory. Section 41(6) of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 authorizes the central government to allot two letter codes for each state or union territory. Vehicles of Diplomatic Officers, United Nations Personnel are registered separately. The state of Telangana has been added to this list in 2014 with the code TS.
Note: The above screenshot is from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India and there seems to be a mistake in the code for Punjab. The code for Punjab is ‘PB’ and not ‘PN’.
Registering Authority (The next two digits)
The two digits next to the State/UT code represent the code of the Registering Authority. The registering authority is usually a district. The relevant state government is authorized to allot these codes. Certain districts or registering authority may be given multiple codes (for e.g., capital cities, metros etc), since a large number of vehicles are bought in these places.
For example, Rule 80 of the Telangana Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 authorize the government of Telangana to allot codes to the registering authorities. Similar allotment is done by all state governments.
The Alphabetical Series (The Next two letters)
The next two letters represent the alphabetical series that starts from A and can technically go up to ZZ. Certain alphabets are reserved for registration of specific category of Vehicles. For e.g., in Telangana, the series starting with Z in Hyderabad is reserved for the Road Transport Corporation vehicles. Similarly, the series starting with P is reserved for Police Vehicles. The series with T,U,V,W,X and Y are reserved for Transport Vehicles.
The Last Four Digits
For alloting the last four digits, the applications received on a given day are arranged in alphabetical order and the numbers are usually allotted serially after the last registration number assigned the previous day.
The authority reserves the right to reserve certain registration numbers that are considered fancy or rare. These numbers are allotted on payment of an additional fee. For e.g., in Telangana, numbers 1, 9, 999, 9999 are allotted on payment of an additional amount of Rs 50,000.
But if there is more than application on a particular day for a specific number, then offer amounts in closed envelopes are invited form the applicants. The applicant offering the highest amount is given that number, provided it is not less than the minimum specified amount.
Certain Numbers are also reserved for government vehicles.
Example Illustration

created: October 5, 2015


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Making Sense of the Vehicle Registration Number - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 4, 2015
Every Vehicle bought in the country has to be registered with the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) who in turn allots a registration number. But what does the Registration Number indicate and how are these numbers allotted?

created: October 4, 2015


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Malabar Charitable Trust does not offer scholarships to students based on caste and religion - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 3, 2024
A graphic (here, here, and here) is being shared on social media claiming that the Malabar Charitable Trust, a part of the Malabar Gold and Diamond business, offers scholarships for education only to Muslim students. A group photo of burqa-clad Muslim students holding Malabar Charitable Trust scholarship certificates is shared in this graphic, along with the photo of MP Ahammed, the owner of Malabar Gold and Diamonds. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Malabar Charitable Trust provides scholarship assistance for education only to Muslim students.
Fact: Malabar Charitable Trust, a part of the Malabar Gold and Diamond business, does not distribute scholarships to students on the basis of caste and religion. Students are selected for the Malabar Charitable Trust Institution scholarship based on merit and family financial conditions. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To find more details about the viral claim, we performed a keyword search which led us to a copy of a pamphlet published(archive link) by the Malabar Gold and Diamond Company. The pamphlet states that Malabar Charitable Trust in Mangalore has given scholarships to 630 students studying in about 60 colleges. According to the details in this pamphlet, the students seen in the photo are from the Uppinangady Government PU College.
However, in the pictures published in this pamphlet, it is clear that Malabar Charitable Trust has given scholarships not just to Muslim students but also to those from other religions. Some more photos of the scholarship distribution program organised by Malabar Charitable Trust in Mangalore can be seen here and here (archive links can be found here and here). In these photos, the people seen in the viral photo can be seen offering scholarships to Hindu and other non-Muslim students. A few news reports published regarding this event can be found here and here.
The Malabar Charitable Trust has said on its website that the Malabar Charitable Trust provides scholarships for the education of poor students without discrimination of caste and religion. The Eligibility Criteria of this Malabar Charitable Trust Scholarship says that this scholarship, which is offered exclusively for students, will be selected only based on merit and the financial conditions of their family.
Speaking to FACTLY about the rumours going viral on social media that the Malabar organisation offers scholarships only to Muslims, the management of Malabar Charitable Trust told FACTLY, “This news being shared on social media is completely false. Malabar Charitable Trust does not provide scholarship on the basis of caste and religion”. This makes it clear that a group photo of only Muslim students holding the Malabar Charitable Trust Scholarship certificate is being shared to propagate a false claim that the Malabar Charitable Trust offers scholarships only to Muslims.
To sum up, the Malabar Charitable Trust does not provide scholarships to students based on caste and religion.


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Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu did not apologize to Indians in a tweet; Viral screenshot is fabricated - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 8, 2024
A screenshot circulating on social media shows Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu apologizing to Indians with folded hands for his ministers’ recent comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In this article, we will verify the authenticity of the tweet.
Claim: Screenshot of  Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s tweet apologizing to Indians for his ministers’ recent comments on PM Narendra Modi
Fact: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu did not apologize to Indians in a tweet. The most recent tweet from this account was posted on 05 January 2024. Online tools that monitor social media account’s posting activity also suggest the same. Most likely, the viral screenshot is fabricated. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Controversy erupted on social media when a Maldives Minister posted a disparaging tweet about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, accusing India of targeting the Maldives. Taking cognizance of the events, the Maldives government took action by suspending three deputy ministers for their derogatory comments.
The Government of Maldives acknowledged the offensive remarks made by the minister on social media, emphasizing that these opinions are personal and do not reflect the views of the Maldivian government. In a statement, the government expressed the belief in exercising freedom of expression in a democratic and responsible manner, avoiding the spread of hatred and negativity, and maintaining positive relationships with international partners.
It is in this context, that the widely circulated tweet attributed to President Mohamed Muizzu is being shared. However, it is important to note that the Maldives President did not author the tweet, and the viral screenshot is fabricated, and generated digitally. A search on the official Twitter account of President Mohamed Muizzu did not produce any tweet matching the content depicted in the viral screenshot dated 07 January 2024. The most recent tweet from this account was posted on 05 January 2024.
I have received concerns from some staff of HDC regarding the shift of municipal services from HDC to MCC. I would like to give full assurance that none of the staff will end up being forced to accept a reduction in salary, insurance, or any other benefits they currently receive,… https://t.co/0apsdWKb1H
Upon further analysis using Social Blade, a tool that monitors an account’s posting activity, including deleted posts, it is confirmed that Muizzu did not delete any tweet after 07 January 2024. Additionally, a Twitter advanced search, with filters to find replies to his tweets, revealed that the most recent responses he received were related to his 05 January 2024 tweet, suggesting that he might have not posted any tweets on 07 January 2024.
If the Maldivian President had indeed made such a tweet, it would likely have been reported by the media. However, our search did not yield any reports on this matter. Consequently, all these prove that the screenshot is digitally created.
To sum it up, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu did not apologize to Indians in a tweet; the Viral screenshot is fabricated.

created: January 8, 2024


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Malicious Links are Circulated in the Guise of Offering Free Mobile Recharge for Indians - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2024
Update (19 January 2024):
Another post is being share on social media claiming that PM Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath are giving free recharge of ₹ 749 for 3 months to the whole of India on the occasion of Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya on 22 January 2024. The post asks users to recharge their number by clicking the link shared.
However, no such scheme was announced by either PM Narendra Modi or UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The link shared is a fraudulent one. When similar free recharge schemes were shared previously, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarified that the Indian Government is not running any such scheme.
Update (22 August 2023):
A post is being shared on social media claiming that Madhya Pradesh’s Bageshwar Dham temple head Dhirendra Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, is crediting Rs. 999 to every Indian citizen’s bank account for free. The post purportedly made by Bageshwar Dham Sarkar’s Facebook handle shared an URL link below and asks the users to click on the link to avail the benefits of this free money said to be distributed by Bageshwar Dham Sarkar. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
On clicking the URL link provided below the post, the URL led to a webpage claiming that Bageshwar Dham Sarkar intends to distribute Rs. 1999 to each individual in Madhya Pradesh. The webpage asks users to click on a red button to avail the benefits of this offer. However, after clicking the red button, the webpage didn’t lead to any other page. It is not the official website of Bageshwar Dham Sarkar and the purported Facebook handle that made this post was a parody account of Bageshwar Dham Sarkar. Bageshwar Dham Sarkar did not make any such announcement of crediting Rs. 999 to every Indian’s bank account either on his website or on his official social media handles. A spokesperson of Bageshwar Dham confirmed to a journalist that the viral posts are fake and advised people not to click on such fraudulent links.
Published (20 June 2023):
Several posts (here & here) carrying links to unknown websites are being widely shared on social media claiming that PM Modi is offering a mobile recharge of ₹239 for every Indian as part of his election campaign for the 2024 General elections. Let’s verify the authenticity of these posts.
Claim: PM Modi is offering a mobile recharge of ₹239 for every Indian as part of his election campaign for the 2024 General elections.
Fact: Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarified that the Indian Government is not running any such scheme and declared the posts as fraudulent. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We searched through official sources to check if such a scheme exists, but we couldn’t find any evidence to support it. Also, the BJP hasn’t announced any such offer as part of their election campaign.
When these posts gained traction on social media, the fact-checking unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarified that the Indian Government is not running any such scheme and declared the posts as fraudulent.
दावा : प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी द्वारा सभी भारतीय यूजर्स को ₹239 का 28 दिन वाला रिचार्ज फ्री में दिया जा रहा है #PIBFactCheck
◼ यह दावा फर्जी है
◼ भारत सरकार द्वारा यह फ्री रिचार्ज योजना नहीं चलाई जा रही
◼यह धोखाधड़ी का एक प्रयास है pic.twitter.com/mE7V5aCOuS
Moreover, experts strongly advise against clicking on unknown or suspicious links, as doing so may result in the user’s device being infected and potentially lead to data theft.
FACTLY has previously debunked similar claims of PM Modi offering free talk time to Indians. To learn more about protecting yourself against online fraud and to gain valuable insights, follow FACTLY’s ‘RBI Be(A)ware’ series on YouTube.
To sum it up, malicious links are being shared under the guise of PM Modi offering free recharge for Indians.

created: January 19, 2024


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Malicious Links Masquerading as Google Bard AI and Chat GPT4 are Shared in Social Media Ads - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 19, 2023
Update (19 May 2023):
Following the previous debunking of false claims surrounding “Bard AI”, a new wave of misinformation has emerged, suggesting the availability of downloadable links for Open AI’s GPT-4 Chatbot (here and here).
Our research revealed that the GPT-4 Chatbot is only available on iPhones as a Downloadable application (currently in the United States). Otherwise, Chat GPT-4 is accessible through the OpenAI website, in ChatGPT Plus paid subscription (here), which one can access through the Internet.
Like the Bard AI Scam, the weblink provided in these Facebook pages gets routed to a website where downloadable software is available. This website is not the official website of GPT-4. Hence, the links that are being shared on these Facebook pages can be dangerous, and as OpenAI has not officially released any downloadable software which can be used on a computer, one should not trust such links and download them, as they could compromise the sensitive information of users.
Published (12 May 2023):
Following the recent launch of Google Bard on 10 May 2023, a flurry of advertisements (here and here) have emerged on social media promoting a ‘downloadable version’ of Google’s AI chatbot. These posts provide a link to what they claim is this downloadable version. This article looks at the authenticity of these claims.
Claim: Social media ads propagating a downloadable variant of Google’s AI chatbot, Bard.
Fact: Google Bard, made available to all users as of 10 May 2023, functions exclusively in-browser and is not offered as downloadable software. The links embedded in these advertisements direct to malicious software, posing a risk of potentially compromising sensitive information on the systems where it’s installed. Hence, the claim made in this post is FALSE.
The Facebook pages responsible for circulating these ad posts are not officially verified. Our examination on Facebook for an official, verified Google Bard AI page returned no matches, indicating that Google has not yet created such a page. This suggests that the Facebook pages sharing these ads are unverified third-party entities, calling their credibility into question.
These advertisements purport that the provided link offers access to a downloadable version of Google Bard AI. However, considering that Bard is an AI chatbot accessible via a web browser or as a Chrome extension, it’s ill-advised to download any content from such unverified and potentially unsafe sources. The provided link redirects to a website with a URL entirely different from the official Bard AI website, and it hosts a downloadable .EXE file, which could be a form of malicious software.
Moreover, there’s a lack of trustworthy online information that corroborates the existence of a downloadable version of Bard AI. In fact, news reports (here and here) warn that cybercriminals are exploiting compromised verified (and unverified) social media accounts to bait users into downloading malware.
Given this evidence, it’s plausible to deduce that these pages are deploying ads to distribute malware under the guise of Bard AI. One can access the Web version of the Bard here.
To sum it up, cybercriminals are attempting to ensnare social media users into downloading malicious content by exploiting ads posted through pages falsely linked to Bard AI.


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Mallikarjun Kharge did not announce that Sachin Pilot will be made the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming that Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge while addressing a rally in Shimla, announced Sachin Pilot as the new Chief Minister candidate for Rajasthan replacing Ashok Gehlot. This post claims that Mallikarjun Kharge had made this announcement as a move to punish Ashok Gehlot for rebelling against the party. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Mallikarjun Kharge while addressing a rally in Shimla announced to make Sachin Pilot the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech at Banuti in the Shimla rural constituency on 09 November 2022. This rally was organized as part of the Congress party’s campaign for the Himachal Pradesh elections 2022. During this rally, Mallikarjun Kharge did not make any such announcement of making Sachin Pilot the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan by replacing Ashok Gehlot. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On watching the full video, one could notice that Mallikarjun Kharge had not made any statement referring to Sachin Pilot or Ashok Gehlot or Rajasthan politics during his speech. On observing the video carefully, one could see a banner with the text, “Parivarthan Prathigna Rally” (when translated from Hindi to English), placed in the background of the meeting. This banner displayed at the meeting described that the meeting was held on 09 November 2022, at Banuti in the Shimla rural constituency.
When we searched for this video using keywords on the internet, a video showing Mallikarjun Kharge’s full speech at the Banuti rally was found on the official YouTube channel of the Indian National Congress. On 09 November 2022, Congress organised a rally as part of the election campaign for the Himachal Pradesh elections that was held on 12 November 2022. Addressing the Banuti rally, Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the BJP government for increasing unemployment in the country and misleading people by making exaggerated election promises. Mallikarjun Kharge in his speech at the Banuti rally promised that Congress will deliver all its election promises including 5 lakhs jobs for youth, restoring the old pension scheme, 300 units of free electricity, loan waivers to farmers. Mallikarjun Kharge did not make any such announcement of making Sachin Pilot the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan during this rally.
Several news websites published articles reporting Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech at the Banuti rally in Shimla. They can be seen here and here. None of these news reports reported that Mallikarjun Kharge made an announcement of making Sachin Pilot the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. If Mallikarjun Kharge had made such a statement of replacing Ashok Gehlot with Sachin Pilot as the new CM of Rajasthan, it would have been widely reported. But we could not find a single news report report confirming this.
To sum it up, Mallikarjun Kharge hasn’t made any announcement about making Sachin Pilot the Chief Minister of Rajasthan by replacing Ashok Gehlot.

created: November 15, 2022


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Malnutrition in Children: Significant improvement in the last 15 years, but challenges remain
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 11, 2020
Over the last 15 years, India recorded a significant improvement in the case of malnourished children under the age of 5. The proportion of stunted children decreased from 48% to 34.7% and underweight children from 42.5% to 33.4%. However, concerns remain when India is compared on the global scale.
The COVID-19 infection and the subsequent lockdown which was imposed in the country has had a varying impact on many sections of the population, especially among the less privileged. The contraction in economy has led to loss of livelihood and tightening up of the already scarce resources impacting their sustenance. The impact could be greater on children from these communities, not only because of the impact on their families but also because of the disruption to the support mechanism including mid-day meals in schools, nutritious food & health care in Anganwadis etc.
The UNICEF cites a study by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where it is estimated that the impact COVID-19 could result in additional 1.2 million deaths of under 5 age children globally. UNICEF also estimates that 36 million may go hungry across the world and around 370 million children may miss out on nutritious school meals, due to the disruptions caused by spread of COVID-19 infection.
While we need to wait to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the health & nutrition of children in India, we take a look at the existing information to understand the state of malnutrition of children in India and the trends over a period of time.
Improving trend at national level on various indices of nutritional status
The National Family and Health Survey (NFHS) provides baseline information on few critical aspects relating to Family & Health Indicators in the country. The Nutritional status of children is one of the key information provided as part of the NFHS.
As per the standards adopted by World Health Organization(WHO), NFHS considers 3 indices to define the nutritional status in children.
The latest NFHS report was published in 2015-16 as part of the NFHS-4. The earlier iterations were NFHS-3 (2005-06), NFHS-2 (1998-99) & NFHS-1 (1992-93).
As per NFHS-4, about 38.4 % of the children in India under the age of 5 years are stunted. This is an improvement compared to 10 years ago. The NFHS-3 in 2005-06 reported that about 48% of the children under 5 in India had a stunted growth. About 35.7 % of the children under 5 years are estimated to be ‘Under-weight’ as per NFHS-4 estimates, which is a slight improvement over the 42.5 % reported in NFHS-3 estimates. However, the situation deteriorated for other index i.e. ‘wasted’, where in 21% of the children under five years are estimated to be of lesser weight than expected for their height as per NFHS-4 compared to 19.8% in the NFHS-3.
The criteria of consideration of children for the survey was modified during NFHS-3, where in all the children under the age of 5 were eligible to be measured. This was not the case in the earlier two surveys, where in only the last two children under the age of three years were measured. Hence it is not appropriate to compare the numbers for NFHS-3 & NFHS-4 with NFHS-1 & NFHS-2.  Nevertheless, NFHS-3 provides for a comparison with the earlier surveys for the three indices for children under the age of 3.
The numbers show that the trends across the indices observed in NFHS-4 is a continuation from earlier trends, where in the proportion of children who are stunted & underweight has come down, while the ones ‘wasted’ has increased.
Responding to a question in Lok Sabha on 23 September 2020, the government stated that the situation has improved compared to NFHS-4. This statement was based on the findings of Comprehensive National Nutritional Survey (CNNS) 2016-18.
As per CNNS 2016-18, the prevalence of stunting among children under the age of 5 reduced to 34.7% while under-weight children constituted 33.4% of the total children under the age of 5 in India. The survey also indicates that the situation of children who are categorized as ‘wasted’ has improved, contrary to the trends in the previous surveys.
Bihar, Gujarat, UP & MP have a higher proportion of Stunted children despite a marked improvement
Variances exists among the states with respect to these malnutrition indices. As per NFHS-3 in 2005-06, a total of 5 states in India each had more than half of the children under the age of 5 being ‘Stunted’. These include U.P (56.8%), Bihar (55.6%), Meghalaya (55.1%), Chhattisgarh (52.9%), Gujarat (51.7%), closely followed by MP (50%) and Jharkhand (49.8%).
Another 11 states each had 40% of the children with a stunted growth. Even for the comparatively better performing state of Kerala, nearly a quarter (24.5%) of the children under the age of five had a stunted growth. By the next round of survey i.e. NFHS-4 in 2015-16, the situation improved across all the states, with none of the states having more than 50% of children under 5 having a stunted growth. Of all the states, the five states of UP, Bihar, Meghalaya, MP & Jharkhand each  had more than 40% stunted children. Remarkably, three states i.e. Kerala, Goa and Tripura had less than a quarter of children suffering from this type of malnutrition.
By the time of CNNS 2016-18, only Bihar and Meghalaya have estimated more than 40 % of children under 5 years, being stunted due to malnutrition.
Over these three surveys, Jammu & Kashmir has shown the most improvement with only 15.5% of children being categorized as stunted as per CNNS survey, better than Kerala, Goa & Tamil Nadu. However, this survey also shows one of the better performing state of Tripura showing increase in the proportion of children categorized as stunted.
M.P, Uttarakhand & Meghalaya among states which have improved the most in the proportion of underweight children
As per NFHS-3 in 2005-06, Madhya Pradesh (60%) with was the worst performing state in terms of proportion of children under 5 who are ‘Underweight’. A decade later, MP was able to reduce it to 42.8% by the time of NFHS-4 in 2015-16, which further decreased to 38.7% as per the estimates of CNNS between 2016-18. Its position as the state with highest proportion of children under 5 years being underweight is occupied by Jharkhand by the time of CNNS with 42.9%. However, Jharkhand did improve compared to NFHS-3 where-in 55.9% of children under 5 were underweight.
Uttarakhand managed to nearly halve the proportion of underweight children under 5 years. Barring Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Delhi, every state was able to reduce the proportion of underweight children from NFHS-3 to CNNS (2016-18). There is a slight increase in the proportion of underweight children for these three states.
While there is an improvement over the years, India ranks among the countries with highest population of children suffering from malnutrition
In response to a Lok Sabha on 23 September 2020, the government highlighted the various initiatives taken up the government to tackle the challenge of malnutrition among children. These include provision of Supplementary Nutrition under Anganwadi Services of Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Other initiatives include – POSHAN Abhiyaan, Pradhan Mantri Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) etc. aimed at supplementing both immediate and longer-term nutritional needs.
The results of these initiatives are visible in the improvement across each of the states. Although the proportion of children suffering from malnutrition as measured by various indices vary largely among the states, the trend over the past two decades has been of improvement across the states.
In spite of the significant improvement in the last 15 years, India’s situation is still grim when compared on a global scale. As per the Global Nutrition Report – 2018, India is among the 100 countries which is not on track for at least one of the Nutrition targets including – Child overweight, child wasting, child stunting etc. By the time of Global Nutrition Report – 2020, it continued to be one among the countries with zero targets on track (88 countries). Meanwhile, China & South Africa with which India has a close association as one of leading developing nations through BRICS, have fared better with being on track in at least two of the three indicators. While Russia is categorized in the same group as India, most of the countries who are not on track include African and other lesser developed nations.
Featured Image: Malnutrition in Children

created: November 11, 2020


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Mamata Banerjee has also greeted Modi with a namaskar upon his arrival at Kolkata airport - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2020
A collage of two photos is being shared widely on social media with a claim that while Odisha CM has greeted Modi with a namaskar upon his arrival at Bhubaneswar airport, Mamata Banerjee was arrogant to greet Modi upon his arrival at Kolkata airport. Modi visited the cyclone-hit states West Bengal and Odisha to review the situation. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Mamata Banerjee did not greet Modi upon his arrival at Kolkata airport.
Fact: The posted photo was taken just before the customary greetings were exchanged between the leaders. In the video taken upon Modi’s arrival at Kolkata airport, it can be seen that Mamata Banerjee has also greeted Modi with a customary namaskar. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched with the keywords, the video related to the incident was found in the search results. In a video uploaded by ‘ANI News Official’ on YouTube, it can be seen that Mamata Banerjee has also greeted Modi with a customary namaskar upon his arrival at Kolkata airport. So, the posted photo was taken just before the customary greetings were exchanged between the leaders.
To sum it up, Mamata Banerjee has also greeted Modi with a namaskar upon his arrival at Kolkata airport.
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Mamata Banerjee said that she wanted to give Modi a tight slap of democracy. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook claiming that TMC party Chief Mamata Banerjee in a speech said that she wanted to slap Modi. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Mamata Banerjee: “I want to slap Modi when he comes to West Bengal.”
Fact:  Mamata Banerjee didn’t say that she wanted to slap Modi . She said that she wanted to give him a slap of democracy. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Not only users on Facebook but also prominent newspapers and channels (India Today, CNN News18, Aaj Tak, Jansatta, Oneindia)  have reported the same that she wanted to slap Modi.
When searched for the news on Google with the keywords ‘Mamatha wanted to slap Modi’, many news articles on this issue can be found in the search results. According to those articles, Mamatha Banerjee at her speech at Purulia said, “Money doesn’t matter to me. That is why when Narendra Modi came to Bengal and accused my party of being Tolabaaz (Toll collector), I wanted to give him a tight slap of democracy.” She did not say that she wanted to slap him.
Even the TMC party gave a clarification on this issue by posting on its official Facebook account the actual words spoken by their chief.
To sum it up, Mamata Banerjee said that she wanted to give Modi atight slap of democracy.


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Mamata Banerjee’s bandage changed from her left leg to right leg? No, it is a mirror image - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 16, 2021
A collage with a couple of photos is being shared on social media with a claim that the bandage dressing of Mamata Banerjee has been changed from her left leg to right leg. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photos show bandage of Mamata Banerjee changed from her left leg to right leg.
Fact: The photo of Mamata Banerjee in the wheelchair is a mirror image version of the original photo. The original photo has been modified to falsely show that the bandage is on her right leg. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the first photo in the post was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found to be published by multiple news agencies in their articles. Some of them can be seen here and here. The same photo was also tweeted by AITC leader Abhishek Banerjee on 11 March 2021. It can be observed that the photo was taken when Mamata Banerjee was admitted to the hospital. The bandage can be seen on the left leg of Mamata Banerjee.
.@BJP4Bengal Brace yourselves to see the power of people of BENGAL on Sunday, May 2nd.
Get READY!!! pic.twitter.com/dg6bw1TxiU
The second photo was taken when Mamata Banerjee was discharged from the hospital on 12 March 2021. It can be observed that the photo in the post is a mirror-image version of the original. In the original photo posted by ‘Banglar Gorbo Mamata’, it can be seen that the bandage is on her left leg. But the photo is modified to falsely show that the bandage is on her right leg.
CHAMPION IS BACK!#MamataBanerjeeAttacked #BanglaNijerMeyekeiChay #MamataBanerjee #Didi #BanglarGorboMamata pic.twitter.com/z0ivspjOh8
Also, in the video published by ‘ANI News’ with similar visuals, it can be seen that the bandage is on the left leg of Mamata Banerjee.
To sum it up, the photo of Mamata Banerjee in the wheelchair with a bandage on her right leg is a mirror image version of the original photo.


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Mamata Banerjee's letter to look into NRC list is photoshopped & shared as accepting Ramayan from Amit Shah - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 22, 2019
A post with the picture of Mamata Banerjee and Amit Shah is being shared as Mamata Banerjee accepting Ramayan from Amit Shah. The picture also shows a document with the words ‘Jai Shree Ram’ written on it in Hindi. Let’s try to analyze the claim and the authenticity of the picture.
Mamata Banerjee accepting Ramayan from Amit Shah.
Fact: Mamata Banerjee’s letter to Amit Shah regarding the 19 lakh people left out of NRC list is photoshopped and shared as if she is accepting Ramayan from Amit Shah. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When searched on Google with the keywords ‘Mamata Banerjee meeting Amit Shah’, many search result were obtained about her meeting with Amit Shah on 19 September 2019, during her visit to New Delhi. You can read about their meeting here and here.
Pictures similar to those from the post can be found in this tweet from ANI and the video regarding their meeting can be seen here. None of these pictures and video show Amit Shah presenting a book with the words ‘Jai Shree Ram’ written on it in Hindi. Mamata Banerjee in her interaction with the media after the meeting mentioned that, she handed over a letter to Amit Shah regarding the 19 lakh people who were left out of the NRC list, many of them being genuine voters.
WB CM Mamata Banerjee: I handed over a letter to him (HM Amit Shah), told him that of the 19 Lakh people left out of NRC, many are Hindi speaking, Bengali speaking & local Assamese. Many genuine voters have been left out. This should be looked into. I submitted an official letter pic.twitter.com/PiBPbZM02M
So, Mamata Banerjee’s letter to Amit Shah asking to look into the genuine voters who were left out of NRC list is photshopped and shared as if she is receiving Ramayan from Amit Shah.
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created: September 22, 2019


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Mamata Banerjee’s visit to a dargah in Nandigram was not a secret - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 26, 2021
A post accompanying a video showing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee praying at a dargah is being shared widely across social media platforms with a claim alleging that she offered prayers at a dargah secretly. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Mamata Banerjee offered prayers at a dargah in Nandigram secretly.
Fact: Mamata Banerjee offered prayers at a dargah in Nandigram on 09 March 2021. Multiple news agencies have reported her visit. In fact, Mamata Banerjee’s official Facebook account live-streamed the event. Hence the claim that she offered the prayers secretly is MISLEADING.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to an article that published multiple images of TMC’s election campaign. An image of Mamata Banerjee paying floral tributes in a dargah is also featured in these images. The description of that particular image reads ‘West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee visits a dargah, during an election campaign ahead of state assembly polls, in Nandigram. Banerjee will be contesting in the elections from Nandigram’.
Further search led us to a tweet by ANI dated 09 March 2021, which shared images of Mamata Banerjee’s visit to a dargah in Nandigram with a description “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visits Shamshabad Mazar in Nandigram and offers a chadar there”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visits Shamshabad Mazar in Nandigram and offers a chadar there. pic.twitter.com/c1ZSv2vVU0
Even Mamata Banerjee’s official Facebook account shared the video of her visit to a dargah in Nandigram. The visuals of the video in the post match with that of the video shared on Mamata’s official account. All these establish the fact that Mamata’s visit to a dargah in not maintained a secret, but many news agencies covered the event.
In view of the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, misleading posts like this one are being shared on social media platforms.
To sum it up, Mamata Banerjee’s visit to a dargah in Nandigram was not a secret.


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Man beaten up in the video is not a Muslim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 21, 2020
Update (09 March 2023): The same video is being shared by multiple social media users claiming that a Muslim was caught teasing Hindu women in Meerut Valley market (here, here). However, as explained below, the man beaten up in the video is Pavan Kumar, a Hindu, not a Muslim.
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that a Mullah (Muslim) was caught and beaten up in Ambala (Haryana) while he was trying to rape a 5-year-old girl. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of a Mullah being beaten for trying to rape a 5-year-old girl in Ambala (Haryana).
Fact: The man beaten up in the video is Pavan Kumar, a Hindu, not a ‘Mullah’ (or Muslim). He was beaten up by the women as he was sexually harassing three girls. He was not beaten when he tried to rape a girl. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on Google with the keywords, many articles with similar visuals were found in the search results. In the ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ article, the same video can be seen. From the article, it can be read that the accused was beaten up as he was sexually harassing three girls on their way to school. In the ‘ANI’ article, it can be read that the accused used to behave vulgarly with the girls and also, used to flash his private parts. He was beaten up for sexually harassing three girls on their way to school.
When FACTLY has contacted Sunita Daka (SHO Women Police Station), she has confirmed that this person was arrested based on the complaint that he was sexually harassing three girls (Two girls – Age 15 and One girl – Age 6). She has also clarified that the accused is a Hindu, not a Muslim. His name is Pawan Kumar (the same can be seen in the news articles).
To sum it up, the man beaten up in the video is not a Muslim. He was beaten up for sexually harassing three girls.
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created: January 21, 2020


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Man burning the Quran in this video is not the same person who’s caught in fire accident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 27, 2022
A video containing two separate visuals of a man burning Quran and a fire breather’s face accidentally catching fire are shared together indicating that fire accident is the consequence of burning Quran. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a man caught in fire in the aftermath of  burning of the Quran.
Fact: The man seen burning the Quran is different from the man who is caught in fire accident. Visuals of Quran are from Sweden in early 2021 and fire accident video is from an unidentified location in August 2022. Both are two different isolated unrelated incidents. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched YouTube with relevant keywords and found a video matching the visuals in viral video. The video titled, ‘The Quran burned outside the Swedish Riksdag’ was uploaded on 04 March 2021. Description of the video says that a Quran was burnt at an Islam-critical demonstration which was held outside Swedish parliament in a tribute to Samuel Paty.
Similarly, we also found a video of a fire breather’s face accidentally caught in fire. According to News18, the video shows a man doing fire breathing out on the streets in an undisclosed location. During this act, some of the fuel he spat out accidentally came back onto his face setting his beard and part of his face afire.
We compared the images of these two men and found that they are two different persons. On the top of that, both the videos show isolated unrelated incidents.
To sum it up, the video shows two different men involving in two different isolated events.

created: October 27, 2022


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Man getting baptized as shown in this video is not Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 7, 2021
A social media post accompanying a video of a man getting baptized is being shared with a claim that the video shows the current Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi getting baptized.
Fact: The man in the viral video does not bear any resemblance to Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi. In the video, the pastor pronounces ‘Simranjeet Singh’ as the name of the person who was getting baptized. Had Charanjit Singh Channi been baptized, media would have reported it widely. However, no such reports were found. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The man in the video does not bear any resemblance to Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi. Upon juxtaposing an image of Charanjit Singh Channi with that of the man in the viral video, we could not find any similarities.
Further at 0:30 time stamp of the video, we can clearly hear the Pastor pronouncing ‘Simranjeet Singh’ as the name of the person who he is baptizing, which makes it clear that the man is not Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. However, we could not find the exact context of the video.
Ever since Charanjit Singh Channi took over as Punjab’s Chief Minister, videos and images questioning his religious identity are being shared on social media. Earlier, a video of Channi, where he is seen saying Hallelujah was shared with a claim that ‘Charanjit Singh praised the Jesus after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Punjab’. However, that video is from an event organized in a Church much before Channi was sworn in as the CM of Punjab. FACTLY’s fact-check article debunking that claim can be read here.
As per the available information, Channi is a Sikh. Had Charanjit Singh Channi been baptized, media would have reported it widely. However, there are no such reports.
To sum it up, the man getting baptized in this video is not Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

created: October 7, 2021


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Mangalore Airport Bomb Case accused is neither a Muslim nor this man in the RSS uniform - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 23, 2020
Some pictures with a claim that they are related to the accused (Adithya Rao) in the Mangalore Airport Bomb Case are being shared widely on social media. Adhitya Rao has surrendered before the Bengaluru Police on Wednesday for planting an explosive device outside the Mangalore Airport. Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the posts.
Photo 1:
The man dressed in RSS uniform in the photo is Adithya Rao, the accused in the Mangalore Airport Bomb Case.
Fact: The man dressed in RSS uniform in the photo is not Adithya Rao. He is Sandeep Lobo. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
By looking at the facial features, it can be observed that the person in both photos is not the same. On Twitter, a user has tweeted that the man dressed in RSS uniform in the photo is Sandeep Lobo. So, when searched for that name on Facebook, the profile of ‘Sandeep Lobo’ was found. A similar photo of Sandeep Lobo in RSS uniform can be seen in his profile. It can be also seen that he denied the allegations that he is ‘Adhitya Rao’. He also posted the photos of the complaint that he filed on the fake posts on social media.
Another photo (archived) of Sandeep Lobo with Tejasvi Surya (Member of Parliament) is also being shared on social media with a similar claim that the photo shows ‘Adhitya Rao’ with Tejasvi Surya. The same photo can be seen in Sandeep Lobo’s profile. So, both the claims that the man in the RSS uniform and with Tejasvi Surya is ‘Adithya Rao’ are false.
Photo 2:
Mangalore Police released the photo of a Muslim suspected in the Mangalore Airport Bomb Case.
Fact: The posted photo has not been released by the Police. Also, the accused in the case is ‘Adithya Rao’, not ‘Mulla Mosin’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The photos released by the Police can be seen here. The details about the accused (‘Adithya Rao’) can be read here.
Karnataka: Mangaluru Police releases photographs of suspect and the autorickshaw he was seen leaving in, in the CCTV footage. A suspicious bag was found at Mangaluru Airport today. https://t.co/9X3seeADZC pic.twitter.com/NKeak3rwnz
To sum it up, the Mangalore Airport Bomb Case accused is neither a Muslim nor the man in the pictures in RSS uniform and with Tejasvi Surya.
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created: January 23, 2020


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The Many firsts of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 10, 2015
It is a well known fact that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) became only the fourth space agency after the Soviet Space program, NASA and ESA to successfully insert its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan in an elliptical orbit around Mars. This in itself is quite an achievement.
MOM is India`s first interplanetary mission. The objectives of the Mars Mission include,
The total cost involved in the Mars Mission is Rs 450 Crores, which includes cost towards Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, Launch Vehicle and the Ground Segment.
MOM carried five payloads with it as mentioned in the following table.
Breathtaking pictures from Mars Colour Camera (MCC) of India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft (source:ISRO)
The government believes that the following benefits would accrue from the MOM.
Tyrrhenus Mons as seen by Mars Color Camera (MCC) (source:ISRO)
Apart from all these, there are many other ‘firsts’ by Mangalyaan like the following, as mentioned by Mr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister’s office in response to questions posed in the Loksabha.
The Van Allen Belt (Source: NASA)


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Manipur - The Jewel of India - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 30, 2015
In the third part of the North East series, we look at Manipur, the Jewel of India. Manipur is known for many things apart from being the birthplace of Polo. It has a rich culture. The mainstay of its economy is agriculture. Please find the earlier parts here: Part 1 & Part 2
Surrounded by nine hills with an oval shaped valley at the center, a natural made Jewel and hence the name “A Jeweled land” or ‘Manipur’, it’s literal translation. Even the first prime minister of India famously said Manipur was the Jewel of India. Apart from being a nature’s gift to India, Manipur is also a melting pot of culture. It is the birthplace of Polo, the sport and the birthplace of Ras Lila, a classical dance form.
The Timeline
The Geography
Manipur has a geographical area of 22,327 sq.kms, that constitutes 0.7 percent of the total land surface of India. 90% of the total geographical area of the state covered by hills and the remaining area is a small valley accounting for only one-tenth of the total area of the state.
The State has 352 km long international border with Burma (Myanmar) to the south-east and 502 km long border with the adjacent states of Nagaland on the north, Assam on the west and Myanmar and Mizoram on the south and the south-west and Surma Tract and upper Chindwin of Myanmar (Burma) on the East.
The altitude of the State above the mean sea level varies from 790 meters to 2020 meters. It has sub-tropical temperate climate.
The People
The people of Manipur include Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Meitei Pangal and other colourful communities which have lived together in complete harmony for centuries. These are the people whose folklore, myths & legends, dances, indigenous games and martial arts, exotic handlooms & handicrafts are infested with the mystique of nature.
The population of Manipur as per 2011 census was 27.2 lakh comprising 13.7 lakh males and 13.5 lakh females. Population of Manipur constitutes nearly 0.22 percent of the total population of India. The decadal growth rate of population is 18.7%, slightly more than the national average.
The sex ratio increased from 974 females per 1000 males in 2001 to 987 in 2011. However, there is a decline in Child Sex Ratio from 957 to 936. The literacy rate is 79.2%.
The Places
From national parks to lakes to temples to war cemeteries to hills to the mysterious caves to the water falls to the zoos to the museums, Manipur has all what it takes to be a perfect holiday destination.
The Games
Sure, Manipur is the birthplace of what we know as Polo, but the original Sagol Kangjei (Manipuri Polo) is still very dear to the people in Manipur. The Manipuri Polo is played with seven players (in each side) who mount and ride ponies, which are usually 4/5 feet in height. Each player is fitted with Polo-stick made of bamboo root.
Manipur is also home for other indigenous games like:
Manipuri Rugby: “Yubi” in Manipur means coconut and “Lakpi” means snatching.The coconut serves the purpose of a ball and is offered to the king or the judges who sit just beyond the goal line.
Hiyang Tannaba (Boat Race): Held in the month of November at Thangapat(Moat), the game is associated with religious rites. The rowers wear traditional dresses and head-gears.
The Dance
Love of art and beauty is inherent in the people and it is difficult to find a Manipuri girl who cannot sing or dance. Manipuris are artistic and creative by nature. This has found expression in their handloom and handicraft products, which are world-famous for their designs, ingenuity, colorfulness and usefulness.
Each ethnic group has its own distinct culture and tradition deeply embedded in its dances, music, customary practices and pastimes.
Ras Lila: The Ras lila, the epitome of Manipuri classical dance is inter-woven through the celestial and eternal love of Radha and Krishna as has been described in the Hindu scriptures and reveals the sublime and transcendental love of Krishna and Radha and the Gopies’ devotion to the Lord.
Nupa Pala: Nupa Pala which is otherwise known as Kartal Cholom or Cymbal Dance is a characteristic of the Manipuri style of dance and music. The Nupa Pala acts as a prologue to the Ras Lila dances, besides an independent performance too, in connection with religious rites.
Pung Cholom: Pung or Manipuri Mridanga is the soul of Manipuri Sankritana music and Classical Manipuri Dance. Pung Cholom is performed as an invocatory number preceding the Sankirtana and Ras Lila.
Energy
The state continues to be deficit in electric energy. Purchase of power from outside the state has been rising at a higher rate. During the year 2007-08, the total installed capacity of power in the state was 46,212 KW. whereas the total availability of power from all sources was 6445.30 lakh kwh. Under Rural Electrification programme, 1966 villages have been electrified as on 31st December, 2007 which is about 84.74 percent of the total number of villages. There has been a significant progress in the electrification of villages during the 11 five year plan period.
Roads & the Transportation
The only major functional railhead linking Manipur with the rest of India is at Dimapur town of Nagaland state which is 215 km away from Imphal. A railhead has been extended from Silchar to Jiribam. It covers only 1.5 km of railway line over the state of Manipur. Manipur has air links with Kolkata, New Delhi, Silchar, Guwahati and Aizawl
The state has a very poor road communication facility. The main artery of communication is the 325 kms. long National Highway No.39 connecting Imphal with Dimapur in the neighbouring state of Nagaland. From Imphal it runs in the south-east for another 110 km to the International border town of Moreh on the Indo-Myanmar border.
The transport cost on this road is very high in view of transport service during night time and one-way trade movement because of little exports from Manipur. Another road of considerable economic importance is the 225 km long National Highways No. 53 viz. New Cachar Road, connecting Imphal with Silchar in Assam via Jiribam on the western fringe of the Manipur valley.
The Economy
As per the results of the Fifth Economic Census 2005, there are 1,04,732 enterprises in the State engaged in different economic activities other than crop production and plantation. Out of which, 54.98% are in the rural areas and 45.02% in the urban areas.
Agriculture sector has a vital place in the economy of the state. It contributes a major share to the State Domestic Product. 52.19 percent of the workers in Manipur are engaged as cultivators and Agricultural labourers.
However, the performance of agriculture in the state mainly depends on timely rainfall and weather conditions. Permanent cultivation is generally practised in the valley districts while terrace cultivation is practised in some pockets of the hills where jhuming or shifting cultivation is widely adopted in most of the hills. Rice is the staple food and is grown in hill and plain areas
Manipur, although economically slightly behind when compared to the rest of India, its cultural and natural diversity makes it a worthy holiday destination
Source: Manipur Economic Survey & Manipur State Website


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Manipur's Old Video of Cow Slaughter on BJP Flag Falsely Portrayed as Muslims Celebrating Congress' Victory in Karnataka Elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2023
A video depicting a group of individuals slaughtering a cow atop a BJP flag is circulating widely on social media, with a claim that it shows the visuals of Muslims celebrating the Congress party’s victory in the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslims celebrating the Congress party’s victory in the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections by slaughtering a cow on a BJP flag.
Fact: The incident captured in the video actually occurred in the Lilong area of Manipur state on 30 January 2022. This event was provoked when certain local leaders were denied BJP tickets for the 2022 Manipur assembly elections. Their followers, in response, initiated protests and acts of violence. This included the act of slaughtering a cow on a BJP flag and hurling abusive remarks towards the Chief Minister of Manipur and the state’s BJP president. In response to these actions, the police registered a case and arrested the three individuals responsible. Hence, the claim associated with the video is FALSE.
A reverse image search of the keyframes extracted from the viral video revealed that this video has been in circulation since January 2022 (Archived Link).
For more comprehensive information about this incident, we conducted an internet search and found related news articles from well known sources such as The Times of India, The Hindu, and the Imphal Free Press.
These reports confirm that during the candidate selection process for the 2022 Manipur Assembly elections, certain leaders and their followers resorted to agitation and violence when they were denied tickets by BJP. During this period, on 30 January 2022, in the Lilong area of Thoubal district, some individuals slaughtered a cow on a BJP flag and verbally abused the Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh and the BJP state president A. Sharda Devi. The individuals responsible, identified as Nazbul Hussain, Abdul Rashid, and Arif Khan, were subsequently apprehended by the police and charged under the relevant sections of the law. The FIR pertaining to this incident can be accessed here, and the current status of the court case can be viewed here (CNR No: MNTB020000542022).
Considering that the polling and declaration of results for the Karnataka assembly elections took place in May 2023, there is no direct correlation between the content of the viral video and the recent developments in Karnataka.
To sum it up, a video from January 2022, which documents an incident in Manipur, is being inaccurately depicted as a recent event following the Congress party’s victory in Karnataka.


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Manmohan-Modi foreign travel expenses comparison is incomplete and misleading - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 8, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook by many users claiming that PM Modi has spent lesser than Manmohan Singh on foreign trips. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The archived version of the post can be found here.
While Manmohan Singh spent Rs 12 crore per trip i.e. Rs 493 crore on 38 trips, Modi spent only Rs 10 crore per trip i.e. Rs 443 crore on 44 trips.
The numbers given in the post do not include the bills to be  received and IAF BBJ Flights used by the Modi government. Also, if total travel expenses (Aircraft Maintenance, Flights and Hotline) instead of just expenditure on chartered flights are included, then it is found that Modi spent around Rs. 2000 crore on foreign travel while Manmohan spent around Rs 1350 crore. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
The details on the foreign visits of Manmohan and Modi can be found on the PM India official website. According to the details provided on the website, it can be concluded that the details given in the post are incomplete. Any foreign visit of a Prime Minister of India includes the travel expenses under three heads:
In the post, only expenses on chartered flights are compared but the foreign trips also involve other costs listed above. The total foreign travel costs of Manmohan Singh was around Rs 1350 crores whereas for Modi it is around 2000 crore (this is excluding the bills, which are yet to be received).
The difference between the two will be less than the numbers presented above if they are adjusted for year-on-year inflation. So, the comparison of the two Prime Ministers cannot be made with the incomplete information available and without considering other factors like inflation, type of flights, etc.
Finally, incomplete information and different scenarios are compared to mislead the people.