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Old visuals from the North East are being attributed to recent landslides along the Karnataka-Goa highway - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 15, 2022
Update (15 July 2022):
Lately, the same visuals are also being circulated, claiming that the visuals show recent landslides in Kurnool- Srisailam route in Andhra Pradesh. However, we could not find any recent reports of any landslides in this area.
A popular media agency falsely reported the same visuals attributing them to landslides which occurred in Nashik of Maharashtra. It is true that multiple cities of Maharashtra are reeling under heavy rains, and as per a report ‘the road connectivity from Nashik district to Gujarat, through the Surgana taluka, was affected after a bridge got submerged and a landslide took place on the highway.’
However, the viral visuals are not related to the Nashik landslides, as they are very old visuals and most likely from the North East.
Published (07 July 2022):
A social media post accompanying a video of a landslide is being widely shared with a claim that the visuals show a recent landslide that occurred along the Belagavi-Goa Road. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals related to the Belagavi-Goa landslides.
Fact: These visuals are not related to the recent landslides, which occurred along the Karnataka-Goa highway. These visuals may be from the Northeastern states. Few news agencies reported these as visuals from Mizoram in June 2022, whereas few local reports attributed these visuals to landslides that occurred in Assam in June 2022. Though the exact location of the video is not known, the availability of these visuals on the internet from June 2022 suggests that these visuals have nothing to do with the recent landslides, which occurred along the Karnataka-Goa highway. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Earlier this week, a couple of incidents of landslides were reported at Anmod Ghat, leading to the closure of the Karnataka-Goa stretch. Media agencies have reported these incidents, and visuals related to landslides can be viewed here and here.
However, the viral visuals have nothing to do with the recent landslides along the Karnataka-Goa Road line. These visuals may be from the northeast and related to the landslides that occurred earlier in June 2022.
A reverse image search of the viral visuals yielded few news reports, which attribute these visuals to the Northeast. While few reports claim that the visuals are from Mizoram (here & here), other local reports claim that the visuals are from Assam (here, here & here).
It is true that the northeast states have been reeling under heavy rains for the past one month. Several incidents of landslides have also been reported across different states. Media reports related to these landslides can be read here and here. Although we could not independently verify the location of the viral visuals, the availability of these visuals on the internet from June 2022 suggests that the visuals are not related to the recent landslides along the Karanataka-Goa Road.
To sum it up, old visuals from the North East are being attributed to recent landslides along the Karnataka-Goa highway.


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Old visuals of anti-India protests held in Maldives are passed off as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 12, 2024
Amidst the ongoing diplomatic dispute between India and the Maldives, a video depicting a gathering of demonstrators donning masks resembling Modi has circulated widely on social media. The video purports to show a recent protest in the Maldives against Prime Minister Modi. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim associated with the video.
Claim: Video showing demonstrations in the Maldives against Prime Minister Modi, in the aftermath of the recent row between India and the Maldives.
Fact: The visuals in the viral video show anti-India protests by the opposition party in the Maldives in June 2023. Numerous news agencies reported these protests during that period. Importantly, these visuals have no connection to the current row. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral video does show protesters in the Maldives mocking PM Modi; however, these visuals portray an earlier protest and are unrelated to the recent row. An internet search using relevant keywords led us to news articles that reported these visuals in June 2023.
According to the reports, the visuals show protests against India (India Out) organized by the opposition party. During the demonstration, some protesters wore masks resembling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, some reports indicate that the then ruling party of Maldives condemned the protests.
“In its statement, the Maldivian foreign ministry blamed the country’s Opposition parties for the protests. The demonstration did not only provoke hatred but also promote hostility with the objective of tarnishing the country’s long-standing cordial ties with India,” reported Scroll.
A few more news articles covering these protests, where demonstrators ridiculed PM Modi by wearing masks resembling his face, can be read here and here. All these reports confirm that the viral visuals do not show any recent protests in the Maldives.
To sum it up, old visuals of anti-India protests held in Maldives are passed off as recent, linking them to the ongoing row.

source: news-factly

created: January 12, 2024

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Old visuals of anti-Modi protests in the US are being linked to the recent visit of PM Modi to the US - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 29, 2021
Photos and a video are being shared on social media claiming that these are of the recent anti-Modi protests amidst PM Modi’s recent visit to the United States of America. The posts can be seen here and here. Let us fact-check the claim made in the posts.
Claim: Photos and a video of anti-Modi protests during Modi’s recent US visit.
Fact: The photos are from September 2019 when PM Modi was on a visit to the United States. Modi took part in the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, Texas and, there were these protestors outside the venue. The video is also taken in 2019 when there were demonstrations in Los Angeles against actions of the Modi led government in Kashmir. According to some news articles, dozens of Indian Americans protested, chanting slogans, and holding placards against Modi on his recent visit to the United States. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Photos:
When reverse image search is done on the photos with relevant keywords, a tweet was found with the same photos. The tweet was made on 23 September 2019. The tweet criticises the Indian media for not showing visuals of people protesting Modi on the streets of America.
अमेरिका में जितने लोग अंदर थे (भाड़े के टट्टू).. उससे ज्यादा बाहर सड़कों पे मोदी के खिलाफ नारे लगा रहे थे.. ✊
लेकिन भारतीय मीडिया ने बिल्कुल भी नहीं दिखाया..
लेकिन दूसरी जितनी भी मीडिया थी उन सबने कवरेज किया..
अब अंदाज लगाया जा सकता है कि भारतीय मीडिया कितनी गिर चुकी है
😡👎👎 pic.twitter.com/MnJbbwDgwI
There are articles (including these photos) that covered these protests. An article titled, ‘The other side of the ‘Howdy Modi’ which you might have missed’ was published on 24 September 2019 covering the protests outside the venue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US in September 2019 and participated in an event named ‘Howdy Modi’ along with the then US President Donald Trump, in Houston, Texas. An estimated 50,000 attended the event but there were also protestors outside the venue holding placards criticising Modi.
Video:
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, a larger Facebook video with similar visuals was found published on 03 September 2019. The Facebook video is titled, ‘Kashmiri protest in Hollywood’. The screenshots of the video were also found in a Facebook post which was posted on 03 September 2019. The video and its screenshots have been floating around on social media since September 2019 (here and here).
Stock Photo Website, Alamy had some images (here and here) which were like the screenshots in the video, with similar placards shown in these images. According to Alamy, these images were of demonstrations against Modi, and in support of human rights in Kashmir, the location being Los Angeles in California, USA.
According to an article by Al Jazeera, dozens of Indian Americans protested, chanting slogans, and holding placards against Narendra Modi on his recent visit to the United States. The protests were a mark of support to the farmers agitating against the three farm laws in India. However, the images & the video in the post are not related to his recent visit.
To sum it up, old photos and a video of anti-Modi protests in the US are shared as protests against Modi amidst his recent visit to the US.

created: September 29, 2021


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Old visuals of birds flying over a freeway in Houston are being shared linking them to the recent earthquake in Turkey - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 7, 2023
Earlier on Monday, an earthquake struck Turkey and some parts of Syria, in which more than 4300 people are feared dead. In wake of this deadly earthquake, numerous visuals are being circulated on social media platforms attributing them to the present quake. One such social media post with a video showing a flock of birds flying in the sky is being shared attributing it to the recent earthquake in Turkey. The video is being shared  with a description that reads, ‘In Turkey, strange behaviour was observed in birds just before the earthquake’.  Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing strange behaviour of birds before the earthquake in Turkey on 06 February 2023.
Fact:  These are old visuals and they actually show a flock of birds flying erratically over a freeway in Houston, Texas. The incident took place in 2017 and news agencies have reported the visuals back then. The visuals have nothing to do with the recent earthquake in Turkey. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Visuals showing the devastation caused by the deadly earthquake in Turkey & Syria are all around the internet. Amidst this, a video showing flock of birds flying strangely is also being shared, claiming it was shot before the earthquake hit on 06 February 2023. Multiple news agencies have also reported the video as it is going viral on social media, though the authenticity of the video is unverified (here, here & here).
🚨In Turkey, strange behavior was observed in birds just before the earthquake.👀#Turkey #TurkeyEarthquake #Turkish pic.twitter.com/yPnQRaSCRq
However, the video shared in the viral post is not related to the recent earthquake in Turkey. A reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video led us to a 2017  news report by Daily Mail. According to this report, the visuals show a flock of birds hovering erratically in the sky above a freeway in Houston. ‘A driver captured the creepy sight as the birds soared through a dark gray sky’, reported the article(here & here).
Through further search, we found that the video was initially shared by an Instagram user on 20 January 2017 and is geotagged to Houston, Texas. The description associated with the Instagram post indicates the video was licensed by Jukin Media, a California-based media company.
Earlier, when the same video was shared linking it to the Russia- Ukraine conflict, Associated Press clarified that the video is from Houston. All these establish that the viral visuals showing a flock of birds flying are old and not related to the recent earthquake in Turkey & Syria.
To sum it up, old visuals showing a flock of birds flying over a freeway in Houston are being shared linking them to the recent earthquake in Turkey.

created: February 7, 2023


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Old visuals of Digvijaya Singh quoting Savarkar are being shared out of context - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 9, 2023
With the Madhya Pradesh state assembly general elections on the horizon, a video featuring Congress leader Digvijaya Singh discussing beef has gone viral on various social media platforms. In this video, Digvijay Singh is heard saying in Hindi, a loose translation of which is, ‘The cow is an animal that wallows in its own filth, so how can it be considered our mother, and there should be no issue with consuming beef.’ In this article, we verify the video’s authenticity as shared in the post.
Claim: Video of Digvijaya Singh saying there should be no issue with consuming beef.
Fact: In the original speech, Digvijaya Singh was referring to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, stating that Savarkar had written in his book that ‘Hinduism has no relation to Hindutva, and there should be no problem with consuming cow meat.’ However, the portion of the speech where Singh referred to Savarkar has been omitted, and only the part about beef is being shared with the comments falsely attributed to him. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
While the viral clip features former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh making these statements, the full-length original video reveals that Digvijaya Singh was referring to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. According to Singh, Savarkar had written in his book that ‘Hinduism has no connection to Hindutva, and there should be no issue with consuming cow meat’.
A Google search using pertinent keywords led us to a news report published on 25 December 2021, which contained identical visuals (here). According to this report, it is clear that Digvijaya Singh was ascribing these statements to the Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
#WATCH | Veer Savarkar in his book has written that the Hindu religion doesn't have any relation with Hindutva. He also wrote that cow… can't be our mother and there is no problem in eating cow beef: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal pic.twitter.com/wYsk4YXmDJ
Numerous media outlets have previously covered Digvijaya Singh’s remarks during that time. According to these reports, Digvijaya Singh made these statements during a one-day interactive session as part of the Jan Jagran Abhiyan in Bhopal (here, here & here). In one of these reports, Digvijaya Singh can be heard saying, ‘Veer Savarkar had written in his book that Hinduism and Hindutva are unrelated, and he also wrote that a cow is an animal that wallows in its own excrement; how can she be considered a mother? There’s nothing wrong with consuming beef. This is what Savarkar himself stated.’
Additionally, the currently viral video includes another segment in which Digvijaya Singh is heard saying in Hindi, that roughly translates to, ‘people wearing saffron clothes are selling churan (herbal mixture), people are wearing saffron clothes and committing rapes, rapes are happening inside temples.’
While Digvijaya Singh did make these comments, it’s important to note that these remarks were not recent; the video dates back to September 2019. Conducting a Google search with pertinent keywords led us to news reports documenting these comments (here, here & here).
As per these comments, while addressing a conclave of Hindu seers in Bhopal, Digvijay says “A person after parting ways with his family becomes a sadhu (monk)… and turns to spirituality. Today, people wearing saffron clothes are selling churan (herbal mixture), people are wearing saffron clothes and committing rapes, and rapes are happening inside temples, Is this our religion? Those who have defamed our Sanatan Dharma (ancient religion), not even God will forgive them.”
Hence, these reports clearly establish that Digvijaya Singh’s statements are being shared out of context, with false attribution.
To summarize, old visuals of Digvijaya Singh quoting Savarkar are being shared out of context.

created: November 9, 2023


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Old visuals of Durga Pandal in Gopalganj are shared as latest visuals of a Pandal in Siwan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 4, 2022
In the context of Navaratri which is being celebrated all over India, a video of a huge Durga Pandal is being widely shared on social media claiming that it shows the Durga pandal setup near Lalit bus stand in Bihar’s Siwan.
Claim: Visuals of Durga Pandal setup near Lalit bus stand in Bihar’s Siwan.
Fact: Visuals show Durga Pandal built at Bihar’s Gopalganj in 2018 and not the Durga pandal at Siwan. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched for the visuals of Durga Pandal at Lalit bus stand and found it to be completely different from visuals shown viral video.
We then searched using the words “राजा दल”, visible at the entrance of the Pandal in the viral video. This led us to the 4-year-old video of Durga Pandal located in Gopalganj, Bihar. Upon comparing it with the viral video, we can conclude that the Pandal shown in the video is situated in Gopalganj city of Bihar and not in Siwan. Siwan and Gopalganj are cities in Bihar which are 34 km apart from each other. Other videos of Gopalganj pandal in 2018 can be seen here and here.
Talking to local media in September 2022, a member of Raja Dal said that this year Durga Pandal is being built in the lines of Kolkata’s Birla Mandir with a Cost of around ₹55 Lakh.
To sum it up, old visuals of Durga Pandal in Gopalganj are shared as latest visuals of pandal in Siwan.

created: October 4, 2022


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Old visuals of family members attacking two sisters is shared alleging caste discrimination - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 31, 2023
A social media post accompanying a video of a woman being brutally beaten with sticks by a group of men is being shared claiming that ‘the woman is being beaten from bathing in river and contaminating the water’. The same video is also being shared alleging that the video shows Hindu extremists beating a poor Dalit woman. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals showing a Dalit girl being beaten for bathing in river and contaminating the water.
Fact: These visuals are related to an old incident from 2021 wherein two sisters from a tribal community in Pipalwa village of Dhar district, MP were beaten brutally by their family members for talking to their maternal uncle’s sons on the phone. The incident took place in July 2021 and there is no caste discrimination associated to the incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals are related an old incident, which was reported in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district in July 2021. There is no caste discrimination associated with the incident as alleged in the viral post. Google search with relevant keywords yielded multiple news reports that reported the same visuals back in July 2021 (here, here & here).
According to these reports, the visuals show two sisters from a tribal community in Pipalwa village of Dhar district, being beaten brutally by their family members for talking to their maternal uncle’s sons on the phone. As the video went viral, the police took cognisance and filed cases against the family members.
Tanda police station incharge Vijay Vaskale said case has been registered against 7 family members of the two girls. Police took cognizance after #video went viral pic.twitter.com/j25tNvImOh
To sum it up, old visuals of family members attacking two sisters is being shared with a false narrative alleging caste discrimination.

created: January 31, 2023


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Old visuals of Hamas training children in weaponry are being circualted linking them to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 30, 2023
A video showing school-age children receiving training in weaponry and military exercises is currently circulating on social media connecting the footage to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Through this article, let’s fact-check authenticity of the claim made in the viral post.
Claim: School-age children receiving training in weaponry and military exercises during the current Israel-Hamas conflict
Fact: These are old visuals depicting Hamas training children in the use of weaponry in the Gaza Strip. There are also reports indicating that Hamas is currently involving children in training for defense against Israel.  Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLAEDING.
The images shared in the viral social media post depict training camps affiliated with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where children of school age are undergoing training in weaponry and military drills. However, it’s important to note that these visuals are not recent; they are at least two years old.
A YouTube search using relevant keywords led us to a news report from July 2021, which featured information about Hamas training children in military and weaponry skills at Gaza summer camps. Some of the visuals from this news report match those shared in the viral video, and the camp setup in the news report aligns with what is shown in the viral video. This evidence indicates that the viral visuals are unrelated to the ongoing conflict.
However, the Israeli Defense Forces recently shared the same viral visuals on their official YouTube channel, accompanied by a description that alleges the training camps are where Hamas terrorists indoctrinate young children and teenagers. This is likely the source of the viral claim. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that these visuals have been accessible on the internet for at least the past two years.
There are also recent reports of Hamas training children for the purpose of defending against Israel (here & here). This practice has been ongoing for many years, and there are previous reports detailing how Hamas has been training children in the use of weaponry (here, here & here).
To sum it up, old visuals of Hamas training children in weaponry are being circualted linking them to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

created: October 30, 2023


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Old visuals of huge crowd at a mall in Kerala shared as crowd gathered for Pathaan release in Bhagalpur - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 3, 2023
A social media post accompanying a video showing visuals of a large crowd gathering in a mall is being widely shared. The video is being shared claiming that visuals show the public that gathered to watch Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ movie in Bhagalpur. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of huge crowd gathering to watch ‘Pathaan’ movie in Bhagalpur.
Fact: These visuals show large crowds that gathered for a clearance sale at Lulu mall in Thiruvananthapuram. This happened in July 2022. Multiple news agencies have reported these visuals back then. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
While long queues and big crowds were reported at the time of Pathaan’s release in different parts of the country, the viral visuals are not related to Pathaan, as these visuals show a huge gathering for a clearance sale in Thiruvananthapuram.
A reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video yielded multiple news reports that reported these visuals. According to these reports, the visuals show people gathered at Lulu mall in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, as a midnight sale was launched. And this happened earlier in July 2022.
Further, we found a video report by Hindustan Times, which features similar visuals as in the viral video. Earlier, protests have taken place in many parts of the country and in Bhagalpur as well opposing the release of the movie (here & here).
To sum it up, old visuals of huge crowds that gathered at a mall in Kerala are passed off as crowd for ‘Pathaan’ release in Bhagalpur.

created: February 3, 2023


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Old visuals of Maha Rudrabhishekam to Shivling in Andhra Pradesh are passed off as from Kathamandu’s Pasupathi Nath temple - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 3, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video showing sadhus perform abhishekam of the Shivling is being widely shared with a claim that the visuals actually show Kathmandu Pasupathi Nath abhishekam. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the claim.
Claim: Visuals showing Kathmandu Pasupathi Nath abhishekam.
Fact: These visuals are actually from Andhra Pradesh and more than four years old. As per reports, these visuals show Maha rudrabhishekam in Guntur in 2017. And over the years, similar rituals have been taking place in different parts of Telugu states. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral visuals are more than four years old and do not show Kathmandu Pasupathi Nath. Reverse image search of the viral visuals led us to a 2017 Telugu local news video which carried the same visuals. As per the description of the video, the visuals show Maha rudrabhishekam in Guntur. The title of the video reads ‘Maha Rudrabhishekam @ Amma Ashramam’.
Further, there are reports of similar rituals taking place in different parts of Telugu states (here, here & here). Visuals of these events are also similar to the viral one. Sadhus perform Maha rudrabhishekam in similar backdrop. From all these reports it is evident that viral visuals are not from Kathmandu.
Further, we could not find any reports attributing similar visuals to Kathmandu’s Pasupathi Nath temple. Visuals from the Pasupathi Nath temple can be seen here.
To sum it up, old visuals of Maha Rudrabhishekam to Shivling in Andhra Pradesh are passed off as from Kathamandu’s Pasupathi Nath temple.


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Old visuals of Muslim men fighting outside a Mosque in Saudi Arabia are being shared as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 4, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video of a group of Muslim men fighting among themselves is being widely shared as if the video is related to a recent incident. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the video shared in the post.
Claim: Recent visuals of a group of Muslim men fighting among themselves.
Fact: The visuals actually show a fight that broke among a group of men outside a Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia in 2019. As per the news reports, the fight broke out over the seating arrangements during an Iftar. Thus, these articles establish that the visuals are not related to any recent incident. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search of the viral visuals yielded us a few 2019 news reports that reported the same visuals. As per these news reports, the visuals are related to a 2019 incident, wherein in fight broke out among a group of Muslim men perhaps over seating arrangement outside the Ghamama Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
‘The reasons for the fight were not clear but some locals on Twitter reported it started as a dispute over seating positions before the food was served’, another news article reported.
Although we could not independently verify the reason for the fight, the news reports suggest that the visuals are not related to any recent incident but from 2019.
To sum it up, old visuals of Muslim men fighting outside a Mosque in Saudi Arabia are being shared as recent.


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Old visuals of PM Modi’s 2019 road show in Varanasi are being shared as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 10, 2022
In light of 2022 UP elections, a social media post accompanying a video of PM Modi’s roadshow amidst a large gathering is being shared as if the visuals are recent. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the video shared in the post.
Claim: Visuals of PM PM Modi’s recent roadshow in Varanasi (2022)
Fact: These visuals actually show roadshow held by PM Modi in Varanasi back in 2019. Although PM Modi held a roadshow in Varanasi earlier this month, the viral visuals have nothing to do with  the recent roadshow. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Earlier this month on 04 March 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a massive roadshow in Varanasi as part of the election campaign. Visuals of this roadshow can be viewed here.
Whereas visuals shared in the viral post are not related to the recent roadshow but show PM Modi’s 2019 roadshow in Varanasi. Reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral visuals led us to a 2019 Twitter post that shared the same visuals as PM Modi’s roadshow in Varanasi.
THIS IS THE TAKEAWAY VIDEO OF #KashiBoleNaMoNaMo roadshow today. As if the entire Varanasi city had come out on the city to welcome their favorite son. Just sheer passion. A historic moment, in electioneering, anywhere in the democratic world. pic.twitter.com/kMcJoZfmGM
Complete footage of PM Modi’s 2019 roadshow can be viewed on BJP’s official YouTube channel. This establishes that the viral visuals are not related to the recent roadshow of Modi in Varanasi.
To sum it up, old visuals of PM Modi’s 2019 roadshow in Varanasi are being shared as recent.


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Old visuals of protest over Nupur Sharma’s comments against Prophet Mohammed Erroneously linked to Congress Victory in Telangana Elections - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 11, 2023
A social media post containing a news clip covering a Muslim procession is being widely shared. It is being claimed that individuals replaced the Ashoka Chakra on the tricolor with Islamic phrases (Kalma) after the recently concluded Telangana elections following the Congress victory in Telangana. Let’s look into the veracity of this claim.
Claim: Procession following Congress victory in Telangana during which individuals replaced the Ashoka Chakra on the tricolor with Islamic phrases (Kalma).
Fact: The video in question actually captures a protest by the Muslim community in June 2022 in Mahbubnagar, Telangana, reacting to remarks made by the suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed. Various news agencies reported on this footage at that time; however, none of these reports linked the protests to the Congress party. Importantly, the video is unrelated to the recently concluded Telangana elections, where the Congress emerged victorious. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video does depict individuals waving the tricolour with Islamic phrases substituting the Ashoka Chakra. Nevertheless, it’s important to clarify that neither the procession is linked to the Congress party, nor does it have any association with the recently concluded Telangana elections. The viral clip showcases journalist Sudhir Chaudhary reporting on the video, and an online search using pertinent keywords led us to the original news source, from which the viral excerpt has been derived.
The original news source was broadcast live on 10 June 2022, through Zee New’s official YouTube account. According to this report, the procession in question was organized in Mahbubnagar of Telangana, in response to remarks made by the suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed. It is important to highlight that during this protest, the state was governed by the BRS party, not the Congress. Furthermore, none of the reports linked the protests to the Congress party.
Further search led us to various news articles covering the protest and the showcasing of tricolour with the Ashok Chakra replaced by the ‘Kalma’ (here, here & here). These reports, dating back to June 2022, underscored that the demonstrations were held in reaction to Nupur Sharma’s comments about Prophet Mohammed.
The results of the recently held Telangana elections were announced on 03 December 2023, in which the Congress emerged victorious. Furthermore, our investigation revealed no reports of such processions following the Congress triumph. Hence, these findings unequivocally refute the false attribution of the viral video to the Congress party and the Telangana elections.
To sum it up, old visuals of protest over Nupur Sharma’s comments against Prophet Mohammed are falsely linked to Congress’s Victory in Telangana Elections.

created: December 11, 2023


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Old visuals of the Beirut explosion are passed off as Russia taking down British cargo ships in Ukraine - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 31, 2023
A video compilation featuring various instances of a large explosion is currently being shared, accompanied by a statement alleging that the footage shows Russian missiles targeting two British cargo ships transporting high explosives to Ukraine. The explosion allegedly happened at the port of Odesa, Ukraine. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the video shared in the post.
Claim: Visuals depicting Russian missiles taking down two British cargo ships transporting high explosives to Ukraine.
Fact: These visuals actually show the massive chemical explosion that struck Beirut’s port, in August 2020. Additionally, there are no reports of Russia taking down British cargo ships at the port of Odessa, Ukraine. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Firstly, there are no reports of Russian missiles targeting and causing the destruction of two British cargo ships near the port of Odesa, Ukraine. Additionally, the viral visuals shared in the post are three years old and are actually related to the Beirut explosion of 2020.
Conducting a reverse image search of the viral visuals led to the discovery of several news reports featuring similar images (here, here & here). According to these reports, the visuals actually depict the massive chemical explosion that struck Beirut’s port, causing widespread devastation in the Lebanese capital and resulting in the loss of over 150 lives in August 2020. The explosion was initiated by a fire that broke out in a warehouse at the port, where a substantial quantity of hazardous ammonium nitrate had been stored for an extended period.
Furthermore, additional news reports and social media posts containing similar visuals (here, here, here, here & here) are available online. These reports also corroborate that the visuals are connected to the 2020 Beirut explosion. As previously mentioned, if the claimed explosion involving Russian missiles had actually occurred, it is highly likely that the media would have covered it extensively. However, our search did not yield any such report.
To sum it up, old visuals of the Beirut explosion are passed off as Russia taking down British cargo ships in Ukraine.


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Old visuals of a controlled demolition of a building in the US shared as Hamas attack on US Embassy in Tel Aviv - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 4, 2023
Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, a video depicting a building collapse is circulating widely, claiming that these visuals show Hamas bringing down the US embassy in Tel Aviv. In this article, we will fact-check the assertion made in the post.
Claim: Footage of the US embassy in Tel Aviv being brought down
Fact: These visuals, in fact, showcase a controlled demolition of The Dominion Energy Tower, a 21-story office building located in Virginia, USA. This demolition occurred in 2020, and numerous news agencies covered it at the time. Additionally, in 2018, former US President Donald Trump relocated the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Further, there are no reports indicating any such attack on the US embassy in Israel during the ongoing conflict. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
While Hamas fired rockets targeting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, causing the destruction of residential buildings, it’s important to note that the currently viral videos do not depict any building collapse in Tel Aviv, including the US embassy.
The viral visuals depict a controlled demolition of an office building in Virginia, USA, in 2020. Internet search with relevant keywords yielded reports featuring the visuals of a similar building collapse (here, here, here & here). As per these reports, the visuals depict the controlled demolition of The Dominion Energy Tower, a 21-story office tower in downtown Richmond, Virginia.
A further search yielded multiple videos related to the implosion of this building (here & here). On comparison of the visuals shared in these reports with that of the viral visuals, it can be established that the viral visuals indeed show the Dominion Energy Tower in Virginia.
By conducting a Google Maps search (here & here), we can identify the distinctive large glass building shown in the viral video located in Richmond, Virginia. This confirms the building’s location.
It’s important to note that in 2018, former US President Donald Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. We also couldn’t find any news reports indicating that the US embassy in Israel has been affected by the ongoing conflict. This lack of evidence substantiates the claim as false.
To sum it up, old visuals of the controlled demolition of a building in the USA shared as Hamas attack on the US embassy in Tel Aviv

created: November 4, 2023


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Old visuals of thunders and lightning shared as Cyclone Amphan’s wrath in Odisha’s coastal districts - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 21, 2020
A video with visuals of thunders and lightning is being shared with the claim that it shows Cyclone Amphan’s wrath in the coastal districts of Odisha. Cyclone Amphan has made landfall in the coastal areas of West Bengal on 20 May 2020 causing severe damage in the coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha. FACTLY has found that the video in the post is old and not related to the recent cyclone. The video is found to exist on the internet at least since 26 April 2020. FACTLY could not ascertain the exact location of the video. As the video was found to exist at least 3-4 weeks prior to the landfall of cyclone Amphan, the claim is false.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1.  Old video – https://twitter.com/AvatarDomy/status/1254175631006457857
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Old unrelated videos of explosions shared as nuclear plant explosion in Turkey - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 8, 2023
Update (08 February 2023)
Another video of a blast is being shared as visuals of a huge blast at Turkey’s Nuclear plant. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Reverse image search of the viral visuals revealed that the video shows two massive explosions that took place in the Chinese city of Tianjin on 12 August 2015. As per the media reports, dozens of people died, and hundreds were injured when a warehouse owned by a company specialising in handling hazardous goods caught fire and exploded. Moreover, officials clarified that Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently under construction was not damaged by the recent earthquake, reported Reuters.
Published (07 February 2023)
In light of the recent earthquake in Turkey, which killed more than 4300 people, a social media post accompanying a video, claiming that a nuclear plant exploded in Turkey due to the recent earthquake is being widely circulated. The visuals show an explosion of a building. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of a nuclear plant explosion in Turkey, following the recent earthquake on 06 February 2023.
Fact: These visuals are related to an explosion that occurred at a port in Beirut, in 2020. The explosion occurred due to detonation of Ammonium nitrate stored at the port. These visuals have nothing to do with the recent earthquake in Turkey. Further, there are no reports of explosion or damage to any nuclear plant in Turkey, due to earthquake. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A deadly earthquake hit Turkey and Syria in the early hours on 06 February 2023. According to various media reports, more than 4300 are dead. Visuals reported by the media agencies show multiple buildings collapsing during the earthquake. However, as of now, there are no reports of any nuclear plant explosion in Turkey due to the earthquake.
The viral visuals are actually related to an explosion that occurred in Lebanon’s capital city Beirut, back in 2020. Reverse image search of the screenshots of the viral video yielded multiple news reports that reported the same visuals, back in 2020. As per these reports, the visuals show an explosion caused at the Beirut port (here, here & here).
According to the news reports related to the incident, ‘a fire at the Beirut port caused the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which had been improperly stored in a port warehouse for six years.’  Multiple news agencies have reported the incident, which can be viewed here and here.
In wake of the recent earthquake on 06 February 2023, officials have confirmed that no damage has been caused to Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently under construction. Further, there are no reports of any nuclear plant explosion in Turkey, due to the earthquake.
To sum it up, old visuals of an explosion in Beirut are passed off as a nuclear plant explosion in Turkey.

created: February 8, 2023


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Old visuals related to anti-CAA protests in Gorakhpur are being shared as recent, linking them to Kanpur. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 7, 2022
In light of the recent clashes between police and protesters in Kanpur, a social media post accompanying a video showing a group of police men thrashing people is being widely shared attributing the video to the recent police lathi charge in Kanpur. Through this article let’s fact-check veracity of the video shared in the post.
Claim: Visuals of recent police lathi charge in Kanpur.
Fact: It is true that Kanpur police had resorted to lathi charge to control the protesters who were protesting over remarks of Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammad in a television show. However, the viral visuals are not related to the recent lathi charge in Kanpur. These visuals are actually related to anti-CAA protests in Gorakhpur, back in December 2019. News agencies have reported these visuals back then. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Muslims in Kanpur protested over former BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s remarks allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammad on a television show. As the protests led to stone pelting, police had to resort to lathi charge to control the protests. Multiple news agencies have reported the visuals (here & here).
However, visuals shared in the post have nothing to do with the recent police lathi charge in Kanpur. Reverse image search of the viral visuals led us to 2019 Facebook post which shared the same visuals. This post claims that the visuals are from Gorakhpur.
Taking a cue from this Facebook post, further search yielded us a December 2019 news video that carried similar visuals. As per this report, the visuals show police lathi charge against CAA protesters in Gorakhpur.
In December 2019, protests against NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act took place in many parts of Uttar Pradesh. Multiple incidents of police resorting to lathi charge to clear these protests have taken place (here & here) then. Another news report also carried visuals similar to the one shared in the post, in its report related to anti-CAA protests in different parts of UP.
Thus, the above mentioned evidence clearly establishes the fact that the viral visuals are not related to the recent police lathi charge in Kanpur.
To sum it up, old visuals related to anti-CAA protests in Gorakhpur are being shared as recent, linking them to Kanpur.


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Old visuals related to arrest of lockdown violators are being shared as DU professor's arrest visuals - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 24, 2022
In light of the recent arrest of a Delhi University professor Ratan Lal, over a social media post related to Gyanvapi Shivling, a social media post accompanying a video of police nabbing a person with the help of a unique, stick-like device is being widely circulated. It is being claimed that the video shows arrest of DU professor Ratan Lal. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of police arresting DU professor Ratan Lal, over his social media post related to Gyanvapi Shivling.
Fact: It is true that DU professor Ratan Lal was arrested for his alleged objectionable social media post about the reported discovery of Shivling in Gyanvapi Mosque. He was later granted bail. However, the viral visuals are not related to this arrest but show Chandigarh Police arresting lockdown violators back in 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
It is true that police have arrested the DU professor Ratan Lal, over his alleged objectionable social media post about the reported discovery of a Shivling in Gyanvapi Mosque. He was later granted bail, ‘noting that his post was speculative in nature with regard to the structure/symbol which as of now is not accessible in public domain.’
However, the visuals shared in the viral post are not related to the professor’s arrest. Reverse image search of the viral visuals led us to a tweet dated 25 April 2020 by DGP, Chandigarh. The tweet shared the same visuals and as per the description of this tweet, the visuals show Chandigarh police’s unique way of tackling the non-cooperating corona suspects and curfew breakers.
VIP Security wing of Chandigarh Police has devised this unique way of tackling non-cooperating corona suspects and curfew breakers.
Great equipment, great drill !!!
Way to go @ssptfcchd and Insp Manjit, HCt Gurdeep, HCt Pawan and Ct Usha pic.twitter.com/oTLsGoe6yt
News articles that reported the same visuals as Chandigarh police’s arrest of lockdown violators can be read here and here. Thus, it is clear that the viral video is from 2020 and has nothing to do with the recent arrest of Delhi University professor.
To sum it up, old visuals related to arrest of lockdown violators are being shared as DU professor arrest visuals.


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Old visuals related to CAA protest in Firozabad are passed off attributing them to the recent Delhi riots - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 26, 2022
In light of recent Delhi riots, a social media post accompanying a video showing a group of men pelting stones in the presence of police is being shared linking it the recent Delhi riots. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent Delhi riots – Mob pelting stones in the presence of police.
Fact: As per News reports, these visuals are related to violence during  CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad during December 2019 – January 2020. This video has nothing to do with the recent Delhi riots. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals of a mob pelting stones in presence of police are related to an old incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad. A reverse image search of the viral visuals led us to a YouTube video, dated 01 January 2020. This video carried visuals of a Times of India report related to the viral visuals.
As per the description of the video, these visuals are related to CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad.
Taking a cue from the YouTube video, a Google search with relevant keywords, yielded the Times of India news report related to the Firozabad CAA protest, that reported the incident of a mob pelting stones in the presence of police. The archived version of this particular news article published an image of a civilian pelting stone, similar to a visual in the viral video.
Reporting this particular video, the article said ‘in the second video, the same group of civilians is found throwing stones towards Foolwali gully dominated by Muslims while police stand behind civilians. Moments later, cops are seen firing from their assault rifles.’
This establishes that the viral visuals are not related to the recent Delhi riots but are from CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh. Back then few internet users also shared the same visuals claiming them to be from UP. News articles related to the violence that erupted in light of CAA protests back then can be read here and here.
To sum it up, old visuals related to the CAA protest in Firozabad are passed off attributing them to the recent Delhi riots.


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Old visuals related to Modi’s earlier visits to the USA are being falsely shared as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 26, 2023
In light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent state visit to the US, social media is abuzz with numerous videos and posts attributing them to the recent visit in June 2023. One such social media post claims that ‘Foreign Minister Dr. Jaishankar cancelled meeting with US lawmakers after they refused to remove Anti-India and Hindu phobic congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from the meeting delegation’. Additionally, a collection of videos depicting protesters carrying effigies of Modi with shoes, while another video captures members in the audience hurling insults as Modi engages with delegates on stage, are also being shared attributing them to the recent visit. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals from the recent 2023 state visit of PM Narendra Modi to the USA.
Fact: None of these visuals are related to PM Modi’s recent visit (June 2023) to the US. All these are old visuals from Modi’s earlier US visits during Trump’s Presidential period. Even the news of EAM Jai Shankar cancelling a meeting is also old that dates back to 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Post 1:
While it is true that India’s External Affairs Minister Jai Shankar cancelled a meeting due to Congresswoman Parimala Jayapal’s inclusion in the delegation, it is worth noting that this incident occurred in December 2019, and not in 2023.
A keyword search yielded multiple news articles that reported the news. As per these articles, EAM S Jaishankar canceled a meeting with US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal over her report on Kashmir.
As reported by ANI ‘External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that he has no interest in meeting Pramila Jayapal, an Indian- origin US lawmaker who labeled a bipartisan resolution in the House of Representatives calling for an end to the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir.’ Other news articles which covered the news back then can be read here and here.
Parimala Jayapal responded to the cancellation, and taking to Twitter said ‘The cancellation of this meeting was deeply disturbing. It only furthers the idea that the Indian government isn’t willing to listen to any dissent at all.’
The cancellation of this meeting was deeply disturbing.
It only furthers the idea that the Indian government isn’t willing to listen to any dissent at all. https://t.co/EMeqIr05VJ
Video 1:
These are also old visuals that date back to 2019. A reverse image search of the viral visuals yielded some social media posts and YouTube videos carrying similar visuals. These posts were shared back in 2019 (here, here & here).
In September 2019, Modi made appearances at two notable gatherings in the United States. The first event was the Howdy Modi gathering held in Houston, while the second was his participation in a session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Both occasions witnessed protests against Modi, and it is highly probable that the viral video in question is linked to one of these protests. Given that the video has been available on the internet since 2019, it is evident that the visuals are not connected to Modi’s recent 2023 visit.
Video 2:
This is an old video that dates back to September 2019 when Modi visited the US for the Howdy Modi event. A keyword search yielded similar videos shared on social media platforms back in 2021 (here & here).
However, in this video, the crowd can also be heard raising ‘Bharat Mata Ki jai’ & ‘Vande Mataram’ slogans. A further search yielded full footage of the event, wherein Modi can be seen wearing the same outfit and greeting the delegates.
As per the description, the visuals are related to the ‘Howdy Modi’ event organized in Houston in September 2019. Thus, the availability of the visuals on the internet ascertains that these visuals are not related to Modi’s recent visit.
To sum it up, old visuals related to Modi’s earlier visits to the US are being falsely shared as those from his 2023 state visit to the USA.


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Old visuals showing Bhagwant Mann in a drunken state is passed off as a recent one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2022
Following the victory of AAP in the recently held general elections in Punjab, a social media post accompanying a video of Bhagwant Mann in an inebriated condition posing for photographs is doing rounds on social media platforms claiming that the video shows the condition of Bhagwant Mann after winning the Punjab elections. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Bhagwant Mann in an inebriated state after winning 2022 Punjab elections.
Fact: These visuals are from 2017, wherein Bhagwant Mann was caught in an inebriated condition posing for photographs. News articles reported the same visuals back in 2017. Further, there are no recent reports of Mann making public appearances in drunken condition, following the Punjab election victory.  Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
There are many reports of Bhagwant Mann caught on camera in a drunk state. In fact, back in 2016, MP Harinder Singh Khalsa complained to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan about stinks of alcohol from Bhagwant Mann and requested the speaker to change his seat.
However, the viral video does not show any recent incident. Google search with relevant keywords led us to a 2017 news article, which reported the same viral visuals. ‘Bhagwat Mann was seen tripping while he tried to step down the footpath and get inside his car’ the news article wrote reporting these visuals.
Further, there are no recent reports of Mann making public appearances in drunken condition. The same video also went viral back in 2019 ahead of the general elections, following Bhagwant Mann’s pledge to quit alcohol earlier that year.
To sum it up, old visuals showing Bhagwant Mann in a drunken state passed off as a recent one.


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Old visuals of landslides in Himachal Pradesh are being passed off as from Nepal and Karnataka-Goa highway - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 19, 2022
Update ( 19 July 2022):
The same video is now being shared attributing it to recent landslides in Anmod Ghat on Karnataka-Goa highway. However, as explained below, these visuals show 2021 landslides that hit Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Factly had earlier debunked another video which was falsely attributed to the landslides in Anmod Ghat.
Published (06 July 2022):
A social media post accompanying a video of a massive landslide, wherein a part of the road collapsing into a gorge is being widely circulated with a claim that the visuals shows Narayangarh- Kathmandu road in Nepal. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent visuals showing collapse of Narayangarh- Kathmandu Road in Nepal.
Fact: These visuals actually show the collapse of national highway 707, which connects Shilai with the Paonta Sahib, in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. And the incident took place in June 2021. While it is true that Narayangarh in Nepal witnessed landslides this June (2022), the viral visuals are not related to these landslides. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
There are reports of Nepal witnessing landslides in June, this year (2022). There are also reports of occurrence of landslides along the Narayangarh road in Nepal (here, here & here). However, visuals shared in the viral post are not related to these landslides.
Reverse image search of the viral visuals yielded us multiple 2021 news reports which reported the same visuals back then. As per these reports, the visuals show landslides in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh (here, here & here).
Multiple news agencies have reported the visuals and according to these reports, the visuals show collapse of national highway 707, which connects Shilai with the Paonta Sahib.
While it is true that Nepal and in particular the Narayangarh area have witnessed landslides earlier in the month of June (2022), the viral visuals are not related to these landslides. Visuals related to Nepal landslide, reported by the Nepal media can be viewed here & here.
To sum it up, old visuals showing landslides in Himachal Pradesh are being passed off as from Nepal.


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Older version of CIA’s World Factbook listed Bajrang Dal and VHP as ‘militant religious organisation’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 24, 2021
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that the Central Investigative Agency (CIA) of the United States of America has declared Bajrang Dal, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) as militant organisations. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Central Investigative Agency (CIA) has declared Bajrang Dal, RSS, and VHP as militant organisations.
Fact: While it is true that the CIA’s World Factbook has listed VHP and Bajrang Dal as ‘militant religious organization’ for some time in the past, the list has been removed by 25 June 2018. Also, the latest World Factbook does not mention it. An older version of CIA’s World Factbook has listed RSS as a ‘nationalist organization’, not as a ‘militant organization’. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched on the internet if any such declaration was made by the CIA, many news articles published in 2018 were found in the search results. In the ‘India Today’ article published in June 2018, it can be read that the VHP and the Bajrang Dal have been classified as ‘militant religious organization’ whereas the RSS has been classified as ‘nationalist organization’ in the CIA’s World Factbook. Other news articles can be read here and here.
In the archived version of the old CIA website on 14 June 2018, it can be seen that the VHP and Bajrang Dal were classified as ‘militant religious organization’, and RSS was classified as ‘nationalist organization’. But, it can be seen that in the archived version of the website on 25 June 2018, the sub-section – ‘Political pressure groups and leaders’ (in the section – ‘Government: India’), where VHP, Bajrang Dal, RSS, and few other organisations were listed, has been removed. Also, in the latest World Factbook, there is no such list in the section – ‘Government: India’.
It can also be seen that VHP and Bajrang Dal were classified as ‘religious organization’, not as ‘militant religious organization’, in much older archived versions of the website. For more information, the year-wise versions of ‘The World Factbook’ can be found here.
To sum it up, an older version of CIA’s World Factbook listed Bajrang Dal and VHP as religious militant organisations, the RSS was listed as a ‘nationalist organization’.

created: February 24, 2021


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Older versions of the National Emblem also had lions with open mouths and visible fangs - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 14, 2022
In the context of the recent inauguration of a huge version of the National Emblem on the new Parliament building by PM Modi, a collage of two different photos is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the difference between the old India and new India. In the photo on the right, the fangs of the lions can be seen in the National Emblem whereas, in the photo on the left, no such fangs can be seen. The visible fangs of the lions are being considered a recent addition to the National Emblem. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Open mouth and visible fangs of the lions are recent additions to the National Emblem. Older versions of the National Emblem have lions with closed mouths and no visible fangs.
Fact: The photo on the left in the collage, showing lions with their mouths closed is related to the National Emblem on the Karnataka Assembly building. The Lion Capitals (the Indian National Emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital) from Ashoka’s time also include lions with open mouths and visible fangs. Even in the photo of the National Emblem given in the ‘The State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005’, which was passed much before the Modi government, lions can be seen with their mouths open. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Let us first find the location of both the photos in the collage. The photo on the left in the posted collage, showing lions with their mouths closed, is related to the National Emblem on the Karnataka Assembly building. The photo on the right in the posted collage, showing lions with their mouths open and fangs, was taken at the recent inauguration of a huge National Emblem on the new Parliament building. The Indian National Emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.
Does the old Ashokan capital have lions with closed mouths and no visible fangs?
On looking at the photos of Ashoka’s Sarnath Lion Capital, it can be seen that the lions were with open mouths and visible fangs. The related images and video can be seen here, here, here, and here. More information regarding Ashokan pillars can be read here.
Not only the Sarnath Lion Capital, but the Lion Capital on another Ashokan pillar also has a lion with an open mouth and visible fangs. The photos related to it can be seen here and here. So, the old Ashokan capitals also have lions with open mouths and visible fangs.
Did the Modi government modify the National Emblem by opening the mouths of the lions?
Even in the photo of the National Emblem given in the ‘The State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005’, which was passed much before the Modi government, lions can be seen with their mouths open.
The posted photo was taken from a below the emblem, and the recently inaugurated National Emblem is a huge structure. So, it may appear that the mouths of the lions were wide open even compared to the original emblem. But, if one looks at the photo taken from the front, they are similar to lions in Ashoka’s Capital. However, ‘The Economic Times’ reported an official saying – “There is no other similar depiction of the emblem, from the perspective of material and craftsmanship, anywhere else in India”.
In the ‘Hindustan Times’ article, it can be read that some people were critical of the newly inaugurated National Emblem on the Parliament stating that it has ‘angry lions with bared fangs’ and ‘expression to swallow everything’. However, lions with bared fangs can be seen in the National Emblems installed earlier at several places. Some of them can be seen here, here, here, and here.
The tweets made by Hardeep Singh Puri (Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs) on the issue can be read here. He said that the emblem at the new parliament building is a perfect replica of the Sarnath Lion Capital.
One needs to appreciate the impact of angle, height & scale when comparing the two structures.
If one looks at the Sarnath emblem from below it would look as calm or angry as the one being discussed. pic.twitter.com/Ur4FkMEPLG
To sum it up, the older versions of the National Emblem also had lions with open mouths and visible fangs.


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On average, 25 Trains were Cancelled every day in 2016
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 31, 2017
As per data shared by the government, the number of trains cancelled due to various reasons increased by more than 3 times between 2014 and 2016. It has to be noted government shared different numbers in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha.
Delay & Cancellation of trains during winter has always been a huge challenge for Indian Railways. Data indicates that the number of cancelled trains has increased by more than 3 times between 2014 and 2016. The data on total number of trains running per day is not available to understand the percentage of cancellations.
Number of Cancelled trains increased by over 3 times in 3 years
The total number of cancelled trains has increased by more than 3 times between 2014 and 2016. From 2679 cancelled trains in 2014, the number reached 9235 in 2016. This is increase of about 250%. On average, 7 trains were cancelled per day in 2014 and this has increased to 25 trains per day in 2016. In fact, the greatest increase was seen in 2015 where the number of cancelled trains increased by over 200% compared to the previous year. In 2017 also, 4409 trains were cancelled till the month of June.
On the other hand, the number of diverted trains remained more or less the same between 2014 and 2016. In 2014, 4056 trains were diverted. The number of trains diverted was 3585 in 2015 and 4048 in 2016.
Main reason for cancellation different in each year
The major reason for cancellation of trains was not found to be uniform across the years. In 2014, weather (fog etc.) was the reason for 38% cancellations and non-availability of rakes was responsible for 42% cancellations. In 2015, 52% cancellations were because of the non-availability of rakes while only 27% were due to weather. Whereas in 2016, 47% cancellations were due to weather and only 27% due to the non-availability of rakes. In each of these years, both these reasons accounted for more than 70% of the cancellations. Another concerning aspect is the enormous increase in cancellation of trains due to agitations and law & order issues. From just 1% in 2014, this accounted for 12% of the cancellations in 2016.
Two different numbers reported by the Government in LS & RS
Factly had reported earlier about the discrepancy in the communal incidents data maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs & the NCRB. Looks like the issue is not limited to MHA. The Ministry of Railways reported two different numbers in response to questions in the Lok Sabha & the Rajya Sabha respectively, about cancellation of trains. In response to a question in the Lok Sabha in 2016, the Ministry of Railways reported that 8517 trains were cancelled in 2015. However, in response to another question in the Rajya Sabha in 2017,  the ministry reported that 8605 trains were cancelled in 2015. Even the number of trains cancelled due to various reasons don’t add up. In the Lok Sabha, the government said that 2346 trains were cancelled in 2015 due to bad weather & cyclones, whereas in the Rajya Sabha, the government reported a number of more than 3000.
Such discrepancies raise serious questions about the credibility & accuracy of data provided by the government. It also does not augur well especially when Railways plans to be more technology driven and there are discrepancies in basic data.


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One cannot charge a mobile phone using Onions in the way it's shown in this video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 9, 2022
A video that shows a mobile phone getting charged with a couple of onions is being widely shared on social media. Let’s fact-check the claim.
In the video accompanying the post, one can observe that the entire wire of the charger is not visible in the frame. Social media users have also expressed the same doubt in comments section. It is highly possible that two chargers were used in the video, the one on the lower side might have been connected to the power supply, and the other wire, which is on the top, connected to the onions, must be just lying out of the frame.
Let’s now understand if there is a scientific possibility of charging a mobile phone battery with onions, as shown in the video.
Batteries are devices that store chemical energy which can be later converted into electrical energy. A single battery can consist of one or more electrochemical or dry cells. The electrochemical cell generates electricity from chemical reactions.
It has two electrodes, an Anode and a Cathode, both made of two different metals. They are dipped into an electrolytic solution. Once a chemical reaction occurs in the cell, electrons start to flow from Anode to Cathode, and the conventional current flows in the opposite direction, i.e. from the Cathode to the Anode. This battery can be used to power up any device that is connected between the two electrodes.
Famous Internet  Hoax in 2007
In 2007, a video titled ‘How to Charge an iPod using electrolytes and an onion’ was shared by a YouTube channel named ‘Household Hacker’. It was shown in the video that dipping an onion into an energy drink which has electrolytes in it and sticking up a USB connector to the onion and the other end of the connector to the iPad can charge it up.  The video then generated a lot of interest and multiple people tried this. However, the video was a ‘parody’ which the channel itself clearly mentioned. In fact, the same channel published a similar parody again in 2016 as an April Fools joke.
This has been proven false in an episode of the famous Discovery channel show Mythbusters. The video explains that this can only work by the principle of a wet cell battery if at all it works. In the video of Mythbusters, an experiment was performed to check if the household hacker claims are valid, but no electricity passed through the onion. It is explained that even after soaking the onion, assuming it gets filled with electrolyte, two metal electrodes are necessary for the whole setup to work like a wet cell. Since only a USB is inserted, there is no chance of it working like a battery. Articles published on ABC News and The Guardian also said that charging a mobile phone with onion is impossible with that kind of setup.
Jon Edwards of the Royal Society of Chemistry explained to ‘The Guardian’ that  “The science behind the idea isn’t bad – you can generate an electric current from vegetables – but the video is a hoax”. He explained that it can’t work because you need two electrodes to provide a reaction.
The same principle can be applied to the video in the current viral post. We can conclude that since there are no two electrodes, there is no chance of it working as a wet cell battery that can power a mobile phone.
In 2014, Nokia collaborated with artist Caleb Charland to demonstrate organic charging. He used 800 vegetables, the wet cell battery principle, and the famous high school experiment, potato cell, to charge the Nokia Mobile Phone. Here, he used two different metals to create this organic battery. The entire video can be watched here. To understand more about how vegetables and fruits can be used to charge mobile phones read this article.
To sum it up, one cannot charge your mobile phone using Onions in the way it’s shown in this video.

created: August 9, 2022


text:
One cannot vote if his name is not on the voter list. Form 7 is for the deletion of votes. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 13, 2019
For the last two months, India is celebrating ‘Desh ka Mahatyohar’ (General Elections 2019). With elections happening, there is a surge in the volume of fake news. Fake news is not only being generated against the political parties but also regarding the election rules. One such news is that you can vote even if your vote is not on the voter list. A post on Facebook claims that if a person’s name is not on the voter list, then he can fill Form 7 and vote. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
“If you don’t have a voter card and also, name on the voter list, then just take two photos and a photo-ID card on the election day to the booth and fill Form 7, available at the polling station, to cast your vote.”
Fact: One cannot vote if his/her name is not on the electoral roll. Also, Form 7 deals with the deletion of voters, not the inclusion of voters. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE
When searched about the provisions in the post on Google, it can be found that the Election Commission has clearly stated on its website that one can vote in the elections only if his/her name appears on the electoral roll/voter list.
The electoral rolls are regularly updated. So, if the name is not the electoral roll, a person can apply for the vote through Form 6. But, the electoral rolls are updated only till the last date of nomination filing by the candidates i.e. approximately 3 weeks before the elections. So, a person’s vote cannot be updated on the polling day.
Then, what is Form 7?
Form 7 deals with the deletion of names from the voter list, not addition. It deals mainly with three things:
To sum it up, one cannot vote if his name is not on the voter list.


text:
One has to wait till October 2020 or more to know which parties benefitted from Electoral Bonds
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 28, 2019
Access here Comprehensive Data on Electoral Bonds (as of February 2024)
More than ₹ 6,000
crore worth electoral bonds were sold in 12 cycles so far. 55% of these bonds
were sold in 2019-20. To know which parties benefitted from electoral bonds, we
may have to wait till October 2020 or more by when political parties are
supposed to submit their audit reports for 2019-20.
Electoral Bonds scheme was notified by the Central Government on 02 January 2018, post the initial announcement during 2017-18 budget. One of the main reasons cited for the introduction of the electoral bond scheme was to have control on the unaccounted money flowing into the political system and to improve financial transparency.
Factly had earlier published an explainer about the specifics of electoral bonds. Over the nearly two-year period since the introduction of these bonds, there were multiple debates and ongoing discussions regarding the effectiveness of electoral bonds in bringing in transparency and the scope of them are being misused as options for introducing non-traceable money into the political system.
Whilethe debate ensues, here is a comprehensive analysis of the numbers related toelectoral bonds since their inception. Factly has filed multiple RTIs and thefollowing analysis is based on the information received from State Bank ofIndia (SBI).
Greatest amount of Electoral Bonds was sold in April 2019
Since01 March 2019 till date, there were 12 windows open for the purchase ofelectoral bonds across various branches of SBI in different cities.  The 9 phase and the 8 phase were during April’19 and March’19 and had the longest window period with20 days and 15 days respectively.
Thehighest value of electoral bonds sold was during 9 Phase i.e. 01 April – 20 April 2019. A total of ₹ 2,256.4 crores worth of electoral bonds were soldduring this phase. The next highest was the earlier phase i.e. 8 phase between 01 March -15  March 2019, when bonds worth ₹ 1365.7 crores were sold.
Significantly in the 10 phase, which was for a shorter duration of only 5 days between 06  May and 10 May 2019, the third-highest amount of electoral bonds were sold with ₹ 822. 25 crores.
Itneeds to be noted that all these three phases were during the period of 2019Lok Sabha general elections. Hence a total of ₹ 4,444.32 crores worth electoral bonds were purchasedduring these three phases, during the general elections. In other words, closeto 73% of the electoral bonds by value were sold in just these three phases.
55%
of the Electoral Bonds by value were sold in 2019-20
So far, a total of ₹ 3,355.93 crores worth of electoral bonds were sold in the current financial year of 2019-20.  This is higher than the whole of the previous financial year which was ₹ 2,550.78 crores.  For the financial year 2017-18, which had only one phase i.e. the first phase during March’18 has recorded purchases worth ₹ 220 crores.
99.7%
of the bonds purchased by value are of ₹ 1 crore & ₹ 10 lakh denomination
The electoral bonds are available in denominations of Thousand, Ten Thousand, One Lakh, Ten Lakhs and One Crore Rupees. Until the latest window period (October 2019), a total of 12, 313 electoral bonds of various denominations were purchased. A major portion of them is the highest value denomination of ₹1 crore (5,624 bonds) followed by the next highest denomination of ₹10 lakh (4,877 bonds). A total of 1,695 bonds of ₹ 1 lakh denomination were sold in these 12 cycles. Meanwhile, the purchases made for the lower denominations of One thousand and 10 Thousand Rupees are only 47 and 70 electoral bonds respectively.
Whilethe Electoral Bonds with the highest denomination of ₹1 Crores form 45.68% of the total number of electoralbonds, their value makes up for 91.76% of the total worth. This is exceedinglyhigh compared to the value of other denominations with the value of ₹10 lakh denominations amounting to 7.95% and ₹ 1 lakh denominations being only 0.27 %. The share ofthe lower denominations in the total value is negligible.
The higher value of the bonds being purchased indicates that the electoral bonds are being purchased by corporates rather than individuals, although there could be certain exceptions.
Most
of the bonds were purchased from Mumbai followed by Kolkata and New Delhi.
Electoral Bonds were sold through SBI branches spread across 29 cities in India. The SBI branch in Mumbai witnessed the highest purchase of electoral bonds worth of ₹ 1879.96 crores. The second highest value of bonds is purchased from Kolkata with ₹ 1,440.33 crores followed by the national capital of New Delhi with ₹ 918.58 crores.
However, when it comes to the number of bonds purchased, Kolkata tops with 3,478 electoral bonds purchased followed by Mumbai with 2899.  The cities of Hyderabad and Bhubaneshwar, whose respective states have also had assembly elections during the last 18 months recorded the fourth and fifth-highest value of electoral bonds purchased.
Nearly
80.5% of the Electoral Bonds were redeemed in New Delhi
While purchasing the electoral bonds is one side of the coin, the other side is redeeming them. Out of the approximate ₹ 6,128.72 crores worth of electoral bonds that were purchased, 99.67% of them i.e. approximately ₹ 6108.47 crores were redeemed by the political parties.
Interms of the number of bonds, 12,173 out of 12,313 electoral bonds wereredeemed. The political parties are required to redeem an electoral bond within15 days. Else, the amount would be transferred to PMNRF (Prime Minister’sNational Relief Fund). Approximately ₹ 20.25 crores have been transferred to PMNRF due tothe non-redeemed bonds so far.  Nearlyhalf of it i.e. ₹10crores relate to bonds purchased during 3rd. phase i.e. May’18 while 74 of the140 non-redeemed bonds belonged to the 9 phase.
While Mumbai and Kolkata are the cities where the highest amount of electoral bonds were purchased, it is New Delhi where the largest share of the purchased bonds were redeemed.  The total value of Electoral Bonds redeemed in New Delhi is ₹ 4,917.51 crores which make up to nearly 80.5% of the total amount. A total of 8903 out of 12,313 bonds were redeemed in New Delhi.
The second-highest amount of electoral bonds were redeemed in Hyderabad amounting to ₹512.3 crores from 1255 bonds. It is followed by Bhubaneshwar with ₹ 236.5 crores from 484 bonds.  Although the value of bonds redeemed in Mumbai and Kolkata are lesser than Bhubaneshwar the number of bonds is higher with 553 and 713 respectively.
As per the guidelines of the scheme, no political party can have more than one current account in SBI for the redemption of these bonds. So, it is natural that the national parties maintain such a current account in Delhi while the regional parties in the respective state capitals. This could mean that the national parties are the principal beneficiaries of this scheme cornering a high share of these bonds.
Audit
reports submitted by political parties the only source for information on
beneficiaries of Electoral Bonds
While the information received from SBI regarding the redemption of the bonds provides data on the value of bonds redeemed and the city from where they have been redeemed, it does not divulge information about the political parties or the beneficiaries of these bonds.
Theonly source of information to find out the quantum of electoral bonds redeemedby a political party is the annual audit report submitted by the party to theElection Commission of India (ECI). The annual audit report is supposed to besubmitted by 30 October every year for the preceding financialyear.
Howeveras on today, not
more than half of the political parties have submitted their annual auditreport for 2018-19. BJP
and INC, the two largest national parties are yet to submittheir audit reports for 2018-19.
Who
is benefitting from these bonds?
Asnoted earlier, a correlation can be made with the city where the bonds areredeemed and the political party since parties are required to redeem theelectoral bonds only through a single bank account.
With New Delhi being the city with the highest amount of bonds redeemed, the national parties could be considered the principal beneficiaries of the bonds. The data from audit reports of 2017-18, corroborates this.   As per the audit reports submitted by the political parties for 2017-18, 95% of the electoral bonds purchased in 2017-18 went to the BJP.
The correlation between the city of redemption and the political party is strengthened by the quantum of bonds redeemed in Hyderabad & Bhubaneshwar. Substantial amount of bonds was redeemed in both these cities. Odisha along with Andhra Pradesh & Telangana had assembly general elections during the last one year. As expected, the principal regional parties in these states like BJD, TRS and YSRCP are among the parties that declared substantial donations through electoral bonds in 2018-19. These three parties together declared an income of more than ₹ 450 crores through electoral bonds in 2018-19.
We
will not know the details beneficiaries of 55% of the bonds until October 2020
Thetotal income through electoral bonds as declared by the political parties whohave submitted their audit reports for 2018-19 amounts to ₹ 599.07 crores which is only 23.5% of the totalelectoral bonds purchased in 2018-19. In other words, the two national partiestogether could have cornered more than 70% worth of the bonds in 2018-19.
As per the data analysed earlier in the story, purchases made during April’19 and May’19 are among the highest, amounting to approximately ₹ 3,078.62 crores. The beneficiaries of which we would only be able to know when the political parties submit their audit reports for 2019-20, in the later half of next year. In other words, the details of beneficiaries for electoral bonds worth more than ₹ 3300 crores will only be known in October 2020.
Delayed
reporting serves no purpose
Asof November 2019, nearly 76.5% of the electoral bonds purchased during 2018-19,cannot be traced to any specific political party. The delay &non-compliance by political parties defeats the purpose of any such reporting.
For any holistic analysis about the extent of funds received by political parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha general elections, one has to wait till October 2020, provided the political parties submit audit reports on time. This is because a significant portion of election bonds (73% of the worth till date) were purchased during March’19, April’19 and May’19. Thus, any analysis has to wait till the submission of audit reports for 2019-20.  However, as per the trends highlighted by us earlier, most of the political parties, especially the BJP & INC are not known for on-time submission of the audit reports.
Thisdelay hampers any meaningful analysis of political party funding. Thenon-disclosure clause (anonymity) attached with the Electoral bonds schemeprevents disclosure of any information regarding the beneficiaries through RTI.The only way out is for the rules to be revised that mandate political partiesto submit a report on electoral bonds received within a stipulated cut-off datepost-election.

created: November 28, 2019


text:
Only 16% Indians with Foreign Medical Degrees are fit (eligible) to Practice in the country
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 24, 2018
Thousands of Indian students go abroad for their Medical Education owing to fewer seats & stiff competition in the country. The students who pursue their medical education abroad are required to get through the screening test conducted by the MCI before they can start medical practice. Between 2012 & 2016, only 16% of those appeared for the screening test have passed.
The annual intake of all medical colleges in India is about 67000 while the annual intake of engineering colleges is about 25 times that number. Lack of sufficient number of medical colleges has been resulting in stiff competition for the existing medical seats.  This has in turn given rise to an increasing trend of Indian students going abroad for their medical education. While some countries provide standard medical education, most countries chosen by Indian students do not maintain similar standards. Hence, only 16% of them pass the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), a prerequisite to start medical practice in India.
Indian Graduates with Foreign Medical Degrees – What does the law say?
Indian students can seek medical qualification from any recognized medical education institution in a foreign country. To be able to practice in India after obtaining their degree abroad, the students are required to register with the State Medical Council (SMC). Further, SMCs register a student with foreign medical qualification only after he appears and gets through the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE). The FMGE is conducted twice a year in June & December and a candidate has to score a minimum of 50% marks in each of the papers to be declared passed. A candidate has a maximum of 3 attempts to pass the examination.
This is a statutory requirement as per section 13(4A) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 amended in 2002. Those who hold an under graduate as well as post graduate medical degree from the following countries need not take the FMGE and they can directly be registered by the SMCs.
What percentage of candidates pass the Screening Test (FMGE)?
As per the data available with the government, only about 16% of the candidates who appeared for the screening test between 2012-13 and 2016-17 have passed the FMGE. Close to 14000 candidates appeared for the FMGE in 2012-13. This number reduced to 6395 in 2013-14. Since 2014-15, the number of candidates appearing for the FMGE is more or less close to 12000. The pass percentage in the FMGE has declined continuously from 2012-13. While 28.3% candidates passed in 2012-13, only 9.44% passed in 2016-17.
China & Russia account for half the test takers
The data on the number of Indian students who go abroad for medical education is not maintained by the government. But, the number of Indian students who take the FMGE with medical degree from a foreign country gives a  fair idea of who goes where. The list of countries is dominated by China followed by Russia. Together, both the countries accounted for a little over 30000 FMGE takers from 2012-13 to 2016-17, more than half of all the test takers. Ukraine & Nepal are the only other countries with more than 5000 FMGE takers during this period.  More than 100 candidates each, with medical degrees from 18 different countries took the FMGE from 2012-13 to 2016-17.
Students with Medical Degree from UAE & Bangladesh perform the best
Of those countries with more than 100 test takers between 2012-13 and 2016-17, candidates with medical degree from UAE performed the best with a pass percentage of 36.3% followed by those from Bangladesh (27.7%), Georgia (18.7%), Philippines (18.6%) and Nepal (17.7%) in that order. Though China & Russia account for the greatest number of FMGE takers, only 14.5% candidates with a medical degree from China and only 14.7% candidates with a degree from Russia passed the screening test.
Foreign Medical Education Standards
The pass percentage of only 16% is indicative of poor standards of medical education in some of these countries. Students are often lured because of the lower fee and a guaranteed seat. Though the government has issued certain guidelines, the number of students pursuing medical education abroad hasn’t gone down.
Featured Image:
Photo: cityscape by Srinivas Kompally,
Icons:Doctor by Wilson Joseph from the Noun Project, “Medical-Council-of-India” by Source (WP:NFCC#4). Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia.

created: February 24, 2018


text:
Government eases norms as Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Scheme for Inter-Caste Marriages fails to take off
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 9, 2017
Encouraging Inter-Caste marriages has been one of the ways by which the Government aims to reduce caste prejudice and caste based discrimination. Central Assistance has been extended to states for many years now to encourage inter-caste marriages. But the dedicated scheme of the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation has failed to achieve even 10% of the targets.  The government has now eased the norms in a bid to find more takers for the scheme.
Encouraging Inter-Caste marriages is one of the ways by which the Government aims to reduce caste prejudice and caste based discrimination. The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has been funding a centrally Sponsored Scheme where in Central assistance is provided to the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, towards incentive for inter-caste marriages, where one of the spouses belongs to a Scheduled Castes. This scheme was part of the implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of atrocities) Act, 1989.
Rajasthan provides Rs 5 lakh as incentive, the highest in the country
A key element of the central assistance to states is to provide incentive for inter- caste marriages, where one of the spouses is a member of a Scheduled Caste. The quantum of incentive amount is decided by the state government. It is currently between Rs 10000 and Rs 500000 in various states. Rajasthan provides the highest incentive for an inter-caste marriage (Rs 5 lakh) followed by Rs 2 lakh in Madhya Pradesh and Rs 1 lakh in Goa. Most other states provide Rs 50,000 as incentive. West Bengal, Jharkhand, Sikkim & Assam provide less than Rs 50,000 as incentive for an inter-caste marriage.
Most beneficiaries from Maharashtra
The center released assistance to the tune of Rs 29.71 crore in 2013-14, Rs 42.22 crore in 2014-15, Rs 51.08 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 50.63 crore in 2016-17. Government data also indicates that 15711 beneficiaries were covered under the scheme in 2014-15 and 14681 beneficiaries were covered in 2015-16. The government estimates that the number will cross 20000 in 2016-17. Maharashtra received the highest amount of central assistance during this period and it is also the state with most number of beneficiaries under the scheme. An estimated 13000 odd couples have benefitted from this scheme in Maharashtra between 2014-15 and 2016-17, the home state of Dr. B R Ambedkar. Though Rajasthan provides the highest quantum of incentive, only 1000 odd couples have benefitted from the scheme between 2014-15 and 2016-17. Bihar received only Rs 1 lakh as central assistance in 2014-15 under this scheme and the state did not seek a single rupee of central assistance in both 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Dedicated Scheme launched by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation
While this central assistance is still in place, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, an institution under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has come up with a dedicated central scheme; ‘Dr. Ambedkar Scheme for Social Integration through Inter-Caste Marriages’ for encouraging inter-caste marriages.
The scheme was initially launched in 2013. The following documents must be submitted along with the application.
The dedicated scheme of Dr. Ambedkar Foundation fails to take off
Despite the high incentive amount of Rs 2.5 lakh (more than what is provided by most state governments), the scheme has failed to take off. Only about 19 couples received benefit in 2015. In 2016-17, only 59 couples received the incentive  against a target of 500. As per a government press release, only 126 couples benefitted under the scheme in three years against a target of 1500 in three years.
Despite the relatively high incentive amount of Rs 2.5 lakh, lack of awareness coupled with the stringent norms resulted in less than 10% achievement under the scheme. With the government now easing norms by removing the income ceiling and the need for the state government to forward the proposal, one hopes that the scheme will be utilized by eligible beneficiaries in the years to come.
Featured image: icons from Indian Wedding by Adam Mullin, Indian Bride, Brahmin by Sitara Shah from the Noun Project

created: December 9, 2017


text:
Only 29 seats in Uttar Pradesh were won with a margin of less than 2000 votes - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2022
In light of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly general election results, a social media post claiming that BJP has won in 86 seats with a margin of less than 2000 votes, is going viral across social media platforms. The post further states the number of seats won by BJP with margin of less than 1000, 500 and 200 votes. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: BJP won 86 seats with a margin of less than 2000 votes in the recent 2022 UP assembly elections.
Fact: As per the data released by the ECI, there are only 29 seats in Uttar Pradesh where the winning margin was less than 2000 votes. Of these 29 seats,  the winning margin is less than 500 in 11 seats, between 500 – 1000 in four seats, and between 1000-2000 votes in 14 seats. Also, there is not even a single seat where the winning margin is below 200 votes. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
As far as the recent 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections are concerned, according to the Election Commission of India,  there are only 29 seats where the winning margin is less than 2000 votes.
Of these 29 seats, the winning margin is less than 500 in 11 seats, between 500 – 1000 in four seats, and between 1000-2000 votes in 14 seats. Also, there is not even a single seat where the winning margin is below 200 votes. The list of these 29 constituencies and the winning margin can be seen from the chart below.
There is not a single constituency in UP, where the winning margin is less than 200 votes, contrary to the claim made in the viral posts. Further, there are 24 such seats, where the winning margin is between 2000-5000 votes.
Even if we consider those seats where the winning margin is between 2000-5000 votes, the total count of seats where the winning margin is below 5000 votes stands at 53 seats only.
Out of the 29 constituencies where a party won with a margin of less than 2000 votes, the BJP alliance won 18, the SP alliance won 10 and the remaining seat was won by the Congress.
To sum it up, only 29 seats in Uttar Pradesh were won with a victory margin of less than 2000 votes and the BJP alliance won 18 of them.


text:
Only 9% of ‘Offences against the State’ are Sedition related in 2014 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 17, 2016
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) started collecting data on ‘Offences against the State’ from 2014. The NCRB included cases registered under Sections 121,121A, 122, 123, 124A, 153A & 153B of IPC in this category. Out of the 512 cases registered in this category, only 47 cases were sedition related. Bulk of the 512 cases were related to promoting enmity between groups.
The country is once again discussing Sec 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), more commonly known as Sedition. While the debate on this particular section’s relevance in a modern society continues, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) provides some interesting insights. The NCRB started collecting data on cases booked under this section, only from 2014. A total of 47 cases were registered under Sec 124A in 2014 out of which 34 were registered in Bihar & Jharkhand alone.
against the State & Sedition
Starting 2014, the NCRB started classifying crimes under different heads as offences against the State. Sec 124A is also included under this head.
The NCRB considers crimes directed against the existence of the state like treason, sedition, and rebellion as offences against the state. According to NCRB, Treason is the crime of betraying a nation by acts considered dangerous to its security like selling military secrets to a foreign power, giving aid to the enemy in time of war etc. Sedition refers generally to the offence related to conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or government. Rebellion is the attempted overthrow of a government. In addition to these crimes, the NCRB also included offences promoting enmity between different groups as ‘Offences against the State’ as they disturb tranquility in the society and are prejudicial to national integration.
More than 70% of the Sedition cases were booked in Bihar & Jharkhand
As per the NCRB data, a total of 47 cases were registered under Sec 124A across the country in 2014. Out of the 47 cases, 18 were registered in Jharkhand, 16 in Bihar and 5 in Kerala. 2 cases were registered in each of Odisha & West Bengal. One case each was registered in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh & Himachal Pradesh. Sedition cases were registered in only 9 states in 2014. Not a single case of sedition was registered in 20 other states. In none of the Union Territories, sedition cases were registered.
A total of 58 persons were arrested under charges of sedition in 2014. 55 of these are male and 3 are female. 28 persons were arrested in Bihar for 16 cases while only 18 persons were arrested in Jharkhand for 18 cases. All the three women arrested under sedition charges were arrested in Odisha. Not a single person was arrested in Andhra Pradesh & West Bengal though sedition cases were registered.
Only 9% of the Offences against the State are Sedition related
A total of 512 cases were registered in 2014 that were categorized was ‘Offences against the State’. 63% of these cases were registered under Sec 153A of the IPC, promoting enmity between different groups. Only 9% of these offences are related to sedition. About 25% of the cases were registered under Sections 121, 121A, 122, & 123 of IPC. Majority of the cases under Sec 153A were registered in just four states of Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra & Rajasthan.

created: February 17, 2016