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Analysis: The story of FDI inflows of the last 10 years – Which sectors are receiving a Lion’s share?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 31, 2019
In part-1 of a two-part series, we look the
overall FDI inflow of the last 10 years along with sectoral FDI inflow.
On 10 July 2019, the Minister for Commerce andMinistry, provided answers to question asked in Lok Sabha regarding Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) inflows in India. In response to one of the questions, the minister hasprovided the sector wise FDI of the past three years and also reiterated thatIndia continues to rank in the top 10 countries with the highest FDI inflows asper United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s WorldInvestment Report (WIR) in 2017,2018 and 2019.
In a two part series, we analyse the FDI inflows to India over the past decade includingthe trend of FDI inflows across various key sectors, source of the FDI inflowetc.
Equity and reinvestment are major component of FDI inflow
Before getting into the sector wise FDI inflows and the source of FDI inIndia, let us first understand the different components of FDI inflow.
The total FDI inflow comprises of three main components:
Consistent increase in Annual FDI inflows over the decades barring
couple of years
The FDI inflows for financial year (FY) 2009-10 was $37,745 million and overthe ensuing decade, the FDI inflows have recorded a steady growth every year.For FY 2018-2019, the inflows were $64,375 million i.e. 70.55% higher than theannual inflows in 2009-10.
The FDI inflows decreased compared to the previous year only on twooccasions, FY 2010-11 and FY 2012-13 where they fell by 8% and a sharp 26%respectively. It can be noted that the highest annual increase over the decadewas recorded in the year between these two i.e. FY 2011-12, where the FDIinflows showed an annual increment of 34%. Few Big-ticket deals in the Oil & Gas sectors was said to have contributed for the higher FDIinflow in spite of the lack of FDI reforms during that period.
After a meteoric annual growth during 2014-15 and 2015-16, the FDI inflowsonly increased by single digit percentage points annually over the last threeyears (8%, 1% and 6% respectively between 2016-17 and 2018-19).
Service Sector, Hardware & Software, Trading and Automobile are the
consistent high performing sectors
Service sector has been always had a major share of the FDI inflowsevery year. Apart from two lean years in 2013-14 & 2014-15, this sector hasalways recorded a share of minimum 10% of the total FDI received annually.Especially during the ensuing four years after the lean period, FDI in Servicesector has a share of 14.5%, 14.4%, 11% and 14.2% respectively. The FDI inservice sector has grown by 181% during these four years. i.e., From $3252.97million in 2014-15 to $9157.54 million in 2018-19. Services under Banking,Insurance, Non-Finance & Business Outsourcing, Finance, R&D,Technology, Testing, Analysis etc. are categorized under service sector.
FDI into Computer (Hardware & Software) sector has increased from$918.66 million in 2009-10 to $6415.21 million in 2018-19. The annual inflowhas grown by more than 500% in just 5 years between 2014-15 and 2018-19.
Trading sector includes businesses dealing with trading related toexports, bulk imports, cash & carry whole sale trading, hi-tech goods,medical & diagnostic items etc. The FDI inflows last year were recorded at$4,462 million compared to $578.61 million a decade ago.
Telecommunication sector has also received consistent high volume of FDIannually. Although there was a dip in the FDI received last year (2018-2019),this was after high volume of FDI inflows the previous two year.
In recent years, FDI inflows have increased in Education,
Non-Conventional Energy, Hospital & Diagnostic sectors
FDI into Hospitals & Diagnostic centers has shown a gradual andconsistent increase all through the decade. In 2009-2010, the inflow was $135.91million and has shown an incremental increase in the annual inflow every year.Last year, there was the greatest increase in an annual year with 47% higherFDI inflows compared to 2017-18.
Education Sector has also started receiving higher FDI over the decade,with a dip in the inflows during 2013-15. Last year, has an exponentialincrease in this sector with FDI inflows at $776.73 million compared to earlieryear’s $285.75 million. Regulations allow for 100% FDI in education. Vocationand Technical education receive most of the foreign investment.
Non-Conventional Energy sector FDI inflows have increased annually since2014-15, more than doubling up on yearly figures. In the year 2012-13, thissector received FDI to the tune of $1,146 million, which was only surpassed inthe last two years i.e. 2017-18 & 2018-19.
Hotel & Tourism, Construction, Drugs & Pharmaceuticals among the
sectors receiving inconsistent FDIs annually.
The FDI inflows are dependent on various factors apart from theregulation and policies of the government. While positive governmentinitiatives and environment are influencing factors, the actual deals can varyannually. This results in irregular annual FDI inflows in few sectors.
Hotel & Tourism sector received highest FDI over the decade in2012-13 with $3336.68 million followed by last year 2018-19 ($1310.93 million).It had comparatively lean annual inflows in 2010-11 ($320.73 million) and2017-18 ($408.75 million).
The categorization of construction industry has varied the FDI numbersof the government. It being reported as – Construction Activities, Housing& Real Estate, Construction Development, Construction (Infrastructure) etc.During 2009-10 (15%), 2011-12 (8%) and 2015-16 (8.3%), this sector had majorcontribution to the FDI inflow albeit with some lean years in between.
The FDI into Cement and Gypsum sector has been very volatile over thelast decade. During 2016-17 it received $2,130 million, encapsulated betweenyears of less FDI – 2015-16 ($19.78 million), 2017-18 ($19.44 million) and2018-19 ($17.61 million).
Drugs & Pharma sector FDI inflows have also been highly inconsistentover the years. In 2011-12, it received $7,311 million in FDI with the nexthighest in the immediate next year with $2,115 million.


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Analyzing Claims About PM Modi's 1983 M.A. Certificate: What the Evidence Says - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 7, 2023
Following recent developments, particularly Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s statement suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be disclosing his degree details due to ego or the possibility of a fake degree, discussions surrounding Modi’s Master of Arts certificate from Gujarat University, issued in 1983, have intensified. In this fact-check article, we address and debunk specific claims made about the certificate without delving into the overall authenticity of the degree itself.
Claims: Prior to 1983, academic certificates were exclusively issued in handwritten format. The font utilized in Modi’s M.A certificate ‘Old English Text MT’ was invented and patented only in 1992. Additionally, the word “University” is misspelled as “Unibersity” on the certificate.
Facts: No evidence to prove that academic certificates were exclusively issued in handwritten format before 1983. There is evidence that the Academic certificates were issued in Printed format as early as 1920’s. The font used in Modi’s certificate is not Old English Text MT. The Spelling of the word ‘University’ in the certificate is correct. The letter ‘v’ in fonts like Lincoln Text Pro closely resembles the letter ‘b’. While we couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of Modi’s M.A certificate, the aforementioned claims have been proven false, and they cannot be used as a basis for labelling the certificate as fake. Hence the post is MISLEADING.
Font patented in 1992?
The post claims that the text used in the certificate is “Old English Text MT.” We compared the text in the certificate with the same text written using the “Old English Text MT” typeface. However, the typeface’s design does not match.
Some posts claim that the font used in the certificate is ‘Marriage,‘ which was created in 1992. At first glance, the font in the certificate may resemble the Marriage font, but upon closer inspection, subtle differences can be observed. For instance, comparing the letters ‘M,’ ‘A,’ and ‘v’ in the certificate to those in the Marriage typeface reveals that they are not identical.
Additionally, we generated the text using various text-generating software for “Old English Text MT,” including the website of the font’s copyright holder, Monotype Corporation. However, these attempts also did not produce a matching typography.
Therefore, this evidence eliminates the possibility that the text used in the certificate is “Old English Text MT,” which was copyrighted by Monotype Corporation in the 1990s and then licensed to Microsoft Corporation in 1992.
Before 1983, were certificates exclusively handwritten?
In order to ascertain the truth regarding this matter, we examined the academic certificates of prominent figures such as B.R. Ambedkar, M.K. Gandhi, Jagdish Chandra Bose, and Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling. We discovered that the majority of their academic certificates are printed, with only a few being hand-calligraphed. This disproves the claim that only handwritten academic certificates were issued before 1983.
It is important to note that the printing press was invented in the mid-15th century, and typewriters were developed in the 19th century. As a result, the printing of certificates in the 1980s should not have been a significant challenge, given the advancements in technology at the time.
‘University’ misspelt as ‘Unibersity’ in the Certificate?
To investigate this matter, we uploaded the font from the certificate to a font detection website. The fonts found to be similar to the one in the certificate include Mariage Pro Regular, Lincoln Text Pro, Wedding Text Standard Regular, and other Black Letter fonts. Notably, the letter ‘v’ in the Lincoln Text Pro font closely resembles the ‘b.’ However, there is a distinction between the two: the ascender (or stem) of the letter ‘b’ is straight and elongated, while the left leg (or left stroke) of the letter ‘V’ is curved.
Although the font appears to be a close match, it is important to recognize that many fonts may look similar to the casual observer but have subtle differences upon closer inspection. However, it is evident that the spelling of the word “University” in the certificate is indeed correct, as the letter ‘v’ in fonts like Lincoln Text Pro closely resembles the letter ‘b’. A similar observation can be made in the case of Ambedkar’s certificate mentioned earlier.
Did the University’s Vice-Chancellor who signed Modi’s M.A. certificate resign in 1981?
K.S. Shastri, the Vice-Chancellor who signed Modi’s certificate, first served in that capacity at ‘Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU)’ from 22 August 1980 to 13 July 1981, as per the university’s website. Following his tenure at VNSGU, Shastri then became the Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University.
The website of Gujarat University confirms that Shastri held this position from 1981 to 1987. It was during his time at Gujarat University that Modi’s M.A. degree was issued.
To sum it up, while we couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of Modi’s M.A. certificate, the aforementioned claims have been proven false, and they cannot be used as a basis for labelling the certificate as fake.
Update (07 April 2023): This article has been updated to include claims about ‘Marriage’ font, and that K.S. Shastri, the Vice-Chancellor who signed Modi’s certificate in 1983 had actually completed his tenure as Gujarat University’s Vice Chancellor in 1981.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Anangpal Tomar did not build Red Fort; he built Lal Kot, which is 23 km away from Red Fort - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 12, 2022
A post is being shared on social media which claims that Anangpal Tomar built the famous Red Fort in Delhi. The post further says that this was not taught to us in history. Let’s verify these claims through this article.
Claim: Anangpal Tomar built the Red Fort in Delhi.
Fact: According to the Central Government’s Archaeological Survey of India, the construction of the Red Fort started in 1639 by Shah Jahan and completed in nine years. On the other hand, ‘Lal Kot’ was built in 1052 by Anangpal Tomar. Although it is also in present-day Delhi, it has nothing to do with the Red Fort. The distance between the two is about 23 kilometres. This ‘Lal Kot’ is also known as ‘Quila Rai Pithora’. ‘Lal Kot’, built by Anangpal Tomar, is also known as the original ‘Red Fort’ and the first ‘Red Fort’. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
According to the Central Government’s Archaeological Survey of India, the construction of Red Fort started in 1639 by Shah Jahan and completed in nine years. Every Year, the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on the occasion of Independence Day from this Red Fort in Delhi.
Anangpal of the Tomar dynasty built ‘Lal Kot’ in 1052; Prithviraj Chauhan captured it in the 12th century and expanded his city as Khila Rai Pithora. This ‘Lal Kot’ is also known as ‘Quila Rai Pithora’, and it is also known as the first city of Delhi. Situated in the most strategic part of the Aravali range at the entrance of Delhi, this Quila has witnessed many changes in Indian History. It has nothing to do with the Red Fort built by Shah Jahan in the 17th century.
Remains of ‘Lal Kot’ walls are found all over South Delhi, seen in Mehrauli, Sanjay Wan, Kishan Ghar and Vasant Kunj areas. Although the ‘Lal Kot’ is also in present-day Delhi, it is not related to the Red Fort built by Shah Jahan in the 17th century. The distance between the two is about 23 kilometres. It can also be viewed through Google Maps.
It can be seen from the article published by ‘The Hindu’ that ‘Lal Kot’ built by Anangpal Tomar, is called the original ‘Red Fort’ and the first ‘Red Fort’. Delhi’s first city – Lal Kot/Quila Rai Pithora- is located in Mehrauli. The seventh city, Shahjahanabad, is home to the Lal Qila (Red Fort); It is 23 km away from Lal Kot.
In between are the ruins of five other cities: Siri, Jahanpana, Tughlaqabad, Firozabad and Dimpana/Sher Shah Ghar. It is known that Delhi was founded as an urban settlement by the Tomar kingdom in the year 736. It is also known that Lal Kot and Anangtal Baoli (both in South Delhi) were built during the reign of Anangpal in the 11th century.
To sum it up, the Red Fort in Delhi built by Shah Jahan and the ‘Lal Kot’ built by Anangpal Tomar are unrelated.


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Ananya Dagar married Haider Ali Khan in 2020, not recently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 7, 2022
A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Ananya Dagar recently got married to ‘Nawabzada Haider Ali Khan’ alias Hamza Mian and converted herself into ‘Shaukat Zamani Begum’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ananya Dagar recently married Nawabzada Haider Ali Khan and converted herself into ‘Shaukat Zamani Begum’.
Fact: While it is true that Ananya Dagar married Haider Ali Khan, the marriage happened in December 2020. So, the marriage was not recent. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the photo was run through Google Reverse Image, many similar photos were found in the search results. A journalist tweeted the same photo in December 2020 and wrote – “Ananya became ‘Shaukat Zamani Begum’ for Hamza Mian. Married to Hamza Mian, son of former minister Nawab Kazim Ali” (translated). Many news agencies have also reported on the marriage in 2020. Those news articles can be read here, here, and here.
More visuals from their wedding in 2020 can be seen here, here, and here. It should be noted that while news agencies have reported that Ananya Dagar converted herself into ‘Shaukat Zamani Begum’, Hamza Mian in his 2022 election affidavit has mentioned his wife’s name as ‘Ananya Dagar’.
To sum it up, Ananya Dagar married Nawabzada Haider Ali Khan in 2020, not recently

created: October 7, 2022


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Angela Merkel’s hair was not pixelated by the Saudi TV channels. It was a satirical post. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that a Saudi TV channel had pixelated the hair of Angela Merkel to avoid plunging the nation into an uncontrollable sexual excitement. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Angela Merkel’s hair was pixelated on Saudi TV.
Fact: No credible source has published about Saudi channels pixelating Angela Merkel’s hair. The pixelated picture was posted by a satirical page. Also, the Saudi Press Agency has released pictures without pixelating her hair. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on Google with the keywords ‘Angela Merkel hair pixelated’, no credible news source was found confirming the claim. At the bottom of the picture, a logo can be seen.  The logo is related to a Facebook page –  خسة  –  (@khasepage). In its ‘About’ section, it can be read that it a satirical page and posts images for fun. According to an article published by ‘BuzzFeed News’ in 2017, the Facebook page has posted the pixelated picture with the following description: ‘Just for fun’.
Also, in the picture released by the Saudi Press Agency and published on the Arab News website, it can found that the hair of Angela Merkel is not pixelated.
When the pixelated image went viral in 2017 with the same claim, many fact-checkers across the world have written articles terming it to be fake news. Some of those articles can be read here and here.
To sum it up, Angela Merkel’s hair was not pixelated by the Saudi TV channels. It was a satirical post.
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created: November 15, 2019


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Animation video of an ISKCON temple’s mobile cosmic chandelier is falsely attributed to NASA - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2023
A video showing 14 lokas (worlds) according to Vedas is being widely shared claiming that it is an animation film made by NASA. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Animation video made by NASA which shows 14 worlds according to Vedas.
Fact: This is not an animation film made by NASA. It is an animation video of a mobile cosmic Chandelier that will be hung from the ceiling of the ‘Temple of Vedic Planetarium’ (TOVP). It exhibits the vedic conception of universe. This temple is being built by ISKCON in Mayapur, West Bengal. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Internet search using relevant keywords led us to an YouTube video of the same uploaded by “Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP)” on 11 January 2021. Description & introduction of the video states that the animation video is a computer model of a mobile cosmic Chandelier that will be hung from the ceiling of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP).
As per the TOVP’s official website, this temple, located in West Bengal’s Mayapur, is being built by ISKCON and is scheduled to complete by 2024. Same video is available on this website too. Moreover, we couldn’t find any such video on NASA’s website or media reports about such a video.
To sum it up, animation video of an ISKCON temple’s mobile cosmic chandelier is falsely attributed to NASA.

created: January 19, 2023


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Animation video of a man spinning along with a helicopter rotor is passed off as real - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 2, 2021
A social media post accompanying the video of a man sitting on the rotor of a helicopter and spinning with it is being shared widely as if it happened for real. The post calls it the rotor challenge. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a man spinning along with the rotor of a helicopter
Fact: This is a computer graphic video created by an CG artist and shared on his Instagram account named ‘mgb-core’. It is categorically mentioned in this account that the video is shot using smartsuit pro. Further, there are many animated videos shared by the creator in this account. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Halfway through the video, we can spot a watermark that reads ‘MGB CORE’. Taking a cue from this, Google search with relevant keywords led us to an Instagram account with the name ‘mgb_core’, which had a million followers. As per the description, this account is handled by a computer graphic designer, and further in the description, it is categorically mentioned that all the content posted on this account is created by himself.
This account shared a lengthier version of the viral video. In the lengthier version of the video, it can be seen after spinning at high velocity, the man eventually flies into the sky along with the helicopter. However, it is categorically mentioned in the post that the video is shot by animating the characters using ‘Smartsuit Pro’, an animation software. Further, the post-credits other animators who took part in making the video.
Also, there are many such computer graphic videos shared in this account. This proves that the viral video is nothing but an animation video. FACTLY has earlier also debunked a few animated videos which were passed off on social media as if they are for real, these fact-check stories can be read here, here, and here.
To sum it up, an animation video of a man spinning along with helicopter rotor passed off as real.

created: November 2, 2021


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Another dubious website revives the old false claim of government providing relief fund to each citizen - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 25, 2022
Update (25 May 2022):Another message is being shared claiming that the government is providing a financial benefit of Rs. 30,628 to citizens of the country due to the surge in prices. The post shares a link where one can register and avail the benefit. However, there is no such government initiative that is providing financial assistance due to the rising inflation. The link shared in the post is fraudulent and sharing personal information can be potentially misused by the scamsters.
A message claiming that the government has finally approved and started giving free ₹ 5,000 COVID-19 relief fund to each citizen is doing rounds on social media again. The message has a link which states that the users can instantly claim the amount using the given link. Let’s fact-check the claim.
The government is providing ₹ 5,000 COVID-19 relief fund to each citizen.
Fact: The link given in the message is of a dubious website. The government is not providing ₹ 5,000 COVID-19 relief fund to each citizen. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Let’s check for clues and try to ascertain the authenticity of the message:
1. When the link in the post is opened, it is directed to a website (https://fundsforcovid19.com/) (archived). The website address (domain) of this website is different from the website domain of government sites which generally end with ‘gov.in’ or ‘nic.in’.
2. Regardless of the number of times a person visits the website, the page will show – ‘Left 1936 FREE lockdown packages’.
3. Clicking on any of the options on the page, it displays packages offering ‘₹ 5,000, ₹ 10,000 (not available) and ₹ 15,000 (not available)’. Regardless of whatever option is chosen, it is directed to a page asking what will the free Rs 5,000 be used for.
4. After finishing the survey, comments are displayed. In them, the users have mentioned that they received benefits offered by the website. However, irrespective of the number of times the website is visited, the names of the ‘beneficiaries’ and ‘timestamp’ always remains the same. Also, the number of ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ do not change.
5. At the end of the survey, the website asks users to share the website on WhatsApp groups to get the benefits. It is unlikely for a government website to include such steps for its schemes.
6. The image given as the thumbnail for the posted link shows the seal of President of Nigeria. So, it is not related to India.
FACTLY has previously debunked two other website links which went viral with similar claims. Those fact-check articles can be read here and here. Also, referring to these clickbait messages, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has tweeted that the message is fake and asked people to be ‘beware of such fraudulent websites and WhatsApp forwards’.
Claim- A whatsapp viral message claims that Government has approved and started giving out free Rs 2000 relief fund to each citizen.#PIBFactcheck: #Fake. The fraud link given is a Clickbait.  Beware of such Fraudulent websites and whatsapp forwards. pic.twitter.com/6JWIx8AIDe
To sum it up, a dubious website falsely claims that the government is providing ₹ 5,000 relief fund to each citizen.
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‘Anti-tobacco Health spots & Disclaimers in films must be rotated regularly to avoid over exposure’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 8, 2017
A recent study supported the government has recommended strengthening of the anti-tobacco film rules and said that the anti-tobacco health spots & disclaimers in films must be rotated regularly to avoid over exposure and resultant ineffectiveness.
The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation Of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA) was enacted in 2003 to prohibit and regulate advertisement & display of tobacco products among other things. The rules framed in 2004 and then amended in 2005 and 2012 prohibit advertisement and display of tobacco products in multiple ways. The 2012 rules have detailed rules on portrayal of smoking in films. Now a study by a non-profit, that is guided by the government has recommended that anti-tobacco health spots & disclaimers in films must be rotated regularly to avoid over exposure  that could result in ineffectiveness.
Rules for films & television programs displaying tobacco products
The amended rules in 2012 mandate the following four rules for new films and television programs displaying tobacco products or their use.
These rules were framed in consultation with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Ministry of Health has also developed health spots like the film on Mukesh for insertion in films.
The rules also mandate that the static message should be legible and readable and placed prominently at the bottom of the screen and that the font of the message should be in black color, on white background.
Only 27% films in the sample implemented all four rules
The study involved interviews with men and women aged 15 – 50 years. 308 movies across four regions in India were coded and exit interviews were conducted with 3,080 people. The movies were chosen in such a way that at least 50% of them contained a tobacco scene. The study found that
The anti-tobacco health spots & disclaimers must be rotated regularly
Overall, the study found that the implementation of the Film Rules was higher in film theaters than on television. The study also made various recommendations that are supported by the government.  Some of the recommendations made are the following.
Images: Anti-tobacco Health spots & Disclaimers


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Antony Blinken has not made these statements targeting Jaishankar & BJP over Minority Persecution in India - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 17, 2023
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a meeting with India’s Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, has mentioned several statistics of Minority Persecution in India under the current BJP rule. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statements on Minority Persecution in India under the current BJP rule.
Fact: No such statements were made Antony Blinken. However, at a Joint Press Conference on 11 April 2022, Blinken said that they (USA) were monitoring some recent concerning developments in India, including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police, and prison officials. Following this, on 14 April 2022, Jaishankar replied that human rights issue was not a topic of discussion during the ministerial meeting and added, “whenever there is a discussion on that, we will not be reticent about speaking out. We also take our views on other people’s human rights situation, including that of the US. So, we take up a human rights issues when they arise in this country (USA), especially when they pertain to our community. And in fact, we had a case yesterday…that’s really where we stand on that”. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
First, we found that the same post has been viral since April 2022 after a joint press conference held by top Indian and US Ministers on 11 April 2022 at Washington, D.C. In this conference, talking about India-US relations, Blinken said, “We also share a commitment to our democratic values, such as protecting human rights.  We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values, and to that end we’re monitoring some recent concerning developments in India, including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police, and prison officials.” Following this, on 14 April 2022, Jaishankar said, “People are entitled to have views about us. But we are also equally entitled to have views about their views and about the interests, and the lobbies and the vote banks which drive that. So, whenever there is a discussion, I can tell you that we will not be reticent about speaking out” adding that the human rights issue was not a topic of discussion during the ministerial meeting.
He further added, “I would tell you that we also take our views on other people’s human rights situation, including that of the United States. So, we take up a human rights issues when they arise in this country (USA), especially when they pertain to our community. And in fact, we had a case yesterday…that’s really where we stand on that,”. Also, in June 2022, during the release of International Religious Freedom report 2021, Blinken said, “In India, the world’s largest democracy and home to a great diversity of faiths, we’ve seen rising attacks on people and places of worship”. However, Ministry on External Affairs released a statement calling the comments as ‘ill-informed’.
To sum it up, even though Blinken said they were concerned about recent rise in human right violations in India, he never made the statements shared in the viral post.

created: January 17, 2023


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AP government did not print the Jesus photo on the official ration cards. Those are unofficial cards printed by a local ration dealer - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 11, 2019
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the photo of Jesus is printed on the ration cards issued in Andhra Pradesh. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Jesus photo printed on the Andhra Pradesh ration cards.
Fact: The card in the photo is not the Government’s ration card, it is a card printed by the local ration dealer to note the ration products given to the consumer. A ration dealer in the Vadlamuru village of Andhra Pradesh has printed the photo of Jesus on the cards sold to the customers for noting the ration products taken. The same ration dealer has printed the photos of Hindu gods previously but printed Jesus photo this year. So, it is not the state government which printed the Jesus photo and it is not on the official ration card. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When searched on Google about the issue, a video uploaded by ‘ABN Telugu’ on YouTube was found in the search results. In the video, it can be found that the card in the photo is not the official ration card given by the government. The card was printed by a local ration dealer in the Vadlamuru village of Andhra Pradesh to take note the ration products given to the consumer. He sells those cards to the customers for 5 rupees. Talking to ‘ABN- Andhrajyothy’, Satya Sai ram (the husband of the ration dealer) told that they print these cards every year with the photo of a god and they are not the cards given by the government. He also said that in the previous years they printed the cards with the photos of Hindu gods and this year, they printed the card with the photo of Jesus.
In 2016, 2017, and 2018, the dealer has printed the cards with the photos of Hindu gods. A collage containing the cards printed by the dealer in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 can be found in the ‘India Today’ article.
A sample photo of the ration card issued last year by the Andhra Pradesh government can be found in the ‘Sakshi’ article.
So, it is not the state government which printed the Jesus photo and it was not on the official ration card. Reacting to the controversy, the Andhra Pradesh government has responded saying that the ration dealer is a supporter of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and he purposefully printed the photo of Jesus to promote the propaganda against the government.
According to an article in the ‘Andhrajyothy’, a Civil Supplies Department Official has said, after the photo went viral, that ration dealers should not give any other paper cards along with the officially issued ration cards. He said that necessary action will be taken on the ration dealers who sell those cards.
To sum it up, the Andhra Pradesh government did not print the Jesus photo on the ration cards. Those are unofficial cards printed by a local ration dealer.
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created: December 11, 2019


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AP Govt did not change the definition of ‘god’ and ‘godparent’ in the oxford dictionary provided as part of Jagananna Vidya Kanuka - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 5, 2021
A video accompanied by a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the Oxford dictionary provided by the Andhra Pradesh Government as part of ‘Jagananna Vidya Kanuka’ scheme was modified for certain words. The post even claims by showing the examples of ‘God’ and ‘Godparent’ that the oxford dictionary had been changed to a Christian dictionary by A.P. CM Jagan. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing changes made to the definition of ‘God’ and ‘Godparent’ in the oxford dictionary by Andhra Pradesh government.
Fact: The content about ‘god’ and ‘godparent’ in the oxford dictionary provided as part of Jagananna Vidya Kanuka scheme by the A.P. government is the same compared to the dictionary available in the market. Dictionaries well known across the world also carry a similar definition of ‘god’ and ‘godparent’. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Oxford Dictionary is considered one of the most credible and the gold standard for a dictionary. The definition of ‘God’ in oxford learner’s dictionary is “(in Christianity, Islam and Judaism) the being or spirit that is worshipped and is believed to have created the universe.” ‘Godparent’ is “a person who promises at a Christian baptism ceremony to be responsible for a child and to teach them about the Christian religion.” Godparent is a word largely associated with the religion of Christianity.
There are multiple dictionaries available online, which are trusted and credible. When we compare the definitions of both these words in these dictionaries, they are similar to the one given by the Oxford Dictionary. It must be noted that a dictionary usually gives multiple definitions to a word, and that includes online dictionaries.
Meaning of ‘God’ and ‘Godparent’ in other standard dictionaries
Merriam Webster Online:
According to the Merriam-Webster website, the ‘Essential Meaning of god’ given by them is “the perfect and all-powerful spirit or being that is worshipped especially by Christians, Jews, and Muslims as the one who created and rules the universe”. In their ‘Full Definition of god’, “God: the supreme or ultimate reality: such as the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped (as in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism) as creator and ruler of the universe.” According to Merriam-Webster, godparent is, “a sponsor at baptism”.
However, there are other definitions given by Merriam-Webster website too.
Cambridge Dictionary Online:
According to the Cambridge Dictionary Online website, ‘God’ is given as, “(esp. in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim belief) the being that created and rules the universe, the earth, and its people.” One definition of godparent is, “an adult who is partly responsible for the moral and Christian religious development of another person’s child.”
However, there are other definitions given by the Cambridge dictionary online.
Wiktionary:
According to Wiktionary, God is, “The single deity of various monotheistic religions, especially the deity of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.” Godparent is, “the person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism.”
Other dictionaries like the google dictionary, dictionary.com do not have such type of definitions. The definitions have distinguished various religions because one’s own definitions are different from each other.
The Official twitter account of the ‘Fact Check Wing’ of Government of Andhra Pradesh had tweeted and debunked the same claim. They put out a video saying that the AP Government did not change the definition of ‘God’ in the Oxford dictionary provided free of cost as part of ‘Jagananna Vidya Kanuka’ scheme. In the video, they have compared the dictionary available in the open market with the dictionary provided by the government; and that both have the same content.
The Oxford Dictionary (Eng-Eng-Tel) available in the market and the one provided to students have the same content. The propaganda to defame a noble scheme aimed at promoting education for all is condemnable.
We urge people to check the facts before sharing any such video.
To sum it up, AP Government did not change the definition of ‘god’ and ‘godparent’ in the oxford dictionary provided to students as part of ‘Jagananna Vidya Kanuka’ scheme.

created: October 5, 2021


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AP Police has clarified that there is no second leak at the LG Polymers premises. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2020
Following the tragic incident of the deadly Styrene gas leak at LG Polymers’ chemical plant in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam in the morning of 07 May 2020, which claimed the lives of eleven people in addition to making hundreds ill, a post is shared on social media claiming that a second leak of gas took place at the premises of the LG polymers plant. Few media channels covering the incident live have also reported this. But Andhra Pradesh Police through their official twitter handle clarified that the reports of gas leakage for the second time at the premises LG Polymers are false. They also mentioned in their tweet that some vapour was let out by the maintenance team while repairing the system at the chemical plant. Hence the claim that gas leaked for the second time at LG Polymers premises is FALSE.
Sources:
Claim – Facebook post (archived)
Fact –
1. AP Police tweet – https://twitter.com/APPOLICE100/status/1258297197281476609
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AP Swachh Survekshan Rankings were selectively shared to mislead people - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 22, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the Swachh Survekshan ranks of Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam dropped from 5, 6 and 7 ranks in 2018 (under the TDP government) to 6, 12, and 17 ranks in 2020 (under the YSRCP government) respectively. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Swachh Survekshan ranks of Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam dropped from 5, 6 and 7 ranks in 2018 (under the TDP government) to 6, 12, and 17 ranks in 2020 (under the YSRCP government) respectively.
Fact: While it is true that the Swachh Survekshan ranks of Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam were 5, 6, and 7 ranks respectively in 2018 under the TDP government, the rankings of those cities also dropped to 12, 8, and 23 ranks respectively in 2019 under the TDP government. The 2019 rankings were not mentioned in the post to mislead people that the drop in rankings occurred under the YSRCP government. Actually, the rankings of Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada improved under the YSRCP government i.e. in 2020 when compared to 2019 rankings. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In the post, it can be observed that the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ rankings of the mentioned cities were missing. On looking at the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2018’ and ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ rankings, it was found that the Swachh Survekshan ranks of Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam were 5, 6, and 7 ranks respectively in 2018 under the TDP government, but the rankings of those cities also dropped to 12, 8, and 23 ranks respectively in 2019 under the TDP government. Actually, the rankings of Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada improved under the YSRCP government i.e. in ‘Swachh Survekshan 2020’ when compared to 2019 rankings. The 2019 rankings were not mentioned in the post to mislead people that the drop in rankings occurred under the YSRCP government.
When a similar tweet was made by TDP leader Nara Lokesh attributing the 2019 ranks to YSRCP government, FACTLY has then written a fact-check article saying that ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ rankings were published during the TDP government itself.
అభివృద్ధి అంటే ప్రాంతీయ విద్వేషాలు రెచ్చగొట్టినంత ఈజీ కాదు @ysjagan గారు. pic.twitter.com/NtFJkkvqzN
On 20 August 2020, YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy has tweeted (archived) that the rank of Visakhapatnam improved to 9 as against the 23 rank in the previous rankings.
Vizag is witnessing REAL PROGRESS on all metrics. The testimony for it is the fact that Vizag has JUMPED UP PHENOMENALLY and ended up with 9th RANK as against 23rd rank min the Swatch Survekshan 2020. Kudos to GVMC under the able leadership of Hon. CM YS Jagan garu.
But Visakhapatnam was ranked 23 in the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’ in the category of ‘More than 1 lakh population’. In that category, Visakhapatnam was ranked 17 in the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2020’. Visakhapatnam is ranked 9 in the category of ‘More than 10 lakh population’. So, the rank of Visakhapatnam in two different categories is being compared to mislead people.
To sum it up, the rankings are being selectively picked to mislead people.


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Aphelion is an annual event; it is not a major reason for significant changes in weather - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 8, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the ‘Aphelion Phenomenon’ that’s going to start now and end on 22 August 2022, is going to make Earth experience colder weather like never before. The post even claims that the distance between Sun and the Earth is 90,000,000 km but during the ‘Aphelion phenomenon’ the distance is going to increase by 66% to 152,000,000 km. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘Aphelion Phenomenon’ turns the weather colder and increases the distance between the Sun and the Earth by 66%.
Fact: Aphelion and Perihelion are points in the orbit of Earth when the Earth is farthest and closest to the Sun. Earth’s Aphelion is about 94.5 million miles or 152 million kilometres from the Sun. Earth’s Perihelion is about 91.4 million miles or 147 million kilometres. When the average distance between Earth and the Sun is considered, at Aphelion, the increase is just about 1.4%, not 66% increase as claimed.  Aphelion affects the Earth’s weather due to its distance from the Sun, mostly, the duration, not severity wise. The solar constant (the amount of Sun’s energy one receives) varies only slightly to make any significant changes to the temperature on Earth. According to NASA, it is a ‘common misconception’ that the varying distance between the Earth and the Sun causes the four seasons. However, it’s the tilted axis of Earth which is the major reason. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Aphelion and Perihelion are points in the orbit of Earth when the Earth is farthest and closest to the Sun. Aphelion is when the Earth is farthest away from the Sun; Perihelion is when the Earth is closest from the Sun. Earth’s Aphelion is about 94.5 million miles or 152 million kilometres from the Sun. Earth’s Perihelion is about 91.4 million miles or 147 million kilometres from the Sun.
Generally, Earth travels around the Sun in an elliptical orbit. Since the orbit is not an exact circle, Earth’s distance from the Sun keeps changing. However, on an average, the distance from Earth to the Sun is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometres. This average distance is called one astronomical unit.
There is just about 3.3% change in the distance when compared for Perihelion and Aphelion (or about 5 million kilometres). When the average distance between Earth and the Sun is considered, at Aphelion, the increase is just about 1.4%. So, there is no increase in distance between the Sun and the Earth by 66% due to some ‘Aphelion phenomenon’. As mentioned earlier, Aphelion and Perihelion are just points in the orbit of Earth when the Earth is farthest and closest to the Sun.
In 2022, the Aphelion, the point when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, happened on 04 July 2022. Perihelion on 04 January 2022. Aphelion and Perihelion happen at some point in time because the Earth is always on the move and revolving around the Sun. So, to claim that Aphelion is a Phenomenon that happens in a duration from 04 July 2022 to 22 August 2022 is not correct. Aphelion and Perihelion are events that happen annually.
Aphelion does affect the Earth’s weather due to its distance from the Sun, mostly, the duration, not the severity. Because “the difference in the amount of the Sun’s energy we receive (called the solar constant) doesn’t vary considerably between perihelion and aphelion.” The solar constant varies only slightly to make any significant changes to the temperature on Earth.
According to NASA, it is a ‘common misconception’ that the varying distance between the Earth and the Sun causes the four seasons. However, it’s the tilted axis of Earth which is the major reason for change in seasons.
To sum it up, Aphelion is an annual event; it is not a major reason for significant changes in weather.


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APJ Abdul Kalam hasn’t stated that Network Marketing is the fastest growing business of 21st century - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 21, 2022
A quote attributed to the late former President APJ Abdul Kalam is widely shared on social media claiming that Kalam had stated that Network Marketing is the fastest growing business of 21 century. This quote attributed to Abdul Kalam reads, “Network Marketing is the final growing business of 21st century which must be joined by every young man and women globally otherwise you can never get the best of your youth age”. A few users shared a video clip of Abdul Kalam while making the same claim on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: APJ Abdul Kalam’s statements praising Network Marketing.
Fact: Abdul Kalam did not make any such statement stating Network Marketing as the fastest growing business of 21 century. Sharing an edited video clip of Abdul Kalam’s conversation with students on 15 August 2006, several multi-level marketing sites and their associates misled the public that APJ Abdul Kalam had recommended every young man to join Network Marketing. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam had made any such statement about Network Marketing, we could not find any news reports confirming that this statement was made by Abdul Kalam. If APJ Abdul Kalam had made such a statement, several mainstream news websites would have reported that information.
Several social media users shared a video clip of Abdul Kalam while making the same claim on social media. We found the extended version of this video on a Facebook page. The extended version of the video shows Abdul Kalam responding to a student’s question, “How do you assess the last four years of your Presidency?”. Responding to this question, Abdul Kalam said, “I targeted two things. Number one that India as a developed nation before 2021 mission. I will say this marketing process is going in full steam and definitely I am happy with the outcome”. Abdul Kalam mentioned the word ‘marketing’ referring to his 2021 mission campaign. The student did not pose any questions related to Network Marketing for Abdul Kalam to answer about it.
The video shows Abdul Kalam’s conversation with students on Independence Day in 2006. A few other video clips from Abdul Kalam’s conversation with students on 15 August 2006 can be seen here and here. Several digital marketing and business consultancy pages published videos clarifying that Abdul Kalam had not made any such statement stating Network Marketing as the fastest growing business of 21 century.
Srijan Pal Singh, the former OSD to Abdul Kalam and who co-authored several books with him, confirmed to Factly that this statement about Network Marketing was not made by former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
To sum it up, APJ Abdul Kalam hasn’t stated that Network Marketing is the fastest growing business of 21st century.


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Apple and Google’s ‘Exposure Notifications System’ works on your phone only if you opt for it - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 29, 2020
A message is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Apple and Google have inserted COVID-19 sensor (tracker) into every phone illegally which can track people. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
COVID-19 sensor inserted into everyone illegally by Apple and Google which can track people.
Fact: While it is true that Apple and Google have jointly developed and rolled out the ‘Exposure Notifications System’ which uses Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of COVID-19 through contact tracing, it does not track everyone freely. The system remains ‘off’ unless the user opts for it and one can opt-out of it anytime. It is one’s choice whether to accept it or not, so there is no illegal coercion. Also, it does not collect or use location data. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On looking in the ‘Settings>Google’ section on any Android phone (Also, on iPhone), one can find the option – ‘COVID-19 exposure notifications’. In it, it can be read that a participating app is required to turn on COVID-19 exposure notifications and that it uses Bluetooth technology. When searched for information on that option, it was found that Apple and Google have jointly developed and rolled out the ‘Exposure Notifications System’ which uses Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of COVID-19 through contact tracing. The related documents can be found on Google and Apple websites.
In the below gif (taken from Google website), one can see how the technology works.
It can be seen in the documents on the Google and Apple websites that the system does not track everyone freely. The system remains ‘off’ unless the user opts for it and one can opt-out of it anytime. It is one’s choice whether to accept it or not, so there is no illegal coercion. Also, it does not collect or use location data.
It can also be read that, in the first phase, ‘both companies will release application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow contact tracing apps from public health authorities to work across Android and iOS devices, while maintaining user privacy.’ And, in the second phase, ‘this capability will be introduced at the operating system level to help ensure broad adoption, which is vital to the success of contact tracing. After the operating system update is installed and the user has opted in, the system will send out and listen for the Bluetooth beacons as in the first phase, but without requiring an app to be installed’. More detailed information can be found here and here.
To sum it up, Apple and Google’s ‘Exposure Notifications System’ works on your phone only if you opt for it.
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April fools prank video shared as Arjun Kapoor slapping RJ Arpit during an interview - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 9, 2022
A video is being shared on social media in which Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor is seen slapping an RJ. The post’s description reads, “Such people are also called heroes in our country.” Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: Video of Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor slapping RJ Arpit during an interview.
Fact: This video from 2016 was filmed during the promotions of the Bollywood movie Ki and Ka. Arjun Kapoor slapping RJ Arpit in Radio Mirchi studio was an April Fool’s prank, pulled off during this interview. Hence, the claim made in the viral post is MISLEADING.
Searching the internet with relevant keywords led us to two videos uploaded on the ‘Mirchi Plus’ YouTube channel. Radio Mirchi RJ Arpit interviewed Arjun Kapoor on the occasion of his film Ki & Ka’s release. In the first video (watch here), titled ‘Shocking!!! Arjun Kapoor slaps Radio Mirchi RJ’ Arjun Kapoor slaps RJ Arpit on a question and says, ‘what kind of a question is this? Switch  off the camera…’ and he is seen pushing the RJ and the camera from the cameraman’s hand. This video was uploaded on 28 March 2016, and has around 33 million views.
Mirchi plus uploaded another video (watch here) on 29 March 2016 titled ‘ REVEALED | Why did Arjun Kapoor Slap Mirchi RJ Arpit?’  In this video, it was revealed that the slap was part of an April Fool’s prank. A report on this incident by DNA India can be read here.
To sum it up, April fools prank video is being shared as Arjun Kapoor slapping RJ Arpit during an interview.

created: October 9, 2022


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AQI Data: Clear Difference in AQI Levels Between North & South Indian Cities Observed
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 17, 2023
AQI data from the CPCB indicates that like the trend observed in the case of major cities, there is a clear difference in pollution levels in the cities in the north and south. The pattern seems to be more cyclic in the north with the AQI increasing in the winter months from October to February while there is no such cyclic pattern in the cities in the south or peninsular region.
Previously, Factly published a story on the trends in the Air Quality Index (AQI) reported across the eight Tier-I (large) cities. Analysis of the daily AQI trends across the major cities viz; Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune from 2015 to 2023 revealed a cyclic pattern, with poorer air quality at the beginning and end of the year. However, cities like Chennai and Bengaluru, with milder winters, showed different patterns. In other words, seasonal variations had a strong influence on the AQI reported as evident in cities’ monthly AQI patterns.
Delhi’s AQI exhibited erratic fluctuations, while Mumbai and Kolkata witnessed increased days with AQI surpassing 200 in recent years. Further, Delhi had limited ‘Good’ air quality days (14 days in 8 years), with days equalling four of the eight years in ‘Poor’ to ‘Severe’ categories. Kolkata followed with days equalling a year of poor air quality days. While cities like Bengaluru never reported severe pollution, Hyderabad and Mumbai had rare instances. Bengaluru stood out with over a year of ‘Good’ air quality days during this period.
In this story, we look at the trends in Tier-II cities which include urban areas that are relatively smaller compared to Tier-I cities, but still substantial in terms of population and economic activity. A total of 53 cities have been considered in the story. These cities were selected based on the criterion of having AQI data available for a minimum of one year. The data used in this story has been taken from Dataful. The dataset presents the data compiled every day (average of 24-hour measurements, taken at 4 PM every day) in AQI reports from the year 2015 to 12 November 2023.
There is clear difference in the AQI patterns reported in north and south Indian cities
Similar to the trend observed in the case of major cities, there is a clear difference in the pollution levels in the cities in the north and south. The pattern seems to be more cyclic in the north with the AQI increasing in the winter months from October to February while there is no such cyclic pattern in the cities in the south or peninsular region.
For instance, in cities like Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Noida, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Nashik, Guwahati, Faridabad, and Patna, the cyclic pattern is clearly evident. At the same time, in south Indian cities like Hubbali, Thrissur, Mangalore, Vishakapatnam, Vijayawada, Kochi, and Coimbatore, there is no such pattern. In Faridabad, Noida, Jodhpur, and Jaipur, not only does the pollution increase between November and December but there is also a spike in the months of April and May as well. However, the increase in the summer months is not as large as that in the winter months in these cities. One reason for this could be the higher temperatures experienced in this region during summer. High temperatures can exacerbate the conditions that lead to increased concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere.
Many cities have reported an improvement in the air quality, especially in the recent years. One notable improvement is in Varanasi, where the highest AQI reported in 2017 was 500 (Highest Value of AQI- Severe) which gradually dropped to below 400 in 2019. In 2021, the highest AQI reported in the city was 293 which dropped to 216 in 2022. A few other cities that saw a decline in AQI are Moradabad, Lucknow, and Meerut, which also are in Uttar Pradesh.
In cities like Durgapur, Siliguri, and Agra, the number of days with AQI above 400 has declined since 2021 while in Aurangabad and Moradabad, the frequency of days with AQI above 200 has declined. The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown is visible in the AQI reported in the cities of Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, Nagpur, and Patna where the AQI dropped during the outbreak & lockdown periods. However, it has increased after the restrictions were relaxed in some of these cities.
The AQI has been relatively better in the southern cities. In Kozhikode, the AQI has been less than 100 most of the time while it seldom crossed 200 in Kannur, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram. Belgaum and Hubbali, Mangalore and Mysuru have also witnessed only a few instances when AQI crossed 200.
Within a state itself, there is a significant difference in AQI reported among the cities. For instance, Vishakapatnam is more polluted than Vijayawada. While the former consistently recorded AQI greater than 200 since 2016, the latter recorded it only in recent times.
Except for Vishakapatnam and Kalaburagi, no other south Indian city has reported more than 10 days with AQI above 400
The number of days reported in each category of AQI for the selected Tier–II cities is given in the chart below. Except for Vishakapatnam and Kalaburagi, no other south Indian city has reported more than 10 days with AQI in the ‘Very Poor’ or ‘Severe’ categories. On the other hand, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Noida, Kanpur, Patna, Varanasi, and Agra have had days equalling more than a year of ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’ AQI during this period of about 8 years. Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Kanpur recorded more than 125 days each in the ‘severe’ category. While only about one-fifth of the days were reported with ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ AQI in these cities, it was around 50% for the cities in central and southern India.
Apart from the weather conditions that have been observed to have influenced the AQI in the various cities analysed, there are numerous other factors that affect the AQI levels. The level of urbanization, industrial activity, transportation, power generation, agriculture activities, and even natural events can affect the air quality. India should work on mitigating air pollution using a comprehensive approach addressing these different causes while also considering the local conditions. Transitioning to cleaner energy sources, improving industrial processes, promoting cleaner transportation, and policies to reduce emissions from various sources, should be considered. There is also a need for better distribution & coverage of air quality monitoring stations as this is highly skewed. Better distribution & increased coverage is important for accurate monitoring.
Featured Image:  Air Quality Index

created: November 17, 2023


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AQI Data: Delhi, Kolkata & Ahmedabad Report Poorer Air Quality Than in Other Major Cities
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 14, 2023
Trends in Air Quality Index (AQI) across 8 major cities of India – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune as reported by the CPCB indicates huge variations across major cities. Delhi, Kolkata & Ahmedabad reported poor air quality compared to other major cities if data from 2018 is considered.
Air quality in many metros of India, especially in the national capital New Delhi, is often a concern, more so in particular seasons. The winter months, including October and November, usually see a rise in pollution levels due to factors like crop burning, increased use of heating appliances, and atmospheric conditions that trap pollutants. The firecrackers burst during Diwali also adds to the situation. Recently, in Delhi, the authorities shut down the schools for more than a week due to hazardous air pollution levels in the national capital. Stage IV of the Revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is being implemented for the National Capital Region which bans the use of diesel four-wheelers that are not BS-VI compliant and restricts the entry of trucks in Delhi. Restrictions are also imposed on the functioning of industries, construction and demolition activities, mining activities, and stone crushers. The Stage of GRAP to be implemented is determined on the basis of the Air Quality Index (AQI).
In this backdrop, we look at the trends in the Air Quality Index across 8 major cities of India – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune. The data used in this story has been taken from Dataful. The dataset presents the data compiled every day (average of 24-hour measurements, taken at 4 PM every day) in AQI reports from the year 2015 to 12 November 2023.
AQI categories have been determined based on likely health impacts
AQI transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number that indicates how clean or polluted the air is and mainly focuses on health. The greater the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concerns. There are six AQI categories that have been determined based on ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts. These are given in the following table.
AQI has not crossed 200 in Bengaluru and Hyderabad since 2017
Trends in the daily AQI reported across these 8 cities indicate that AQI is highly dependent on the season. It is seen that every year, the AQI is higher at the beginning of the year and drops gradually before increasing again towards the end of the year. That is, air quality is poorer at the beginning of the year and improves gradually, before falling again towards the end of the year, when winter sets in. This cyclic pattern is clearly visible across all the cities, except Chennai and Bengaluru where the winter temperatures don’t drop as low as in the rest of the country.
Delhi’s graph is erratic with huge variations in AQI reported each day. In the cities of Mumbai and Kolkata, there is an increased frequency in the number of days when the reported AQI crossed 200 in recent years. Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, the AQI has not crossed 200 since April 2016, and in Hyderabad since April 2017. In Mumbai, the lowest AQI reported every year has also increased slowly over the years. Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata also reported a reduction in the AQI since the pandemic outbreak in April 2020. However, the AQI has increased slightly in 2023.
Air quality in Delhi has been in the ‘Good’ category only for 14 days in the last 8 years
It has to be noted that data is not available on a daily basis for all these cities. The data is available for an average of 2800 days. Based on the available data, the number of days by category of AQI has been looked at for this analysis.
In Delhi, out of the 3093 days for which data was available, the AQI has been ‘Good’ category only for 14 days and in the ‘Satisfactory’ category for 496 days. For over 1598 days, the AQI has been in the ‘Poor’, ‘Severe’, or ‘Very Poor’ category. That is, for more than 4 years of the 8 years since 2015, the AQI of Delhi was above 200.
After Delhi, Kolkata reported the greatest number of days with poor air quality. In a total of 463 days or for over a year and a quarter in the 2461 days recorded, Kolkata’s AQI crossed 200. Ahmedabad with 368 days (a little over a year), had the third-highest number of days when AQI crossed 200.
While Bengaluru never reported severe or very poor Air Quality, Hyderabad and Mumbai reported one day each as severe and very poor, out of 2800 to 3000 days for which data was available. Pune also reported one day in the severe category while Chennai reported none. However, both these cities reported days with very poor air quality. Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad recorded AQI above 200 for 15, 65, and 37 days respectively out of more than 3000 days in the last eight years.
On the other hand, Bengaluru had the greatest number of days with good air quality with 629 days (more than a year and a half). For 80% of the days, Bengaluru’s AQI was below 100- that is, either ‘Good’ or ‘Satisfactory’. Chennai also recorded 2209 out of 3027 days as ‘Good’ or ‘Satisfactory’ AQI while Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad also had ‘Good’ or ‘Satisfactory’ air quality for at least half the period. Delhi and Ahmedabad had the lowest share of days with days in these categories.
To get a better understanding of the seasonal change in the reported air quality, we look at the monthly number of days reported in each of these AQI categories.
As expected, Delhi reported very poor AQI mostly in five months- from October to December and January to February while in 9 out of the 12 months, it reported a high number of days with poor air quality. In Ahmedabad, most of the days had moderate AQI in all months except June to September when the number of days with satisfactory air quality was more. Similarly, in Bengaluru, a greater number of days with good air quality was reported in this period from June to September, around the time of monsoons. A similar trend is visible in Hyderabad and Kolkata as well while in Pune, more days reported satisfactory AQI than moderate in this period.
Multiple programmes are being implemented at the national level for monitoring and improving air quality at the national level (such as the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP), National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) India Scheme, and Smart Cities Mission). However, the data highlights the need for localized efforts to reduce air pollution, according to the season.
Featured Image: Dataful

created: November 14, 2023


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Arbaeen Walk Footage Misrepresented as Palestinians Using Indian Flag to Evade Israeli Attacks - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 16, 2023
Amid the departure of Palestinians from Northern Gaza following Israel’s evacuation order, a video depicting a group of Muslim women walking by holding Indian flags is being widely shared on social media claiming that it shows Palestinians using the Indian flag to avoid Israeli attacks. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Palestinian women fleeing Northern Gaza by holding Indian flags in order to escape from Israel attack.
Fact: The footage features Indian pilgrims holding Indian flags during their journey to the city of Karbala in Iraq for the Arbaeen Walk of 2023, which took place in the first week of September 2023. It bears no relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict that occurred in October 2023. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of the viral video led us to the same footage, posted on YouTube and Instagram during the first week of September 2023, a month prior to the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. The video descriptions suggest that they capture scenes from the Arbaeen Walk of 2023.
The Arbaeen Walk, one of the world’s largest annual public gatherings, saw approximately 25 million participants from around the globe in 2023. This pilgrimage, which took place on 06 September 2023, marks a religious observance at the conclusion of the 40-day mourning period following Ashura. Ashura is a religious ritual that commemorates the death of Hussein Ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Imam. The walk involves millions of people from around the world journeying to the city of Karbala in Iraq, where Hussein ibn Ali’s shrine is situated.
Further examination revealed several visuals (here, here, here) of other Indian pilgrims carrying the Indian flag and draping it over their shoulders during the event.
To sum it up, an unrelated video from the Arbaeen Walk of 2023 is being circulated with the claim that it shows Palestinians carrying the Indian flag to evade Israeli attacks.

created: October 16, 2023


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Are Former Chief Ministers exempted from Security Check at Airports?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 17, 2019
Following the frisking of Chandrababu Naidu recently at the Vijayawada airport, there
were protests by TDP MLAs and cadre about the incident. Some even went to the extent of saying that he served as the CM for 14 years and hence deserves exemptions.
But do the rules allow exemption from security check for former Chief Ministers (CMs)?
Who are those VVIPs that are exempted from the pre-embarkation security check at the civilian airports in the country? What is the basis for extending such exemptions?
What is the basis for Exemptions?
The reply received from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India in response to an RTI application filed by Factly  has the answers.
According to the reply, a total of 32 categories of people are exempted from pre-embarkation security check at the civilian airports. Such exemption is granted on the basis of the following
Who all are exempted?
President
Vice President
Prime Minister
Governors of States
Former Presidents
Former Vice President
Chief Justice of India
Speaker of Lok Sabha
Union Ministers of Cabinet rank
Chief Ministers of States
Deputy Chief Ministers of States
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha
Holders of Bharat Ratna Decoration
Ambassadors of foreign countries, charge D’ Affairs and High Commissioners and their spouses
Judges of Supreme Court
Chief Election Commissioner
Comptroller & Auditor General of India
Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha & Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
Minister of State of the Union Council of Ministers
Attorney General of India
Cabinet Secretary
Lt Governors of Union Territories
Chiefs of staffs holding the rank of full General or equivalent rank
Chief Justices of the High Courts
Chief Ministers of Union Territories
Deputy Chief Ministers of Union Territories
Visiting Foreign dignitaries of the same status at SI. Nos. 1 to 4,7,8,9 above
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
SPG Protectees
Spouse of the President of India is exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports even when he/she is not accompanying the President
Former Prime Ministers of India
Note: The Accompanying spouse of the above said VVIPs/VIPs is also exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country
It is clear that the former CMs are not in the list of exempted category of individuals. Hence frisking of Naidu was as per rules.
What is the SPG?
The Special Protection Group (SPG) is formed in 1988 by an act of the Parliament for “providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and former Prime Minister of India and members of their immediate families.” Family members of a serving Prime Minister (PM) may decline security. Former PMs and their immediate family members may also, if they choose, decline SPG security.
The issue of Robert VadraThis list had undergone changes in 2015 after the furore over the inclusion of Robert Vadra’s name in the exempted list. This new list of VVIPs/VIPs who are exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country does not include the name of  Robert Vadra. The only other change compared to the old list is an additional note at the bottom of this list that says, ‘The Accompanying spouse of the above said VVIPs/VIPs is also exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country’.
This  means that if Mr. Robert Vadra is accompanying Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi and if she is a SPG protectee, then Mr. Vadra would still be exempted from pre-embarkation check.


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Are Home-Chefs required to register with Food Safety and Standards Act of India
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 2, 2020
The trend of home-chefs has picked up with the advent of food aggregators, more so after the COVID-19 lockdown. But are these home-chefs required to register with the FSSAI? What are the rights of a Consumer and how can one search for the registered food business operators? Here are all the details.
While the COVID-19 induced lockdown devastated many industries and sectors, it did benefit a few- like the home-chefs, who started the sale of homemade biriyanis, parathas, cakes, pastries, cookies, to name a few, through social media and tie up with other food delivery networks. As the pandemic has raised safety and hygiene concerns for consumers, people chose homemade food over restaurants. Moreover, food prepared by the home-chefs turned entrepreneurs came to the rescue of many who either did not know cooking or wanting to cook. But do the same rules of registration, safety & standards that are applicable to restaurants also apply to these home-chefs? Here is a detailed review of the existing rules.
Petty manufacturers must register themselves with the concerned authority
It is necessary that such home-chefs register themselves with the concerned authority. The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations being implemented since 2011 clearly lay down the rules.  The Food Safety & Standards Act of 2006 governs all these regulations & guidelines.
According to these regulations, ‘petty food manufacturers’ should register themselves with the relevant registering authority online as notified by the State Food Safety Commissioner. The petty food manufacturer has been defined in the rules as someone who ‘manufactures or sells any article of food himself or a petty retailer, hawker, itinerant vendor or temporary stall holder; or distributes foods including in any religious or social gathering except a caterer’ or ‘such other food businesses including small scale or cottage or such other industries relating to food business or tiny food businesses with an annual turnover not exceeding ₹ 12 lakhs with prescribed production capacity’. In other words, those with a turnover below ₹ 12 lakh need to get registered mandatorily while those above the turnover threshold also need to get a license.
Selling without registration can attract a hefty penalty
The rules clearly mean that  individuals who cook and sell food from home including home-bakers selling cakes should be registered with concerned authority by submitting the requisite ‘Form A’ after filling out details such as kind of business, location, food item and quantity, turnover, water and power source, etc. along with a registration fee. The person in the business of selling food is defined as a ‘Food Business Operator (FBO)’.
If any person is found to be carrying on the food without a registration or a license, they will be liable for penalty of up to ₹ 2 lakh as laid down in the FSS act 2006. These rules are applicable throughout the country from 2011. Bigger establishments must obtain licenses from State/Centre depending on the scale of business and turnover.
Hygiene, ventilation, continuous supply of potable water are mandatory requirements for FBOs
It is mandatory that the FBO follow the basic hygiene and safety requirements. The following are some of the important requirements to be fulfilled by FBOs.
Similar regulations are applicable to food handlers as well. The Registering Authority should be satisfied with safety, hygiene, and sanitary conditions of the premises for the registration to be granted, that too within a month. The registration certificate and a photo identity card must be prominently displayed at the premises where the business is being carried out. An inspection may be carried out annually by the registration authority.
Non-compliance with regulation can attract fine of up to ₹10 Lakh and life-term imprisonment based on gravity of issue
If the FBO sells food that does not comply with the standards mentioned in the FSS act 2006, they are liable to a fine up to ₹ 25,000 in case of petty manufacturers, and up to ₹ 5 Lakh in case of bigger units. Manufacture and sale of sub-standard food can attract a penalty up to ₹ 5 Lakh. Based on the type of offence, the penalty & punishment vary, as per the FSS act.  Major offences and extent of punishment have been given below.
What about E-Commerce FBOs?
With the advent of e-commerce, the food business has become one of the major e-commerce verticals. With this in mind, the government formulated relevant guidelines for e-commerce FBOs in 2018.
E-Commerce FBOs are those involved in online food business, be it manufacturing/ processing/ packaging/ storage/ transportation/ distribution/import of food and food services, including the food delivery applications. These FBOs should get central license from the central licensing authority, as per an amendment made to the regulations in 2018. This was done as online food delivery started gaining popularity. Further,  the delivery applications must ensure that the manufacturers or sellers are compliant with the relevant provisions of the FSS Act and adhere to the rules and regulations. It is mandatory that e-commerce platform provide an option for rating/ranking the FBOs.
Food delivery platforms must ensure only FBOs complying to regulations are listed
FSSAI had directed e-commerce companies involved as aggregators or facilitators multiple times, to delist the FBOs running without license or registration. In a raid across 350 outlets listed in food delivery platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Foodpanda, and other similar platforms in 2018, the Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra in Mumbai alone revealed that about one-third of them were not registered. The food served was prepared in unhygienic kitchen in about 74% of the eateries. About 10,500 restaurants were delisted by these platforms  after they were found to be unregistered or unhygienic, according to a report published on the FSSAI website.
Grievances about e-commerce in food have increased manifold
A parliament response from March 2020 stated that over 1053 grievances were registered in e-commerce and food sectors with the National Consumer Helpline in 2018-19. Whereas between April 2019 and January 2020 alone, over 1955 grievances were registered, indicating an increase of 86% in just ten months. A Standing Committee on Health & Family Welfare’s report submitted in 2018, highlighted that licenses were being issued by central and state authorities even upon incomplete submission of documents. It was also noted that the rejection rate of licenses for renewal was very low. The committee also called for a review of the approvals while noting that eateries and FBOs continued to flout the regulations
What all can a consumer do?
Know your Rights: The Consumers could first understand their rights as per the relevant act. The law also states that consumers have the right to get the food/product tested in any notified lab of FSSAI. A consumer can also report to the Food Safety Department and get the sample tested.
Check if the FBO is registered: The details of the registered FBOs can be found on the FSSAI website by entering the name or the registration number of the FBO.
File a Grievance/Complaint: If a consumer is not satisfied with the food item or the eatery, they can take up the issue with the FSSAI. For this, a dedicated helpline number 1800-112-100 has been set up by FSSAI to resolve the concerns related to food including food adulteration. Other channels such as Web Portal, Mobile App, Email, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook can also be used. One can also approach the state help desk. Once a complaint/grievance is received, a designated officer is assigned to examine the same.
Approach the Consumer Forum: A consumer may even approach the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Featured Image: FSSAI.

created: November 2, 2020


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Are the States deceiving NCRB by under reporting crime data? - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 18, 2016
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is the premier agency of the country that reports crime related data. The NCRB collects data from the respective State Governments. Serious discrepancies have been observed in the data reported by NCRB & the respective State Governments.
Factly had earlier reported that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on communal incidents was significantly different from the data put out by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It now seeems that the discrepancy in data is not limited to communal incidents alone. There are significant discrepancies in the data reported by NCRB and the state governments in the number of cases reported and the amount of liquor seized under the relevant excise laws.
How does NCRB collect the data?
Crime in India is the oldest publication brought out by NCRB. The data for the report is collected by State Crime Records Bureaux (SCRBx) from the District Crime Records Bureaux (DCRBx) and sent to NCRB at the end of the year under reference.
Data on Cases Reported & Amount of Liquor Seized
According to the Crime in India report of NCRB for the year 2014, a total of 186012 cases were reported under the Excise Act and a total amount of 28305198 liters of liquor was seized in the country. Out of the liquor seized, 9117387 liters was country made liquor. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest cases (51,646 cases) accounting for 27.8% of the total cases reported under this Act. There is another head in the NCRB report that lists crimes reported under the prohibition act. Under this head, a total of 420113 cases were reported. The highest number of cases under this Act was reported from Gujarat (237608), more than 50% of all the crimes reported. There is official prohibition in place in Gujarat. Gujarat is followed by Tamil Nadu (107171), Maharashtra (62772) and Kerala (51989) in the number of cases reported under the prohibition act. These four States together accounted for 98.4% of the total such cases registered in the country.
Significant Discrepancies
Factly looked at data from two states to understand the level of under reporting. The data on the website of Karnataka Excise department indicates that a total of 21392 cases were booked under the relevant excise laws in 2013-14, 18055 cases in 2014-15 and 93679 cases in 2015-16 (till September 2015). The NCRB data on the other hand reported 3669 cases (under Excise & Prohibition acts) for Karnataka. The NCRB data puts the total amount of liquor seized at 7766652 liters. The NCRB started collection of seizure data only from 2014. Hence the data is available only for this year.
Similar discrepancies are observed in the data for the state of Telangana. In just one district of Mahbubnagar, the state government reported 17488 cases in 2014-15. An amount of 367819 liters of liquor was seized. But as per NCRB, Telangana as a whole reported just 12690 cases (under both Excise & Prohibition acts) in 2014. The total amount of liquor seized was put at 97368 liters in 2014. The amount of liquor seized in Rangareddy district from April 2014 to December 2014 is 129902 liters as per the data of the state government. The numbers from one single district are way more than the numbers reported by NCRB for the entire state.
Are States under reporting crime data?
These statistics reveal multiple problems and make it difficult to believe NCRB data on face value. It also raises serious doubts about the veracity of the data being shared by the state governments. It might very well be the case that the state governments are under reporting crime data.
The difference in the way the data is collated also makes it difficult to compare. Most states report data on a financial year basis while the NCRB data is reported on a calendar year basis. It is for the NCRB & the States to explain these discrepancies.

created: January 18, 2016


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Argument that Indian Constitution did not identify SCs/STs/OBCs as Hindus is false - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2022
A social media post claiming that ‘as per article 330 & 342 of the Indian Constitution SC/ST/OBC’s are not Hindus but are natives of India’ is being widely circulated across all social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘As per article 330 & 342 of the Indian Constitution SC/ST/OBC’s are not Hindu’s but are natives of India’.
Fact: Articles 330 & 342 of the Indian Constitution deal with identification of certain tribes as Scheduled Tribes and providing reservation to SCs/STs in the house of people. And there is no such clause in these articles stating that SCs/STs/OBCs are not Hindus. Moreover, the constituent assembly debates emphasised that Scheduled castes as Hindus. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Article 330:
Article 330 of the Indian Constitution deals with some special provisions relating to certain classes. It provides for the reservations of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People.
As per this article seats shall be reserved in the House of the people for
Article 342:
Article 342 of the Indian Constitution deals with the provisions related to Scheduled Tribes. It states that ‘the President may, with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it is a state, after consultation with the Governor thereof by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall, for the purposes of this constitution, is deemed to be scheduled tribes in relation to that State or Union Territory, as the case may be.’
Thus, it is evident that the above mentioned articles (330 & 342) deal with identification of certain tribes as Scheduled Tribes and providing reservation to SCs/STs in the house of people. And there is no such clause in these articles stating that SCs/STs/OBCs are not Hindus.
Further, from the constituent assembly debates records, it is also evident that during the formative stages of the Indian Constitution, debates took place between the members of assembly over the aspects of religion. However, these debates were pertaining to issues like providing religious freedom, rights, etc. But there were no debates about which castes constitute the Hindu religion or not.
In fact, there are instances wherein the framers of the constitution referred these sections of people as Hindus. For example, during a debate over article 300A & 300B, which deal inclusion/exclusion of certain castes, race, tribes from the list of SCs & STs, the members of the constituent assembly emphasised that Scheduled castes are Hindus. Thus, these arguments negate the claim made in the viral post.
To sum it up, argument that Indian Constitution did not identify  SCs/STs/OBCs as Hindus is false.


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Article 1 of Japan’s constitution is not the Phrase ‘Buddham Sharanam Gacchami’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 11, 2023
A post claims that Japan is at the forefront of development & progress because the country believes in Buddhism. The post further claims that the constitution of Japan was adopted in 1287 and that Article 1 of Japan’s constitution is the phrase, which means ‘Buddham Sharanam Gacchami.’ Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Constitution of Japan was adopted in 1278 and Article 1 is ‘Buddham Sharanam Gacchami.’
Fact: The constitution of Japan was adopted in 1947 of which Article 1 deals with the fundamental statement about the role of the emperor of Japan. Shintoism and Buddhism are the major religions followed in Japan. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched about Japan’s constitution, using relevant keywords, we found that Japan did not have a modern written constitution in the year 1278. In fact, during that time, Japan was ruled by the Kamakura Shogunate, which was a feudal military government. In fact, The constitution was promulgated by Japan only in the year 1946 and it came into force on 3 May 1947.
It is popularly known as the post-war constitution because it was drafted by a team of legal experts within allied forces and not by Japanese leaders as it was enacted in the aftermath of World War II.
During further research regarding the phrase ‘Bhuddham Sharanam Gacchami’, we found that the phrase means, I take refuge in Buddha and that it was not explicitly mentioned not just in Japan’s Constitution but in any constitution. Besides, Shintoism and Buddhism are two major religions that are followed by the Japanese. Further, Article 1 of the Constitution of Japan establishes the fundamental principles of the country. It reads ‘The emperor shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power.’
The Constitution of Japan consists of eleven chapters. Chapter 1 titled “The Emperor,” deals with the role and status of the emperor which consists of Articles 1-8.
To sum up, Article 1 of the constitution of Japan deals with the fundamental statement about the role of the emperor of Japan, and it was adopted in the year 1947.

created: September 11, 2023


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Artistic Banyan Tree from Karnataka shared as sculpture carved in stone at Naga Vasuki temple, Prayag - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 11, 2020
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as the beautiful sculpture of Naga Vasuki temple, located in Prayag city of Uttar Pradesh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of a sculpture carved in stone at Naga Vasuki temple, located in Prayag city of Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: Sculpture in the photo belongs to the Utsav Rock Garden in Haveli district of Karnataka. This sculpture is described as the ‘Artistic Banyan Tree’ in Utsav Rock Garden website. This sculpture has nothing related to the Naga Vasuki temple in Prayag. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found a similar photo of this sculpture in “Where is this?” website. In the website, it is mentioned that sculpture in the photo belongs to the Utsav Rock Garden, located in Haveri district of Karnataka.
When we searched for other official sources using these keywords, we found a similar photo of the sculpture in the official website of Utsav Rock Garden. In the website, this sculpture is described as the ‘Artistic Banyan Tree’. This sculpture was also found in a video posted on the official YouTube channel of Utsav Rock Garden.
To sum it up, a sculpture belonging to the Utsav Rock Garden in Karnataka is falsely shared as the sculpture of Naga Vasuki temple in Prayag.
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Artistic visualization image of Shannon airport is falsely shared as Dubai airport decorated with Christmas trees - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 24, 2020
A post accompanying an image showing lights arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree is being widely shared across social media platforms. The claim is that the image shows Dubai airport’s runway decorated with lights in the form of a Christmas tree. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Dubai airport runway is decorated with lights in the form of a Christmas tree.
Fact: The image actually shows artistic visualization of Shannon airport, Ireland as part of their advertising campaign in the run up to Christmas. The airport’s authority has categorically mentioned this on their website. This image has nothing to do with Dubai airport. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to tweet by Shannon airport’s official Twitter account which shared the same image. The image is shared with a caption that reads ‘Shannon Airport launches festive campaign’.
Shannon Airport launches festive campaign… 🎄 ✨
Read more here: https://t.co/OTfjlbEJwv#Christmas #shannonairport pic.twitter.com/nPBj3u8zNc
Further, news on the airport’s website related to the festive advertising campaign of the airport states that the advertising campaign involves a redesign of the airport’s runway. However, the authority has categorically stated that ‘the runway image is an artistic visualization produced for Shannon Airport as part of a Shannon Airport Christmas campaign’. This tells us that the image doesn’t show the actual runway of the airport but an artistic rendering.
Further search led us to a news article which reported the advertising campaign of Shannon airport. Even this article reported that the image is an artistic visualization of the airport as part of the festive campaign. All these establish that the image is part of an advertising campaign by Shannon airport, Ireland and the image has nothing to do with the Dubai airport.
To sum it up, the image actually shows artistic visualization of Shannon airport as part of their advertising campaign in the run up to Christmas.

created: December 24, 2020


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Arun Govil did eat at a Dalit’s house in Meerut, incomplete video viral with a false claim - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 16, 2024
A video clip (here, here and here) involving Meerut Lok Sabha BJP candidate Arun Govil is being widely circulated on social media platforms. The clip shows Govil allegedly refraining from eating food at a Dalit’s home in Meerut. We fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Arun Govil, BJP’s Meerut Lok Sabha candidate, avoided eating food at a Dalit’s home in Meerut.
Fact: Arun Govil did visit a local booth president’s home and a counselor’s home in Bhagwatpura, Meerut on 13 April 2024. He even posted a video detailing his visit on his Facebook page. The video corroborates that it was shot at the same location as the viral video but from a different angle, in which he can be seen eating food. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To authenticate the viral claim, we went through the social media profiles of Arun Govil. On his Facebook page, we found a video (archived link) dated 13 April 2024, which he described as his visit to the residences of a local booth president, Neetu Jatav, and counsellor, Arun Machal Valmiki.
The setting and location of this video matched with the viral video, however, it was filmed from a different angle.
The video clearly shows Govil eating food, contrary to the claim made in the viral video. He also posted this on his official Instagram account.
A post shared by Arun Govil (@siyaramkijai)
Govil’s post further clarifies that he had a meal at Neetu Jatav’s home and tea at Arun Machal Valmiki’s residence. News 18, IANS, and Amar Ujala, news outlets, also reported (here, here and here) on this incident, providing video footage that clearly shows Govil eating food.
These clearly indicate that the viral video shows a limited portion of what happened in the house and does not show him eating food there. This was eventually used to promote a false narrative that Govil purposely avoided eating food at a Dalit’s house.
To sum up, the social media claim stating that Arun Govil avoided eating at a Dalit’s home is false. The video does not show the complete event where Govil can be seen eating at the residence of his party colleagues during his visit.