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Rise of bad loans in India - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 23, 2014
A Non-performing asset(NPA) is defined as a credit facility in respect of where the interest and/or installment of principal has remained ‘past due’ for a specified period of time. These are essentially Bad Loans or defaults. Usually, any amount to be received remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days is termed as a NPA.
India’s powerful public sector bank, the state bank of India recently signed a MOU with the Adani group to loan 6,200 crores for their ambitious mining project in Australia. While the decision has come under fire from a lot people, the real question is if it will become another Non-performing Asset or bad loan.
Data acquired from the RBI indicates a disturbing trend in the rise of NPA amounts in the last three years (2011-2014.) From 142,054 crores in 2011-12 to 263,021 crores in 2013-14.
An equally dismal fact is the steep rise and two fold increase of NPA amounts of those accounts with amount of more than 1 crore. The number of accounts pending with more than one crore in 2011- 12 was 8,866, compared to 13,308 accounts in 2013-14.
Also, the total NPA amount contributed by the accounts owing more than 1 crore has seen a consistent rise since 2008-09. The amounts contributed by these accounts saw a 7 times increase in 2013-14 compared to 2008-09. This overbearing debt could be a crucial factor in the slipping GDP growth. Despite several interventions by the government, there might not be a drastic change unless stricter regulation and limitations are introduced in regard to defaulters.
(Please read the follow up story to the NPA numbers here)

created: December 23, 2014


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The Rise of Diabetes in India: Urban Poor most affected
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 11, 2017
As per a study done by ICMR, 69.2 million persons are diabetic as of 2015 compared to 61.3 million persons in 2011. The study also indicates that the poorer sections of the society are worst affected.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015 estimated the total number of people with Diabetes in India is 69.2 million. Studies have indicated that India is one of the three countries with most number of diabetic people.
Answering a question in the Rajya Sabha on July 18, Minister of State for the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel shared that the Indian Medical Council of Medical Research is currently undertaking a study to understand the prevalence of Diabetes across the country. The ongoing study has been published in leading medical journal, The Lancet.
According to the study, in phase I, four regions, representing the south (Tamil Nadu), north (Chandigarh), east (Jharkhand), and west (Maharashtra) of the country were studied from Nov 17, 2008, to April 16, 2010. Between Sept 24, 2012, and July 26, 2013, five mainland states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Punjab) and between Jan 5, 2012, and July 3, 2015, six north-eastern states (Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya) were sampled. So far, 15 states have been sampled.
Diabetes in Urban areas significantly higher than in Rural areas
The study found that the prevalence of Diabetes was significantly higher in urban areas than in rural areas in all age groups and higher in men than in women in all ages between 35 and 65 years of age. In the age group above 65 years, the prevalence in women was slightly higher than men.What about diabetes prevalence based on Socio-Economic status?
As the graph indicates, the prevalence of Diabetes was found to be higher in individuals of low socio-economic status in urban areas of seven states, most of them ranked as economically advanced states. On the contrary, the prevalence of Diabetes was found to be higher in individuals of higher economic status in rural areas. The study states that these findings provide evidence that as overall prosperity of states and India as a whole increases; the diabetes epidemic is likely to dis-proportionately affect the poorer sections of the society.
Chandigarh has the highest prevalence of Diabetes
The findings point out to a possible link between GDP per capita and prevalence of Diabetes. Out of the 15 states, Chandigarh – which has the highest per capita income, had the highest prevalence of Diabetes and Bihar, which has the lowest GDP among the sampled states, also has the lowest prevalence. The study also found that the prevalence of Diabetes was lower in the north-eastern states than in the rest of the sampled states.
The trends and data mapped by this study give critical insight into the nature of the diabetic epidemic in India. It highlights that the individuals most affected by it are the ones who cannot afford to pay for it.
Source of Charts: ICMR Study
Featured Image: Rise of Diabetes in India

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Rishi Sunak is an Indian-origin British MP who right now is just a contender to become the next PM of the UK - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 5, 2022
Update (25 October 2022):
Rishi Sunak, on 25 October 2022, has been appointed as the Prime Minister UK after meeting with King Charles III. The appointment of Rishi Sunak was necessitated after Liz Truss announced her resignation as the Prime Minister of UK on 20 October 2022. Liz Truss was earlier appointed as Prime Minister of UK on 06 September 2022, after beating Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership contest, following the resignation of Boris Johnson.
The King received The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP at Buckingham Palace today.
His Majesty asked him to form a new Administration. Mr. Sunak accepted His Majesty's offer and was appointed Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. pic.twitter.com/UnT3jMS8so
Update (05 August 2022):Another post accompanying a video is also being shared stating that Rishi Sunak was elected as the new Prime Minister of Britain. The video actually shows the results of the final run-off contest for the leadership of the Conservative Party in the UK and and British Prime Minister. On 20 July 2022, Rishi Sunak won the final voting round with 137 votes and will have to with second-placed Truss, who had secured 113 votes in the final round to become the next British Prime Minister. The final results on the vote between Sunak and Truss will are due to be announced on 05 September 2022.
Published (13 July 2022):
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Rishi Sunak had been elected as the new Prime Minister of Britain. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rishi Sunak elected as Britain’s Prime Minister.
Fact: Boris Johnson resigned as the Conservative party leader; he is still the Prime Minister of UK till a new PM is elected reportedly by 05 September 2022. There need not necessarily be a general election in UK because, when a Prime Minister resigns, there isn’t automatically a general election. In the race to become the leader of the Conservative party and the next Prime Minister, eight candidates are in the fray. Indian-origin British MP Rishi Sunak is one of them. Rishi Sunak’s Father-in-law is Narayana Murthy of Infosys. As of now, Rishi Sunak is just a contender, he is not elected as the new Prime Minister of UK. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Boris Johnson became the Prime Minister of UK on 24 July 2019. He announced his pending resignation on 07 July 2022 but reportedly is going to remain as the Prime Minister until a new leader is elected by the conservative party. Boris Johnson resigned as Conservative Party leader, not as Prime Minister, as there is always a prime minister.
Since Boris Johnson is going to resign as the Prime Minister of UK, there will be a new PM. He/ She will reportedly be elected by 05 September 2022. There need not necessarily be a general election in UK because, when a Prime Minister resigns, there isn’t automatically a general election. The conservative party is in power in UK right now. The newly elected Conservative party leader would most likely become the next Prime Minister, as Boris Johnson stepped down from the job.
In the race to become the leader of the Conservative party and the next Prime Minister, eight candidates are in the fray. Indian-origin British MP Rishi Sunak is one of them. Rishi Sunak’s Father-in-law is Narayana Murthy of Infosys. As of now, Rishi Sunak is just a contender, he is not elected as the new Prime Minister of UK.
I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister.
Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country. #Ready4Rishi
Sign up 👉 https://t.co/KKucZTV7N1 pic.twitter.com/LldqjLRSgF
To sum it up, Rishi Sunak is an Indian-origin British MP who right now is a contender to become the next PM of the UK.

created: August 5, 2022


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Ritu Raj Choudhary did not hack Google but just reported a bug. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 5, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Ritu Raj Choudhary, a second-year student of IIT Manipur, has hacked Google for 52 seconds. It is being claimed that Google appreciated his capabilities by offering him a joining letter with a package of 3.66 crores; and when they got to know that he does not have a passport, they spoke to the Indian Government and arranged it in 2 hours. The post claims that Ritu Raj will be flying to America in a private jet today. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ritu Raj Choudhary, a second-year student of IIT Manipur, has hacked Google for 52 seconds; appreciating his capabilities Google offered him a joining letter with a 3.66 crores package.
Fact:  Ritu Raj Choudhary did not hack Google. He just reported a bug. Also, he clarified through his LinkedIn account that he did not get any job offer from Google. He termed the viral message as ‘fake news’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched about Ritu Raj Choudhary on the internet, many news articles were found in the search results. In the ‘Times of India’ article, it can be read that Ritu Raj Choudhary is a second-year student of IIIT Manipur (not ‘IIT Manipur’) and recently, discovered a potential bug in Google (not hacked Google for 52 seconds as claimed in the post). His interview with ‘Zee’ can be watched here. He did not mention anywhere that he hacked Google, he just mentions that he reported a bug to Google. His name can be seen on Google’s Bug Hunters list.
As the posted message went viral, he termed it as ‘fake news’ by commenting on one such post on Linkedin. He also wrote on his LinkedIn account saying – “I haven’t got any package or job offer from Google or Hacked anything it was just a bug which I have reported that’s it and currently I’m just in 2nd year Btech students so… Those news are Fake…”. His posts on the issue can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, Ritu Raj Choudhary said did not hack Google but just reported a bug.

created: February 5, 2022


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‘Rizwan died due to infection in lungs and heart' clarifies Ambedkarnagar Police (UP) - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 20, 2020
An image is being shared on social media with the claim that Rizwan, a Muslim boy, has died after being beaten up by Tanda (UP) Police when he went out to buy biscuits and other domestic items during the lockdown. Let us check the claim made in the post.
Image of a Muslim boy, Rizwan, who had died after being beaten up by Tanda (UP) Police.
Fact: Ambedkarnagar district Police clarified that, in their investigation, they have found that Rizwan was not beaten by the Police. Also, the Police has said that, in the postmortem report, it was mentioned that the deceased had an infection in lungs & heart and injuries due to falling from a motorcycle, which was confirmed by a local doctor. So, the claim is FALSE.
When the image is subjected to reverse image search, it was found that the photo is related to the death of Rizwan Ahmed in UP. When searched on Google with relevant keywords, an article of ‘The Hindu’ published on 18 April 2020 was found. As per this article, Rizwan Ahmed, a daily wage worker, had died in Ambedkarnagar district of UP and his father alleged that Rizwan had died due to the injuries suffered as a result of the thrashing by Tanda town Police three days earlier. But, in a video enclosed in the tweet by Ambedkarnagar district Police on 19 April 2020, the Police said that they have examined the CCTV footage and have not found the occurrence of any such incident as alleged by the family members of Rizwan and the postmortem report had no mention of injuries due to lathi charge on the deceased’s body. Also, the Police have said that, in the report, it was mentioned that the deceased had an infection in lungs & heart and injuries due to falling from a motorcycle, which was confirmed by a local doctor.
(1/3) सोशल मीडिया एवं मीडिया पर वायरल पुलिस की पिटाई से युवक की ईलाज के दौरान मौत की खबर का खण्डन व अपर पुलिस अधीक्षक की  बाईट :- @Uppolice @dgpup @adgzonelucknow @igrangeayodhya @JagranNews @AmarUjalaNews @ANI @NavbharatTimes @Live_Hindustan @bstvlive @soochnanews pic.twitter.com/y2P0M5X5Uj
The Ambedkarnagar Police, in another tweet, also uploaded a video with a recording of local (Tanda) doctor’s statements. In the video, the doctor has said that five to six days ago, Rizwan’s family member approached him for medicine saying Rizwan had met with an accident. And later, on another day, when he went to Rizwan’s house for treatment, he had seen wounds on his legs. The Ambedkarnagar Police also tweeted condemning the fake news being spread on social media regarding the incident.
(1/2) सोशल मीडिया एवं मीडिया पर वायरल पुलिस की पिटाई से युवक की ईलाज के दौरान मौत की खबर का खण्डन व पारिवारिक डॉक्टर की बाईट :- @Uppolice @dgpup @adgzonelucknow @igrangeayodhya @JagranNews @AmarUjalaNews @ANI @NavbharatTimes @Live_Hindustan @bstvlive @soochnanews pic.twitter.com/tCdgldyop9
To conclude, ‘Rizwan died due to infection in liver and heart and had injuries due to falling from a motorcycle’, clarifies Ambedkarnagar Police (UP).
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Economic Loss of Road Accidents in India - Infographic
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 2, 2015
In the next hour, 15  lives will be snatched away by road accidents across India. Despite 1 million road accident deaths in the past decade, India might not get a strong Road Safety Law. The #RoadSafety Bill promised after Union Minister Gopinath Munde’s death last year has been significantly diluted and there is no deadline for its introduction. Join the growing demand to stop this epidemic. Send a letter to the Prime minister through www.roadsafetyatrisk.in to request his intervention. #RoadSafetyAtRisk


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A Road Accident in Uttar Pradesh could probably be five times more fatal than the one in Kerala
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 5, 2015
Number of road accidents and the persons killed in road accidents have marginally come down from 2011 to 2013. As per the data, close to 3 persons are killed in every 10 road accidents. The state wise variations are very interesting. While the southern states recorded higher number of accidents, states like UP, Punjab & Uttarakhand had more fatalities despite relatively lesser number of accidents. For instance, an accident in UP could probably be five times more fatal than an accident in Kerala.
The data on road accidents with the Government of India shows, that the number of road accidents has marginally come down from 2011 to 2013. A total of 4,97,686 road accidents happened in 2011 while the corresponding number in 2013 is 4,86,476. This represents a reduction of 2.2% in the total number of accidents. Similarly, the number of persons killed in road accidents has also come down marginally from 1,42,485 in 2011 to 1,37,572 in 2013. At the same time, the number of accidents in major cities has marginally increased.
State wise variations
There are wide variations between states. In terms of the number of road accidents between 2011 and 2013, four of the top six states are from South India. These are the only 6 states with more than a lakh road accidents in these 3 years. Tamil Nadu tops the chart with close to two lakh road accidents followed by Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Kerala in that order.
But when it comes to number of persons killed in road accidents from 2011 to 2013, Uttar Pradesh tops the chart with 53665. Though Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Maharashtra also are in the top 5, it is because of a high number of accidents in these states.
Number of Persons Killed Vs Number of Accidents
If the ratio of Number of Persons Killed to the Number of Accidents is calculated, it presents a completely different picture. On the top is Mizoram with a ratio of 0.79 followed by Punjab (0.75), Nagaland (0.73), Uttar Pradesh (0.60) & Uttarakhand (0.60). What is interesting is that, none of the states that topped the charts in number of accidents are in the top 15. For instance, the ratio for Kerala is 0.12 which is five times less than that of Uttar Pradesh. This means that a road accident in Uttar Pradesh could probably be five times more fatal than one in Kerala. The underlying reasons for such uncorrelated figures warrant  a deeper study.
Ban on use of Earphones while Walking.
The details of road accidents were shared by the government when a MP from BJP asked the government about the steps it is taking to bring a legislation for banning earphones while walking. Dr. Sunil Baliram Gaikwad is the BJP MP from Latur in Maharashtra. He is a first time MP and has an impressive record in the 16 Lok Sabha so far in asking questions.
Concerned by the growing incidents of accidents involving pedestrians, he posed the following questions in the Lok Sabha, in December 2014, to the Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MORTH).
The Government of India in its response said that, it does not maintain specific information relating to accidents/deaths while walking.  Road accident data is compiled in MORTH in a format developed as per the Asia Pacific Road Accident Database (APRAD) project of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP). In this format, specific data for road accidents/deaths taken place due to use of earphones while walking is not compiled.
The Government also said that there is no proposal to bring a legislation for banning earphones while walking. It said, however, the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 and Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 contain a number of provisions to curb use of mobile phone while driving motor vehicles.
International Experience
There have been some studies in various states of the USA about the impact of texting while walking. States like Virginia & California have unsuccessfully tried enacting a law banning texting while walking. Israel was also mulling a similar law. There was also a false news about texting being banned while walking in Fort Lee, New Jersey. There are divergent views on this issue world over.
Source:  Unstarred Question No. 4149 Answered on 18.12.2014 in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Featured Image Source: Biswarup Ganguly [GFDL, CC BY 3.0, GFDL or CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons


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Road crashes involving children in India
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 3, 2015
On average,two children died per day in road accidents in Uttar Pradesh in the last two years. Despite 1 million road accident deaths in the past decade, India might not get a strong Road Safety Law. The #RoadSafety Bill promised after Union Minister Gopinath Munde’s death last year has been significantly diluted and there is no deadline for its introduction. Join the growing demand to stop this epidemic. Send a letter to the Prime minister through www.roadsafetyatrisk.in to request his intervention.
Factly & Save Life Foundation request your support for the campaign. #RoadSafetyAtRisk


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Rohit Sharma's picture was not displayed on Burj Khalifa after Mumbai Indians won the IPL 2020 trophy - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 13, 2020
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the Indian opening batsman & Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is the first cricketer and third Indian whose picture is displayed on the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. A photo of cricketer Rohit Sharma’s picture displayed on the Dubai Burj Khalifa shared in the post. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rohit Sharma’s picture displayed on the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai.
Fact: Photo shared in the post is an edited one. This edited version of the Rohit Sharma’s photo on Burj Khalifa went viral after Mumbai Indians won IPL 2020. Rohit Sharma or any of the Mumbai Indian players photo was not displayed on Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On searching for this image of Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma on Burj khalifa tower, we couldn’t find any such photo on the official Twitter handle of Burj Khalifa or the Twitter handle of Rohit Sharma. This photo went viral after Mumbai Indians won IPL 2020. On reverse image search, a similar image of Burj Khalifa without the picture of Rohit Sharma was found in an article published by ‘Emirates 24/7’ news website.
Mumbai Indians team shared a photo of Mumbai Indians logo on the Burj Khalifa tower after winning IPL 2020 title. But, it is a graphically designed photo which was designed by the graphic designer Amit.S.Hari. Mumbai Indians management credited the photo to Amit.S.Hari in their tweet.
It's my honor and pleasure to work with this design.Thank you @mipaltan
For the lovely opportunity. As MI has crowned the 5th @IPL title and as part of it I am proud to do this art work.#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #Believe🖐🏼 🖐🏼 #MIChampion5 #mivdc #iplt20 #champion5 #MIPaltan https://t.co/jgRxhVy5rn
During the IPL 2020, Burj Khalifa management displayed the pictures of ‘Kolkata Knight riders’ team players on the tower as the gesture of welcoming them to Dubai. We reached out to Burj Khalifa management to understand the reasons behind the display of KKR team players on Burj Khalifa. We will update the article once we get the response from them.
نرحب في #برج_خليفة بفريق كولكاتا نايت رايدرز للكريكيت! متمنين لهم كل التوفيق في الدوري الهندي الممتاز لهذا العام!#BurjKhalifa
welcomes @KKRiders. We wish them good luck for this year's @IPL pic.twitter.com/Ha2nCqdrIG
To sum it up, a morphed photo is shared as Rohit Sharma’s picture being displayed on Burj Khalifa after Mumbai Indians won the IPL 2020 trophy.

created: November 13, 2020


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Roleplay depicting RSS workers in handcuffs is misconstrued as a real incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 23, 2021
A post accompanying a video of a group of Muslims parading two handcuffed men dressed in RSS uniform is being widely shared across social media platforms with a claim that ‘Muslims paraded two handcuffed RSS men in Kerala’. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Group of Muslim men in Kerala paraded couple of handcuffed RSS workers in a procession.
Fact: The video is actually of a march organized by ‘The Popular Front of India (PFI)’, an Islamic organisation in Kerala’s Malappuram in remembrance of the fight that took place between the Britishers and the people of Malabar in 1921. In this march, few people dressed up as RSS workers were handcuffed and paraded on the streets. The video does not show any real incident of handcuffed RSS workers paraded by Muslims. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a ‘Times of India’ news story which reported the same video. As per this report, the video is actually of a march organised by ‘The Popular Front of India (PFI)’, an Islamic organisation in Kerala’s Malappuram in which some people dressed up as members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were seen marching on road while wearing handcuffs.
Further the report quoted Anees Ahmed, a member of PFI saying that some people depicted RSS members during a programme of PFI in remembrance of the fight that took place between the Britishers and the people of Malabar in 1921. By this, we can infer that a role-play depicting RSS men in handcuffs is misconstrued as a real incident.
Further search led us to a news article of Republic which also reported the same incident. Even this article reported that ‘PFI took out a rally in which persons dressed like RSS cadres and British soldiers were chained & paraded’ in Kerala. Hence, even this article confirms that the video does not show a real incident of RSS workers being handcuffed and paraded on the streets.
To sum it up, role play depicting RSS workers in handcuffs is misconstrued as a real incident.

created: February 23, 2021


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Roshni act was enacted to transfer the ownership of state land to encroachers - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 3, 2021
A social media post claiming that former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah introduced the Roshni Act to allocate properties of Hindus who fled Kashmir, to Muslims is being shared widely. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Roshni Act was legislated to allocate properties of Hindus to Muslims.
Fact: Roshni act deals with state land which is encroached irrespective of the religion of the encroacher and is not intended to transfer the properties owned by Hindus to Muslims. The act envisages to transfer the ownership rights to the occupants irrespective of their religion. However, in 2018, then Governor of the state repealed the act. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To transfer ownership rights to occupants of state land upon payment of a fee prescribed by the government, Jammu & Kashmir government led by Farooq Abdulla back in 2001 enacted State Land (Vesting Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001.
The government had brought in this act to mobilise funds for the construction of hydel power projects, and hence the act was also called Roshni Act. The act set 1990 as the cut-off date, which means occupants who encroached government land before 1990 would be eligible to get the ownership rights. A committee set up by the government determined the price of the land taking various factors into account. This establishes the fact that the Roshni act just deals with state land which is encroached irrespective of the religion of the encroacher and is not intended to transfer the properties owned by Hindus to Muslims.
However, in 2005, the PDP-Congress coalition government relaxed the cut-off date from 1990 to 2004 through an amendment. And later Gulam Nabi Azad government further extended the cut-off date to 2007 through another amendment. Also, this amendment specifies price slabs according to the size of the land. As per the amendments, agricultural land can be transferred to the occupants by paying a mere sum of Rs. 100 per kanal (1/8 of acre).
However, the CAG in its 2014 report flagged many irregularities regarding the price determination by the committee. And subsequently in 2018, the then Governor of the state repealed the act amidst allegations and for the act not achieved the specific targets. Further in 2020, the Supreme court held the Roshni Act unconstitutional.
To sum it up, the Roshni act is enacted to transfer the ownership of state land to the encroachers, not to allocate properties of Hindus to Muslims.


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Rothschild did not secure a patent for a COVID-19 test in 2015 or 2017 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 12, 2024
A widely circulated post on social media features an image capturing a document from the US Patent Office, submitted by Rothschild in 2015, outlining a system for testing the new coronavirus. Emphasizing the patent’s initial filing date, these posts claim preplanning of COVID-19. This article aims to fact-check the legitimacy of the assertions made in the post.
Claim: Rothschild filed a patent for COVID-19 testing in 2015.
Fact: Rothschild filed a series of regular, non-provisional patent applications under the name  “System and Method for Using, Processing, and Displaying Biometric Data”, starting from 2015. However, there is no mention of COVID-19 in these initial fillings. The patent for a system analyzing biometric data to ascertain COVID-19 infection was applied for in May 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
An Internet search led us to the complete document of the patent referenced as ‘US20200279585A1’ (here & here). The patent details a system for coronavirus testing, outlining a method for detecting the presence of the coronavirus using smartphones.
After scrutinizing the document and its chronological sequence, it is apparent that 13 October 2015, marks the initial provisional application by Rothschild within this patent family. Following this, a series of regular, non-provisional patent applications were submitted for a “System and Method for Using, Processing, and Displaying Biometric Data.”
The patent for a system analyzing biometric data to ascertain COVID-19 infection was applied for in May 2020. Essentially, Richard A. Rothschild, the patent filer, had multiple patent applications within the same patent family.
The viral post alleges that the 2015 priority date indicates preplanning of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the patent filed in 2015 does not make any mention of COVID-19. Most likely, the terms “priority date” and “application date”, could be conflated to make this claim. The priority date denotes the earliest filing date in a set of related patent applications or the earliest filing date of a specific feature of an invention, as seen here.
The viral post additionally asserts evidence of a COVID-19 testing patent filed in 2017. According to the timeline, a patent for a “System and Method for Using, Biometric, and Displaying Biometric Data” was filed in April 2017. However, although this patent serves as a precursor to ‘US20200279585A1,’ it does not reference COVID-19 thus, proving that the initial patents filed in the series are not related to COVID-19.
Previously, when the same claim circulated widely, AFP debunked it. AFP clarified that in their conversation with Rainer Osterwalder, a spokesperson from the European Patent Office, it was emphasized that the initial patent application had no reference to COVID-19 before 2020.
To sum it up, Rothschild did not secure a patent for a COVID-19 test in 2015 or 2017


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Roundup of interesting Information shared in the Parliament
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 8, 2016
In response to questions raised by various MPs, the government has shared some interesting information in the Parliament. Here is a roundup of such information.
Indian Embassies spent Rs 8.88 crore on PM Modi’s foreign visits
There has been a lot of discussion about the expenses incurred on the Prime Minister’s foreign visits. While full information on the expenses incurred on the PM’s foreign visits is not yet available, government shared the details of expenses incurred by various Indian Embassies abroad during the visits of the PM. As per the data shared, Indian Embassies abroad spent a total of Rs 8.88 crore till date. Bulk of the expenses (Rs 6.37 crore) was on Event Management. Only 30 odd lakh rupees each was spent on Advertisement & Travel. In terms of actual expenditure, Rs 2.17 crore was spent on PM’s France visit in April 2015 and Rs 1.78 crore on PM’s visit to USA in September 2014.
Number of Indian Students studying in the UK down 39% in 4 years
USA & UK are two of the most preferred destinations for Indian students. As per the information shared by the government, the number of Indian students studying in the UK has come down to 18320 in 2014-15 compared to 29900 in 2011-12. This is a decrease of almost 39% in 4 years. During the same time, the number of Indian students studying in the USA has gone up by over 30%. The government believes that the change in post-study work visa rules and the difficulties faced by Indian students to find jobs with salaries that would qualify them to remain in the UK after completing their studies, are the reasons for this decrease. The Indian government has taken this up with the government of UK and has urged them to explore options to refine the post-study work visa scheme.
112 of the 162 companies under the radar of the SFIO are from West Bengal
The Saradha scam in West Bengal turned everybody’s attention to companies running chit funds and ponzi schemes. In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the government said that various Chit Fund companies are regulated by the Chit Funds Act, 1982 that is implemented by the State Governments. The state governments register entities running Chit Funds and regulate their affairs and proceed against violators including by companies running chit funds without such registrations. The government also mentioned that the affairs of 162 companies have been investigated into by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in the last 3 years. These companies have been found to be involved in Chit fund/ MLM/ Ponzi activities. Of these, investigation has been completed in 97 companies and instructions have been issued to SFIO to file prosecution in respect of investigation of 64 companies.  More than 2/3 of these companies are from West Bengal.
Electronic Banking transactions have almost doubled in 3 years
Electronic banking has become the preferred mode of banking for internet savvy customers. This is also substantiated by the rise in the number of electronic banking transactions. As per the data shared by the government, the electronic banking transactions have increased volume-wise, from 3708.52 million in 2013-14 to 7045.30 million in 2015-16. Similarly, value-wise transactions have risen from 878000.13 billion in 2013-14 to 1002334.10 billion in 2015-16. Transactions through m-wallet have increased volume-wise from 107.51 million in 2013-14 to 603.99 million in 2015-16. Value-wise, transaction through m-wallet has increased from 29.05 billion in 2013-14 to 205.84 billion in 2015-16. In the wake of such increased electronic activity, the RBI has issued detailed security & risk mitigation measures for electronic transactions.

created: August 8, 2016


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RRB has not released a notification for the post of Sub-Inspectors and Constables - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 28, 2024
A viral message has been making its rounds on social media claiming that the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) released a notification for the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and Constables under the Centralised Employment Notice (CEN) No.RPF 01/2024 and CEN No. RPF 02/2024. The alleged notification suggests around 452 vacancies for the Sub-Inspector post and 4208 for the Constable posts., Let’s verify this claim through this fact-check article
Claim: RRB released a Centralised Employment Notice for the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and Constables.
Fact: RRB has not released any Centralized Employment Notice (CEN) for recruitment of the mentioned posts this year. The only CENs released by RRB in the current year are CEN No. 01/2024 for the recruitment of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP) and CEN No. 02/2024 for the recruitment of technicians. The Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit has denounced the notification circulating on social media as false and confirmed that the Railway Ministry did not issue such a notice. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To verify the claim, we examined the official websites of the Secunderabad and Chennai Railway Recruitment Boards. Our search revealed that these RRBs had not released any Centralised Employment Notifications under the code CEN No.RPF 01/2024 and CEN No.RPF 02/2024 for recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and Constables.
Our findings showed that RRB has released two separate CENs this year. The first, CEN No. 01/2024, is for the recruitment of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP), and the second, CEN No. 02/2024, is for the recruitment of technicians. This indicates that this viral notification is most likely to be a digital creation.
Furthermore, the fact-checking unit of the Press Information Bureau has addressed this claim about the Railway Recruitment Board releasing a notice for the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and Constables. They confirmed that the Ministry of Railways has not issued any such notification.
A #Fake notice issued in name of Railway Ministry regarding recruitment of sub-inspector & constable in Railway Protection force is circulating on social media#PIBFactCheck
▶ No such notice has been issued by @RailMinIndia
▶ Never share your personal/ financial information pic.twitter.com/0jBKOZGYCs
To sum up, the viral claim that RRB has released a notification for the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and Constables for the Railway Police Force is False.

created: February 28, 2024


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Rs 500/- denomination banknotes with a ‘star’ mark in the number panel are legal tender & valid - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 24, 2023
Update (28 July 2023): As the message that Rs. 500 notes with a ‘star’ mark in the number panel are fake went recently viral again, RBI through a press release on 27 July 2023 has clarified that a banknote with a Star (*) symbol is identical to any other legal banknote, and that the Star (*) symbol is an identifier that it is a replaced / reprinted banknote.
A photo of an Rs. 500/- currency note with an asterisk or star (‘*’) mark in the number panel is being shared on social media claiming it is a fake currency note that has been in circulation in the country for the past two to three days. The post claims that any Rs. 500 note with a ‘star’ mark in the number panel is a fake note. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Rs. 500 note with a ‘star’ mark in the number panel indicates a fake note.
Fact: RBI introduced the ‘star’ (‘*’) mark in new Rs. 500/- denomination banknotes for the first time in December 2016. These ‘star’ banknotes in the denomination of ₹ 10, 20, 50 and 100 are already in circulation since 2006. Rs 500/- denomination banknotes with a ‘star’ mark in the number panel are legal tender and do not indicate a fake note. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched to check the veracity of the claim made in the post, we found that RBI had introduced an additional character ‘*’(star) mark in the number panel of new Rs. 500/- denomination banknotes in December 2016. RBI released a press note on 16 December 2016 regarding the issuing of new Rs 500/- denomination notes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series with the inset letter ‘E’ having a ‘star’ mark in the number panel.
In a statement of the press note, RBI said, “Some of the captioned banknotes will have an additional character ‘*’ (star) in the number panel in the space between the prefix and the number. Packets containing these notes will have 100 pieces as usual but not in serial order. To facilitate easy identification of note packets containing ‘star’ notes the bands on such packets will clearly indicate the presence of these notes in the packet. ‘Star’ banknotes in ₹ 500 denomination are being issued for the first time.”
These ‘star’ banknotes in the denomination of Rs. 10/-, Rs. 20/-, Rs. 50/- and Rs. 100/- are already in circulation since 2006. The rationale and the scheme of the introduction of ‘Star’ banknotes were detailed in a press release issued by the RBI on 19 April 2006. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that Rs 500/- banknotes with a ‘star’ mark in the number panel are legal tender, not fake notes as claimed in the post.
To sum it up, Rs 500/- denomination banknotes with a ‘star’ mark in the number panel are legal tender, not fake notes as claimed in the post.


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Rs. 50,000 pension was under the ‘Yash Bharati Samman’ Award, not for supporting the government - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 7, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that 172 Bollywood celebrities used to receive Rs. 50,000 monthly from the Uttar Pradesh government, till 2017, for giving Akhilesh government a positive coverage on media and social media. But, CM Yogi Adityanath has stopped the monthly pension. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
172 Bollywood celebrities received Rs 50000 monthly till 2017 from the UP government for giving Akhilesh government a positive coverage on media and social media. CM Yogi stopped the payment.
Fact: The 172 beneficiaries were receiving the pension as they have been awarded by the ‘Yash Bharati Samman’, not for giving the government a positive coverage on media and social media. All of them were not  Bollywood celebrities. There are eminent personalities from various fields like art, literature, films, science, etc. Also, the Yogi government has not stopped the pensions completely. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In the post, one of the users has commented with a link to the ‘Times of India’ article. In the article, it can be read that the 172 beneficiaries were receiving the Rs. 50,000 pension as the ‘Yash Bharati Samman’ has been awarded to them not for giving the Akhilesh government a positive coverage on media and social media.  The details about the scheme can be read on the webpage of UP’s Culture Department. In the pension list (2016) of awardees, it can be seen that the award is given to eminent personalities from various fields like art, literature, films, science, etc. So, the pension was not just restricted to Bollywood celebrities.
Also, the Yogi government has not stopped the pensions completely. According to the 2018 rules regarding the pension under the scheme, the amount of pension has been reduced to Rs. 25,000 and additional criteria (not available to government servants, government pensioners, and income taxpayers) have been added to become eligible for the pension.
To sum it up, Rs. 50,000 monthly pension was given under the ‘Yash Bharati Samman’ Award, not for supporting the government. All of them are not Bollywood celebrities. Also, the Yogi government brought some changes to the pension rules. They did not completely stop them.
Did you watch our video on the 10 Most Ridiculous Fake News of the Year 2019?

created: January 7, 2020


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RSS pracharaks were not giving the guard of honour to the Queen. It’s a photoshopped image. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 10, 2019
A post on Facebook with a couple of pictures claim that while Bose was establishing Azad Hind Fauz, RSS was saluting the British Queen. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
RSS pracharaks giving the guard of honour to the British Queen
Fact: The image has been photoshopped. RSS pracharaks were not giving the guard of honour to the British Queen. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the images in the post are cropped appropriately and ran through Google Reverse Image Search, the actual photos can be found in the respective search results. When the RSS pracharaks picture is cropped and searched, the original photo can be found in a Deccan Chronicle newspaper article. In the original photo, there is no Queen standing in front of the pracharaks.
If the walking Queen portion is cropped and searched, the original photo was found in a tweet posted by HistoryVille. The original photo was taken when Queen Elizabeth II was inspecting the Nigerian Army during her visit to Nigeria in 1956.
To sum it up, RSS pracharaks were not giving the guard of honour to the Queen. It’s a photoshopped image.


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RSS workers did not dance after England won the ICC World Cup 2019. It’s an old video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 16, 2019
A video of dancing RSS workers is being shared on Facebook with a claim that they were dancing on the occasion of England winning the ICC World Cup 2019. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
RSS workers danced after England won the ICC World Cup 2019.
Fact: The video was taken in 2015 before a meeting at RSS Headquarters in Nagpur. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the video, the logo of ‘India TV’ can be seen at the bottom right. So, when searched with the keywords ‘RSS workers dance India TV’ on Google, a link to an India TV video uploaded on YouTube in 2015 can be found in the search results. According to the original news story, the video was taken in 2015 when RSS workers danced before a meeting at the RSS Headquarters in Nagpur. So, the video is not at all related to England’s 2019 ICC World Cup win.
To sum it up, RSS workers did not dance after England won the ICC World Cup 2019. It’s an old video.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?


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RTI query reveals that PM Modi himself bears his kitchen and clothing expenses - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 27, 2022
A social media post that make multiple claims about Prime Minister Modi’s expenses on food, clothing and health is being shared widely. The viral post claims that Modi eats mushrooms imported from Taiwan everyday that cost Rs. 80,000 and his clothes cost around 8-10 lakhs and that these clothes have his name on them. Further, the post claims that Modi undergoes full body checkup every day. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Modi eats mushrooms imported from Taiwan that cost Rs. 80,000 ; his clothes cost around 8-10 lakhs ; he undergoes full body checkup every day.
Fact: RTI queries revealed that Prime Minister Modi himself bears his kitchen and clothing expenses which means information related to his clothing and food costs are unlikely to be in the public domain unless he disclosed them. However, we could not find reports of Modi disclosing these details. On the other hand according to a news reports, Modi undergoes medical check-up once in every three months. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Modi eats Mushrooms imported from Taiwan :
Back in 2017, at the time of Gujarat Assembly elections, OBC leader and the then Congress candidate Alpesh Thakor made these allegations against Modi. Addressing a public gathering, Thakor alleged that ‘Modi eats mushrooms from Taiwan, one mushroom costs Rs 80 thousand & he eats 5 mushrooms a day. He was dark like me, but he became fair because of imported mushrooms.’
#WATCH Modi Ji eats mushrooms from Taiwan, one mushroom costs Rs 80 thousand & he eats 5 mushrooms a day. He was dark like me but he became fair because of imported mushrooms: Alpesh Thakor, activist & Congress leader #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/jh5QPN27SD
However, Thakur’s comments are considered as mere speculations as they are not backed by any evidence. In fact, some RTI queries and responses related PM Modi are available on pmindia.gov.in. One such RTI response revealed that Modi himself bears the cost of his food and that this cost is not incurred on government account.
Since Modi bears the expenses, it unlikely that the information related to his kitchen expenses are available in public domain, unless he discloses it. However, we could not find any reports of Modi revealing his food expenses.
Modi’s clothes cost around 8-10 lakhs :
According to a 2018 news report, an RTI query revealed that Prime Minister Modi spends on his own clothing and the government does not bear any expenses in this regard. Hence, it is unlikely that information related to his clothing is available in public domain.
Narendra Modi’s clothing has been in the news every now and then. In the past, many allegations were made about Modi & his clothing choices. Delhi CM Kejriwal claimed that the dress Modi wears would cost around two lakhs.
In 2016, a suit worn by Modi entered Guinness World Records as the most expensive suit auctioned ever, as a Surat man bought the suit for Rs 4.3 crore. The specialty of the suit is that ‘its stripes were made of repetitions of a single motif : the Prime Minister’s name, Narendra Damodardas Modi.
It was stitched by Jade Blue, an Ahmedabad-based garments chain and reportedly cost Rs. 10 lakhs to make. Most likely, this news could be the source of the viral claim made in the post. However, as mentioned above, expenses incurred on Modi’s clothing are not in the public domain.
Modi undergoes full body checkup every day :
We could not find any official information or news reports that state Modi undergoes health check-up every day.  However, according to a 2014 news report, the Prime Minister Modi undergoes a medical check-up every three months.
To sum it up, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself bears his kitchen and clothing expenses. Claims made in this post  have no basis.


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Running a group to educate people about RTI from a Government Quarter is ‘Misuse of Facilities’ - Govt of AP
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 31, 2015
Here is the story of an honest citizen who was trying to the help the government by highlighting rent amounts due to the government. Instead of encouraging him, the government of Andhra Pradesh goes on a witch-hunt by alleging that he is misusing government accommodation and that he will be vacated.
S K Madar retired from the Irrigation Department of Government of Andhra Pradesh and has been living in Government quarters at Lingamguntla in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh. He is an active Right to Information (RTI) user and has been seeking information from the Irrigation department on various issues. He is also part of an active group that educates people about the RTI.
The Issue
S K Madar has been using RTI to seek details of pending rent & other dues of occupants of the Government Quarters in the Nagarjuna Sagar Project area. He collected a lot of information from various agencies about these dues. A total amount of 1.45 crore rupees was due from the occupants as per the information provided by the Government. He also alleges that these quarters are often allotted to private people close to the officials and they never pay the rent. Armed with all this information, he even filed a petition in the Andhra Pradesh Lokayuktha in September 2014 which is still pending.
Documents from the Government showing due amounts
The Letter from the Government
All this activism peeved the powers to be. The Superintending Engineer (SE) sent him a letter seeking clarification on why he was ‘misusing’ government accommodation by running a group to educate people about RTI.
The letter starts off by confirming that Madar is a retired employee and has been living in Quarter B/28 as per government orders. It also says that he has no pending rental dues. That’s where the letter starts getting interesting. The SE says Madar has been allotted the government quarter only to live and not to run any group. He goes onto say that the department has evidence to prove that Madar is playing a key role in the group.
The letter from the SE
The Government mentioned in the letter that no individual is authorized to run any organization in the quarters without the prior permission of the SE. But they do not cite any rule/law supporting their contention. The SE’s letter then talks of the alleged ‘misuse’. The letter alleges that Madar has been misusing government facilities and subsidies by participating in activities of such groups. The SE’s letter then mentions Madar’s obsession with rental dues of other occupants and that the department will look into illegal occupants of government quarters & rental dues.
The SE’s letter asks Madar to clarify since when he has been running this group and its registration details. The letter ends by saying that it is not proper for him to run such a group in a colony where a lot of employees and retired employees are living. It warns Madar that, he be ready for any subsequent action by the department and he might even have to vacate the quarters if required. It must be noted that not a single rule or law is referred to anywhere in the letter.
The letter from the SE
Price for Honesty
The government should be thankful to the hundreds and thousands of honest whistle blowers and RTI users who highlight important issues of corruption. Instead, the use of strong-arm tactics has been on the rise. The growing intolerance of government & government officials is a worrying sign.


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RTI application made Government to recover Rs.1.8 crore from Toll collecting agency in Karnataka
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 20, 2015
Prashant Burge from Karnataka is like any of us but, with one difference. An ordinary citizen who used the Right to Information (RTI) act to expose the excess toll collection by a toll collecting agency and pushed the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) to recover Rs 1.8 crores of public money.
Hattargi Toll Plaza is part of the National Highway 4 (NH4) and is on the Karnataka – Maharashtra Border. This toll plaza is at 537 kilometer and is authorized to collect toll fee for a stretch of 22km between 515 and 537 kilometers. The approved toll rates as on date are (w.e.f 01st April, 2014) are
According to NHAI revision of rate circular, the toll fee for a Light Motor Vehicle (Car/Jeep/Van) is Rs 15 for a single journey and Rs 30 for return journey for a stretch of 22 kms. The toll collecting agency was charging Rs 20 for single journey & Rs 40 for return journey. They were collecting 33% more than the approved fee.
Prashant Burge filed an application under the RTI act with NHAI seeking the following details
NHAI not only had to provide information to Prashant, but also conducted a surprise check based on his application. NHAI conducted a surprise check on 26.03.2013 and it was found that some car/jeep/van and LMVs were being charged Rs.20 and Rs.40 for single and return journey. NHAI informed the same to the Central Information Commission (CIC) during the hearing of a complaint filed by Prashant. They said that corrective measures were taken immediately and penalty proceedings have also been initiated in this regard.
NHAI also stated that the issue of imposing penalty for excess collection toll fee by toll collecting agency has been taken up with NHAI Head quarters and an amount of Rs.1.827 crore has been recovered for the same. The excess amount of toll fee collected by the agency has also been refunded to NHAI by the toll collecting agency.
The CIC noted that Prashant’s application not only led to the recovery of the amount of 1.827 Crore along with interest to the NHAI but notice boards came up on all toll booths, displaying that the excess user fee of Rs. 5/- can be collected by the passengers, after producing proof of identification and excess fee charged. The CIC appreciated Prashant for taking up an issue of public interest and using RTI for greater public good.
Let’s draw some inspiration from Prashant.
PS: The CIC order notes the authorized fee as Rs 15 & Rs 35 while it is actually Rs 15 & Rs 30 according to NHAI.


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Ruchi Soya’s debt of ₹2,212 crores was written off even before its acquisition by Patanjali Ayurvedic - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 3, 2022
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the loan of  ₹2,212 crores taken by Baba Ramdev’s company Ruchi Soya was waived off. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ramdev baba owned Ruchi soya company’s debt of ₹2,212 crores was waived off.
Fact: According to the RBI report, Ruchi soya’s debt of ₹2,212 crores were technically written off, which means, the lending banks clean up the bad loans from their balance sheet. However, the loan account still stays to continue with the lending bank as they can try to recover it later. Moreover, in December 2017, Ruchi Soya Industries entered the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process because of its total debt of about ₹12,000 crores. In December 2019, Patanjali Ayurved, co-founded by Baba Ramdev acquired the debt ridden Ruchi Soya for ₹4,350 crores. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We we searched for the list of the ‘Top 50 Wilful defaulters in India’ and found the details in the Twitter account of Saket Gokhale, a spokesperson for All India Trinamool Congress. He filed an RTI petition on 19 March 2020, seeking the information of ‘Top 50 Wilful defaulters & defaulted amount in Indian banking system as on 16 February 2020’. Upon his query, RBI released the list of wilful defaulters as on 30 September 2019.
This is why Finance Minister @nsitharaman tried to escape from a straight & clear question asked by Rahul Gandhi.
Sadly – the truth can never stay hidden too long.
Massive kudos to RG for calling the govt’s bluff way back in March!
PS: Here’s the list if anyone missed it 😊 https://t.co/OA4moYdTYz pic.twitter.com/JsaoBewhBT
The list shows ‘Ruchi Soya Industries Limited’ whose debt of Rs.2,212 Cr was technically/prudentially written off, which is not same as waived off. As per RBI, write-off just clears the bad loans from the bank balance sheets but these bad accounts still continue to stay in the bank books and the banks try to recover these loans by other means. Writing off a bad loan is not same as waving off.
Write-off vs Waive-off:
Writing off a loan is a general practice implemented by banks to clean up their balance sheets. In the case of write-off, the lending banks clean up the bad loans from their balance sheet. However, the loan account still stays to continue with the lending bank as they can try to recover it later. Moreover, if any collateral is attached to the loan, then the lender confiscates them. Whereas, in the case of loan waive-off, the lender completely cancels the loan account, and the borrower is free from the debt. If any collateral is linked to the debt, then it will be returned to the borrower.
Moreover, in December 2017, Ruchi Soya Industries entered into the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process because of its total debt of about ₹12,000 crores. In December 2019, Patanjali Ayurved, co-founded by Baba Ramdev acquired the debt ridden Ruchi Soya for ₹4,350 crores. News reports regarding this can be found here, here and here.
Hence, it is evident that Ruchi soya’s debt was written off even before its acquisition by Patanjali Ayurved.

created: August 3, 2022


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Rules restricting the use of Loud Speakers & other instruments at religious places rarely followed
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 18, 2017
Sonu Nigam’s tweet on use of loud speakers for Azaan created quite a storm on twitter. But it is a well-known fact that rules restricting the use of loud speakers at most religious places are rarely followed in India.
Singer Sonu Nigam’s tweet recently about being woken by the Azaan every morning calling it forced religiousness created quite a storm on twitter. While a lot of people supported him, a few others spoke about the inconvenience caused by the noise generated during the celebration of Hindu festivals also. Whichever side people take on this issue; there is enough evidence to prove that the existing rules regarding the use of loud speakers at public places (including religious places) are rarely followed.
What is the rule on the use of Loud Speakers?
Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Government of India came up with Noise Pollution (Control and Regulation) Rules in the year 2000 that were amended a few times later. Section 5 of these rules lay down the restrictions on the use of loud speakers, public address systems and sound producing instruments.
These rules lay down the following five restrictions on the use of loud speakers and other sound producing instruments.
The important among these rules are the following
Even when loud speakers are used after obtaining permission, the noise standards as specified in the rules have to be followed.
The Supreme Court while upholding the 15-day exemption in the rules, ruled in 2005 that no further dilution of the rules will be allowed. The court made it clear that the scope of the exemption cannot be widened either by increasing the number of days or by increasing the duration beyond two hours. It also ruled that the power to grant exemption of the 15 days lies with the state government and cannot be further delegated. The court warned that any attempt to dilute the rules will result in striking down these exemptions.
What is the issue then?
There are multiple issues with respect to the implementation of these rules on the ground.
Permissions for Loud Speakers: In most cases, loud speakers are used in public places without obtaining the necessary permission. In a PIL filed in Bombay High Court in 2015, it was submitted by the petitioner that most mosques in Navi Mumbai did not have permission to use the loud speaker. The court directed that all the loud speakers in all religious places setup without permission must be removed. The police and other authorities often turn a blind eye to blatant use of loud speakers in processions, religious places etc.
Specifying the 15-day exemption period: The list of 15 days for each calendar year is not publicly available for most states. Moreover, adequate publicity is also not given so that public get to know the list of 15 days. Only in states like Goa, the list is publicly available with information on the relevant rules.
In fact, in Maharashtra, the state government wants the authority of specifying the exemption days to be given to districts which clearly goes against the 2005 Supreme Court order.
Noise Pollution exceeds permissible limits in 7 Metros during Diwali also
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with State Pollution Control Boards carries out monitoring of noise pollution in 07 metropolitan cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad) through a network of seventy (70) noise monitoring stations under National Ambient Noise Monitoring Program (NANMP).
As per government data, the average noise pollution levels generally exceed the permissible limits in these seven metros. The noise level assessment data from the CPCB during Diwali of 2015 & 2016 also indicates that out of 70 locations, only 09 locations in the 7 metros were meeting both the day time and night time standards. Despite numerous advisories by the government, the general situation and the implementation of the rules seems to be shoddy.
Restrictions on Loud Speakers exist in Muslim majority countries also
The restrictions on use of loud speakers also exist in Muslim majority countries like Pakistan & Malaysia. In the Punjab state of Pakistan, only one external sound system is allowed at a place of worship for the purpose of Azan. The Punjab police website also indicates that violators of these rules have been arrested in Rawalpindi.  Even in Penang of Malaysia, there is restriction on the use of loud speakers.


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Rumeysa Gelgi is the tallest woman in the world, not the woman seen in this video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 10, 2023
A video is being shared on social media with a claim that the woman featured in it is the tallest woman in the world, allegedly measuring 8 ft 10 In. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: The woman featured in this video is the world’s tallest woman, and her height is 8 ft 10 In.
Fact: According to the Guinness world records, the tallest living woman  in the world is Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey. She is 7 ft. 0.7 In tall.  Hence, the claim made in the post is False
To learn more about the viral clip, we performed a reverse image search leading us to the original video uploaded on an Instagram page named @reet.kahlon28( Lakhwinder Kaur). Lakhwinder is the director of Chandigarh-based Hair Garden Salon.
We performed a keyword search on the internet to know if Lakhwinder is the world’s tallest woman, and learned that Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey is the tallest living woman in the world according to Guinness world records. Her height is 7 ft. 0.7.
If Lakhwinder were the tallest woman in the world, Indian media would have reported on it; at least she would have made a video, as one can find that she is very active on social media (she uploads vlogs on Youtube). Looking at the viral clip, it could be a work of an editor who stretched the video vertically to make her look tall. This difference between the original and the Viral clip is quite noticeable, and you can see this in the following collage.
To sum up, Rumeysa Gelgi is the tallest woman in the world, not the woman seen in this video.


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Rumours about Pele’s death are False; He is still alive and is in stable condition - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2022
Update (30 December 2022): Brazilian football player Pele who had been battling cancer for a while had passed away on 29 December 2022. Reports on his death can be seen here, here and here.
A post shared by Pelé (@pele)
In the context of former Brazilian football player Pele being hospitalised recently, a post paying tribute to Pele is being shared on social media claiming that he is no more. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Former Brazilian soccer player Pele died in first week of December 2022.
Fact: As per the latest reports, Pele is showing progressive improvement after being hospitalised recently for respiratory infection and to re-evaluate his treatment for colon cancer. Pele’s daughter Flavia Nascimento reassured the fans by saying he’s not receiving end-of-life care as claimed by some reports. Moreover, on 5 December 2022, Pele said he’ll watch the FIFA world cup match Brazil and South Korea from hospital. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
As per the latest Reuters report on 06 December 2022, Pele, 82, was showing progressive improvement after he was hospitalised last week to re-evaluate his treatment for colon cancer.
He was also being treated for a respiratory infection, remained in a regular hospital room with stable vital signs and was conscious, medical staff at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital told reporters. Moreover, on December 5, Pele said that he’ll watch FIFA world cup 2022 match between Brazil and South Korea from hospital to support his team.
A post shared by Pelé (@pele)
In response to this, after winning the match, Brazilian players dedicated this win to ailing Pele and wished for his speedy recovery. Further, Pele’s daughter Flavia Nascimento condemned the rumours of him receiving end-of-life care.
To sum it up, Pele is still alive and is in stable condition after being hospitalised recently. Social media rumours about his death are false.

created: December 7, 2022


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Rumours about Xi Jinping’s house arrest and military coup are false - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 29, 2022
A post is being widely shared claiming that the Chinese president Xi Jinping has been put under house arrest and has lost contact with the world. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Chinese president Xi Jinping has been put under house arrest and lost contact with the world.
Fact: Reports suggest that Xi Jinping has been in quarantine for 10 days following his Uzbekistan’s visit for SCO summit on 16 September 2022. On 27 September, he appeared in public for the first time since returning from the SCO, at the communist party’s exhibition Also, according to air traffic experts, there have been many flight cancellations in China due to COVID-19 and the recent trend shows nothing suspicious. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords and found no credible  reports confirming the house arrest of Chinese President. According to ‘The Hindu’, On 27 September 2022, Xi Jinping visited an exhibition of Communist party. This was his first public appearance since returning 11 days ago from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan on 16 September 2022.
According to the Indian Express, Xi’s absence from public interactions may have been due to seven days mandatory quarantine in a designated place followed by a three-day home stay as per the official guidelines for those returning from abroad under the Dynamic Zero COVID policy, firmly advocated by Xi himself. Latest visuals of Xi Jinping at the exhibition can be seen here.
What fuelled these rumours of house arrest and Military coup?
On 23 September 2022, Jennifer Zeng, a Chinese-born human rights activist and a CCP dissident who is currently living in US, tweeted a video on Twitter which shows military vehicles lined up on the road. She claimed that the entire procession of these vehicles was headed to Beijing on 22 September 2022. She also added that there were rumours about Xi’s house arrest and CCP seniors had removed Xi as head of PLA. This video gathered over 3.8 million views. But no international news agency confirmed this news. However, she later learnt that the rumours are not true.
Someone told me that he knows the family of a #CCP admiral, the rumor about Xi's arrest is not true. I'll talk about what is happening in China tonight, titled:  "Is Xi Under Arrest After Military Coup? 3 Senior Anti-Xi Officials Sentenced to Death". Sub: https://t.co/BdIj4wQv2r
Since Chinese media has not condemned these rumours, several people on social media started linking several unrelated incidents to this rumour. Some users claimed that several flights were cancelled in China citing the military coup as reason.
However, according to Associated Press, the flight cancellations follow normal pattern. Ian Petchenik, director of communications for FlightRadar24, says, “Yes, there were a ton of flight cancellations on the 21st. But there have been a ton of flight cancellations on the 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, going back and back and back for two years now. In no way is this surprising, concerning, suspenseful or anything”
Also, several old and unrelated videos were falsely shared as scenes of explosion in Beijing. Other users speculated that the CCP seniors wanted to get rid of Xi Jinping ahead of the 20th National Congress Meeting which is supposed to be held on October 16. However, putting an end to all these rumours, Xi Jinping made a public appearance on 27 September 2022 at the Communist party exhibition in Beijing. Reports suggest that the Zero Covid policy followed by China, is the reason for president’s absence from public appearances.
To sum it up, the rumours about Xi Jinping’s house arrest and Military Coup in China are not true

created: September 29, 2022


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Rumours of Criminals Giving out Trackable Key Chains to People to Rob Them is an Old Hoax - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2022
Several images of key rings are being shared online claiming that criminals at petrol stations and shopping centres are giving them for free which enables them to track and rob the victims. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Criminals are giving out free key rings to people at petrol stations and shopping centres which enables them to track and rob people.
Fact: This is an old hoax which started in 2008 when Caltex company started giving flashing key rings to their customers as a part of brand promotion in South Africa. The local police and Caltex both refuted these claims. Since then, the same rumour has been in circulation without any evidence. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords and came across a news article with the title “Caltex hit by Urban myth”, published on 30 August 2008 by a South Africa based news website ‘Independent Online’.
According to this article, these rumours started in 2008 when Caltex, a petroleum brand name of Chevron Corporation started giving free Caltex branded key rings to their customers at fuel stations. These key rings contain a flashing device which is meant to highlight brand name.
During that time, several emails started circulating online warning people of alleged tracking devices inside key rings. However, police spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said such claims were untrue and police were investigating the origin of such e-mails. Caltex spokesperson Miranda Anthony assured the customers that these key rings do not have a tracking device in them. When the same rumour resurfaced later in Mayalsia in 2016, the Malaysian police issued a statement that it is untrue and police had not received any reports on this matter, reported New Strait Times.
Further, we found that the tracker key rings  seen in the viral post are available online which costs around ₹150 and works with Bluetooth technology typically within 10 metres range and is generally useful to find lost keys at home.
To sum it up, rumours of criminals giving out trackable key chains to people in order to rob them is an old hoax.

created: October 21, 2022


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‘Runny nose’ and ‘sputum production’ are also symptoms of COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 5, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that  ‘if you have a runny nose and sputum when you have a cold, you cannot be a new type of coronavirus pneumonia, because coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough without runny nose’. Let’s try to find the authenticity of the claim.
Runny nose and coughing sputum suggest that one does not have COVID-19. They are not symptoms of COVID-19.
Fact: In the advisories issued by WHO, it can be seen that ‘runny nose’ and ‘sputum production’ are also symptoms of COVID-19. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On the WHO’s website, ‘runny nose’ can be seen in the symptoms list of COVID-19.
The ‘sputum production’ can be seen as a symptom of COVID-19 in the ‘Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)’ (submitted on 28 February 2020).
Also, according to ‘AFP’ article, there is no medical expert with the name ‘Dr. Khin Maung U’ at a hospital in Shenzhen and also, there is no “Shenzhen Hospital”. Previously, FACTLY has debunked the claim that garlic protects people from the new Coronavirus; the article can be read here.
To sum it up, ‘runny nose’ and ‘sputum production’ are also symptoms of COVID-19.
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Rural India is far behind Urban India in every Indicator of Progress - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 5, 2015
The India Vs Bharat debate is not new. The Urban –Rural divide has been debated for years together. There seems to be little progress made over the last seven decades in bridging this gap. The gap only seems to be widening by the day. Here is a look at some of the important socio-economic indicators in Urban & Rural India.
“India lives in villages” were the golden words of Mahatma Gandhi many decades ago. Ironically after almost 50 years the data does not seem to disagree. Today a majority of the Indian population still live in the villages. Though there is substantial migration from rural to urban areas in India, still almost 68% of India continues to live in rural areas.
The socio-economic census data (2011) released very recently said that almost 73% of the households were in rural areas. On the contrary, India’s vision today is highly urban centric. Cities are tipped to be the catalysts of growth in the future. One fears the decay of villages and therefore there is a need to visit the existing ground realities. This piece looks at various indicators of socio-economic progress in India from the rural-urban perspective.
The GDP Composition over time
It is noted that the agriculture and allied services contribution to the GDP of the nation has reduced considerably from 51.88% in 1950 to 13.94% in 2013. The World Bank data on value added by agriculture (% of GDP) data does not seem to disagree. From a 42.56 in 1960 it has dropped to a meager 16.95 in 2014. Given that almost 70% of the population lives in rural areas and about 50% of the overall labour force is still dependant on agriculture, this situation is definitely not sustainable.
Rural Livelihood & Employment
A deeper look at the Socio-Economic Census (2011) data regarding rural livelihood and employment is scary. The chart below summarises some of the major findings of the SECC 2011. Almost three fourths of the rural households live with a monthly income of less than Rs 5000. More than half the rural households do not own land and more than half of them are casual labour.
Poverty Estimates
The chart below summarises the poverty situation in India. Though poverty has been reducing over time, the rate of poverty reduction in urban areas has been higher than rural areas. Also today, nearly 26% of rural India is poor, compared to a meagre 13.7% in urban areas. The Rangarajan Committee estimates are also indicative of the fact that rural poverty is higher than urban and stands at approximately 31% in 2011-12.
Literacy Levels
A look at the literacy levels in India over last 3 decades from the same rural urban lens gives us more or less similar numbers. Rural literacy rate is much lower than the urban literacy rate. The point to be noted is the gender disparity in this area, where the urban female literacy rate is almost higher by 20% than the rural female.
Literacy Rate of SCs & STs
Again here we can notice the same trend wherein the rural SC/STs lag behind their urban counterparts. The urban literacy rate of ST’s seems to growing at a decreasing rate in the last decade of the data, which can be attributed to the lower number of ST’s living in urban pockets.
Net Attendance – Rural Vs Urban
The chart below represents the net attendance rates of rural and urban India in 2006. The net attendance provides a deeper insight into the education dynamics of India. The rural again falls behind the urban centres here and it is to be noted that the rate of fall of net attendance from primary to secondary is much steeper in the rural areas. The widely cited reasons for the same are lack of familial commitment, migration, climate induced disasters, famine and poverty.
Health Indicators – The same story continues
Health is said to be the wealth of a society. Good health and adequate nutrition are the best indicators of the overall well-being of population and human resources development. They also form an important component of human capability. The following charts depict the rural urban health divide.
Rural India lags behind Urban India in all the indicators; Infant Mortality Rate,  Percentage of Anemic Population, Various Health Indicators and Access to Basic Services (as of 2006).
Rural India always takes a backseat
Today, after almost 7 decades of independence, the existing policy dynamics has taken a toll on rural India. The villages take a backseat in almost every aspect of socio-economic analysis. We have created an economy of rich cities and poor villages, surging urban areas and decaying rural areas. The current government at the centre came to power with a thumping majority with its primary objective being “Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikaas”, which translates to “Taking everybody along and development for all”. One can only hope that this becomes a reality and for that to happen a balance between urban and rural development is a definite prerequisite.

created: December 5, 2015


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At the current rate, it will take 15 more years to build toilets for all Rural Households
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 12, 2015
Total Sanitation in Rural Areas has been a focus area for successive governments at the center. While the UPA formulated the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, the NDA came up with the Swachh Bharat Mission. Going by pure numbers, more than 11 crore rural households do not have a toilet. The average number of toilets constructed per year in the last 4 years is about 57.2 lakh. At this pace, the target of 100% toilets by 2019 looks highly impossible. Even tripling the current rate may not be enough.
Successive Governments at the center have made rural sanitation as one of their core focus areas. The UPA’s flagship program for the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) was Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, (NBA).  The NBA’s goal was to transform rural India into Nirmal Bharat and achieve 100% sanitation in rural areas by the year 2022. In other words, toilet access to all rural households would be achieved by the year 2022. The NDA after coming to power launched the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) which aims at attaining a 100% Open Defecation Free India by 2019. But if the history of construction of toilets in the last 4 years is anything to go by, it will easily take 15 more years to achieve the goal of 100% Open Defecation free Rural India.
Lack of Toilets & Open Defecation
According to the 2011 Census, more than 67% of the rural households in India do not have access to a toilet. In absolute numbers, it is a staggering 11,29,97,499 rural households. In other words more than 11 crore rural households do not have access to a toilet.
As per a report published by World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children`s Fund (UNICEF) as per the data of the year 2012, around 60% of the of World’s Population defecating in the Open are from India. The statistics from various agencies more or less confirm the trend that more than 60% of the Indian Rural Households do not have access to a toilet.
Within states, Jharkhand has the highest percentage of rural households without a toilet. Here, 9 in every 10 rural households do not have a toilet. Jharkhand is followed by Madhya Pradesh (86%), Chhattisgarh (85%), Odisha (84%), Bihar (81%), Rajasthan (80%), Uttar Pradesh (77%), Tamil Nadu (73%), Karnataka (68%) & Gujarat (65%). Kerala is last on this list with only 5.6% rural households without a toilet.
Construction of Toilets & Amounts Spent
According to the data available with the Government, a total of 2,23,46,505 (more than 2 crore) toilets were constructed for Individual households in the rural area from 2011-12 to 2014-15 (up to February 2015).  In other words, more than 2.2 crore toilets were built in about 4 years. The greatest number of toilets was built in 2011-12 (about 88 lakh). After that the number of toilets built per year never crossed the 50 lakh mark. The average for the four years stood at 57.2 lakh. Surprisingly, more than a crore toilets were built in each of the years 2009-10 and 2010-11. It’s been downhill since then.
Within states, highest number of toilets were constructed in Uttar Pradesh (29.7 lakh) followed by West Bengal (25.1 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (23.5 lakh), Bihar (19 lakh) and Karnataka (18.1 lakh) 2011-12 to 2014-15 (up to February 2015).
In terms of amounts released and spent, it is surprising to note that the highest number of toilets was constructed when the expenditure was least. Except in 2012-13, the expenditure was very close to the released amount.
So when will we achieve the target of 100% toilets in Rural India?
If the government continues at the current four year average of 57.2 lakh toilets per year, achieving 100% by 2019 looks highly impossible. If the current rate continues, we can achieve the 100% target by 2030-31, a full 11 years after 2019. If the target of 2019 is to be achieved, even tripling the current rate may not be enough.
Featured Image: The Hindu


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Russian Government did not ban Muslim men from marrying non-Muslim women - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 25, 2020
A photo of a media report is being shared on social media claiming that the Russian President Vladimir Putin banned mixed-religion marriages for Muslims in Russia. With the increased debate over alleged incidents of Love Jihad in India,  this post is going viral on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Russian President Vladimir Putin banned mixed-religion marriages for Muslims in Russia.
Fact: Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (DUM) passed a religious ruling that bans Muslims in Russia marrying non-Muslim women. This ruling is passed by the advisory council of this religious organization. This ruling has no legal power from the Russian Government. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for this ruling in the Russian Government website, it is found that the Russian government hasn’t issued any such ruling of restricting interfaith marriages for Muslims. This ruling was indeed issued by a Russian Muslim organization ‘Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia’. Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (DUM) organization’s advisory council scholars issued a fatwa, restricting Muslim men marrying non-Muslim women in Russia. According to the fatwa, any interfaith marriage of Muslim men is allowed only in ‘isolated cases’, that local muftis can approve. Raising concerns over the different world views and disagreements, scholars of DUM issued this fatwa.
Several high level Russian Muslim figures disagreed with this fatwa issued by the clerics of  Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (DUM) organization.  DUM’s organization scholars later clarified that non-Muslim women can marry Muslim men as long as they respect Islamic tradition and don’t prevent their husbands to raise their children in Islamic traditions. Deputy Chairman of DUM, Damir Mukhetdinov in a media statement said ‘Russia is a secular state. So, the decision of clerics has no Legal Power’.
To sum it up, Russian Government hasn’t issued any ruling that bans Muslim men marrying non-Muslim women in Russia.

created: November 25, 2020


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Russia has not developed COVID-19 vaccine yet, clinical trials are underway - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 21, 2020
A post claiming that Russia is the first country to develop COVID-19 vaccine is doing rounds on various social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Russia developed a COVID-19 vaccine.
Fact: Vaccine for COVID-19 is not yet developed. Gamaleya University in Russia is conducting clinical trials and all the stages of the trials are not yet finished. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we ran a search on the internet using the key words ‘Russia COVID-19 vaccine’, we came cross ‘Financial Express’ news article, in which it is said that Gamaleya Institute of Russia’s Sechenov University has finished only first stage of clinical trials.
Sechenov University in an article published on its website on 13 July 2020, mentioned that Gamaleya Institute should make a decision on how to proceed with the next stages of clinical trials.
In a document released by the World Health Organization on 15 July 2020, it is mentioned that the first stage of clinical trials by Gamaleya University is underway. Whereas the third stage of clinical trials by other organizations found mention in the document.
Information regarding Gamaleya Insitute’s vaccine, which is on the clinical trials website of American government can be seen here and here. Same information on the World Health Organiztion’s clinical trials website can be seen here and here.
According to World Health Organization, clinical trials are conducted in four stages.
To conclude, Russia has not yet developed the vaccine for COVID-19, clinical trials are still underway.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin did not introduce any new legislation that enforces the death penalty for individuals convicted of burning the Quran - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 23, 2023
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the penalty of death sentence for people who are found guilty of burning the Quran in Russia. The post claims that if any person is found guilty of burning a copy of the Quran in Russia, the Russian government is now going to punish them as per the Sharia laws. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a new legislation that imposes the death penalty on individuals convicted of burning the Quran.
Fact: The Russian government did not introduce any such new legislation announcing the death sentence as a punishment for the individuals convicted of burning the Quran. A moratorium on the death penalty as a form of punishment is currently in effect in Russia. In response to the recent event where a 19-year-old youth burned a copy of the Quran in front of a Mosque in the Russian city of Volgograd, President Vladimir Putin recently stated that the offender will be confined in a detention facility situated in Russia’s Muslim predominant regions. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched to check whether the Russian government issued any such new legislation announcing death sentence as the punishment for the individuals convicted of burning the Quran, we could not find any such information on any official website of the Russian government.
On searching for further sources, we found an article published by TASS, a Russian state-owned news agency, reporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest statement about the detention of a person convicted of burning a copy of the Quran. In response to the recent event where a 19-year-old youth burned a copy of the Quran in front of a Mosque in the Russian city of Volgograd, President Vladimir Putin stated that the offender will be confined in a detention facility situated in Russia’s Muslim predominant regions. Reporting the same, several other news sites have published articles. They can be seen here and here. No news site reported that Putin had introduced new legislation that enforces the death penalty on individuals convicted of burning the Quran.
A moratorium on the death penalty as a form of punishment is currently in effect in Russia. Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin established a moratorium on capital punishment in 1996, which has come into effect after Russia’s constitutional court confirmed it in 1999. Expressing his stance against the reintroducing of the death penalty, Putin recently said, “As for the death penalty, Constitutional Court Chairman Valery Zorkin recently spoke about it at the convention of judges. And he said in response to those who are advocating the reinstatement of the death penalty that in order to do so, the constitution will have to be amended. Therefore, my stance has not changed.”
To sum it up, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not introduce any new legislation that enforces the death penalty for individuals convicted of burning the Quran.


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SAADA published the digital edition of ‘The United States of India’ featuring Rani Lakshmi Bai in 2011 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 24, 2021
An image of an old ‘The United States of India’ edition featuring Rani Lakshmi Bai photo on its cover page is being shared on social media claiming that the Congress party had not discovered this American magazine edition about Rani Lakshmi Bai for 88 years (from 1926 to 2014) but taught the entire Mughals history to the public. This edition described Rani Lakshmi Bai as the ‘Heroine of the War of Independence of 1857’. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Congress party failed to discover the May 1926 edition of ‘The United States of India’ featuring Rani Lakshmi Bai on its cover.
Fact: The archived digital version of this ‘The United States of India’ edition featuring Rani Lakshmi Bai on its cover was re-published by the South Asia American Digital Archive (SAADA) in November 2011. This news edition was not available on the internet before 2011. The lessons about the 1857 war of Independence and Rani Lakshmi Bai are part of the Indian school syllabus curriculum for a longtime. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched to check the details of this newspaper edition using keywords, we found this ‘The United States of India’ newspaper edition cover titled “RANI LAKSHMI BAI: Heroine of the War of Independence of 1857” on the South Asia American Digital Archive (SAADA) website. SAADA published the archived version of this newspaper edition on 29 November 2011. According to the information provided on the website, this ‘The United States of India’ edition with Rani Lakshmi Bai photo on its cover page was published in May 1926.
Along with Rani Lakshmi Bai’s photo, this news edition shared a short blurb describing Lakshmi Bai’s role in the 1857 war of independence. This blurb draws a comparison between British propagandists’ treatment of U.S. and Indian history. Before November 2011, this newspaper edition was not available on the internet. SAADA had also published a few other archived editions of the ‘The United States of India’ on their website.
The history lessons about the 1857 war of Independence and Rani Lakshmi Bai are included in the Indian school syllabus curriculum for a long time.
To sum it up, SAADA published the digital version of the May 1926 edition of ‘The United States of India’ featuring Rani Lakshmi Bai on its cover page in 2011.

created: October 24, 2021


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Sachin overtakes Rekha in Rajya Sabha Attendance
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 5, 2017
Naresh Agarwal, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party recently raised the issue of poor attendance of nominated celebrity MPs Sachin Tendulkar & Rekha. Latest data from the Rajya Sabha website suggests that Sachin with an attendance percentage of 6.6% has attended the Rajya Sabha 5 days more than Rekha did.
The Rajya Sabha or the Upper House has 12 nominated members. These members are nominated by the President as per the advice of the government of the day. Article 80(3) of the Constitution of India authorizes the President of India to nominate a maximum of 12 members to the Rajya Sabha and the members nominated shall have special knowledge or practical experience in the fields of Literature, Science, Art & Social Service.
12 Nominated members currently in the Rajya Sabha
Currently, there are 12 nominated members. Four of them were nominated in 2012, one in 2014 and the rest seven in 2016.  Four of the nominated members joined the BJP and are counted as BJP’s members in the house. A nominated member can join a political party within the first six months of being nominated to the house as per the rules. Among those nominated in 2012 were Cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar and yesteryear actress Rekha.
So how are these nominated members performing in the house in terms of attendance, participation in debates, questions asked and MPLADS spending? How much expenditure is being incurred on them in the form of salary & allowances.
Attendance in the House – Rekha & Sachin neck to neck with Sachin slightly ahead
Samajwadi party MP Naresh Agarwal raised the issue of Sachin & Rekha’s attendance in the Rajya Sabha while lamenting that they hardly attend the house.
As on 31st March 2017, Sachin & Rekha are the worst performers in attendance of all the nominated members. While Sachin attended only 23 of the 348 days since his nomination, Rekha attended only 18 of the 348 days. In fact, Rekha has the distinction of not attending more than a single day in any session since her nomination.
Number of Questions Asked – Rekha hasn’t asked a single question
As on date, Rekha hasn’t asked a single question in the house in her close to 5 years in the Rajya Sabha. Sachin fared better by asking 22 questions. Anu Aga who was nominated along with Sachin & Rekha also did not ask a single question till date. K T S Tulsi asked the most questions of all the nominated members. It has to be noted that 7 of the 12 members were nominated only in 2016.
Participation in Debates – Sachin & Rekha score a duck again
Sachin & Rekha haven’t done any better even on the debates front. Both of them haven’t participated in a single debate in their close to 5-year stint in the Rajya Sabha.  On the other hand, actor Suresh Gopi who was nominated in 2016 participated in 3 debates and boxer M C Mary Kom participated in 2 debates already though she was nominated in 2016.
MPLADS Spending
Under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector of the nodal district chosen by them, works to the tune of Rs 5 Crores per annum. The Nominated Members of the Rajya Sabha may select any district from any State in the Country for implementation of their choice of work under the scheme.
Under MPLADS, the role of the MP is limited to recommendation of works. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the District Authority to sanction, execute and complete the works recommended by the MP within the stipulated time period. The Rs 5 crore per annum is not automatically released each year. The first instalment of Rs 2.5 crore is released without any condition. But the subsequent instalments are released subject to certain conditions like the utilization of the previous instalment etc. Hence, the amount entitled is not always equal to the amount available to spend. Since the MP only has a recommendatory role, we look at only the amount entitled, amount available to spend and the amount recommended for works.  It has to be noted that a greater amount is released by the government provided a greater number of works are recommended by the MP and are executed by the district authority.
Sachin seems to have done much better than Rekha on the MPLADS spending. Of his entitlement of Rs 25 crore till date, Rs 17.65 crore is available to spend while he has recommended works worth Rs 21.19 crore. Rekha on the other hand has recommended works to the tune of Rs 9.28 crore while the available amount is only Rs 7.6 crore. Sachin has done better than all the other MPs who were nominated along with him in 2012 on the MPLADS spending.
Expenditure Incurred on Salary & Allowances – Rekha tops the list
The Rajya Sabha website has details of expenditure incurred on Salary & Allowances of MPs from August 2013. Each MP is entitled to the following,
It is surprising to note that though Rekha attended the least number of days compared to those who were nominated along with her, the expenditure incurred on her is the highest till date. A total of Rs 65 lakh is incurred on her salary and expenses. Expenditure incurred on Sachin is Rs 58.8 lakh while on Anu Aga is Rs 61.8 lakh. The difference in the expenditure is only because of the TA/DA since all other components are fixed for every MP. If a particular MP attended the house more often than others and has travelled extensively than others, the expenditure incurred on him/her would be high. But in Rekha’s case, it is the opposite.
If the expenditure per day of attendance is considered, expenditure incurred on Rekha is Rs 3.6 lakh per day and on Sachin is Rs 2.56 lakh per day.