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UNESCO did not recognise the signature of the Karnataka sub-registrar as the most spectacular signature in the world - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 23, 2022
A screenshot of a signature is being shared on social media claiming that UNESCO has recognised this signature of Karnataka’s Honnavar town sub-registrar as the most spectacular signature in the world. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: UNESCO declared Honnavar town sub-registrar officer’s signature as the most spectacular signature in the world.
Fact: UNESCO does not give any recognition or award for the best signature. The photo shared in the post shows the signature of Honnavar sub-registrar Shanthayya. But UNESCO did not recognise his signature as spectacular. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether UNESCO has ever recognised the best signature in the world, it is found out that as of now, UNESCO did not give any such recognition or award for best signature. We could not find any search results related to the Honnavar sub-registrar signature when we checked with keywords on the UNESCO website.
On reverse image search of the screenshot shared in the post, it is found out that photos of the same signature were being posted on social media at least since July 2018. The ‘One India Kannada’ published an article reporting the details of this signature on 05 August 2018.  ‘One India Kannada’ reported it as the artistic signature of Shanthayya, a sub-registrar working in Honnavar town in Karnataka. The ‘One India Kannada’ had also published a video showing the live visuals of Shanthayya signing on a paper. Shanthayya had reportedly created this signature to be unique and to not get forged by others. But this artistic signature of Honnavar sub-registrar Shanthayya has nothing to do with UNESCO.
To sum it up, this artistic signature of the Karnataka sub-registrar was not recognised as the most spectacular signature in the world by UNESCO.


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UNICEF launches the ‘Children’s Climate Risk Index’ ranking countries based on climate risk from a Child’s perspective
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 2, 2021
UNICEF recently launched the ‘Children’s Climate Risk Index’ ranking countries based on climate risk from a Child’s perspective. As per the report, 33 countries where children are at ‘extremely high risk’ according to CCRI emit only about 9.4% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (CO2). Here is a review.
Ahead of the November 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, the UNICEF launched a new report titled ‘The climate crisis is a child rights crisis’, in collaboration with ‘Fridays for Future’ which is a youth-led global climate strike movement. The report is the first comprehensive report on climate risk from a child’s perspective. Though it is already known that children are more vulnerable to climate and environmental shocks as compared to adults, how many children and which geographical areas are more at risk has been calculated in the report using data on essential services. For this, a new composite index, the ‘Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI)’ has been introduced which uses data to generate new global evidence on how many children are currently exposed to climate and environmental hazards, shocks, and stresses. Countries have been ranked in the report based on the index i.e., how vulnerable children are to environmental stresses and extreme weather events.
CCRI has been calculated using 57 variables for 163 countries
There are two pillars that form the basis for CCRI. These are-
A total of 57 variables have been taken into consideration to measure risk across 163 countries. The sources of data used for the calculation include UN organizations such as UNEP, UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, UNFPA, World Bank, ILO, World Resources Institute, research papers, etc.
The index helps in understanding and measuring the probability of environmental shocks that lead to a setback on the development achieved so far and identifying how exactly children will be affected, thereby helping policymakers prioritize action accordingly.
Children are more vulnerable to climate shocks than adults due to multiple factors
Children are more vulnerable to climate and environmental shocks because of their poorer ability to withstand and survive floods, droughts, and heatwaves. Further, they are physiologically more susceptible. In case of disease outbreaks such as malaria and dengue which are likely to increase due to climate change, children are more at risk of dying than adults.
The report states that almost every child on the planet is exposed to at least one of the major climate and environmental hazards, shocks, and stresses. Further, over 850 million children which is nearly one-third of the world’s child population are exposed to four or more stresses. As many as 330 million children, roughly one-seventh live in areas affected by at least five major shocks.
Furthermore, the report also found out that 920 million children are highly prone to water scarcity, 820 million to heatwaves, 815 million to lead pollution, 600 million to vector-borne diseases, 400 million to tropical storms, 330 million to riverine flooding, and 240 million to coastal flooding.
Iceland has the lowest risk while the Central African Republic recorded the highest risk for children
CCRI for the 163 countries ranges from 1 to 8.6. Iceland with a CCRI of 1 has the lowest risk for children with respect to climate change whereas the Central African Republic, with a CCRI of 8.7, has the highest risk for children. It was found that approximately 1 billion children, nearly half of the total global child population, live in one of the 33 countries classified as ‘extremely high risk’. These 33 countries have CCRI more than 7.
Children in the Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau were the most at risk. 28 out of the 33 countries are concentrated in the African continent and Haiti is the only one in this list that is in Latin America and the Caribbean. The remaining four countries are from South Asia- Pakistan, Bangladesh Afghanistan, and India. India is ranked 26 with a CCRI of 7.4 while Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are ranked 14, 15, and 25 respectively. Nepal is ranked 51, Sri Lanka 61 and Bhutan 111 with CCRI of  6.1, 5.4, and 3.8 respectively. In the following chart, India’s CCRI has been represented alongside that of major countries to understand India’s global position.
Countries with ‘extremely high risk’ account only for 9.4% of emissions
The report also highlighted the deep inequitable side of climate change. It is seen that the most vulnerable places which will be severely affected by climate change have contributed the least to the problem. The 33 countries where children are at ‘extremely high risk’ according to CCRI, emit only about 9.4% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (CO). The 10 countries with the highest risk emit only about 0.55% of the greenhouse gases. The 10 highest emitting countries collectively account for nearly 70% of global emissions. China which is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases is responsible for more than 30% of the global emissions has a CCRI score of 6.7 while the US which is responsible for nearly 15% of the emissions (second highest) has a CCRI score of 5. India is the third-highest emitter accounting for 7% has CCRI more than the US and China. Among the top 20 emitters, only India has been classified as ‘extremely high risk’.
Children are trapped in a vicious cycle, which calls for immediate action
The report notes that on one side, the lack of adequate essential services is making children more vulnerable to climate shocks. On the other side, the increasing climate shocks threaten the children’s health, education, nutrition, survival, and future, leading to a vicious cycle.
UNICEF has urgently called on governments, businesses, and relevant actors to immediately take action to help children who are trapped in this vicious cycle. The recommendations include an increase in investment in climate adaptation and resilience in key services for children, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, including young people in climate negotiations, and providing children with climate education and green skills to help them prepare for climate change’s effects. Considering the pandemic that has added another dimension to the challenge, UNICEF recommends recovery from COVID-19 pandemic to be green, low-carbon and inclusive. Countries must also ensure that their pledges to keep the global rising temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius are met.
India had the most fatalities due to climate change in 2018
In India, the NITI Aayog in 2018 estimated that more than 600 million Indians will face ‘acute water shortages’ in the coming years. At the same time, flash flooding and droughts are also set to increase significantly in India if the temperature increase is not controlled. India has also recorded the highest number of fatalities due to climate change and the second-highest monetary loss from its impact in 2018, according to the German Watch Global Climate Risk Index- 2019.
Jharkhand is relatively the most vulnerable state
The Department of Science and Technology had earlier released a report, ‘Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’, which assessed the vulnerability of states and districts in India. According to the report, Jharkhand was relatively the most vulnerable state to climate risks while Maharashtra is the least vulnerable in relative terms. Further, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal in that order have been identified to be the most vulnerable states. Except for Chhattisgarh, the remaining seven states lie in the eastern part of the country.
Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka are in the category of ‘moderate vulnerability’ while Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa, and Maharashtra are the states with low vulnerability as per the index. Like the global picture, states with lower per capita income and low Human Development Index were more vulnerable.
Malnutrition, health issues, lack of access to education and healthcare were prominent among children in hazard-prone areas in India
In 2020, PwC India and Save the Children India conducted a year-long study with 636 households in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal covering three different hazard-prone ecosystems i.e., floods, droughts, and cyclones, to understand the impact of climate change on children, identify risk and mitigation strategies and develop a roadmap for a climate-resilient future. The study observed that in Morena and Purulia, West Bengal, poor agricultural productivity had resulted in indebtedness which forced children to drop out of schools. In Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, groundwater level had dropped resulting in dehydration which was found to be common among children. As per the report, children made up for around 39% of the reported hospital admissions in the aftermath of a climate-related disaster in Uttarakhand. Malnutrition, health issues, lack of access to educational institutions were also observed among children in these places. The report called for a policy framework in the country for mainstreaming child-related climate change considerations.
Featured Image: Children’s Climate Risk Index

source: news-factly

created: September 2, 2021

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Long Term Visa facilities
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 15, 2016
The Union Cabinet approved extending various facilities to persons from minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan staying in India on Long Term Visa (LTV). The various facilities will be streamlined and procedure to acquire Indian Citizenship will be simplified.
The Union Cabinet has approved extending a host of facilities to persons from minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians) staying in India on Long Term Visa (LTV). The decision is aimed at reducing difficulties faced by these communities.
Certain facilities are already extended
Currently, certain facilities are extended to persons who are Pakistan and Bangladesh nationals living in India on LTV. The relaxation of various norms and extension in facilities is a continuous process and various governments have been reviewing them regularly.
Such facilities to Pakistani nationals include grant of initial LTV for a period of 5 years at a time, allowing children of such Pakistan nationals to take admission in schools, colleges, universities, technical/ professional institutions etc. without any specific permission from the State Government/UT administration, permitting them to engage in employment in private sector i.e. excluding Government/Semi Government, local bodies, cooperative jobs etc.
Relaxations have been provided from time to time, especially for Pakistan & Afghanistan minority migrants for obtaining Indian citizenship. Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs sought the suggestions from all stake holders to streamline all these facilities and to simplify the various procedures for grant of Indian Citizenship.
Streamlining various facilities
From now on, the following facilities will be extended to minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians) staying in India on Long Term Visa (LTV).
Simplification of Procedures
The Citizenship Rules of 2009 will be amended to help such persons acquire Indian Citizenship. The changes in provisions will help in the following ways


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Unrelated images are shared claiming Jyotiraditya Scindia's presence at Rahul Gandhi’s friend’s wedding in Nepal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 5, 2022
A collage of two images is being shared on social media claiming that BJP leader and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was also present at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s friend’s wedding in Nepal. Rahul Gandhi recently visited Nepal to attend a private marriage of a journalist friend. In the wake of the recent controversy around a video showing Rahul Gandhi at a nightclub in Nepal, these photos were being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Recent photo of BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and Rahul Gandhi attending the same marriage in Nepal.
Fact: The first photo shared in the post was shot in 2011 when Jyotiraditya Scindia accompanied Rahul Gandhi to the wedding reception of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and Queen Jetsun Pema at the Chang Lime Thang Stadium in Thump, Bhutan. The second photo was captured during Rahul Gandhi’s friend’s marriage in Nepal but Jyotiraditya Scindia is not in the photo. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Photo-1:
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an article published by the ‘Hindustan Times’ news website on 15 October 2011. The description of the photo states, “AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and MoS Jyotiraditya Scindia with former King of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuck during the wedding reception of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and Queen Jetsun Pema at the Chang Lime Thang Stadium at Thimpu”.
The photo was taken when Jyotiraditya Scindia accompanied Rahul Gandhi to a wedding reception in Thimpu, Bhutan. Reporting the same, a few other websites have also published the same photo. They can be seen here and here.
Photo-2:
On reverse image search, the same photo was found in an article published by the ‘ABP’ news channel on 05 May 2022. This article reported that Nepali singer Saraswoti Khatri had shared a picture of her along with Rahul Gandhi that was taken during a wedding ceremony in Nepal. Saraswoti Khatri tweeted this photo on 04 May 2022, with a description, “Music has the power to bring all people together. I had an honor to sing few songs for Honorable member of Indian Parliament member Mr. Rahul Gandhi ji yesterday evening. I found him such humble & simple person. Thanks to Sumnima ji, Nima Ji for this opportunity”. Jyotiraditya Scindia was not seen anywhere in the photo.
Music has the power to bring all people together. I had an honor to sing few songs for Honorable member of Indian Parliament member Mr. Rahul Gandhi ji yesterday evening. I found him such humble & simple person.
Thanks to Sumnima ji, Nima Ji for this opportunity. pic.twitter.com/QbAZ9TEmLh
When we searched with relevant keywords, we could not find any news report about Jyotiraditya Scindia’s presence at Rahul Gandhi’s journalist friend’s wedding in Nepal. On 04 May 2022, Jyotiraditya Scindia attended a community meeting held in Montreal, Canada.
Pleased to have met & addressed the Indian community in Montreal at a reception held at a Hindu temple, and attended by all communities. pic.twitter.com/JKKzlZx30z
To sum it up, unrelated images are shared claiming Jyotiraditya Scindia’s presence at Rahul Gandhi’s friend’s wedding in Nepal


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How much do various countries contribute to the UN Budget?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 13, 2016
An updated version of this story is available here
The United Nations is the foremost international organization with 193 member countries in its fold. The UN is funded by its member countries and the contribution of each member country is determined based on an assessment done every three years. The assessment takes into account the GNP, per capita income & external debt of countries for fixing the quantum of contribution. The USA contributes the most to the UN regular budget with 22% while India contributes the 24th highest with 0.737%
The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945.  It is currently made up of 193 Member States.  The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.
Article 17 of the U.N. Charter specifies that the U.N. General Assembly will determine the basis for payment of the expenses of the organization. The expenses shall be borne by the Members as decided by the General Assembly.
What is the basis for deciding the quantum of contribution of each member?
Each member state of the UN is obligated to contribute to the UN. The contribution is calculated on the basis of scale of assessments. The Committee on Contributions is entrusted with the job of deciding the quantum of contribution.
To determine the scale of assessments, the Committee on Contributions uses estimates of each member state’s gross national product (GNP) and a number of adjustments, including data for external debt and for low per capita incomes. The assessment thus takes into account the country’s share of the global Gross National product with discounts given for low per-capita income and the country’s external debt. This is with respect to the regular budget of the UN. Similar assessments are done for other organizations of the UN including the peacekeeping operations. For deciding contribution to the peace keeping operations, adjustments are made for average per capita GNP compared to global average GNP.
The General Assembly has directed that percentage shares range from a minimum of 0.001% to a maximum of 22%, and a maximum of 0.01% for those nations designated as “least developed countries.”
The scale of assessments is normally reviewed after every three years.  The current time period of assessments is for the years 2016-2018.
Who contributes the most to the regular UN budget?
As expected, United States of America contributes the highest with a share of 22%. USA’s GNP is approximately 27% of the total GNP of all the member countries of the UN and thus its highest share of contribution is justified.
Japan contributes the second highest with 9.68%, followed by China (7.921%), Germany (6.389%), France (4.859%) and UK (4.463%) in the top five. Brazil contributes about  3.823% and is 6 in this list.
18 Countries contribute more than 1% each to the UN regular budget. 135 countries contribute less than 0.1% each including India’s neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Out of the 193 countries part of the UN, the top 20 countries contribute 83.78% while the other 173 countries contribute 16.22% only. The top 10 contributors account for 68.89% of the total contributions. The total regular UN budget for the year 2016-17 is $ 5.6 billion.
How much does India Contribute?
According to the assessment made for the years 2016-18, India has to contribute 0.737% to the UN regular budget. This puts India in the 24 place in the list of highest contributors. Based on the assessment by the contributions committee, India’s contribution to the UN regular budget was fixed at 0.534% for 2009-12 and 0.666% for 2013-2015.
India’s contribution to the UN regular budget was 16.97 million dollars in 2012-13, 17.19 million dollars in 2013-14 and 18.07 million dollars in 2014-15. India’s actual share is 19.82 million dollars in 2014-15, but is given a credit of 1.74 million dollars for the income tax exemption extended by India for the UN staff working in India.
India also contributed to the other UN agencies like the UNDP, UNICEF, UNEP etc. India’s contribution to UN peacekeeping operations was fixed at 0.1068% for the period 2009-12 and at 0.1332% for the period 2013-15 and 0.1474% for the period 2016-18.
India’s total contribution to the UN was Rs 138 crore in 2013-14, Rs 157 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 244 crore in 2015-16. Among the BRICS nations, India’s contribution is more than only South Africa. Brazil. Russia and China contribute more than India.
Featured Image:By Wilfried Huss / Anonymous [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

created: December 13, 2016


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United Nations does not publish any report named ‘First Quarter Demography’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 22, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the numbers in the post are quoted from a United Nations (UN) report. The post even claims this to be the UN’s first quarter demography report of 2019 and according to this report, the world’s population stands at 7.8 billion people with 5.6 billion women and 2.2 billion men. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: World’s population stands at 7.8 billion people with 5.6 billion women and 2.2 billion men – United Nations first quarter demography report 2019.
Fact: There is no such report published by the United Nations. The United Nations is involved in population issues through UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Population Division. The UNFPA releases ‘State of World Population’ report every year. The UN Population Division releases World Population Prospects every few years. According to the World Population Prospects 2019, the total population in 2019 is 7.713 billion with 3.824 billion female and 3.889 billion male population; not 5.6 billion female and 2.2 billion male as claimed in the post. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for United Nation’s first quarter demography report on the internet, we found that the United Nations does not release any such report. According to the United Nations website, its role in populations issues is through two entities. One is the UN Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and the other is UN Population Fund (UNFPA). “The Population Division prepares the official United Nations demographic estimates and projections for all countries and areas of the world.” The UN Population Fund gives “more emphasis to the gender and human rights dimensions of population issues,”. Both do not release anything called the first-quarter demography report.
The UN Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs releases World Population Prospects report every few years. Demographic research is done here in the division, and total population by sex is also projected. According to the World Population Prospects 2019, the total world population in 2019 is 7.713 billion with 3.824 billion female and 3.889 billion male; not 5.6 billion female and 2.2 billion male as claimed in the post. In 2021,  the projected figures are –  7.874 billion population, with 3.904 billion female and 3.970 billion males.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) releases ‘State of World Population’ report every year. However, their focus is more on gender and human rights dimensions of population issues and less on demographic estimates (The 2021 report is titled My Body Is My Own). Though there are figures of the total world population in the World Population Dashboard of UNFPA, there is no mention of population division based on sex.
From the world bank graph, it can be seen that the percentage of the female population out of the total population is 49.585 in 2020.
According to the AFP Fact-check article, Fredrick Okwayo, United Nations Population Fund Technical Adviser told AFP that there was no report identified as First Quarter Demography. He also told AFP that the UN does not release demographic data on a quarterly basis.
To sum it up, United Nations does not publish any report named ‘First Quarter Demography’.


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University of Virginia hospital design shared as the design of Babri hospital to be constructed in Ayodhya - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 10, 2020
An image of a building with the sign board ‘Babri Hospital’ is being shared on social media claiming it as the design and first look of Babri hospital to be constructed in Ayodhya. In its 2019 verdict on Ayodhya dispute, Supreme Court allotted 5 acres of land to Sunni Waqf Board for constructing a mosque in Ayodhya. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Design and first look of Babri Hospital to be constructed in Ayodhya.
Fact: Photo shared in the post shows bed tower expansion building design of the University of Virginia hospital. There is no official statement from the Sunni Waqf Board regarding the construction of Babri Hospital in Ayodhya. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, similar photo was found on the website of US-based architecture planning firm ‘Smith Group’. In the website, it is mentioned that the photo is related to the design and visualization of a bed tower expansion in University of Virginia hospital. When we searched for other official sources using this information, we found a similar photo in the official website of the University of Virginia.
As the news, ‘Sunni Wakf Board UP has taken decision on 5 acre land alloted by Supreme Court to construct Babari Hospital and Dr Kafeel Khan may be the Director of the Hospital’ went viral, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board’s made a Press Release. The release dated 07 August 2020, termed this news to be fake and stated that only Mr. Athar Hussain, secretary/spokesperson is authorised to speak on behalf of Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation.
#FakeNews about #babrihospital : Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board's Press Release dated August 7, 2020. #Ayodhya pic.twitter.com/NdBHHWvF5g
In its 2019 verdict on Ayodhya land dispute, Supreme Court allotted five acres of land to Sunni Waqf Board for constructing a mosque in Ayodhya. Following the orders of Supreme court, Uttar Pradesh government allocated 5 acres of land and handed it to Sunni Waqf Board. Accepting the land allocated by U.P. government, Sunni Waqf Board announced that they have a plan to build a Mosque, Indo-Islamic research centre, library and hospital in the land allocated. There is no announcement of constructing Babri hospital from the board as of now.
To sum it up, University of Virginia hospital building expansion design is falsely shared as the design of Babri hospital to be constructed in Ayodhya.
Update (AUGUST 11, 2020):
The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board’s Press Release was was added to this article as an additional evidence.
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Unlawful rejection of RTI applications by Certain Security Forces
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 28, 2016
In response to a RTI application filed by Factly, two of the Central Armed Police Forces disclosed information on the number of cases of alleged Human Rights violation while few other forces rejected and cited Sec 24 of the RTI act. Why is it unlawful?
In the wake of the 2016 unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, Factly filed an application under RTI with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence seeking information on records of human rights violations by all central combat forces stationed in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern states of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh between 1990 and 2016. The application also requested to furnish how many of the personnel guilty of such violations were court-martialed.
Three types of forces are stationed/operational in various regions of the country.
The Defence forces & the Indian Coast Guard are under the Ministry of Defence while the Central Armed Police Forces are under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Assam Rifles and the National Security Guard (NSG) are also under the operational jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Varied response from the Security Forces
Out of all the above stated 11 organizations, the reply to the application seeking human rights violations and corresponding court martial details was given by only two organizations – the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indo- Tibetan Border Force (ITBF). These two organizations responded with the information sought for.
The Army, Navy & the Air Force are yet to respond while the other Central Armed Police Forces like the CISF refused to provide information stating that they are exempted from disclosing any information as per Section 24 of the RTI Act.
What is problematic with these rejections?
Section (24) (1) of the RTI Act states, “Nothing contained in this Act shall apply to the intelligence and security organizations specified in the Second Schedule, being organizations established by the Central Government or any information furnished by such organizations to that Government: Provided that the information pertaining to the allegations of corruption and human rights violations shall not be excluded under this sub‑section.”
In fact, there is another provision in Section 24(1) that states, “Provided further that in the case of information sought for is in respect of allegations of violation of human rights, the information shall only be provided after the approval of the Central Information Commission, and notwithstanding anything contained in section 7, such information shall be provided within forty-five days from the date of the receipt of request.”
This section of the Act clearly states that information with regard to human rights violations cannot be exempted and they should take the approval of Central Information Commission. The petitioner was denied his right to know from unwilling public authorities. They have in all capacities misconstrued and misinterpreted a very straightforward clause.
The most unconvincing aspect of it is the fact that two of the central armed forces have furnished the information and the rest of them have conveniently decided that they are exempted.  This inconsistency indicates that this is not an accidental or ignorant denial.  All these organizations come under the same umbrellas – The Ministry of Defence and The Ministry of Home Affairs.
The idea that the security forces under two of the country’s most critical central departments are not able to interpret a legislation that has been in place since 2005 seems far-fetched.
The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI) is considered a landmark legislation not just within the country but also looked upon as one of the best transparency legislations in the world.
The most critical feature of the RTI Act always has been the distinction it has made between transparency and privacy. Before the Act, a 1923 legislation called the Official Secrets Act (OSA) deemed that all information held by public authorities a secret unless they disclose it voluntarily.
In spite of having a progressive legislation in place that can create a more open and transparent relationship between the armed forces and the people, the particular government departments in question did not seem to have entered the era beyond the OSA.
According to the Indian Army’s Human Rights Cell, records dating till December 2011 indicate that the Indian Army alone received 995 human rights allegations in Jammu and Kashmir, 485 allegations in the north eastern states and 52 in other states. It also indicates that a majority of them were investigated and found to be false and baseless. Out of 1532 complaints, only 54 allegations were considered true and 129 personnel were punished.
1532 cases of human rights violations were allegedly committed by one security force, out of the many different security forces stationed in various parts of the country. When the Indian Army has put out such details in the public domain, it is rather unfortunate that the other security forces want to withhold such basic information.
A 1999 document by the National Human Rights Commission states “The bulk of the complaints received by the National Human Rights Commission concerns security forces. Again most of such complaints relate to alleged commissions and omissions on the part of the police during the investigation. Many of them pertain to non-registration of complaints, delayed investigations, investigations not being done fairly, objectively and impartially and the inaccessibility of police officers. It goes without saying that to be effective and successful, the police must enjoy the trust, confidence, and respect of the people living in the jurisdiction.”
In a Supreme Court case filed by Manipur –  Extra Judicial Victim Families Association ( EEVFAM) vs Union of India, the petitioners claim to have compiled 1528 alleged extra-judicial executions carried out by the police and security forces in Manipur. It is alleged that a majority of them have been carried out in cold blood while the victims were in custody and allegedly after torturing them. The compilation was presented in the form of a Memorandum to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions during his mission to India in March 2012.
The Supreme Court in the above case said, “Excessive force or retaliatory force by the Manipur Police or the armed forces of the Union is not permissible. As is evident from the Dos and Don’ts and the Ten Commandments of the Chief of Army Staff, the Army believes in this ethos and accepts that this principle would apply even in an area declared as a disturbed area under AFSPA and against militants, insurgents, and terrorists. There is no reason why this principle should not apply to the other armed forces of the Union and the Manipur Police “
It is very evident from the above-quoted sources that citizens in areas where security forces have been extensively deployed have alleged gross human rights violations over the years. It is then in the interest of the citizens in these parts of the country and every person interested to understand the reason for these allegations and be given the details of these incidents. If the security forces have investigated and found their personnel not guilty, it is also in the interest of their public image that they should be more transparent about these investigations.
Citing reasons of exemption, denial and impunity only aggravate these allegations and create more doubts in the minds of citizens on the integrity of those wearing the uniform in the name of the country.
Featured Image: Security Forces

created: December 28, 2016


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Unlike in Engineering & Pharmacy, Females make up for 70% of the students enrolled for BDS
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 13, 2019
Unlike in the case of Engineering & Pharmacy education where females accounted for 20-35% of the enrolments, they make up for 70% of the enrolled students in the case of BDS.
There have been academic studies dating back to 2015 that talk about over-supply of Dentists and the increasing unemployment among Dental graduates. But the numbers do not indicate any decrease in admissions. The numbers related to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course indicate that after a dip in 2016-17, the admissions have increased in the last two years.
Dental Council of India (DCI) is a statutory body incorporated under The Dentists Act, 1948 toregulate dental education and the profession throughout the country. As pertheir website, in July 2019, there are 313 colleges for the BDS course and 259colleges for the Master’s degree or MDS.
Number of Admissions to BDS has increased in the last
two years
According to the statistics available on the DCI website, the number of permitted seats has only increased by about 1280 in the 5-year period from 2013-14 to 2018-19.
Data also suggests that number of admissions to the BDS course increased by a whopping 38.1% from 2014-15 to 2015-16. This 30% increase is significant considering that the number of permitted seats increased by only 100 (or 0.4%) during this period.
This was followed by a drop of nearly 14% in the admissions in 2016-17though the number of permitted seats increased by 1000. But after this up &down cycle, the number of admissions seem to have stabilized at around 22,000.In both 2017-18 and 2018-19, the number of BDS admissions crossed the 22,000figure and more than 83% of the permitted seats have been filled in both years.For the academic year 2019-20, only 73 BDS seats have been added. From the data,it is also clear that the number of BDS seats have been increasing annually inthe last 5 years, unlike in the case of engineering or management courses.
89% of the BDS seats are in Private Colleges
In response to a question in the Lok Sabha from March 2018, the government presented figures related to the number of seats of MBBS and BDS seats in India. Only 10.8% of the seats are in government colleges and the remaining 89.2% are in the private colleges. According to the presented data, in 2017-18, Karnataka had the largest number of seats for BDS with 3520 seats. Of this, 160 are government seats and the rest 3360 seats are private and hence, it has the maximum number of private seats. Following Karnataka is Maharashtra with 3510 seats- 260 government and 3250 private. Gujarat, with a total of 1240 seats has the highest number of government seats, i.e., 400 government seats. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Tripura do not have even a single college offering BDS and hence no seats.
Females constitute 70 % of the total students enrolled
in BDS
The All India Survey on Higher Education  (AISHE) revealed that the proportion of female students pursuing this course is much higher than their male counterparts and is increasing every year. Females constitute 70% of the total students enrolled in BDS- unlike in the case of other courses such as engineering and pharmacy where the proportion of females is low- around 25% and 40% respectively. In the AISHE , the number of students enrolled in a course refers to the total number of students who are on roll in the program (cumulative of all years) as on 30th September of that academic year. Hence the numbers in the chart below relate to the cumulative number of students enrolled in the BDS course as of that year and not admissions of that particular year.
The numbers clearly indicate that the number of females joining BDS has been increasing year after year. In 2011-12, females accounted for 67.7% of the enrolments and this has increased to 72% in 2017-18.
The total number of students passing out has increased
by 17.8% in 4 years
The data of the number of students who pass out annually is also available from the AISHE. The total number of students passing out has increased by 17.8% in 2017-18 compared to 2014-15. Data also suggests that the proportion of females passing out is increasing while that of male students is coming down over the years. From 66.8% in 2011-12, the proportion of females passing out every year has increased to 77.4% in 2017-18. This could also be due to the increasing proportion of females who enrol for the BDS course.
Does India have an over-supply of Dentists?
India, currently has 2,71,798 registered dentists for a population of 1.33 billion as of July 2019, as per the DCI website. In other words, there is one dentist for approximately 4,927 Indians. As per the recommendation of WHO, the ideal dentist population ratio is 1: 7500. Though these numbers may suggest that the oral healthcare in India is well covered & developed, a closer look this reveals that the distribution of dentists is not uniform throughout urban and rural areas. There is inequity in dentist distribution even among the states.
A WHO study of 2016 revealed thatonly 20.8% of the total dentists were available in rural areas. Thus, only onedentist is available for approximately 14,735 people in rural India- almosthalf of the recommended ratio.  Inaddition, there is uneven distribution of colleges in the country with somestates having no access to dental education.
About the AISHE Methodology: According to the AISHE data, the number of students enrolled in a course refers to the total number of students who are on roll in the program (cumulative of all years) as on 30th September of that academic year.
Featured Image:Bachelor of Dental Surgery Seats


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Unmanned level crossings - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 28, 2015
Though the government is eliminating unmanned level crossings each year, there are still more than 11000 unmanned level crossings across the country. Accidents happen each year at these unmanned level crossings resulting in deaths.


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Unnao district administration in UP has launched a barter scheme of trading stubble for biofertilizer - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 10, 2020
A post claiming that UP government is procuring stubble from farmers and nearly 5000 quintals of stubble is procured and farmers are given cow dung in return, is being widely across social media platforms. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The UP government is procuring stubble from farmers, nearly 5000 quintals of stubble is procured, and farmers are given cow dung in return.
Fact: The Unnao district administration, in order to check stubble burning has launched a unique initiative of barter scheme under which farmers can trade two trolleys of stubble for one trolley of bio-fertilizer (cow dung manure). However, we could not find any credible information regarding the UP government’s procurement of 5000 quintals of stubble from farmers and also about the initiative being implemented across all districts in UP. Hence the claim made in the post is TRUE.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a few news articles which reported the UP government’s stubble buying initiative. According to these articles, Unnao district administration has launched a unique initiative under which farmers will be provided one trolley of bio-fertilizer (cow dung manure) in lieu of two trolleys of stubble in order to curb the practice of stubble burning.
Another news article which states the same can be read here. However we could not find any credible information regarding the UP government’s procurement of 5000 quintals of stubble from farmers and also about the initiative being implemented across all districts in UP.
To sum it up, it is true that a barter scheme of trading stubble for bio-fertilizer is launched in Unnao district, UP.

created: November 10, 2020


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Unrelated dance video of a TikTok influencer shared as the video of VHP leader Raja Singh - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 17, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it is a dance video of former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) President Raja Singh. The video shows a man dancing to ‘Nachde tapde Mere Naal Soniye Ve’ song in a skirt. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Dance video of VHP former President Raja Singh.
Fact: The post shared an edited version of a dance video of a TikTok influencer named ‘carlosalbertosalazar2’. The song ‘Nachde Tapde Mere Naal Soniye Ve’ was not the audio used in the original video and the video has nothing to do with Raja Singh. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a similar dance video of the same man was found posted on an Instagram page. On the video, there is a watermark with the text ‘@carlosalbertosala4’. When we searched for further sources using relevant keywords, we found the same video on a TikTok page named “carlosalbertosalazar2”.
The song ‘Nachde Tapde Mere Naal Soniye Ve’ was not the audio used in the original video. A few other dance videos published by this TikTok user can be seen here, here, and here. The TikTok user is a hairstylist. There are pictures of him holding the national flag of Venezuela. No further details about the TitTok influencer were found on the internet. There is no former president of VHP with the name Raja Singh and also, the video does not show Goshamahal BJP MLA T. Raja Singh.
To sum it up, a dance video of a TikTok influencer shared as the visuals of Vishwa Hindu Parishad former President Raja Singh.


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Unrelated image from Haryana shared as RJD workers dumping sweets after the election loss in Bihar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 13, 2020
A post with an image of food being dumped is being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that the image shows RJD workers dumping Rasgulla’s (sweets) into the ground after losing the Bihar elections. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: RJD workers dumped Rasgullas (sweets) into the ground after losing the Bihar elections.
Fact: The image actually shows unhygienic sweets filled with flies which were unearthed during a food safety drive conducted by the Chief Minister’s flying squad and the Food and Safety department in Sirsa, Haryana. The image has nothing to do with RJD or Bihar elections. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a news article dated 10 November 2020 which carried a similar image. According to the news article, the image shows unhygienic sweets filled with flies being dumped which were unearthed during an inspection raid conducted by the Chief Minister’s flying squad along with Food and Safety department in Sirsa, Haryana as the team found flies in the sweets.
Further search led us to another news article which carried another image from the food safety raid. Even this article reports that the image is related to a food safety raid conducted in Sirsa as it is festive season. It can be safely concluded that the image is not from Bihar and the image has nothing to do with RJD or Bihar elections.
In the light of the recent Bihar elections in which RJD led alliance could not get a majority, claims like these are being widely shared on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up,  the image related to a food safety drive conducted in Sirsa, Haryana is falsely shared as RJD workers dumping Rasgullas (sweets) after losing the Bihar elections.

created: November 13, 2020


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Unrelated image shared as Japan’s earthquake resistant floating home - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 5, 2022
An image of a house floating in air well-above the ground is being shared on social media claiming that Japan is working on developing a special technology that allows homes to rise above the ground enough to protect the house in case of earthquakes. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of Japanese floating house designed to withstand earthquakes.
Fact: This technology has been implemented in Japan since 2005 by ‘Air Danshin Systems’ company. Using this technology, the house sits on a deflated air bag during normal times. When sensors feel a tremor, they switch on a compressor within a second. The compressor pumps air into the airbag at the base of the building, inflating it within a few more seconds, and ultimately lifting the entire building up to 3cm off its foundation. However, the image shared in the viral post is a digitally illustration and doesn’t show the house constructed using this technology. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords regarding this technology and found some reports regarding this process. A company named ‘Air Danshin Systems’, established in 2005, was building levitating houses in Japan since 2005 to withstand earthquakes.
Based on this technology, the house sits on a deflated air bag during more stable times. When sensors feel a tremor, they switch on a compressor within a second. The compressor pumps air into the airbag at the base of the building, inflating it within a few more seconds, and ultimately lifting the entire house a good three centimetres off its supposedly earthquake-proof concrete foundation.
There, the structure will hover, its inhabitants will be able to casually go about their business, for the duration of the quake. Then the airbag deflates, and the house gently settles back down when the tremors stop. Demonstration videos regarding this technology can be seen here and here. Moreover, there are 227 houses in Japan with this technology as of May 2021, Air Danshin’s Director Kinji Inaba told USA TODAY
But the viral image seen in the post shows the house floating in the air completely even without foundation. This image is a digitally created illustration and doesn’t accurately portray the technique used to levitate houses in Japan. The same image is used by  some users on YouTube and 9GAG.
To sum it up, an unrelated image shared as the Japan’s earthquake resistant home.

created: December 5, 2022


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Unrelated image shared as retired army captain injured in the recent farmers' protest - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 2, 2020
A post with the photo collage of a Sikh man in military uniform and an elderly Sikh man whose eye is injured is being widely shared on social media platforms with a claim that both the images show captain PPS Dhillon. It is alleged that he sustained this injury on his eye during the ongoing farmers’ protests. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Military veteran and retired captain PPS Dhillon injured his eye in the recent farmers protest.
Fact: The photo collage actually does not show the same person. The  Sikh man in army uniform is actually PPS Dhillon, a retired Army Captain. His son shared this image on Facebook on the occasion of his birthday. When we reached out to his son, he cleared the air saying that man with the injured eye is not his father, and also that his father is not associated with the ongoing farmers’ protest. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the image in the post led us to a post by a Facebook user which had the same image of the Sikh man in army uniform. According to the post, the image is of his father Pirthipal Singh Dhillon, a military veteran. He also shared the image similar to the one in the post in a Facebook group called Sikh Military History Forum on the same day.
When we reached out to him through Facebook messenger, he cleared the air that the image of the man in army uniform is of his father’s and his father is at the moment with him in their house. He said that he shared this image on Facebook on the occasion of his father’s birthday. He categorically stated that the elderly injured Sikh man shown in the collage is not his father.
On further search, we found that the image of the Sikh man with injured eye is being shared on social media associating him with the farmers protest. A few social media posts which shared this image can be seen here and here. However, we could not find additional information about the injured person.
In the light of the ongoing farmers’ protests opposing the new farm laws, posts like these are being widely shared on social media platforms with misleading claims.
To sum it up, an unrelated image is being shared as that of retired army captain PPS Dhillon, who injured his eye in the recent farmers protest.

created: December 2, 2020


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Unrelated images are being falsely shared as those of Babri Masjid - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2021
Couple of images are being widely shared on social media claiming those to be the pictures of Babri Masjid. They can be seen here and here. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Images of Babri Masjid.
Fact: While the first image is of Muslims offering prayers at Jama Masjid in New Delhi, the second image is of Jamia Masjid in Gulbarga, Karnataka. None of these images are related to Babri Masjid. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Image-1:
When reverse image search is done on the image, the same image was found in a photo gallery published in 2008 by India Times. According to the caption below the image, Muslims were offering prayers on Eid al-Adha festival at Jama Masjid in New Delhi. The exact location of the place can also be found using Google Maps. A website even posted different images of the place in New Delhi where Muslims were offering their prayers. This can be seen here.
Image-2:
This image is a collage of two pictures. The second picture (lower image) is actually the image of security manning the site of the Babri Masjid in the city of Ayodhya.
When reverse image search is done on the first picture, the same photo was found in an article published on the Britannica website about Kalaburagi city. According to the article, the picture shows the view of Jamia Masjid in Gulbarga, Karnataka. Kalaburagi is also called Gulbarga, which is in Karnataka. When we searched in google with relevant keywords, a similar photo was found on the stock photo website, Alamy. On this website also, it is mentioned that it is Jamia Mosque in Gulbarga.
To sum it up, unrelated Images are being falsely shared as images of Babri Masjid.

created: December 7, 2021


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Unrelated images are being falsely shared as those of Babri Masjid - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 6, 2020
A post claiming that British Museum has released inside pictures of Babri Masjid is doing rounds on social media. Few images alleged to be that of Babri Masjid are also being shared in the post. Through this article let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Inside pictures of Babri Masjid released by the British Museum.
Fact: British Museum has not released any inside pictures of Babri Masjid. Images of different monuments across the globe are being shared as those of Babri masjid. Except for one (for which no credible source is found), all the other images are not related to Babri masjid. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Image 1:
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published in Britannica website about Kalaburagi city. Kalaburagi, also called Gulbarga, is a city in the northeastern part of Karnataka state. In the article, it is mentioned that the photo shows the view of Jamia Masjid in Gulbarga, Karnataka. When we searched for more information using these keywords ‘Jamia Masjid in Gulbarga’, a similar photo was found on the Alamy website. In this website also, it is mentioned that it shows the view of Jamia Mosque in Gulbarga.
Image 2:
On reverse image search, we found that the mosque in the image is not Babri Masjid, but Motijheel Mosque in Murshidabad. We can find this image on the official website of Murshidabad Municipality.
Image 4 & 6:
On reverse image search, a similar photo from another angle was found on the ‘Archnet’ website. On the website, it can be read that the photo was clicked in the ‘Yeşil Cami’ mosque (Turkey). A similar colour photo clicked recently can be found on the ‘Shutterstock’ website.
Image 5:
On reverse image search through Yandex, a colored image of the same monument was found on a travel website. On the website, it is described that the photo is related to ‘Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur (Karnataka)’. A search with the keywords ‘Ibrahim Rouza Arches’ led us to ‘Flickr’ where we found similar images.
Image 7:
When we ran a reverse image search we came across a document which featured this image. The document describes the images as ‘Window of the Mosque of Ibu Tulan’. When we searched on google with ‘Window of the Mosque of Ibu Tulan’ as the keyword we found a similar image on V&A, a leading museum of art and design website. On the website the image is described as the Window grille in the mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun, Cairo.
Image 8:
We found this image on Alamy, and according to the description on the website, the image is of Noh Gunbad Mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan.
Image 3:
When we searched for formation regarding this image we found many social media posts attributing the image to Babri masjid. However, we could not find any credible source to conclude that this image is related to Babri masjid.
Also, when we searched on google using the keywords ‘British museum released Babri masjid photos’ we could not find any news reports related to this. In the wake of foundation laying ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on 05 August 2020, posts like these are being shared.
To sum it up, except for one (to which we could not find a substantial source) all the remaining images are not related to Babri masjid.
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created: August 6, 2020


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Unrelated images are being shared as students beaten at the recent JNU protests - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 21, 2019
Two Facebook posts, one with an image of a man with wounds on back and another post with an image of a woman with a bleeding head are being shared widely claiming them to be related to the recent Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) protests. Let’s try to check the authenticity of those images.
Post-1:
Image of a student injured during protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU).
Fact: The photo was taken in  2016 and is related to violence in Kashmir. So, it is in no way related to the recent protests at the JNU against the fee hike and hence the claim is FALSE.
From the article of ‘The Hindu’, it can be found that, since the past few days, students of JNU are protesting demanding the withdrawal of draft hostel manual and proposed hike in the hostel fees.
When the image in the post was subjected to Yandex reverse image search technique, it was found in the article of ‘Reuters’ published on August 19, 2016. The image had the following description –  ‘A man displays injuries which he says were sustained from beatings by security forces near Srinagar following weeks of violence in Kashmir, August 18, 2016’. So, the image is not related to the recent protests at JNU.
Post- 2:
Claim: Image of a woman injured during the Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) protests
Fact: The image shows a Lebanese girl who took part in the Muharrum ritual ‘Ashura’ in 2005. So, it is in no way related to the recent protests at the JNU against the fee hike and the claim is FALSE.
When the image in the post was subjected to Google reverse image search technique, many search results of it were obtained. In the search results, it can be found that ‘Jafariya News’ has published an article about ‘Ashura observed with bloodstreams to mark Karbala tragedy’. The same image as in the post can be seen in the article along with many other images. From the article, it was found that the image shows a Lebanese girl who took part in the Muharram ritual ‘Ashura’ in 2005.
So, the image is not related to the recent protests at the JNU. Earlier, the same image was circulated as that of a Kashmiri girl, FACTLY had written a fact-check article and it can be read here.
To conclude, the images of an injured man and a woman with the bleeding head aren’t related to the recent Jawaharlal Nehru University protests.
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created: November 21, 2019


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Unrelated images are being shared as visuals of alleged ‘Shivling’ found in the Gyanvapi Mosque - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 18, 2022
Some images are being shared on social media with a claim that they show the alleged ‘Shivling’ which was reportedly found during the recent survey in the Gyanvapi Mosque. The ‘Live Law’ reported – “Varanasi Court Seals Spot In Gyanvapi Mosque Premises Where Advocate Commissioner Reported Finding Of Shiva Linga In Survey”. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photos of the alleged ‘Shivling’ reportedly found during the recent survey in the Gyanvapi Mosque.
Fact: The posted photos are not from the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi (UP). While the ‘Shivling’ photo is from the Baba Bhusandeswar Temple in Odisha, the fountain photo was taken at the Ajmer Sharif dargah in Rajasthan. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Photo 1:
When the photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the photo was found to be related to the Baba Bhusandeswar Temple which is located in Odisha. The other photos of that temple can be seen here, here, and here. So, the posted photo does not show the ‘Shivling’ in the Gyanvapi Mosque.
Photo 2:
The post has been shared saying that the fountain in this Gyanvapi Mosque’s photo is mistaken to be the ‘Shivling’. However, on doing a reverse image search, we found that the posted photo is not related to the Gyanvapi Mosque. On the ‘Alamy’ stock website, the same photo can be seen with the following description – “Ajmer Sharif dargah, Rajasthan. Ablution pool. India.”. While the Gyanvapi Masjid side’s lawyer told NDTV that the object found in the survey is a fountain, not a ‘Shivling’, the posted photo is not related to the Gyanvapi Mosque.
Update (17 MAY 2022):
Photo 3:
Another photo is being also being shared with the claim that it shows a fountain in the Gyanvapi Mosque which is being mistaken to be a ‘Shivling’. However, we found that the photo is not related to the Gyanvapi Mosque. The same visual can be seen in the Google Street View of the ‘Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah’, in Agra (Uttar Pradesh).
Photo 4:
This photo is also not related to the Gyanvapi Mosque. In fact, the photo was not even taken in India. It shows a ‘Shivling’ found in Vietnam. Some of the tweets made by Indian Ministers in 2020 regarding the ‘Shivling’ in the photo can be seen here and here.
Reaffirming a civilisational connect.
Monolithic sandstone Shiv Linga of 9th c CE is latest find in ongoing conservation project. Applaud @ASIGoI team for their work at Cham Temple Complex, My Son, #Vietnam. Warmly recall my visit there in 2011. pic.twitter.com/7FHDB6NAxz
Another video is also being shared as related to the Gyanvapi Mosque. While we could not find the exact location of the video, it was found that the video is at least one year old. So, an old video is being shared now in the context of the recent survey in the Gyanvapi Mosque.
Update (18 MAY 2022):
Photo 5:
This photo is also shared with the claim that it shows a fountain in the Gyanvapi Mosque which is being mistaken to be a ‘Shivling’. However, on doing the reverse image search, we found that the posted photo shows the “Ablution pool at the Nakhoda Masjid”. The Nakhoda Mosque is situated in Kolkata (West Bengal). Other similar visuals of the Nakhoda Mosque can be seen here, here, and here.
To sum it up, unrelated images are being falsely shared as visuals of alleged ‘Shivling’ found in the Gyanvapi Mosque.


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Unrelated images are viral as the debris of the Titan Submersible. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 26, 2023
A group of pictures is being shared on social media, claiming them to be photos of the Titan Submersible that imploded (here and here) recently on its way to the historic Titanic wreckage site. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Images of the debris of Titan.
Fact: Three of these four images are AI-generated, and the fourth photo shows the shoes discovered at the wreckage site of the Titanic almost 20 years ago. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To learn more details about the viral photos, we performed a reverse image search on them individually. Through this search, we discovered that these pictures do not show the debris of the Titan Submersible.
Firstly, we found the first three images on Twitter uploaded by an account named “Price of Deepfakes (parody).” One of these photos has a context given to it by the readers, describing it as an artistic impression. In fact, the real images of the Titan debris have not been published officially till now.
BREAKING: Photo – Titan titanic submarine implosion debris field.  Imploded. pic.twitter.com/kdNdKoTs0a
Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist with BBC Verify, mentioned the same through a tweet. Moreover, the account which posted these images, “Prince of Deepfakes (parody),” also posts AI-generated images (picture of Orson Wells).
No images of the debris of the Titan submersible have so far been published. All images circulating online claiming to show the Titan sub's debris are false.
Three of this tweet's images appear to be AI-generated and the fourth is the shoes of a possible victim of the Titanic. pic.twitter.com/UU5P8mZ1p4
Additionally, if we compare the original image of the Ocean Gate Submersible with the one shown in the viral images, the structure of the sub does not match the debris. With this evidence, we can conclude that these images are AI-generated.
Now, regarding the fourth photo, a reverse image search revealed that this picture was, in fact, taken at the Titanic wreckage site almost 20 years ago. The shoes shown in this image could possibly be of one of the Titanic disaster victims.
To sum up, these photos do not show the debris of the Titan Submersible.


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Unrelated images falsely shared as ‘Masha Allah’ Muslim hotel in Coimbatore selling biryani with anti-sterile tablets to Hindus’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 16, 2020
A few images are shared on social media claiming that a hotel ‘Masha Allah’ in Coimbatore, which is run by Muslims, is selling biryani with anti-sterile tablets to Hindus to make them impotent and reduce their population. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Owners of ‘Masha Allah’ hotel in Coimbatore arrested for selling biryani mixed with anti-sterile tablets to Hindus.
Fact: The image with tablets in the post is not from India. It was taken when tablets were seized in Sri Lanka during a raid by ‘Sri Lankan special task force’ in May 2019. The images of few men seen with the Police are those of accused who were arrested in UP for illegally holding weapons in a Madrasa. Also, the photo of a man holding a biryani plate is on the internet at least since 2016. Hence the claim made is FALSE.
Image 1:
On subjecting the images with tablets to reverse image search technique, the same photo was found in an article of Sri Lankan newspaper – ‘The Daily Mirror’. As per this article, the ‘Sri Lankan Special Task Force’ (STF) had seized tablets during its raid in Colombo in May 2019 and has taken a father and a son into custody for their involvement. The STF has recovered Tramadol and several other illegal drugs that are manufactured in Pakistan and are prohibited for sale in Sri Lanka. So, the image is of Sri Lanka and has nothing to do with India.
Images 2 & 3:
The images of men seen with Police are from an incident in UP in 2019. As per the tweet of Bijnor Police (UP), the men in the photo were arrested for illegally holding weapons in a Madrasa in July 2019. More information about the incident can be seen here and here. So, the images are from Uttar Pradesh.
थाना शेरकोट @bijnorpolice द्वारा मदरसे में अवैध शस्त्रों की तस्करी करते 06 अभियुक्तगण 01 पिस्टल, 04 तमंचे व भारी मात्रा में कारतूसों सहित गिरफ्तार। #uppolice @Uppolice @adgzonebareilly @digmoradabad @News18India pic.twitter.com/WDj3kkBfIu
Image 4:
The photo of a man holding a biryani plate is found to be on the internet at least since 2016. The same photo was found to be used as a thumbnail for many YouTube videos related to making biryani.
Also, it was found that when this post went viral with the name – ‘Masha Allah’ hotel in Coimbatore, in March 2020, the Coimbatore City Police have clarified that it is fake news. The related tweets can be found here and here.
To conclude, unrelated images falsely shared as ‘Masha Allah’ Muslim hotel in Coimbatore selling biryani with anti-sterile tablets to Hindus’.
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Unrelated images falsely shared as ‘Muslim hotel owners arrested for using anti-sterile chemicals in the food they serve to Hindus’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 9, 2020
Few images are being shared on Facebook with the claim that Muslim hotel owners in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra are serving food to Hindus that is mixed with chemicals which make them infertile. Also, the bus drivers moving through the highways in those states are urged not to stop their buses at the roadside hotels run by Muslims. Let’s check the veracity of the claim made in the post.
Images of Muslim hotel owners arrested for using anti-sterile chemicals in the food they serve to Hindus.
Fact: The image of a man mixing biryani is from a screenshot of a video that was found to exist on the internet at least since 2017. The images with tablets are not from India. They were taken when tablets were seized in Sri Lanka during a raid by ‘Sri Lankan special task force’ in May 2019. The images of few men seen with the Police are those of accused who were arrested in UP for illegally holding weapons in a Madarsa. So, the claim is FALSE.
Images 1,2,5 and 7:
On subjecting the images with tablets (1,2,5 and 7) to reverse image search technique, they were found in an article of Lankan newspaper ‘The Daily Mirror’. As per this article, ‘Sri Lankan Special Task Force’ (STF) has seized tablets during its raid in Colombo in May 2019 and has taken a father and a son into custody for their involvement. The STF has recovered Tramadol and several other illegal drugs that are manufactured in Pakistan and are prohibited for sale in Sri Lanka. So, the images are from Sri Lanka and have nothing to do with India.
Images 3 and 6:
Images 3 and 6 are related to the same incident. As per the tweet of Bijnor Police (UP), the men in the photo were arrested for illegally holding  weapons in a Madrasa in July 2019. More information about the incident can be read here. So, the image is from Uttar Pradesh.
Image-4:
The image is a screenshot from a  video posted in a tweet in 2017. Information about the video wasn’t found in any of the credible sources. So, it isn’t a recent one.
To conclude, unrelated images are being shared with a false claim that ‘Muslim hotel owners arrested for using anti-sterile chemicals in the food they serve to Hindus’.
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Unrelated images from 2019 shared as that of recent Train accident in West Bengal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 14, 2022
A post is being shared on social media claiming that it shows the visuals related to the recent incident of a train derailment in West Bengal. For context, the Bikaner – Guwahati Express got derailed near New Domohani station under Alipurduar Junction division of the Northeast Frontier Railway. Multiple casualties are reported from the incident. Let’s fact-check if the image is related to the latest accident.
Claim: Image related to the recent incident of Train Derailment in West Bengal
Fact: While it is true that the Bikaner – Guwahati Express got derailed in West Bengal resulting in multiple casualties, the image shared in the post is related to a 2019 train accident from Bihar. Hence the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search on the image shared in the post led to a Times of India article that reported the derailment of coaches of the Seemanchal Express on 03 February 2019. The description of the image states, “Rescue workers look for survivors after the train derailed near Sahadai Buzurg railway station“, and the image is credited to Reuters.
A search on the Reuters website with relevant keywords led us to the same image with the title ‘Seven passengers killed when train derails in eastern India‘. This link also includes another image from the same incident. Video report on the same incident can be found here. The details of the image can also be found on Reuters Pictures website.
Seven passengers killed when train derails in eastern India https://t.co/eufcAU8AOu pic.twitter.com/E8nJsz1HWU
Seven persons were reported to have been killed and several others injured when a Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express train was derailed near Sahadai Buzurg railway station, Bihar on 03 February 2019. Multiple media outlets have reported this incident which can be found here, here, and here.
To sum in up, 2019 images related to derailment of the Seemanchal Express in Bihar are being attributed to recent derailment of Bikaner – Guwahati Express in West Bengal.

created: January 14, 2022


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Unrelated Images Shared as Enormous Crowd Supporting CSK Ahead of IPL 2023 Final - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 29, 2023
Update (01 June 2023):
Another video of massive crowd is being shared as fans cheering for CSK in the final match of IPL 2023 at Narendra Modi stadium. Upon investigation, we discovered that a video is actually footage from a football game in Germany. The original video was uploaded by Patrick Berger, a German sports journalist and chief reporter at Sport1 on 27 May 2023. The flags in the video had “BVB” written on them, which stands for Borussia Dortmund, a German football club. Reports indicate that Borussia Dortmund played against Mainz in the Bundesliga football league on May 27 at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany. Borussia Dortmund’s official Twitter account also posted a similar video on May 27.
#BVB– Stimmung? Stimmt schon mal … ⚫🟡 @SPORT1 pic.twitter.com/QkdNYGvNNL
Published (29 May 2023):
Ahead of the highly anticipated final match of the Indian Premier League 2023 between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT), several images of a massive and densely packed crowd wearing yellow T-shirts are being shared as fans of the CSK team. Let’s verify the authenticity of these images.
Claim: Images showing a large crowd of CSK fans, wearing yellow T-shirts, and filling the streets, in anticipation of the IPL 2023 final match.
Fact: The first image depicts participants in the 2010 edition of the Great Ethiopian Running event in Addis Ababa. The second image captures a crowd gathered for the 85th birthday celebrations of Thailand’s former king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, on 05 December 2012, in Bangkok. The third image shows football fans of the team UD Las Palmas outside the Gran Canaria stadium in Spain. Since none of these images showcases CSK fans, the claims made in the post are FALSE.
Image 1:
A reverse image search found a clearer and uncropped version of the viral image on the UN’s MDG Achievement Fund website. The image is specifically identified as portraying the crowd at the Great Ethiopian Run, an annual road running event held in Ethiopia that is renowned for its global participation from individuals across different countries.
Upon closer inspection of the image, it is evident that the jerseys worn by the participants are predominantly yellow, while the sleeves are distinctly green in colour. Furthermore, a banner visible in the image features the name “Abyssinia Springs,” which corresponds to an Ethiopian bottled water brand.
Building upon these visual cues, further research was conducted, confirming that this photo corresponds to the 2010 edition of the Great Ethiopian Run. Additionally, the existence of this event’s video on the UN MDG’s website corroborates the evidence gathered from the image examination. More videos of the event can be seen here & here.
This evidence establishes that the image indeed captures the participants of the Great Ethiopian Run, held in Ethiopia, rather than depicting fans of CSK.
Image 2:
Likewise, conducting a reverse image search of the second image unveiled that it, in fact, captures the crowd assembled in Bangkok for the 85th birthday celebrations of Thailand’s former king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, on 05 December 2012.
AFP had previously debunked this image when it went viral, falsely claiming it to be a Kenyan political rally.
Image 3:
Similarly, a reverse image search found that the same image was posted by the sports Twitter handle of the Spanish news agency EFE on 27 May 2023.  The description of the image states that thousands of fans welcomed UD Las Palmas outside the Gran Canaria stadium during a match in the La Liga football league. Other local Spanish media sources also reported the image.
#EFEfotos | 🔥 Empujón hacia Primera.  Miles de aficionados han recibido a la UD Las Palmas en el exterior del estadio de Gran Canaria. #LaLigaSmartBank pic.twitter.com/lwZo0pAt9k
UD Las Palmas is a football team based in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain. UD Las Palmas traditionally wears yellow jerseys as their primary colour for home matches. It is common for fans and supporters of UD Las Palmas to wear yellow jerseys during matches to show their allegiance to the team. Google Street View images outside of the stadium confirm that the image is indeed from Gran Canaria stadium, Spain, not India.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the same picture was falsely circulated as an image depicting the followers of the Telugu Desam Party during the recently held Mahanadu event in Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh. However, as mentioned above, the picture actually shows football fans in Spain.
To sum it up, unrelated images are being circulated, falsely claiming to depict the enormous crowd gathered to support CSK ahead of the IPL 2023 Final match.


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Unrelated images shared with a fabricated story of a man hurting his wife mistaking her snake-printed stockings for a real snake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 16, 2022
A collage of images is being shared on social media claiming that a man had broken his wife’s foot mistaking her snake-printed pajamas for a real snake. The post shares a photo of a woman’s legs dressed in snake-printed stockings and another photo of a person’s injured foot. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Pictures of an injured woman’s feet after her husband mistook her snake-printed pajamas for a real snake.
Fact: The first photo was used as a representative picture for a snake-printed stockings on several e-commerce websites. The other photo shared in the post shows an injured foot of a male patient who had joined the hospital after a cutter fell on his left foot. This fabricated story created using two unrelated images is being shared on social media at least since 2018. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Image 1:
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found published as a representative picture for snake print stockings on several e-commerce websites. They can be seen here and here.
Image 2:
On reverse image search, the same photo of an injured foot was found in an article published by a Vietnamese website in January 2016. As part of the surgical internship, this article practically explained how to treat and apply stitches to a wound by showing a series of pictures of the treatment provided to a 36-year-old male patient. One of these pictures is the second image shared in the viral post. The patient’s name was mentioned as Nguyen Thanh Tyu and it was mentioned that he was admitted to the hospital after a cutter fell accidentally on his feet.
We could not find any credible reports on the internet of the story of a man hurting his wife’s feet by mistaking her snake-printed stockings for a real snake. This fabricated story created using two unrelated images is being shared on the internet at least since 2018. Several fact-check organizations including the ‘Reuters’ and the ‘Snopes’ have debunked this fictional story circulating on social media.
To sum it up, unrelated images are shared with a fabricated story of a man hurting his wife’s feet mistaking her snake-printed stockings for a real snake.


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Unrelated old and edited videos shared as the visuals of storms, waterspouts, and floods caused by Cyclone Biparjoy - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 21, 2023
In the wake of Cyclone Biparjoy making its way across the Arabian Sea and set to make landfall in Gujarat and Karachi on 15 June 2023, multiple videos are being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of storms, waterspouts, and floods caused by Cyclone Biparjoy at the sea coasts of India and Pakistan. They can be seen here, here, here, here, and here. Let’s verify the claims made in the posts.
Claim: Multiple videos showing waterspouts, high tides, and storms caused by Cyclone Biparjoy.
Fact: All the videos shared in these posts show unrelated old visuals of sandstorms, waterspouts, and floods that occurred in different countries of the world. A video shared in one of the posts was created using CGI. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Update (21 June 2023):
Video 11:
Another video is being shared on social media claiming that two persons were washed away by the strong waves caused by Cyclone Biparjoy. But the video actually shows an old incident that took place at the Salalah Al Mughsail beach in Oman. In July 2022, eight members of an ex-pat Indian family were swept away by high tides on Salalah Al Mughsail beach. Five people reportedly lost their lives in this tragic accident. Earlier, when the same video was shared as the visuals of giant waves sweeping away people in Mumbai’s Bandra beach, Factly published a fact-check article debunking that claim.
Watch: A family is swept away by a giant wave on #Oman's Mughsail beach after eight members reportedly crossed the beach's boundary fence.https://t.co/2KHqOMobdD pic.twitter.com/w2auuYfUku
Update (19 June 2023):
Video 8:
Another video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows visuals of heavy rain and strong winds caused due to Cyclone Biparjoy in Rajasthan. A few users shared the same video mentioning that it shows recent visuals from Mundra port in Gujarat. On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found to be tweeted by a journalist from Karnataka in May 2022. This journalist reported it is the visuals of heavy rains at the Hubballi airport canteen in May 2022. Several Kannada news channels telecasted the same video and reported it as the visuals from Hubballi airport in Karnataka. Earlier, when the same video was shared on social media claiming it shows the visuals of the Asani cyclone in Odisha, Factly published a fact-check article debunking that claim.
Video 9:
This post shared a video claiming that it shows recent visuals showing a tornado sweeping the streets in Gujarat. But on reverse image search, a video with similar visuals was found to be tweeted by the ‘PakWeather.com’ site on 15 June 2023. This handle tweeted it as an extremely rare and terrifying sight of a tornado formation in Jalalpur Bhattian in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Reporting the same, several other Pakistani news sites have published articles. They can be seen here, here, and here. The video is from Punjab province in Pakistan, not from Gujarat state in India.
EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE:
🔴 Extremely rare and terrifying sight of #tornado formation in Jalalpur Bhattian, #Punjab this morning. Due to climate change weather extremities are becoming common over our region. 😯🌪#Pakweather #WeatherUpdate #CycloneBiporjoy #ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/38NdXFd5sF
Video 10:
Another video is being shared on social media claiming it shows terrifying visuals of a tornado that caused because of the cyclone in the Arabian Sea. But on reverse image search, a video showing similar visuals was found published by a YouTube channel on 04 June 2023. This YouTube user shared the video mentioning it as the visuals of tornados formed in Fuxin City in Liaoning province in China. Several news sites published articles and videos related to tornadoes formed in Fuxin City. They can be seen here, here,  and here. Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat’s coastal area on 15 June 2023. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be confirmed that the video shared in the post is from China and not related to Cyclone Biparjoy which recently hit Gujarat’s coastal area in India.
Update (16 June 2023):
Video 6:
Another video is being shared on social media claiming it shows the recent visuals of the flooded Gudsiya village in Gujarat’s Jamnagar district after Cyclone Biparjoy hit the state on 15 June 2023. But, on reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found posted by the ‘Gujarat Weather News’ Facebook page on 13 September 2021. This Facebook page shared the video mentioning it is the visuals of Gudsiya village drowned in floods after heavy rains hit the Jamnagar district in September 2021. The video shared in the post is old and had nothing to do with Cyclone Biparjoy.
Video 7:
This post shared a video claiming it as visuals of a cloud burst that occurred after Cyclone Biparjoy hit India. But the video shows a CGI simulation video uploaded by a YouTube channel in December 2018. This YouTube channel published the video with the title, “Tornado CGI Simulation (Cinema 4D TurbulenceFD)”. Earlier, Factly published a fact-check article when the same video was shared in the context of Cyclone Nivar in 2020.
Published (15 June 2023):
Video 1:
The post claims it is the visuals of the Biparjoy cyclone moving towards the coastal areas of Gujarat and Karachi. On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video showing similar visuals was found in an article published by the BBC on 02 June 2023. BBC reported it is the visuals of a huge sandstorm sweeping across the Suez Canal in Egypt. Reporting the same, several other news sites have also published articles sharing the same video. So, it is confirmed that the video shared in the post is not related to Cyclone Biparjoy.
Video 2:
Another video is being shared on social media claiming it is the scary visuals of Cyclone Biparjoy moving towards Gujarat and Karachi. On reverse image search, the same video was found published on a YouTube channel, with the title, “Superior Tornado at the Horizon”, on 09 August 2022. This YouTube channel publishes edited videos of severe weather conditions and natural disasters. Speaking about the video, the creator told ‘News Checker’ that the video was created using CGI and clarified that the video has nothing to do with Cyclone Biparjoy.
Video 3:
This video was being shared on social media claiming it is a waterspout caused by Cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat. On reverse image search, a video showing similar visuals was found published by the ‘FOX Weather’ news channel in October 2022. This news channel reported it is the visuals of a massive waterspout swirling onto Cyprus beach in the Middle East. The video shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with Cyclone Biparjoy.
Video 4:
Another video is being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of giant waves, caused by Cyclone Biparjoy, overturning a boat in the Arabian Sea. But the video shared in the post shows a monster wave flipping and rolling a yacht off the Pacific coast in the US. Sharing the video, several news websites published articles in February 2023. They can be seen here and here. The video has nothing to do with Cyclone Biparjoy which is set to make landfall in Gujarat on 15 June 2023.
Video 5:
This video is being shared on social media claiming that it shows a car drowning in a flooded stream in Dandeli, Karnataka. Many users shared the video with the hashtag “Cyclone Biparjoy”. But the video shows an old incident that happened in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. The incident had taken place in May 2023. The video shared in the post is old, not from Karnataka, and has nothing to do with Cyclone Biparjoy.
Earlier, when an unrelated video from Spain was shared as the visuals of high tides caused by Cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat, Factly published a fact-check article debunking that claim.
To sum it up, unrelated videos are shared as the visuals of storms, waterspouts, and floods caused by Cyclone Biparjoy.


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Unrelated old images are attributed to the recent communal violence in Tripura - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 7, 2021
An image is being shared on social media claiming that Muslims who demonstrated against the Tripura communal violence were detained at the ‘Tripura Bhavan’ in Delhi. This post shares a photo of a middle-aged woman weeping with a child. Another photo is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of Muslim victims of the recent Tripura violence. Let’s verify the claims made in the post.
Claim: Photos of Muslim victims of the recent communal violence in Tripura, India.
Fact: The first photo shows an old picture of a detained Rohingya woman near the Bangladesh border in India. The other photo is from the recent fire accident that hit the Rohingya camp in Kanchan Kunj, New Delhi. This incident took place in June 2021. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Image 1:
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an article published by the ‘Ghana Guardian’ news website in 2019. This article reported it as the visuals of Rohingya refugees arrested near the Bangladesh border in Tripura. The same image was published with a similar description on ‘Tritiyomatra’ and on ‘Alamy’ websites. According to these reports, in January 2019, 31 Rohingyas stranded on the India-Bangladesh border were arrested by the Amtali police in Tripura. This confirms that the image shared in the post is old and not related to the recent communal violence in Tripura.
Image 2:
On reverse image search, a similar photo was found in an Instagram post by an independent journalist named Aasif Mujtaba on 13 June 2021. He described that the photo was shot during the fire accident at the Rohingya camp in Kanchan Kunj, New Delhi. The description of the photo states, “It was 5 in the morning when we returned from the gutted Rohingya settlement at Kanchan Kunj in Delhi. It’s beyond an iota of doubt, a case of systemic violence against the Rohingyas. I talked to many refugees and they all have the same ordeal. Almost every week hindutva fanatics would threaten them of dire consequences if they don’t leave the area”.
On 28 October 2021, Aasif Mujtaba shared the same photo on his Twitter handle and clarified that the image was not related to the recent communal violence in Tripura. Several news websites have reported the fire accident at the Rohingya camp in Kanchan Kunj, New Delhi. They can be seen here and here. This confirms that the photo was shot during a fire accident at Rohingya camp in Delhi, not Tripura.
To sum it up, unrelated old images falsely shared with the context of the recent communal violence in Tripura.

created: November 7, 2021


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Unrelated old images are being linked to the condition of hospitals in UP and Bihar - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 7, 2020
A post with a photo describing the condition of hospitals in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh is doing rounds on social media. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Recent pictures showing the bad conditions of the hospitals in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The part of the image claiming to be that of Uttar Pradesh is actually an image of a ward in Osmania Hospital, Hyderabad. The part of the image claiming to be that of Bihar from a Bihar Hospital but clicked in 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we cropped the image in the post and ran a reverse image search for only the part of the image claiming to be that of Bihar, we found the same image in a news article which reported about the rainfall in Bihar and the article dates back to 29 Sep 2019, the article describes the image as “A patient is shifted from Nalanda Medical College and Hospital in Patna”. With  this, we can say that this image is related to Bihar.  However, it has nothing to do with the recent floods in Bihar.
A similar reverse image search of the second part of the image claiming to be that of Uttar Pradesh led us to a news article dated 15 July 2020, which published a similar image. The description below the images reads “A flooded ward inside Hyderabad’s Osmania Hospital”. Also, NDTV published a video in which the same hospital ward can be seen. With this, we can conclude that the hospital ward shown in the image is from Osmania Hospital, Hyderabad and not Uttar Pradesh.
To sum it up, an old image of a Bihar hospital and an image of a ward in Osmania hospital, Hyderabad is being falsely shared as the present condition in Bihar and UP hospitals.
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created: August 7, 2020


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Unrelated old images of injured women are falsely attributed to the recent riots in Sweden - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 31, 2020
A post with a  photo collage of women whose faces are badly injured is doing rounds on social media with a claim that these women were assaulted by jihadists in recent riots in Sweden. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photo collage of women whose faces are severely injured in an alleged attack by jihadists in recent Swedish riots.
Fact: The post with these images were debunked by MIMAKAMA back in 2017 when they went viral with a different claim in Germany.  From the article, we can infer that these images are old and have nothing to do with the recent riots in Sweden. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a fact-check article (archived) which debunked this image when it went viral in Germany with a different claim back in 2017. With this, we can say that these images are old.
According to the article the photo collage was made using pictures of victims of various attacks from different countries. This article has tracked down the original sources of most of the pictures in the collage and as per these sources, none of the women seen in the collage is from Sweden. Let’s look at the origin of a few of these images below.
Image 1:
Image 4:
Image 15:
Swedish city Malmö has witnessed violent riots recently after a video was circulated by followers of the far-right Danish politician Rasmus Paludan burning a copy of the Quran. Hundreds of Muslims took part in the protests later burning tyres and pelting stones at the police.  But no deaths are reported in these riots so far.
To sum it up, old unrelated images of injured women from different countries are shared as those injured in the recent riots in Sweden.
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Unrelated old photo from a rally in Nigeria shared as huge crowd at Bharat Jodo Yatra rally in Ballari - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 16, 2022
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it is a recent picture of huge crowds at the Bharat Jodo Yatra rally in Ballari, Karnataka. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of huge crowds who attended the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ballari.
Fact: The photo in the post shows an old picture of huge crowds that gathered for evangelist Reinhard Bonnke’s rally in Nigeria. The photo shared in the post is old and has nothing to do with the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the same photo was found in an article published by the ‘Milost.sk’ website in 2010. This article reported it as the visuals of the crowd gathered for evangelist Reinhard Bonnke’s rally in Nigeria. A few websites published the photo crediting it to the Christ for all Nations (CfaN) website.
When we searched for this photo using these keywords on the internet, we found the same photo in an image collection published on the CfaN press portal. CfaN published this image describing it as a picture showing the crowd that gathered for Reinhard Bonnke’s rally. Reinhard Bonnke shared a similar picture on his Facebook page reporting it as the visuals of the crowd gathered at Ogbomosho city in Nigeria during a meeting in 2002. Similar details are available in an impact report uploaded on Reinhard Bonnke’s website.
In 2015, a few news websites reported it as the image of the crowd that gathered for Muhammudo Bihari’s political rally in Kano, Nigeria.
The photos of crowd present for the Bharat Jodo Yatra rally in Ballari can be seen here, here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post is from an old rally in Nigeria and has nothing to do with Bharat Jodo Yatra rally in Ballari, Karanataka.
#BharatJodoYatra ಯ 38ನೇ ದಿನವಾದ ಇಂದು ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿಯ ಸಮಾವೇಶಕ್ಕೆ ಕಣ್ಣೋಟವನ್ನೂ ಮೀರಿಸುವ ಬೃಹತ್ ಜನಸಾಗರ ಹರಿದು ಬಂದಿದೆ.
ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿಯನ್ನ, ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಗಣಿ ಸಂಪನ್ಮೂಲವನ್ನ ಅಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ಲೂಟಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳೆದು ಬಂದ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ 2023ರಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡೀ ರಾಜ್ಯದಿಂದ ಗಂಟೂ ಮೂಟೆ ಕಟ್ಟಲಿದೆ.
ಇದೇ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಜನರ ನಿಜವಾದ “ಜನ ಸಂಕಲ್ಪ. pic.twitter.com/mg9FzqHvW4
To sum it up, an unrelated old photo from a rally in Nigeria is shared as the crowds that attended the Bharat Jodo Yatra rally in Ballari.

created: October 16, 2022