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Suicides & Suicidal Risk in India: What do the numbers say?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 18, 2020
The National Mental Health Survey of 2015-16 reported some alarming statistics. The survey estimated that 1% of the population reported high suicidal risk. What does that survey & other data say about suicides & suicidal risk in India?
Recently, the death of a Bollywood actor due to suicide has triggered a debate on mental health and suicide prevention in India. Reports show that cases of suicides by hanging have increased in certain pockets during the lockdown which has put people under immense stress. The UN had already warned of mental health crisis due to the pandemic.
Every 40 seconds, one person dies due to suicide
Suicides are a global phenomenon. According to the World Health Organization, every year, close to 8 Lakh people die due to suicide globally. At least one person dies due to suicide every 40 seconds. In 2016, suicide was the second leading cause of deaths among 15-29 age group, preceded by road injury.  Over 79% of the global suicides occurred in low- and middle-income countries while the high-income countries had a high suicide rate of 11.5 per lakh population. The latest data released by WHO indicates that India has the highest rate of suicides among the Southeast Asian countries, a rate of 16.3 per lakh population. It should be noted that for every suicide, there are many other who may have attempted to suicide. Unlike most common causes of death, suicides can be prevented through timely intervention.
Many studies have been taken up in India and abroad, to understand various aspects of suicides such as cause, demographic details such as age, gender, etc. Such analysis will help governments and stakeholders take the necessary steps to prevent suicides.
India accounted for more than 1/3rd suicides of women and almost 1/4th suicides of men worldwide
A Global Burden of Diseases study published on Lancet, on overall trends of diseases, injuries, and risk factors from 1990 to 2016 for every state of India revealed that suicide deaths in India increased by over 40% in the span of 26 years. In 2016, India accounted for 36.6% of the global suicide deaths among women and 24.3% among men. Though there has been an increase in proportion of suicide deaths in India among both genders, the same is more among women than men.
The age standardized suicide death rates among men per lakh population in India stood at 21.2 and that for women was 14.7 in 2016. While the rate among men was the same in 1990, the rate among women has dropped from 20 to 14.7. Despite the reduction, India has the third-highest female suicide rate (14.7) in the world after Lesotho (24.4) and Republic of Korea (15.4).
Suicide is the major cause of death among in the 15-29 age group
The study also highlights that suicides were the prime cause of death among Indian youth in the age group of 15 to 29 years and 15 to 39 years, while it was ranked second and third respectively at the global level. Meanwhile, India has the largest population of young people below 25 years of age, in the world.
It was also observed that the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, consistently had a higher suicide death rate. Older studies cite that the disparity among numbers reported by states is because of better reporting systems. Furthermore, higher literacy, higher socio-economic status, and higher expectations could be the reasons behind higher suicide rates in the south.
One in 20 persons in India suffers from Mental Illness
Most suicides are a result of psychiatric diseases, depression, substance use disorders and psychosis. The National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in collaboration with 15 other institutions conducted a National Mental Health Survey  (NMHS) in 2016 on behalf of the Central Government. The survey was conducted in 12 states among individuals of 18 years and above. A total of 34,802 individuals were interviewed. The survey revealed prevalence of mental health problems in the country. According to the survey, one in 20 persons in India suffer from depression. Around 15 crore individuals were also estimated to be suffering from a mental morbidity in India. Further, the study indicated that nearly 1% of India’s population reported high suicidal risk.
Those residing in urban metros had highest suicidal risk
As per the survey, the prevalence of suicidal risk across different socio- demographic categories is plotted in the following graph. Suicidal risk was highest among those residing in urban metros (1.7%). Widowed or separated persons also possessed high suicidal risk. Risk was more prevalent among those aged between 40 to 49 years and among females. The risk across different categories calls for multi-sectorial approach to address the public health problem.
For every suicide in India, more than 15 attempts happen
A study titled ‘A population-based analysis of suicidality and its correlates: Findings from the National Mental Health Survey of India 2015–16’ analyses suicidality data from the NMHS survey. Suicidality refers to thoughts, plans, and acts of suicide which have not resulted in death. Findings of the study revealed that in 2015, about 1% of the population had high suicidality which required urgent intervention. Further, for every death by suicide, there were more than 200 people with suicidality in India and more than 15 suicide attempts. The numbers however, varied across states and with socio demographic characteristics. In 2015, more than 4.4 crore adults in the country could have had suicidality.
Suicide data in NCRB report is much lower than WHO data due to under-reporting
The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) annual publication, Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report in 2018 has recorded 1.34 Lakh suicides, which comes to a suicide rate of 10.2 per lakh population. The NCRB report which records and acts as reference for suicides in the country, has reported a suicide rate of 10.3 per lakh population in 2016, lower than the number reported by WHO. This is because the data reported in ADSI report is based on the FIR’s filed which states the apparent cause of death based on evidence collected and autopsy reports. NCRB reports may be under-reporting suicides and possibility of misclassification of suicide deaths cannot be ruled out. Yet, the data in the NCRB report is useful to derive adequate insights on suicides such as cause of death, gender, etc.
Stigma and taboo around mental health is a cause of concern
Farmer suicides and suicide among students are the most often discussed topics related to suicides in India. Opening up about mental health is still viewed with stigma in the society. The issue is complex and specific to one particular sector. People involved in various professions and sectors, be it agriculture, education, business, politics, film industry, law, justice etc., are prone to this.  The variation across gender, age, rural-urban set up, and other socio-economic conditions makes it clear that no single- approach will be enough to address the issue but coordination and collaboration across sectors is the need of the hour. For instance, in case of students, having suicide prevention interventions at schools will be useful.
Another way to address the issue is through reducing the access to means of suicide. Around 20% of suicides world-wide have reportedly taken place by intake of pesticide, self-poisoning, hanging, and use of firearms. Safeguarding the vulnerable groups such as those who face discrimination like trans persons, indigenous population, refugees, and migrants is also required.
National Mental Health Program was implemented in 1982 for assuring mental healthcare services across world
The National Mental Health Program is being implemented in India since 1982 with the objective to ensure availability and accessibility of minimum mental healthcare for all, especially, to the most vulnerable and underprivileged sections of the population. Through the program, the Central Government supports the implementation of District Mental Health program (DMHP) across 655 districts in the country. Through DMHP, basic mental health care is provided at the community level through counselling services, sensitization, education, etc. at different levels.
Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 decriminalizes suicide attempts
In 2017, the government passed the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 aimed at providing mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illnesses. The Act empowers the government to set up a Central Mental Health Authority and similar state level authorities in states with which all mental health practitioners and institutions need to register themselves. The act protects the dignity of people with mental illnesses. It decriminalizes suicide- meaning, a person who attempts suicide will not be punishable under Indian Penal Code. They will be considered suffering from mental illness and adequate care will be provided to them.
Suicide Rate is an indicator in the SDGs
Suicide rate is an indicator under the Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The goal is to bring down premature mortality by one-third from non-communicable diseases through prevention & treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The goal is also to reduce suicide mortality rate.
No national helpline numbers for suicide prevention is available in India
In India, there is no national distress helpline as yet. However, there are many organizations that collaborate with the government and extend counselling services and suicide prevention helplines.
Medical Helpline number 104 is used in some states such as Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Punjab for counselling services along with other services. The most efficient solution to address mental health problems and suicide prevention would be to have a central national helpline number that operates 24*7. A few numbers available online have been listed below.
11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Mon to Sat)
Featured Image: Suicidal Risk in India


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'Sukanya Samriddhi' scheme: These States are doing well
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 27, 2018
The Sukanya Samirddhi Yojana, a small savings scheme for the welfare of the girl child was launched in 2014. Till 30 June 2018, a total of 1.39 crore accounts were opened under the scheme. Which of the states are doing well and which ones are lagging behind?
The Government of India launched a new small savings scheme by the name ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’ which is targeted at the girl child as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao- Beti Padhao’ campaign. The scheme was launched in December 2014. When it was launched, the scheme offered an interest rate of 9.2% per annum, one of the highest for any small savings scheme. Currently, the scheme offers an interest rate of 8.1%. The objective of the scheme is to promote the welfare of the girl child.
What is the scheme all about?
The scheme is targeted at the girl child and her welfare. The natural or legal guardian of the girl child can open the account from the time of her birth till she attains an age of ten. The minimum deposit amount has been reduced to Rs 250 from the existing Rs 1000. The scheme provides for triple-E exemptions under the income tax act. The following exemptions are applicable
1.39 crore accounts opened till 30 June 2018
As per the data shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, a total of 1.39 crore accounts (1,39,85,442) were opened under this scheme till 30 June 2018. Most such accounts were opened in Tamil Nadu (15.94 lakh) followed by Uttar Pradesh (15.08 lakh). Karnataka & Maharashtra are the only two other states where more than 10 lakh such accounts were opened. More than five lakh such accounts were opened in eleven (11) states while more than one lakh such accounts were opened in 22 states/UTs.
If the population in the 0-10 age group is taken into account (as per the 2011 census), then the following picture emerges. At an All-India level, 52 accounts were opened under the scheme for every 1000 in the 0-10 age group. In four (4) states, more than 100 accounts were opened for every 1000 in this age group. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka are part of this list. The number of accounts opened for every 1000 in the 0-10 age group is more than the national average in all the southern states. In states like Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Bihar, the number of accounts opened for every 1000 in the 0-10 age group is less than the national average. Of the bigger states, Bihar stands at the bottom with only 19 such accounts for every 1000 in this age group.
Rs 25979 crore deposited under the scheme
At an All India level, a total of Rs 25979 crore was deposited under the scheme till 30 June 2018, an average of Rs 18576 per account. The greatest average amount per account of Rs 49,263 was deposited in Delhi. The average amount per account was more than the national average in 16 States/UTs. Though States like Tamil Nadu & Karnataka had more than a million accounts opened under the scheme, the average deposit amount was less than the national average in these states. The average in Uttar Pradesh was less than half the national average.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana – the new small savings scheme for the Girl Child
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 11, 2015
As a part of the ‘Beti Bachao – Beti Padhao’ campaign, the government launched the ‘Sukanya Samriddhhi Yojana’ last year. This is a small savings scheme aimed at securing the future of the girl child. Apart from one of the highest interest rates, the amount deposited in this account is exempt from Income Tax.
The Government of India launched a new small savings scheme which goes by the name ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’ targeted at the girl child as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao- Beti Padhao’ campaign. The scheme was launched in December 2014. At 9.2% per annum, this account offers one of the highest rates of interest of all the small savings schemes in the country.  The objective of the scheme is to promote the welfare of the girl child.
What is the scheme all about?
How is it doing?
Sukanya Samriddhi Account scheme is run by Union Government and it entirely bears operation/management costs of this scheme. Till April, 2015 a total of 1.47 crore rupees was spent on the publicity related to the scheme.
A total of 511 crore rupees has been deposited in the scheme as of March 2015, according to the annual report of the National Savings Institute.
Karnataka leads with the most amounts of deposits (about 90 crore) till March 2015. More than 10 states have a total deposit of more than 5 crore and six states with a total deposit amount of more than 20 crore.
The highest number of accounts was opened in Karnataka (more than 50000) followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 5000 accounts were opened in 9 different states and more than 1000 accounts in 16 different states.

created: December 11, 2015


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Sundar Pichai retweeted the video of Alligator swallowing a drone, he did not shoot/capture the video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 10, 2021
A video of an alligator swallowing a drone is being widely shared through a post, claiming that the video was captured by Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of an alligator swallowing a drone was shot by Sundar Pichai.
Fact: The video was taken in Everglades, Florida by a TikTok user named ‘Dev H Langer’. This video was not shot or posted by Sundar Pichai, he merely retweeted a post by a twitter user named Chris Anderson, who had tweeted the same video. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When reverse image search is done on the screenshots of the video, the same video was found on the Twitter timeline of Sundar Pichai’s official Twitter account. However, this video was not shot/posted by him, he merely retweeted a post by a verified Twitter account named Chris Anderson, who tweeted the same video. According to the tweet, an alligator swallowed a drone in Everglades, Florida. The Alligator snatched a drone, which promptly caught fire in its mouth. The news that the video was shared (not posted/captured) by Sundar Pichai was published in articles (here and here).
The video was reportedly taken in Everglades, Florida, and was viral on TikTok, posted by a user named ‘Dev H Langer’. According to an Instagram post by the Everglades National Park, they were not sure where the video was taken but cautioned people to keep their equipment at least 15 feet away.
To sum it up, this video of an Alligator swallowing a drone was retweeted by Sundar Pichai, he did not shoot/capture the video by himself.

created: September 10, 2021


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Sunil Gavaskar did not criticise BCCI for poor management of ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 9, 2023
A message has gone viral on social media which quotes former cricket Sunil Gavaskar as saying, “I am ashamed to call myself Indian. This is the worst Cricket World Cup. Empty stadiums, no scoreboard, pathetic management from BCCI.” A post sharing this quote alleges that he made this comment on Star Sports. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Sunil Gavaskar criticised BCCI over poor management of the ongoing cricket World Cup 2023 on Star Sports channel.
Fact: He has not made such statements. Sunil Gavaskar denied this allegation, saying, “…i would never be ashamed to be an Indian. I am and will always remain a proud Indian.” Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Firstly, we searched the internet to find if any mainstream media outlets have reported on Sunil Gavaskar making such statements. This search did not yield any credible sources to validate the viral claim.
Further search on the internet led us to a fact-check article published by India Today debunking the claim. Speaking to them, Sunil Gavaskar denied these allegations and said, “Those who know me understand that I would never be ashamed to be an Indian. I am and will always remain a proud Indian.”
Similar comments were attributed to him in September 2023 after which his son Rohan Gavaskar clarified that they were fake on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
To sum up, Sunil Gavaskar has not made these statements criticising BCCI for the poor management of the World Cup.

created: October 9, 2023


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Sunil Gavaskar has not made these critical remarks against the BCCI on Team India's performance - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 5, 2023
A statement attributed to cricketer Sunil Gavaskar which reads, ‘‘It should be a matter of utter shame for us as Indians for politicizing, ruining and basically hijacking this beautiful game of cricket. BCCI has let India down and tonight’s results are a testimony of it,’’  is doing the rounds on social media. Allegedly, Gavaskar made this statement on NDTV after the India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup match that was held on 2 September 2023. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Sunil Gavaskar said that BCCI has let India down, after the India vs. Pakistan cricket match in Asia Cup 2023.
Fact: There are no reports of Sunil Gavaskar making such critical remarks against the BCCI recently after the India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match in 2023. Sunil Gavaskar’s son Rohan Gavaskar has refuted this claim. Taking to Twitter (X), he said that this was a completely fabricated statement. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
Searching the internet with relevant keywords regarding Sunil Gavaskar making such remarks on BCCI after the latest Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan led us to a tweet from Rohan Gavaskar. Rohan is a former Indian cricketer and son of Sunil Gavaskar. Stating that this claim is false, he quoted one such tweet propagating this message, “This is a completely fabricated statement attributed to my father. He hasn’t made this statement and someone is just trying to create mischief. It’s absolutely ridiculous that people would use his name to get more engagement . Please retweet so that the truth prevails.”
According to Rohan Gavaskar, his father is in contract with India today. This makes it certain that he wouldn’t have spoken to NDTV, which is being claimed in the viral message.
He is under contract with India today so he wouldn’t speak to Ndtv anyway !
Further search on the internet revealed to us that Sunil Gavaskar had given a mid-match interview and a post-match interview to India Today on 2 September 2023, which validates the argument made by Rohan Gavaskar that his father is “under contract with India Today and wouldn’t speak to NDTV.” Sunil Gavaskar has not made any critical remarks on BCCI in these interviews.
Also, to cross-check whether Sunil Gavaskar spoke anything negative in regard to BCCI (either to NDTV or to any other media outlet in general), we performed a keyword search on the internet leading us to no credible source of information.
To sum up, Sunil Gavaskar has not made these critical remarks against the BCCI on Team India’s performance after the India vs. Pakistan cricket match in Asia Cup 2023.

created: September 5, 2023


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Sunni Waqf Board has not made a claim over the entire wealth of ‘Shirdi Sai Sansthan’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 15, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the Sunni Waqf Board has claimed its right over the wealth of ‘Shirdi Sai Sansthan’. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Sunni Waqf Board has claimed its right over the wealth of ‘Shirdi Sai Sansthan’.
Fact: The ‘Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi’ officials have clarified to FACTLY that there is no truth in the claim made in the post. Also, when a post with a similar claim went viral in 2021, the Sunni Waqf Board officials denied the claim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched the internet for information regarding the claim made in the post, we could not find any credible news reports. If the Sunni Waqf Board made any claim over the wealth related to the Shirdi temple, it would have been widely reported. But there were no such reports. On the website and annual reports of the ‘Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi’, it can be read that the “trust is the Governing and Administrative body of the Shri Saibaba’s Samadhi Temple and all other temples on this premise.”
When we contacted the officials of ‘Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi’, they clarified to us that there is no truth in the claim made in the post. Also, when a post with a similar claim went viral in 2021, the Sunni Waqf Board officials told ‘Vishwas News’ that the post is completely fake. As the post is going viral again, we have also tried to contact the officials at the Maharashtra Waqf board, and this article will be updated upon receiving a response from them.
To sum it up, the Sunni Waqf Board has not made any claim over the entire wealth of ‘Shirdi Sai Sansthan’.
Update (17 December 2022): An official from the Maharashtra State Board of Waqfs has also confirmed to us that the claim made in the post is fake news.

created: December 15, 2022


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Sunny Deol was not attacked by Sikhs during his visit to Gurdwara - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 9, 2020
A video is being shared widely on Facebook claiming that Sunny Deol was attacked at a Gurdwara by people and sent away. In the video, amid a huge crowd, Sunny Deol can be seen escorted by Police personnel. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Video of BJP MP Sunny Deol being attacked at a Gurdwara by people and sent away.
Fact: Video is taken during Sunny Deol’s visit to Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak at Gurdaspur in May 2019. Sunny Deol visited the Gurdwara and offered prayers before launching his campaign for General Elections- 2019. There are no reports that Sunny Deol was attacked during his visit. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for information regarding the video, a Youtube video with a similar claim was found. In the comments section, a user commented that the video is from Sunny Deol’s election campaign on 02 May. During General elections- 2019, Sunny Deol contested as a BJP candidate from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency.
With the earlier clue, when searched for information, news reports were found mentioning that Sunny Deol had visited Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur and offered prayers before starting his campaign for elections. Sunny Deol can be seen in the same attire in these videos taken during his visit to the Gurdwara.
News reports were found which said that it had become difficult to control the crowd who had to come to see Sunny Deol during the visit, but none of the reports had any mention of attacks on Sunny Deol during his visit to Gurdwara. During the search process, Factly found that the same video had gone viral in May 2019 with the same claim.
To sum it up, video taken in May 2019 is now being shared with a false narrative that ‘Sunny Deol was attacked at a Gurdwara by people and sent away’.
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Supreme Court has not passed any judgement to rename India as ‘Bharat’ in all languages - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 26, 2021
A post is being circulated on social media claiming that the Supreme Court of India (SCI) has recently passed a judgement to rename India as ‘Bharat’ in all the languages. This post claim that the Supreme Court’s orders to rename the country as ‘Bharat’, will come into force from 15 June 2021. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Supreme Court of India had ordered the Centre to rename India as ‘Bharat’ in all languages from 15 June 2021.
Fact: In May 2020, a writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court of India (SCI) to change the name of the country from India to ‘Bharat’. A bench headed by CJI SA Bobde had refused to pass any directions to amend the constitution for such name change. The Supreme Court had reiterated in their judgement that India is already called ‘Bharat’ in the constitution. The Supreme Court had said that the writ petition should be treated as a representation and asked the Centre to take a decision on it. Supreme Court hasn’t passed any verdict in favour of renaming the country. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether the Supreme Court of India (SCI) had taken up such a plea to rename the country as ‘Bharat’, we found out that in May 2020, the Supreme Court of India had granted a hearing on a writ petition to change the name of the country from India to Bharat. The petitioner had sought an amendment to Article 1 of the constitution of India to the extent of altering the name of India to ‘Bharat’.
On 02 June 2020, a bench headed by CJI SA Bobde had refused to pass any directions to amend the constitution for such name change of the country. The Supreme Court had disposed of the writ petition.
The Supreme Court had reiterated in their judgement that India is already called ‘Bharat’ in the constitution. The Supreme Court had said that the writ petition should be treated as a representation and asked the Centre to take a decision on it. The Supreme Court had not pronounced a verdict in favour of the name change of the country. News articles published on the Supreme Court judgement can be read here and here.
In 2020, when a similar message was shared on social media, FACTLY published a fact-check article on it. It can be seen here. ‘The Times of India’ had also published a fact-check article about this fake message in June 2020.
To sum it up, the Supreme Court had not passed any judgement to rename the country as Bharat in all languages from 15 June 2021.


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Supreme Court issues important directions regarding pending Criminal Cases against sitting MPs & MLAs
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 19, 2021
The Supreme Court recently penalized eight political parties including the BJP & Congress for flouting its orders related to disclosure of pending criminal cases against party candidates. The court also issued a slew of fresh guidelines in this regard.
The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has recently imposed a penalty on major political parties in its judgment on 10 August 2021, including the BJP and Congress, for not making public, the pending criminal cases of the candidates they had fielded in the Bihar Assembly polls held in 2020. The Bihar elections were the first major election held after the apex court’s directions on 13 February 2020 aimed at decriminalization of politics. The directions have been modified by the Supreme Court in its judgement on 10 August 2021 in response to a plea of contempt filed by advocate Brajesh Singh against ten political parties for flouting its orders regarding disclosing criminal antecedents of candidates in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections.
SC issued orders to make criminal antecedents of contesting candidates public in 2020
On 13 February 2020, noting the increasing criminalization of politics in India and the lack of information about such criminalization among the citizens, the SCI directed that political parties must publish detailed information about the pending criminal cases against the party candidates such as the nature of offences, whether charges have been framed, concerned Court, and case number, along with reasons of selection of the candidate, and why other candidates without criminal antecedents were not selected. The reasons should be based on the qualifications, merit, and achievements of the candidates. All these details were supposed to be uploaded on the websites of the political parties, published in the local vernacular newspaper and a national newspaper, and on the official social media platforms of the party including Facebook and Twitter. We had written a detailed story on this judgment earlier.
In the recent judgement, the 2020 order has been re-interpreted and modified
Further to the directions issued in 2020, the SC bench of Justices R F Nariman and B R Gavai issued additional directions to make “the right of information of a voter more effective and meaningful”. The measures which aim to make access to the information easier and ensure compliance with the SC’s orders are the following.
1 in 3 candidates in Bihar elections had criminal antecedents
The new directions were issued by the SC having noted the subversion of the February 2020 orders in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections which were held in October and November 2020, eight months after the issuance of directions in February 2020. According to the Association for Democratic Reforms’ reports on the Bihar Assembly Elections, it was found that in Phase I of elections, 31% of the candidates had criminal antecedents of which 23% had serious criminal cases against them. Serious criminal cases refer to cases related to murder, kidnapping, attempt to murder, crime against women including rape, etc. Similarly, in Phase II, 34% of total candidates had criminal antecedents and 27% had serious criminal cases against them. In Phase III, 31% of total candidates had criminal antecedents with 24% having serious criminal cases against them. Overall, 32% of the candidates which is 1201 out of 3733, had criminal antecedents.
Among the winning candidates, 68% of those who won as MLAs in 2020 (163 out of 241), had criminal antecedents, up from 58% in 2015. In 2020, 51% of winning candidates had serious criminal cases against them.
Most parties flouted the SC’s order in 2020 during the Bihar elections
In the contempt plea, it was brought to the notice of the SC that two parties had not submitted Form C7 or C8 for any of its candidates completely violating the SC’s Orders from February 2020. Further, it was also commonly observed among political parties that forms were filled in a vague and mechanical manner, or the criminal antecedents were published in newspapers that were of low circulation. It was also observed that ‘winnability’ was specifically provided as a reason for selection by one party and identical reasons for selection were provided for all candidates by another. Also, the forms were not filed for all the candidates from the political party. The SC noted the non-compliance and partial non-compliance to its 2020 Orders and imposed fines on the parties, ranging from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakhs. The Court also added that “these were the first elections which were conducted after issuance of our directions, we are inclined to take a lenient view in the matter. However, we warn them that they should be cautious in future and ensure that the directions issued by this Court as well as the ECI are followed in letter and spirit”. The Court also urged the lawmakers to rise to the occasion and take steps for bringing out necessary amendments so that the involvement of persons with criminal antecedents in the polity is prohibited.
SC directs that cases against sitting legislators cannot be withdrawn without HC’s sanction
In September 2020, the SC asked the High Courts to formulate an action plan to rationalize the disposal of these pending criminal cases against sitting MPs and MLAs. The number of criminal cases pending against the sitting MPs and MLAs was 4,122 in December 2018 which increased to 4,859 in October 2020, according to the report filed by the amicus curiae Vijay Hansaria in the Supreme Court.
On 10 August 2021, the SC ordered that Judges hearing the criminal cases against sitting or former MPs and MLAs should continue in their current posts until further orders of the Supreme Court, subject to retirement/death. Furthermore, the Court also ruled that states cannot withdraw cases against MPs and MLAs without the corresponding high court’s sanction since states could misuse the power conferred under Section 321 of CrPC 1973 which allows for withdrawal of prosecution after obtaining written permission from the state government. The Bench also directed the Registrar General of all High Courts to provide information including details of names of judges, place & date of posting, cases disposed of during posting, etc. as given in the table.


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Supreme court of India has not changed its moto from ‘Satyameva Jayate’ to ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’ - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 25, 2020
A post claiming that Supreme court’s motto has changed from ‘Satyameva Jayate’ to ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’ is doing rounds on social media. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Supreme court’s motto is changed from ‘Satyameva Jayate’ to ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’.
Fact: PIB through a tweet confirmed that the claim about Supreme court’s changing its motto from ‘Satyameva Jayate’ to ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’ is false. Also, we looked through the archives of the supreme court website dating back to 2010 where we could see the moto ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’ on the website. Even the Supreme Court’s logo in Judgments dating back to 2010 is ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’. With this, we can conclude that the Supreme court motto has not changed recently. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with the keywords ‘Supreme court of India motto’ led us to tweet by PIB clearing the air regarding this claim. According to their tweet, the claim that the Supreme courts motto inscription is changed from ‘Satyameva Jayate’ to ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’ is false.
दावा: वायरल ट्वीट में दावा किया जा रहा है कि सुप्रीम कोर्ट का चिन्ह ‘सत्यमेव जयते' की जगह बदलकर ‘यतो धर्मस्ततो जय:' कर दिया गया है.#PIBfactcheck:- यह दावा फर्जी है, सुप्रीम कोर्ट का चिह्न नहीं बदला है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट का ध्येयवाक्य हमेशा ही ‘यतो धर्मस्ततो जय:’ रहा है. pic.twitter.com/yMc9pEMN1U
In a document which is found in the history section of the Supreme Court website which describes the dharma chakra logo, we can see “Yatodharmastato jayah” (Truth alone I uphold) inscribed below the logo.
When we looked through the archives of the Supreme court website on the wayback machine, in the oldest archive which is dated 06 Febuary 2006 we can see the moto ‘Yatodharmastato jayah’ on the letterhead of the then Chief Justice of India VN Khare.
In another such archive dated 20 November 2010, we can find the moto ‘Yatodharmastato jayah’ on the website.
In yet another archive dated 24 October 2010, we can clearly see the moto ‘Yatodharmastato jayah’ on the website. So the claim that Supreme court changed its moto recently is not true.
Even in the Supreme Court judgements dating back to 2009 & 2010, we can see the ‘Yatodharmastato jayah’ logo.
To sum it up, Supreme court did not change its moto recently.
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Supreme Court on Cutting of Trees for developmental projects
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 31, 2021
In this roundup of the important court judgments, we look at directions about improving the condition of fishermen, enabling unorganised sector employees to exercise their voting rights, electoral bonds, and constitution of an expert committee for coming up with guidelines regarding cutting of Trees for developmental projects.
Madras HC: Organise the fishing sector and educate fishermen in respect of hygiene and presentation.
In the case Fisherman Care vs. Union of India & Ors., the Madras high court held that the condition of fishermen should be improved in terms of hygiene, access to insurance and credit facilities, and the fishing sector should be organised.
The high court was hearing a plea by an association of fishermen, which sought to espouse the cause of the four local fishermen who were recently killed on 18 January 2021, by an attack apparently at the hands of the Sri Lankan navy, for allegedly straying beyond the territorial waters of India. The petition requested the award of adequate compensation to the family of the deceased fishermen and provide a government job to the legal heirs of the deceased fisherman’s family and consequently issue directions to take appropriate action in accordance with criminal law against the offenders.
With respect to the demand for compensation and government jobs for the legal heirs of the deceased fishermen, the high court permitted the petitioners to make an appropriate representation to the Department of Fisheries of under Central Government and Department of the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries under the State Government for consideration.
With respect to the question of an investigation into the crime, the court noted that even though the FIR has been lodged in Rameshwaram, the Centre and the State should coordinate to specify a particular authority, that would head the investigation and bring the matter to a logical end by giving a due closure to the families of the deceased fishermen.
The bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy observed that since fishing is a completely unorganised sector, where most fishermen are not registered, the primary task is to organise the sector and educate fishermen in respect of hygiene and presentation. Further, the bench also observed that, apart from housing benefits, insurance and credit facilities need to be made available to the fishermen. In the view of the quantum of pay-out awarded to fishermen during the 61-day period each year when fishermen are not allowed to venture into the sea, the judges remarked that it should be increased as the fishermen are kept away from their only means of earning for a substantial period pursuant to the laws made by the Centre.
Madras HC: Employers should make it possible for their employees to cast their vote on election day
In the case M.A.Shahjahan v. Chief Electoral Officer and Principal Secretary to the Government State of Tamil Nadu Public, the Madras high court held that every citizen should make it possible for every other citizen to participate in the celebration of democracy.
The high court was hearing public interest litigation filed to ensure that pursuant to the Section 135B of the representation of the People Act, 1951, labourers working in the unorganized sector and in private employment are afforded a chance to participate in the exercise of voting at the ensuing state elections.
Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, mandates that election day would be a paid holiday for employees engaged in any business, trade, industrial undertaking, or any other establishment. The PIL submitted that, as a matter of fact, employers do not allow the concerned employees to take a day off and there is little done to enforce the provision. The Election Commission has said that the fine is so insignificant that the provision does not work effectively as a deterrent.
The high court held that both the State Government and the Election Commission should publish appropriate notifications to make the employees aware of their rights so that the employees may assert themselves and take appropriate steps to exercise their franchise. The notification from the Election Commission may also indicate that subsequent complaints may be entertained and if found credible, the complaints may result in criminal proceedings being instituted.
The bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy held that all employers should make it possible for their employees to cast their vote on election day, even if it entails a degree of inconvenience to the employers.
Supreme Court: Refuses to stay Electoral Bonds; Sufficient Safeguards available as purchase and encashment of bonds happening only through banking channels and reflected in public documents
In the case Association for Democratic Reforms vs. Union of India & Ors., the apex court held that purchase as well as encashment of the bonds, happening only through banking channels, is always reflected in documents that eventually come to the public domain.
In 2017, petitions were filed challenging the provisions of Finance Act 2017 which paved the way for anonymous electoral bonds. The Finance Act 2017 introduced amendments in the Reserve Bank of India Act, Companies Act, Income Tax Act, Representation of Peoples Act, and Foreign Contributions Regulations Act to make way for electoral bonds. However, the case became alive only by March 2019.
In the present judgement, the apex court maintained that since the electoral bonds were allowed to be released in 2018, 2019, and 2020 without interruption, and sufficient safeguards are there, there is no justification to stay the electoral bonds at present. Hence, the petitions requesting a stay on the fresh issue of electoral bonds were dismissed. The main petition that challenges the electoral bonds scheme is still pending before the apex court.
The apex court observes that although the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 provides anonymity, the Scheme is intended to ensure that everything happens only through banking channels. While the identity of the purchaser of the bond is withheld, it is ensured that unidentified/ unidentifiable persons cannot purchase the bonds and give it to the political parties. Though the information furnished by the buyer shall be treated confidentially by the authorised bank and shall not be disclosed to any authority for any purposes, it is subject to one exception namely when demanded by a competent court or upon registration of a criminal case by any law enforcement agency.
The bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramaniam held that, at this stage, it is not clear as to how far the allegation of complete anonymity in the financing of political parties by corporate houses, both in India and abroad, is sustainable.
The judgement explains that if the purchase of the bonds, as well as their encashment, could happen only through banking channels, then the financial statements of companies that purchase Electoral Bonds will have to necessarily reflect the amount spent by way of expenditure in the purchase of Electoral Bonds.
Since the Scheme mandates political parties to file an audited statement of accounts and also since the Companies Act requires financial statements of registered companies to be filed with the Registrar of Companies, the purchase as well as encashment of the bonds, happening only through banking channels, is always reflected in documents that eventually come to the public domain.  Hence, all that is required is a little more effort to cull out such information from both sides (purchaser of bond and political party) and do some “match the following”. However, this observation of the court does not seem to be valid since companies are no more required to disclose names of political parties, they made a contribution to and are only required to disclose the total amount of political contribution. In such a case, no amount of match the following may help in identifying the donor & the respective recipient.
Further, the court also rejected the contention that that though the first purchase may be through banking channels for a consideration paid in white money, someone may repurchase the bonds from the first buyer by using black money and hand it over to a political party. The court emphasised that this contention arises out of ignorance of the Scheme as, under Clause 14 of the Scheme, the bonds are not tradable.
Supreme Court: Constituted an expert committee for formulating scientific and policy guidelines with respect to cutting of trees for developmental projects.
In the case Association for Protection of Democratic Rights & Anr. vs. State of Bengal & Ors., the apex court constituted an expert committee for formulating scientific and policy guidelines with respect to cutting of trees for developmental projects. The issue before the court was whether to allow the Government of West Bengal to fell tress in order to construct Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and widen the roads.
The state submitted that the ROBs is a development concern and it is necessary to prevent accidents. The said ROBs can only be constructed after felling of trees that are said to be more than 150 years old. The court notes that, as per the Report of the Expert Committee, about 50 trees have already been felled and another 306 trees are to be felled. Many of those trees are also called ‘historical trees’, which have irreplaceable value.
The judgement observes that the right to clean and healthy environment has been recognised as a fundamental right under Article 21. Additionally, Article 48-A imposes a duty upon the State to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forest and wildlife of the country. Further, India is party to international treaties, agreements and conferences that have committed themselves to sustainable development and growth.
Therefore, the bench of CJI SA Bobde, Justices AS Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian emphasises that it is important to strike a balance between environmental conservation and protection on one hand, and the right to development on the other, while articulating the doctrine of sustainable development. The judgement also highlighted that it is imperative to make a realistic assessment of the economic value of a tree, which may be permitted to fell.
In this view, the supreme court constituted an expert committee for formulating scientific and policy guidelines with respect to cutting of trees for developmental projects. The court directed the committee to submit its recommendations on the following aspects within four weeks from the date of its first meeting:
Featured Image: Important court judgments


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Supreme Court ruled that the use of Firecrackers made with barium and prohibited chemicals are banned nationwide - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 8, 2023
A post claiming that “the Supreme Court of India declared a ban on the sale and use of firecrackers which was previously confined to the Delhi-NCR region” is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Supreme Court bans firecrackers across India
Fact: The Supreme Court did not impose a complete ban on all firecrackers. Instead, it ruled that firecrackers made with barium and prohibited chemicals are banned nationwide. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On a relevant keyword search, we came across an article by Live Law and the First post that discussed the detailed judgment. The Supreme Court clarified that its earlier directions against the use of barium and banned chemicals in firecrackers are applicable across the country, binding all states.
After a thorough review of the order from Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh on 7 November 2023, we found that the order was made while they were considering a request to make Rajasthan follow the court’s ban on specific firecrackers to reduce air and noise pollution. The Supreme Court held that a new order is not required for this issue because the Supreme Court has previously issued several orders that specify actions to reduce air and noise pollution. These orders are now applicable to all states in India, including Rajasthan.
In its 2018 ruling, the Supreme Court issued guidelines related to “green crackers” with the intent of mitigating the environmental impact of fireworks and enhancing air quality. The Court mandated firecracker producers to manufacture and market eco-friendly or “green” fireworks that emitted fewer pollutants and generated less noise. The ruling also set specific time restrictions for igniting fireworks during festivals to minimize disruptions to the general public.
In a 2021 ruling, the Supreme Court issued guidelines to prevent the use of prohibited chemicals in Diwali fireworks. The order mentioned a few prohibited chemicals including barium slats and specified that only firecrackers containing these chemicals were banned, and “green crackers” continued to be allowed, following the 2018 Supreme Court directions.
Factly had previously published an explainer article about the court and tribunal instructions related to fireworks.
To sum up, the Supreme Court ruled that firecrackers made with barium and prohibited chemicals are prohibited nationwide.

created: November 8, 2023


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Supreme Court rules that Answer Sheets & Interview Marks Sheets can be disclosed, but not the Examiner names
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 6, 2016
Reiterating its earlier stand, The Supreme Court held that citizens have a right to access their evaluated answer sheets and interview marks sheet. But the SC also made it clear that the identity of the examiners cannot be disclosed and that such disclosure will lead to confusion and public unrest.
In CBSE Vs Aditya Bandopadhyay case, the Supreme Court (SC) had in 2011 made it clear that every examinee (candidate) will have to the right to access his evaluated answer-books, by either inspecting them or taking certified copies. The Supreme Court has once reiterated that every candidate has the right to get a copy of his answer sheet and interview marks sheet. While disposing an appeal filed by the Kerala Public Service Commission, the Supreme Court also made it clear that the names of the examiners cannot be disclosed.
Answer Sheets & Interview marks are not kept in a Fiduciary Capacity
The Supreme Court was reviewing a decision of the Kerala High Court & Allahabad High Court where in the high courts ruled that candidates are entitled not only to get their scanned copies of the  answer sheet and interview marks but also the names of the examiners who have evaluated the answer sheet. The SC made it clear that the public authority does not keep the answer sheets and interview evaluation sheets in a fiduciary capacity. The SC said that disclosing the marks and the answer sheets to the candidates will ensure that the candidates have been given marks according to their performance in the exam. The SC went onto say that such practice of disclosing answer sheets & interview evaluation sheets will ensure a fair play in this competitive environment, where candidate puts his time in preparing for the competitive exams.
Revealing the Examiner’s identity may lead to Dire Consequences
While dealing with the issue of revealing examiner’s identity, the SC differed with the Kerala & Allahabad high courts and said it did not find any substance in the reasoning given by both the high courts. The SC maintained that the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the examiner stand in a principal-agent relationship and thus is a fiduciary relationship. The SC also said that there is no logical reason for disclosing the examiner’s identity and that it would not benefit the public at large. The SC further said that disclosure may lead to confusion & public unrest and may even lead to a situation where unsuccessful candidates try to take revenge from the examiner.
In the judgment, the SC also felt that disclosing the identity of the examiners could be used by potential candidates for gains by illegal means.

created: February 6, 2016


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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan visuals from Telangana shared as police personnel cleaning Mosques in West Bengal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 16, 2021
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of police personnel cleaning Mosques in West Bengal, under Mamata Banerjee as CM. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Image of police personnel cleaning Mosques in Mamata Banerjee governed West Bengal.
Fact: This image shared in the post shows an old photo of Telangana police personnel cleaning Panjesha Mosque in Bhainsa. As part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan programme in 2016, Adilabad district police cleaned temples and Mosques in their district. This photo has nothing to do with West Bengal. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo is found in a Facebook post made by the news channel ‘AK News’ on 26 June 2016. This channel reported it as visuals of Police personnel cleaning Panjesha mosque in Bhainsa town in Adilabad district, Telangana on the occasion of Ramadan. Several social media users have shared similar photos in June 2016, mentioning it as the visuals of Adilabad district police cleaning Temples and Mosques as part of the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ initiative. They can be seen here and here.
When we searched for more details using these keywords, we found that the ‘Telangana State Police’ had made a Facebook post on 20 June 2016, detailing the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan programme by the Adilabad district police. Telangana Police stated that Adilabad district police had conducted the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan programme by planting trees, cleaning temples and Mosques.
‘ETV Telangana’ news channel had published multiple videos reporting the Adilabad district police’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan programme in the district. They can be seen here and here. In a video published by the ‘ETV Telangana’ news channel, we could see Nirmal police cleaning a temple. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post is old and not related to West Bengal, which is being shared with a misleading communal narrative.
To sum it up, 2016 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan visuals from Telangana is shared as police personnel cleaning Mosques in West Bengal.

created: November 16, 2021


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Swachh Bharat not by Photo ops, but by ensuring rules are followed – The story of a Conscientious Citizen
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 14, 2015
While Swachh Bharat is a laudable initiative, it has only become a photo op  for politicians of all hues. The customary cleaning of the roads a year ago has not made any significant change to the overall situation. Here is the story of a Conscientious Citizen who chose to tread a different path for Swachh Bharat, not by customary cleaning of the roads, but by ensuring that rules are followed in letter & spirit.
Swachh Bharat is arguably the most high profile initiative of the NDA government led by Narendra Modi. But since its launch, it has become more of a photo op for politicians of all hues than bring any substantial change on ground. But here is the story of a Conscientious Citizen who chose to volunteer for the Swachh Bharat not by the customary cleaning of the roads but by ensuring that the rules are followed in letter & spirit.
What is the issue?
Disfigurement of open places by unauthorized posters and ads is a menace that every part of the country is grappling with. Like every other city, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh also faces this issue. Unauthorized posters and ads in open places like walls without the written consent of the owner of the property is a cognizable offence in most states. Like other states, Andhra Pradesh also has a law that prohibits ‘Disfigurement of open places by unauthorized posters and ads’. This a cognizable offence under Andhra Pradesh prevention of disfigurement of open places and prohibition of obscene and objectionable Posters and Advertisements Act, 1997
Section 4 of the said act mandates that, anyone who affixes or inscribes or exhibits such unauthorized posters & ads in open places like walls without the written consent of the owner, shall be punished by an imprisonment of up to 3 months and a Penalty.
What did he do?
E Ravi Kiran, describes himself as a volunteer for Swachh Bharat  and lives in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. For him, Swachh Bharat meant that these walls are free of unauthorized ads and they be instead used for propagating important social message & information relevant to the citizens.
A few days ago, he found that several government walls of Visakhapatnam were painted with posters of FROOTI (a product of Parle Agro). On noticing this, he took pictures of such unauthorized paintings and sent an email to the corporate communications team of Parle Agro citing the relevant provisions of the prevention of disfigurement of open places act and how this act is an offence. He also cited an order of the Commissioner of Police of Visakhapatnam that instructed the Police to take stringent action against such violations. He told them in the email that they remove these ads within seven days failing which he will lodge a complaint with the police under the said act.
What happened after that?
He received a call from the Parle Agro team the very next day and they asked for a few more details. Within the next four days, the organization instructed the ad agency to immediately remove all the ads and white wash the walls. By the end of the 5 day, the walls of Visakhapatnam were cleared of these days and the ad agency duly sent him the pictures of the white washed walls
The Walls of Visakhapatnam now sport a new look
Not just this, Ravi Kiran worked with the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC) & Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) to ensure that the walls of public parks are painted with messages relevant to the citizen. Some of the walls now sport messages relating to ragging as an offence, informing people about the grievance redress portal of the government, warning about harassing women, RTE Act, Segregation of waste etc.
Lesson for Citizens
The success of any government initiative will depend on proper enforcement & implementation than customary functions or photo ops. Ravi Kiran’s story should inspire all of us to take action and ensure that we educate ourselves of these legislations and put them to the right use.


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Swaminarayan Akshardham temple photo shared as the design of Ram temple in Ayodhya - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 11, 2020
A photo is being shared on social media with a claim that it is the design of the Ram temple to be constructed in Ayodhya. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Design of the Ram temple to be constructed in Ayodhya.
Fact: The temple shown in the posted picture is of Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Delhi. Also, the construction design for the Ram temple in Ayodhya is not yet finalised. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the posted picture was searched using the reverse image technique, it was found that the photo is of Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Delhi. So, when searched about that temple on Google maps, the same photo shared in the post was found. More photos related to that temple can be seen here. Therefore, the photo shown in the post is not a construction design of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, it’s a photo of Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Delhi.
When searched on Google to see if the construction plan for the Ram temple in Ayodhya is finalised, no information was found to confirm it. From an article published by ‘The New Indian Express’ on 29 February 2020, it was understood that an organisation called Larsen and Toubro (L&T) came forward to offer construction and design plan for the Ram temple. However,  a member from the ‘Sriram Teerth Kshethra Trust’ has said that the board meeting will be conducted on the first week of March to decide whom it has to handover the responsibility of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. So, the board is yet to take a decision on who will design the construction plan for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
To sum it up, the photo of the temple shared in the post is of Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Delhi. The construction plan for the Ram temple in Ayodhya is not yet finalised.
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Swiss Bank hasn’t revealed that the Congress President has stashed 34 lakh crore rupees with them - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 3, 2019
A piece of news that the Swiss Bank has said that there are 34 lakh crores in the account of the present Congress President is doing rounds on social media widely. Let’s try to check the veracity of the claim made in the post.
Swiss Bank has revealed that there are 34 lakh crore rupees in the account of the present Congress President.
Fact: Swiss Bank hasn’t made any such revelation that the present Congress President Sonia Gandhi has stashed 34 lakh crore rupees with them. Nothing substantial was found to support the claim. So, the claim is FALSE.
Sonia Gandhi is the current President of the Congress party. When googled to check if the Swiss bank has made any revelation about Sonia Gandhi stashing money with them, no results with relevant information were obtained.
If the Swiss bank has really made such revelation, they would have been reported by all the major newspapers and channels in India. But no news agency has reported anything about Swiss bank revealing about Sonia Gandhi stashing money with them. So, the news circulating on social media is baseless.
To conclude, the Swiss Bank hasn’t said that the Congress President has stashed 34 lakh crore rupees with them.
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created: September 3, 2019


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ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలను స్విట్జర్లాండ్ బ్యాన్ చేయలేదు, కేవలం కొన్ని సందర్భాల్లో పరిమితులు పెట్టేందుకు చూస్తోంది - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 8, 2022
“ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలను బ్యాన్ చేసిన స్విట్జర్లాండ్”, అని చెప్తూ ఒక పోస్ట్‌ని సోషల్ మీడియాలో కొంత మంది షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఆ పోస్ట్‌లో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో చూద్దాం.
క్లెయిమ్: ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలను బ్యాన్ చేసిన స్విట్జర్లాండ్.
ఫాక్ట్: ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలను స్విట్జర్లాండ్ బ్యాన్ చేయలేదు. ఈ శీతాకాలంలో ఇంధన సంక్షోభాన్ని ఎదుర్కొనేందుకు అత్యవసర ప్రతిపాదనలను మాత్రమే రూపొందించింది. ‘Ordinance on Restrictions and Prohibitions on the Use of Electric Energy’ని స్విట్జర్లాండ్ 08 డిసెంబర్ 2022 నాటికి ఇంకా అమలు చేయలేదు. కావున, పోస్ట్‌లో ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలను స్విట్జర్లాండ్ బ్యాన్ చేసినట్టు చెప్తూ తప్పుదోవ పట్టిస్తున్నారు.
పోస్ట్‌లో చెప్పిన విషయం గురించి గురించి ఇంటర్నెట్‌లో వెతకగా, స్విట్జర్లాండ్ ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాల బ్యాన్‌కి సంబంధించి వివిధ వార్తాసంస్థలు ప్రచురించిన ఆర్టికల్స్ సెర్చ్ రిజల్ట్స్‌లో వచ్చాయి.  స్విట్జర్లాండ్ ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాల బ్యాన్ చేయలేదని, ఈ శీతాకాలంలో ఇంధన సంక్షోభాన్ని ఎదుర్కొనేందుకు అత్యవసర ప్రతిపాదనలను మాత్రమే రూపొందించినట్టు ‘మింట్’ అర్టికల్‌లో చదవచ్చు. ఇదే విషయం చెప్తూ ఇతర వార్తాసంస్థలు ప్రచురించిన ఆర్టికల్స్‌ని ఇక్కడ, ఇక్కడ, మరియు ఇక్కడ చదవచ్చు.
‘Ordinance on Restrictions and Prohibitions on the Use of Electric Energy’ని స్విట్జర్లాండ్ 08 డిసెంబర్ 2022 నాటికి ఇంకా అమలు చేయలేదు, కేవలం ముసాయిదాను తయారు చేసి సంప్రదింపులకు పంపించింది.
అంతేకాదు, ‘Ordinance on Restrictions and Prohibitions on the Use of Electric Energy’ అమలు అయినా, అన్నీ సందర్భాల్లో ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలు బ్యాన్ అవవు. కేవలం విద్యుత్ కొరత ‘ఎస్కలేషన్ స్టెప్ 3’ స్టేజీకి వచ్చినప్పుడు మాత్రమే, ఇతర వాటితో పాటు ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలపై కూడా పరిమితులు విధిస్తారు.
చివరగా, ఎలక్ట్రిక్ వాహనాలను స్విట్జర్లాండ్ బ్యాన్ చేయలేదు, కేవలం కొన్ని సందర్భాల్లో నియంత్రించేందుకు చూస్తుంది.

created: December 8, 2022


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Switzerland has not yet enforced a ban on EVs; it just drafted an ordinance proposing a partial ban on EVs amid the power crisis - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 9, 2022
A post is being shared on social media claiming that Switzerland had banned electric vehicles (EVs) in the country. Multiple other users have also shared similar posts claiming that the Swiss government had enforced a ban on electric vehicles due to an expected energy crisis during the winter in their country. Let’s verify the claims made by these posts.
Claim: Switzerland banned electric vehicles in their country.
Fact: Recently, the Switzerland government drafted an emergency ordinance proposing restrictions and prohibitions on the use of electric energy to avoid the power crisis during the winter season. As part of this ordinance, the Switzerland government proposed a partial ban on the usage of electric vehicles to avoid power shortages. But, as on 09 December 2022, the ‘Ordinance on Restrictions and Prohibitions on the Use of Electric Energy’ is not enforced in Switzerland. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On searching for the details of the claim made in the post, we found a few latest news reports informing of a possible partial ban on the usage of electric vehicles in Switzerland. The ‘Live Mint’ in the latest press report clarified that the Switzerland government has not yet enforced a ban on electric vehicles in their country, but drafted an ordinance proposing regulations on the usage of electric energy to avoid the power crisis during the winter season. Reporting the same, several news websites published articles. They can be seen here, here, and here.
As on 09 December 2022, the ‘Ordinance on Restrictions and Prohibitions on the Use of Electric Energy is not enforced by the Switzerland government and is still at a draft stage. The Swiss government just prepared the draft and sent for an abridged consultation until 12 December 2022.
Even if the ‘Ordinance on Restrictions and Prohibitions on the Use of Electric Energy’ is implemented, the usage of electric vehicles will not be restricted in all cases. The draft produced by the Switzerland government reads, “The private use of electric cars is only permitted for absolutely necessary journeys (e.g. exercising one’s profession, shopping, visiting the doctor, attending religious events, attending court appointments).” The proposed restrictions on the usage of electric vehicles and others will be enforced only when the power shortages in Switzerland reaches the ‘Escalation Step 3’ stage mentioned in the proposed ordinance.
To sum it up, Switzerland drafted an emergency ordinance proposing a partial ban on electric vehicles amid the power crisis. However, this ordinance is not yet enforced as of 09 December 2022.

created: December 9, 2022


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Taj Mahal had nearly 7 million visitors during the year 2018-19 and the revenue was around Rs. 77.9 crores. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 5, 2019
A post with the comparison of annual visitor and annual turnover figures between the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Unity is being shared widely on social media. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Annually, an average of 7.5 lakh people visit the Taj Mahal and 26 lakh people visit the Statue of Unity.
Fact: Nearly 70 lakh people visited Taj Mahal during the year 2018-19 and around 26 lakh people visited the Statue of Unity in nearly 11 months since its inauguration. Hence the comparison made in the post is FALSE.
Average Annual turnover of the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Unity are approximately Rs. 22.3 crores and Rs. 71.6 crores respectively.
Fact: The revenue from the Taj Mahal during the year 2018-19 is approximately Rs. 77.9 crores. An amount of nearly Rs. 71.66 crores were collected by selling tickets to the tourists at the Statue of Unity in nearly 11 months since its inaugural. Hence the comparison made in the post is FALSE.
Statue of Unity – Figures:
When searched about the number of annual visitors to the Statue of Unity on Google, an article by Times of India (ToI) was found in the search results. According to the article, nearly 26 lakh people visited the Statue of Unity in nearly 11 months since its augural. Talking to ToI, Additional Chief Secretary, Forests & Environment Department and Managing Director of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) Rajiv Gupta said, ‘Sardar Vallabhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) had already collected Rs. 71.66 crore through sale of tickets to tourists. Over 2.6 million tickets have been sold so far.…’. Also, the live tourist footfall dashboard on the Statue of Unity website show that nearly 28 lakh people (as on today) visited the statue.
Taj Mahal – Figures:
When searched for similar information regarding the Taj Mahal, an answer given by the Ministry of Culture in the Lok Sabha was found. In answer to a question in Lok Sabha on the monuments, Prahlad Singh Patel [Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism] provided details about the number of tourists and the revenue generated by the centrally protected ticketed monuments in last three years. The figures for the Taj Mahal can be found in the below charts:
Comparison:
While the numbers given in the post regarding the Statue of Unity are true to an extent, the numbers given for the Taj Mahal are totally false. The Taj Mahal had nearly 70 lakh visitors, not 7.5 lakh visitors, in the last one year (2018-19). And, the Taj Mahal ticketing revenue for the year 2018-19 is approximately Rs. 77.9 crores. Even if the average of the last three years’ revenue is taken (as taken in the post), then also it is around 61.4 crores. So, the claim that the Statue of Unity earned three times more than the Taj Mahal’s average annual turnover is false.
Also, the comparison cannot be made between the two monuments takingthe figures given above because:
1. While the figures given for the Taj Mahal are for the financial year 2018-19, the figures for the Statue of Unity were taken from Oct 31 2018 to October 2019. So, the reference period is different.
2. The revenue collected from the tickets cannot be compared because the ticket prices of the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Unity are different. Also, both the monuments have various tickets variants.
To sum it up, the Statue of Unity did not earn 3 times more than the Taj Mahal’s average annual turnover.
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created: November 5, 2019


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Taj Vivanta hotel in Srinagar is shared as house of Ghulam Nabi Azad in Kashmir - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 19, 2019
On Social Media, a photo of a large building is being shared by many internet users with a claim that it is the house of Congress leader Ghulam Nabhi Azad in Kashmir.  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Image of the house of Ghulam Nabi Azad in Kashmir.
Fact: The image shared as the house of Ghulam Nabi Azad in Kashmir  is actually that of ‘Hotel Taj Vivanta Dal’ in Srinagar. So, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo in the tweet is subjected to Google Reverse Image Search technique, search results obtained said it to be ‘Hotel Taj Vivanta Dal’ in Srinagar.
Information from the Taj Vivanta hotels website confirmed its presence in Kashmir with the name ‘Hotel Taj Vivanta Dal’. On the hotel’s website, many photos of that hotel can be seen but the particular photo used in the tweet wasn’t found.
On the further search, that photo of the hotel was found in an article of ‘Greater Kashmir’. From the article, it was found that the photo is of ‘Hotel Taj Vivanta Dal’ in Srinagar. The photo gallery of ‘Hotel Taj Vivanta Dal’ on Google maps has that photo and this can be seen here.
To conclude, the building in the image is not the house of Ghulam Nabi Azad in Kashmir. It is the Taj Vivanta hotel in Srinagar.
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Taking loan from a Digital Lending Platform? Here is what you should know
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 31, 2020
Incidents of harassment leading to suicide of customers who availed loans from digital lending platforms have come to light in Telangana & other states. In this age of digitization, what all should customers be aware of while taking loans from digital lending platforms? Here is a detailed explainer.
Taking note of multiple reports about individuals and small businesses falling prey to the increasing number of unauthorized digital lending platforms and mobile applications, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cautioned the members of the public not to fall prey to such platforms. The RBI advised the public to verify the antecedents of the company or firm that is offering loans online or through mobile applications. The caution comes at a time when there have been incidents of suicide being reported from Telangana following harassment by such digital moneylenders over repayment. The state’s police department has launched a crackdown on call centers and loan app offices.
What is digital lending?
The practice of lending money through digital platforms such as mobile applications is known as digital lending. The entire process involved right from applying for a loan and its disbursement takes place through digital platforms. Digital lending is an emerging service and gained momentum during the lockdown because of easy access using smartphones without having to physically go to banks or other moneylenders.
The process of availing of loans is quick through mobile applications. One may be asked to fill out a form and upload certain documents and upon completion & verification, the persons have approved the loan in just a few minutes. There are multiple advantages for digital lending such as saving time, reduction in overhead costs, minimal paperwork, convenience, and financial inclusion. Those who cannot avail of loans in banks can avail through such online platforms. Such ease of access is what attracts customers. However, there are many loopholes & problems with these platforms which have been exploited by unscrupulous elements.
Online money lending applications may exploit customers
Online applications may have hidden charges and charge exorbitant rates of interest. While installing such applications, the user may give consent for the application to access their personal data which puts the customer’s data at risk. The possibility of data misuse also cannot be ruled out. Since digital lending platforms are gaining popularity, the number of unauthorized digital lending platforms and mobile applications are growing by the day increasing the scope of misuse & fraud.  Going by the issues found by the Police in Telangana, such lending platforms also harass the customers over repayment.
RBI has issued notification for digital lending platforms earlier
Both banks and NBFCs are engaged in digital platforms for providing loans to customers. Some NBFCs are also registered with the RBI as ‘digital-only’ lending entities whereas some have registered themselves to work both on digital as well as brick-mortar channels (physical presence) of credit delivery. Both banks and NBFCs may lend money directly through their own digital platforms or may do so by outsourcing to other such platforms.
Earlier, in June 2020, the RBI, observing that lending platforms tend to portray themselves as lenders without disclosing the name of the bank or NBFC at the back end, issued the fair practices code and outsourcing guidelines. The RBI felt that such behaviour by the digital platforms prevents customers from accessing the grievance redressal mechanism which is available under the regulatory framework. The RBI urged banks and NBFCs to adhere to fair practices and outsourcing guidelines in loans sourced through the digital lending platforms. The RBI issued the following instructions to be followed by banks & NBFCs when they engage digital lending platforms.
Banks, NBFCs, and other entities registered with RBI or State level authority can provide loans digitally
As per the latest RBI press release in December 2020 with respect to digital lending platforms, only banks and NBFCs registered with the central bank, and other entities that are regulated by State Governments under the legal statutes in the state such as money-lending acts, can undertake legitimate public lending activities. The bank has advised the public to verify the antecedents of the company or firm that is offering loans through digital platforms. There are several digital lending applications that are not authorized by financial regulators to which people may fall prey to. Since these are unauthorized, it will be difficult for the central banks to monitor such lending applications. The public can access the list of scheduled commercial banks & NBFCs registered with the RBI from the RBI website. Details of names and addresses of the NBFCs are available which may be used by the public to cross-check the authenticity of NBFCs lending money through digital platforms. To file complaints against the entities that are regulated by the RBI, one can use the RBI’s compliant management system website.
Customers to report unauthorized applications to the RBI
The RBI  has also advised consumers not to share copies of KYC documents with unidentified persons and unverified/unauthorized applications. In case people come across such applications, the details of the application and bank account information associated with the application should be reported to the concerned law enforcement authority. One also has the option to report it online by filing a complaint online through the SACHET portal.
DLAI has also given pointers to identify unreliable applications
Following RBI’s caution notice, the Digital Lenders Association of India, which is an industry body of ‘Digital Lenders’ has also issued the following checklist to identify unorganized and unreliable apps.
Customers have to be watchful
Online lending platforms are commonplace in this age of digitalization and hence cannot be banned. But the experience of the last few years shows that there has to be a legal code of conduct that emphasizes on transparency and consumer protection while using online platforms for availing loans. Customers must be made aware of the things to check & possible traps while using such platforms. One main reason behind people turning to such platforms for loans is because of the inability of the banks to address the needs of borrowers. Addressing such needs to extend credit to even those in the informal sector will go a long way in preventing these frauds.
At the same time, customers also should be watchful while using such platforms. Here are three things one must keep a note of while using such platforms.
Featured Image: Digital Lending Platform

created: December 31, 2020


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Tamberi was not injured when he shared the gold medal with Barshim in Men’s high jump at Tokyo 2020 Olympics - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 5, 2021
A post is being shared on social media claiming that Qatar high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim had agreed to share the men’s high jump gold medal considering his opponent Tamberi’s serious leg injury. This post claims that Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi was severely injured during the ‘Tokyo Olympics 2020’. For context, Tamberi and Barshim have mutually agreed to share the men’s high jump gold medal in Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Qatar’s Barshim decided to share the men’s high jump gold medal with Italy’s Tamberi in Tokyo Olympics after Tamberi withdrew from the last attempt due to a serious leg injury.
Fact: While it is true that Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi have mutually agreed to share the men’s high jump Olympic gold medal, it is not true that Tamberi withdrew from his last attempt due to a serious leg injury. As both Tamberi and Barshim have failed to clear the 2.39m mark in their last three attempts, they decided to  share the gold medal rather than taking part in a jump-off. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched to find the details of the claim made in the post, we found several news articles that reported this rare moment of two high jumpers sharing an Olympic gold medal. They can be read here and here. According to these articles, both Barshim and Tamberi have amicably decided to share the men’s high jump Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 games. While interacting in a post-match press conference, Qatar high jumper Barshim had revealed the reasons behind his decision to share the gold medal with Italian high jumper Tamberi. Barshim said, “For me, coming here, I know for a fact that for the performance I did, I deserve that gold. He did the same thing. So, I know he deserves that Gold.”.
Barshim and Tamberi were locked in first place after an exhausting two-hour men’s high jump competition on 01 August 2021. Both players had recorded best clearances of 2.37 metres. The athletes were offered an opportunity to take part in a jump-off after both had three failures in clearing the Olympic record of 2.39 meter mark. But, Barshim and Tamberi had agreed to share the men’s high jump gold medal rather than taking part in a jump-off. The complete information on choosing a winner in the High Jump competition can be found on the ‘World Athletics’ website.
In 2016, Italian high jumper Tamberi had suffered a ligament tear in his left ankle.  Because of this injury, Tamberi had not participated in the Rio Olympic games. After this injury, Tamberi was sidelined from the High Jump competition for 11 months. In July 2018, Barshim too had suffered an ankle ligament injury while attempting to break the world record of 2.46 m. Both faced serious injuries before the ‘Tokyo 2020’ games. It is nowhere reported that Italian high jumper Tamberi was injured during the Tokyo Olympic Games.
To sum it up, Tamberi was not injured when he shared the gold medal with Barshim in the men’s high jump at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

created: August 5, 2021


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Tamil Nadu has the most number of NSS Volunteers
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 9, 2016
The National Service Scheme (NSS) is the foremost community service scheme in the country. As on date, more than 36 lakh volunteers are enrolled into the scheme with most coming from Tamil Nadu.
The National Service Scheme, popularly known as NSS was launched in Gandhiji’s Birth Centenary Year 1969, in 37 Universities involving 40,000 students with primary focus on the development of personality of students through community service. As on date, NSS has more than 36 lakh volunteers with more than 39000 units across the country.
History of NSS
The idea of introducing social service for students was considered by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) in 1950. In this meeting, the Board recommended that students should devote some time to manual work on a voluntary basis. In the draft First Five year Plan adopted by the Government of India in 1952, the need for social and labour service for students for one year was further stressed. In 1959, a draft outline of the voluntary service scheme was placed before the Education Minister’s Conference. In 1960, Prof. K.G. Saiyidain studied national service by students implemented in several countries of the world and submitted his report under the title “National Service for the Youth” to the Government with a number of recommendations. After various consultations, the scheme was finally launched on September 24, 1969 in 37 universities covering all States. An outlay of Rs 5 crore was sanctioned for the NSS in the fourth five year plan.
The NSS volunteers engage in various community service initiatives such as the Blood Donation drives, Plantation, Immunization drives, Shramdaan, Disaster management etc. The volunteers are expected to put in 120 hours in community service every year.
More than 39000 NSS units across the country
As of 31 March 2016, a total of 39695 NSS units were operating in the country in the various States/UTs. These units are present in 29152 institutions across the country. Majority of the institutions covered under NSS are colleges or technical institutions. A total of 391 universities and more than 12000 schools are also covered by the NSS.
Out of the 39695 NSS units in the country, more than 5000 units are in Tamil Nadu followed by 3798 in Maharashtra. Only 7 states have more than 2000 NSS units while 15 states have more than 1000 NSS units. Seven different States/UTs have less than 100 NSS units. Of the bigger states, Bihar has the least NSS units at 664. Of the various NSS units, 36615 are government funded while the rest are self funded units.
Tamil Nadu has more than 4 lakh NSS volunteers
There are more than 36 lakh NSS volunteers across the country. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of NSS volunteers followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka respectively. Only 6 states have more than 2 lakh volunteers each while 14 states have more than a lakh volunteers each. Four UTs have less than 2000 volunteers each. Kerala & Punjab are the only two big states where the number of female NSS volunteers is more than the number of male NSS volunteers. Nagaland has the highest average number of volunteers per unit (525) and West Bengal has the lowest average number of volunteers per unit (45).
The government has allotted Rs 95.98 crore for NSS in 2015-16 more than the Rs 92.18 crore allotted in 2014-15.
Featured Image:NSS

created: August 9, 2016


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Target RIO 2016: 57 Indians qualified so far - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 3, 2015
The RIO Olympics 2016 are just 9 months away and India hopes to better its tally of 6 medals in 2012. To achieve the goal, the government has launched the TOP Scheme to extend financial assistance to potential medal winners. A total of 106 sportspersons have so far been identified under this scheme. Also, 57 sportspersons have qualified so far for the Rio Olympics.
The 2016 Rio Olympics are less than 9 months away. India is planning to better its 2012 tally of 6 medals. This would be possible only if India is able to send a contingent of at least 100 athletes. According to information available with the government, 57 Indians have qualified so far for the 2016 Olympics, out of which 32 are from Hockey (Men & Women).
What is the Government doing to improve the medal tally?
The Government has formulated the ‘Target Olympic Podium Scheme’ (TOP Scheme). The funding for this scheme will come from the National Sports Development Fund. The objective of the scheme is to identify and support potential medal prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. The selected athletes are being provided financial assistance for their customized training at Institutes having world class facilities and other necessary support.
A total of 106 sportspersons including 9 Para athletes have been identified to be funded under this scheme. Financial assistance is being provided for customized training and other support after scrutiny of the proposals from them.
Out of the 106 sportspersons selected for the TOP scheme, 26 are from Athletics, 10 each from Badminton & Boxing, 19 from Shooting, 16 from Archery and 9 from Wrestling.
So far, 88 sportspersons have applied for assistance and an assistance of Rs.6.22 crore has been sanctioned to them. The total outlay for the scheme is about 43 crore.
Plans for RIO 2016
The Sports Ministry has identified 9 sports disciplines (Athletics, Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Hockey, Shooting, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling) Rio Olympics 2016. The training of sportspersons in these 9 sports disciplines is on with both Indian & Foreign Coaches.
Tennis players have their own individual training plans.
How many have qualified so far?
Till date, 25 individual sportspersons and Hockey teams (Men & Women) of 16 members each, have qualified for Rio Olympics 2016, taking the total to 57.
Many more are expected to qualify especially from Boxing, Badminton, Tennis, and Wrestling etc where the qualifiers are pending. Some of those qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics have been strangely left out of the TOP scheme. Athletes Baljinder Singh, Chandan Singh, Jaisha, Sudha Singh, Lalita and Shooter Miraj Ahmed Khan have been left out of the TOP scheme. The government does not give any concrete reason for leaving them out.

created: December 3, 2015


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Tata Group-owned Air India currently offers only 25% concession on base ticket fares for senior citizens - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 21, 2023
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced a 50% concession on Air India base ticket fares for senior citizens over 60 years. The post claims that all senior citizens of Indian nationality, including NRIs and OCI holders, are eligible to avail of these benefits from Air India. Adding that this scheme was applicable for only domestic flights, the post credited the special scheme to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The post provided a link directing to the official website of Air India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Ministry of Civil Aviation announced the 50% concession on Air India base ticket fares for senior citizens over 60 years.
Fact: The TATA Group took over Air India from the government in January 2022, and is presently managing the complete operations of Air India. Following the takeover, the Tata Group reduced the senior citizen concession from 50% to 25% in September 2022. Even during the UPA government, before 2014, the then-state-run Air India airlines provided 50% concession to senior citizens over 63 years in domestic flights. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
The link provided in the post directs us to the senior citizen concession section on the ‘Air India’ website. In the senior citizen concession section of the website, Air India stated that a senior citizen of Indian Nationality, permanently residing in India and should have attained the age of 60 years on the date of commencement of the journey, is eligible to avail 25% discount of basic fare on selected booking classes in the Economy cabin.
The TATA Group took over Air India from the government in January 2022 and is presently managing the complete operations of the Air India. Before the Tata Group took over the Air India company, the then state-run Air India company provided 50% concession to senior citizens over 60 years flying in domestic flights. Following the takeover, the Tata Group reduced the senior citizen concession from 50% to 25% in September 2022.
Even during the UPA government, before 2014, Air India provided 50% concession to senior citizens over 63 years in domestic flights. Currently, Air India  offers only 25% concession to senior citizens in their domestic flights, not 50% as mentioned in the post.
To sum it up, the Tata Group-owned Air India currently offers only 25% concession on base ticket fares for senior citizens.

created: February 21, 2023


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“Tata’s Rs.1000 crore Diwali gift for cancer patients” was in 2017, not in 2019 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 28, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook with a claim that Ratan Tata has donated Rs. 1000 crore for cancer patients for this Diwali. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
This Diwali, Ratan Tata has donated Rs.1000 crore for cancer patients.
Fact: While it is true that Ratan Tata has donated Rs.1000 crore for cancer patients, it was in 2017, not in 2019. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
In the post, the photo of ‘Mumbai Mirror’ article can be seen. So, when searched on Google with the keywords ‘Tata 1000 crore Mumbai Mirror’, the ‘Mumbai Mirror’ article can be found in the search results. It can be seen that the article was published in 2017. In the article, it can be read that the “Tata Trusts, led by Ratan Tata, has pledged Rs 1,000 crore and other resources to help the central government develop cancer-care facilities in five states, an initiative that promises to drastically improve access to treatment for thousands of patients.”
Also, it can found that, in 2017, the Vice President of India has posted on Facebook praising Ratan Tata for his gesture.
To sum it up, “Tata’s Rs.1000 crore Diwali gift for cancer patients” was in 2017, not in 2019.
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created: October 28, 2019


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Tax you pay while buying Diesel
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 11, 2017

created: September 11, 2017


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Tax you pay while buying Petrol - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 11, 2017


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Taxes you pay on Petrol & Diesel
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 22, 2018
CLICK HERE for an updated version of this article with latest numbers.
1. The Central Excise Duty on Petrol increased from Rs 9.48 per liter to a high of Rs 21.48 per liter. In October 2017, the excise duty on Petrol was reduced by Rs 2 per liter, the first such reduction by the BJP government.  On the other hand, the duty on Diesel increased by more than 4 times from Rs 3.56 per liter to a high Rs 17.33 per liter. Like Petrol, the duty was reduced by Rs 2 per liter in October 2017 to Rs 15.33 per liter.
2. The State VAT on petrol is at least 25% in 20 states with the highest in Mumbai at 39.78%. The State VAT on diesel is more than 20% in 12 states and highest of 28.47% in Andhra Pradesh.
3. The central government revenue through excise duty on petrol & diesel more than tripled between 2013-14 and 2016-17. During the same period, the state government revenue through VAT increased marginally.
4. In the retail selling price of diesel (in Delhi at IOCL as of 21st May 2018), 37.3% is taxes. In other words, for every Rs 100 you pay for diesel, Rs 37.3 goes to the government in the form the taxes in Delhi. This is will more or less in different states based on the State VAT & other factors.
5. In the retail selling price of petrol (in Delhi at IOCL as of 21st May 2018), 46.7% is taxes. In other words, for every Rs 100 you pay for petrol, Rs 46.7 goes to the government in the form the taxes in Delhi. This is will more or less in different states based on the State VAT & other factors.


text:
Taxes you pay on Petrol & Diesel
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 10, 2018
1. The Central Excise Duty on Petrol increased from Rs 9.48 per liter to a high of Rs 21.48 per liter. In October 2017, the excise duty on Petrol was reduced by Rs 2 per liter, the first such reduction by the BJP government.  On the other hand, the duty on Diesel increased by more than 4 times from Rs 3.56 per liter to a high Rs 17.33 per liter. Like Petrol, the duty was reduced by Rs 2 per liter in October 2017 to Rs 15.33 per liter.
2. The State VAT on petrol is at least 25% in 21 states with the highest in Mumbai at 39.12%. The State VAT on diesel is more than 20% in 14 states and highest of 28.08% in Andhra Pradesh.
3. The Central Government revenue from excise duty on petrol & diesel more than tripled between 2013-14 and 2017-18. During the same period, the State Governments revenue through VAT also increased by more than 38%.
4. In the Retail Selling Price of Diesel (in Delhi at IOCL as of 3rd September 2018), 36.2% is taxes. In other words, for every Rs 100 you pay for diesel, Rs 36.2 goes to the government in the form the taxes if you are in Delhi. The amount of taxes will be different in different states based on the State VAT & other factors.
5. In the Retail Selling Price of Petrol (in Delhi at IOCL as of 3rd September 2018), 45.9% is taxes. In other words, for every Rs 100 you pay for petrol, Rs 45.9 goes to the government in the form the taxes if you are in Delhi. The amount of taxes will be different in different states based on the State VAT & other factors.

created: September 10, 2018