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Banks are not continuously closed from 26th September 2019 to 30th September 2019 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 17, 2019
Update on 24 September 2019: Following the discussions of the Government with the Bank Unions, the unions have decided to defer the 2-day strike. Banks will continue to work as usual on 26 & 27 September.
A message is currently going viral on several social media platforms that banks are continuously closed from 26th September 2019 to 30th September 2019. The message requests people to plan accordingly. Let’s find out if the bank are really closed all through the mentioned dates.
Banks are closed continuously from 26th September 2019 to 30th September 2019.
Fact: Not all bank employees are involved in the strike announced on 26th and 27th September 2019 and there is no Half Yearly Closing holiday for banks on 30 September 2019. Hence, the claim that all banks are continuously closed for 5 days is Misleading.
While it is true that four bank unions namely,  All India Bank Officer’s Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Officer’s Association (AIBOA), Indian National Bank Officer’s Congress (INBOC) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO) have given a strike call from the midnight of 25th September to midnight of 27th September protesting against the amalgamation of 10 public sector banks announced by Finance minister on 30 August 2019, not all bank employees may participate in the strike and the private banks may be functioning normally.
State Bank of India (SBI) in its regulatory filing said “While bank has made all arrangements to ensure normal functioning in its branches and offices, it is likely that work in our bank may be impacted to some extent by the strike“
Another day claimed as holiday in the post is 30 September 2019 owing to
Banks’ half-yearly closing of accounts. The list of Holidays  on the RBI website does not list 30 September 2019 as a Holiday. While the the banks are closed on the 1st of April every year due to yearly closing of accounts, there is no such holiday for half yearly closing of accounts.
To conclude, public sector bank operations may be affected due to the strike call given by four unions but operations will run normally on other days.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?

created: September 17, 2019


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Barack Obama has never said India will go bankrupt under Narendra Modi as PM - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 8, 2022
A post is being shared on social media claiming that former US President Barack Obama has recently made a statement saying that India will go bankrupt if Narendra Modi comes to power again in the country. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Former US President Barack Obama said India will go bankrupt if Narendra Modi regains power in the country.
Fact: Barack Obama did not make any such statement against Narendra Modi’s governance or predicted about Indian economy going bankrupt. In his book ‘A Promised Land’, Barack Obama expressed his concerns saying that BJP is touting divisive nationalism in India. Although Obama praised Manmohan Singh multiple times for his contribution to the modernisation of the Indian economy, he did not make any statement about the Indian economy going bankrupt under the Narendra Modi’s governance. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether former US President Barack Obama had made any such statement saying India will go bankrupt if Prime Minister Narendra Modi regains power in the country, we could not find any news report about such a statement by Obama. If Barack Obama had made such a statement, it would have been reported widely. Barack Obama did not make any such comments against Narendra Modi or the Indian economy on his official Twitter and Instagram handles.
Barack Obama in his memoir  ‘A Promised Land’, released in 2020, expressed his concerns over divisive nationalism allegedly touted by BJP in India. According to the reports, Obama in his book stated, “I wondered what would happen when he (Dr. Manmohan Singh) left office. Would the baton be successfully passed to Rahul, fulfilling the destiny laid out by his mother and preserving the Congress Party’s dominance over the divisive nationalism touted by the BJP?”
While expressing his opinion about Narendra Modi at the 2017 Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Barack Obama said, “I like him. I think he has a vision for the country. He is modernizing elements of bureaucracy.” Further, Obama added, “I was also great friends with Dr (Manmohan) Singh. When you look at the steps Dr. Singh took to modernizing the economy; it was the foundation for modernizing Indian economy.” Barack Obama during the summit regarded both Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi as sound leaders and praised both for taking bold steps to develop India’s economy and US-India relationship.  Although Barack Obama praised Manmohan Singh’s contribution in modernising the Indian economy on multiple occasions, he never undermined the Indian economy under Narendra Modi as PM.
To sum it up, former US President Barack Obama has never said India will go bankrupt under Narendra Modi’s governance.

source: news-factly

created: December 8, 2022

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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BBC వారు మోడీ EVM టాంపరింగ్ చేయిపించాడని, ఆ డీల్ విలువ 20 వేల కోట్లని ఎక్కడా వెల్లడించలేదు - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 11, 2019
‘మోడీ EVM ట్యాపింగ్ 20 వేల కోట్ల డీల్, తేల్చేసిన BBC సంస్ధ’ అంటూ కొంతమంది ఫేస్బుక్ లో పోస్ట్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఈ పోస్ట్ లో పేర్కొన్న ఆరోపణల్లో ఎంతవరకు నిజం ఉందొ విశ్లేషిద్దాం.
మోడీ EVM టాంపరింగ్ డీల్ విలువ 20 వేల కోట్లని BBC వార్తా సంస్ధ వెల్లడించింది.
పోస్ట్ లో ఉన్నది  2018లో ఒక న్యూస్ ఛానల్ ప్రసారం చేసిన న్యూస్ బులెటిన్ కి సంబంధించిన ఫోటోలు. BBC తన కథనాల్లో ఎక్కడా కూడా మోడీ EVM టాంపరింగ్ చేయిపించాడని, ఆ డీల్ విలువ 20 వేల కోట్లని వెల్లడించలేదు.  కావున, పోస్ట్ లో చెప్పింది తప్పు.
పోస్ట్ లో ఉన్నది “CVR News” వారు ప్రసారం చేసిన న్యూస్ అని తెలుస్తుంది. యూట్యూబ్ లో ఆ వార్తా కథనం గురించి వెతికినప్పుడు, న్యూస్ బులెటిన్ లభించింది. ఆ వీడియో యొక్క టైం స్టాంప్ చూసినట్లయితే అది 2018లో ప్రసారం అయినట్లుగా అర్ధం అవుతుంది. అంటే ఏప్రిల్-మే 2019 లో జరిగిన లోక్ సభ ఎన్నికలకు ముందు ప్రసారం అయిన వీడియో అది.
అట్లానే BBC వార్తా సంస్ధ “భారత దేశ EVM ల హ్యాకింగ్” కి సంబంధించి ప్రచురించిన కథనాల గురించి వెతికినప్పుడు, ఆ వార్తా సంస్థ 2010లో ప్రచురించిన కథనం లభించింది. అందులో, అమెరికాకి చెందిన యూనివర్సిటి ఆఫ్ మిషిగన్ శాస్త్రవేత్తలు భారతదేశ EVM లను హ్యాకింగ్ చేయవచ్చని నిరూపించారని BBC వారు ప్రచురించారు. అంతే కానీ  BBC వారు ఎక్కడా కూడా మోడీ EVM టాంపరింగ్ చేపించాడని, ఆ డీల్ విలువ 20 వేల కోట్లని వెల్లడించలేదు.
చివరగా, BBC వారు మోడీ EVM టాంపరింగ్ చేపించాడని, ఆ డీల్ విలువ 20 వేల కోట్లని ఎక్కడా వెల్లడించలేదు.
ఏది ఫేక్, ఏది నిజం సిరీస్ లో మా వీడియోస్ మీరు చూసారా?


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Image of a BBC article that reported Rahul Gandhi as the third most trustworthy politician in the world is a morphed one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 12, 2021
The screenshot of an article purportedly published by BBC is being shared on social media claiming that the ‘Gallop International’ survey has ranked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the third most trustworthy political leader in the world. Also, the post claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ranked 65 in this opinion poll. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: BBC article reporting Rahul Gandhi as the third most trustworthy leader in the world.
Fact: The BBC article screenshot shared in the post is a morphed one. The Switzerland-based ‘Gallop International’ had never conducted an opinion poll on the world’s most trustworthy politician and ranked Rahul Gandhi. If such an international survey features Rahul Gandhi as claimed in the post, several news websites would have published articles reporting the same. But, we could not find any news article reporting this survey. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether the BBC had published any such article on their website, we could not find such an article on the ‘BBC News’ website. But the articles featured beside the top story section in the viral image were found published on the ‘BBC News’ website. They can be seen here, here, here, and here. The same reports were also be found on ‘The Newsroom’ programme by BBC telecast on 03 June 2016. While all these articles were published by the BBC in the first week of June 2016, the screenshot of Rahul Gandhi article is marked as that published on 11 Jan 2016, prior to all these articles. One can only find these posts on social media only from 03 June 2016, and not prior to this. This clearly indicates that the image of the BBC article shared in the post is morphed. Also, the published date in BBC articles is actually mentioned as ‘11 January 2016‘, not ’11 Jan 2016’ as seen in the viral image.
When we searched on Google with the relevant keywords ‘Gallop International survey ranked Rahul Gandhi as the third most trustworthy politician in the world’, we could not find any news reports confirming this claim made in the post. If such an international survey features Rahul Gandhi as the third most trustworthy politician in the world, several news websites would have published articles reporting the same. But, we could not find any news article reporting this information on the internet.
The Switzerland-based ‘Gallop International’ survey organization had never conducted an opinion poll or survey on the world’s most trustworthy political leaders. The ‘World’s Trustworthy Leaders’ survey was never mentioned in the survey categories listed on their website. The Gallop International survey website used to release ‘Global Leaders’ rankings every year. Rahul Gandhi has been never listed in the ‘Global Leaders’ list released by the Gallop International survey website. However, PM Narendra Modi was ranked third in the ‘Global Leaders 2017’ list. Further in 2018, Narendra Modi was ranked fourth in the ‘Global Leaders 2018’ list. Every year, the ‘Gallop International’ survey releases the report of ‘Rating World Leaders’. Rahul Gandhi was never listed in any one of these surveys conducted by ‘Gallop International’.
Earlier, when similar fake survey messages were attributed to PM Narendra Modi and former PM Manmohan Singh, FACTLY published fact-check articles. They can be read here and here.
To sum it up, the image of ‘BBC News’ article reporting Rahul Gandhi as the third most trustworthy politician in the world is a morphed one.


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Be a ‘GST-wise’ Consumer!
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 23, 2018
As consumers, we are all paying GST on various goods and services in our daily lives. By becoming aware about key aspects of GST, we can better appreciate the role of GST in nation-building; can educate our friends and relatives; can raise voice confidently against any malpractices; can be a whistle-blower on GST frauds etc. So, let’s learn some basics to be ‘GST-wise’!
By now, everyone knows that the Good and Services Tax (GST) is the tax on consumption/supply of Goods and Services. From 1 st  July, 2017, GST replaced several indirect taxes at Central and State levels, mainly, the Sales Tax (State VAT), Central Excise Duty and Service Tax. With some exceptions specified in law, GST applies on all ‘supplies’ of goods and services.
Why CGST & SGST?
India being a federal country and GST being a concurrent levy by both Centre and the States, the GST revenue has to be distributed among Central Government and concerned State Government. It is for this accounting purpose that the GST rate is split and shown in two equal components, viz., Central GST (CGST) & State GST (SGST). On every supply within a state, both CGST & SGST are levied simultaneously. Where the supply is between two states, Integrated GST (IGST) is levied. IGST rate = CGST rate + SGST rate.
The GST rates are uniform throughout the country. Most goods fall under the 18% tax slab (9% CGST + 9% SGST). Only 50 items are currently under 28% slab. From 15th  November 2017, rates on  several goods were reduced . For easy searching of GST rates on various goods and services, one can download ‘ GST Rate Finder’  app from Google Play Store.
Registration
Persons/businesses dealing in taxable supplies with aggregate turnover of more than Rs. 20 lakhs in a financial year are compulsorily required to take registration and charge/pay GST. (In case of 11 ‘special category’ States, this threshold is Rs. 10 lakhs) Persons with aggregate turnover < Rs. 20 lakhs may also take registration voluntarily. But, once taken, they have to comply with all requirements stipulated for GST registrants, i.e., collect and pay GST, file returns etc. Once obtained, the GST registration certificate shall be displayed at a prominent location in the business premises and on the name board exhibited at the entry of business place. Penalty for non-display is up to Rs. 25,000/-.
Small manufacturers, traders and food supply businesses (restaurants) having aggregate turnover less than a prescribed threshold (increased to Rs. 1.5 Crore) can opt for ‘Composition Levy’ under GST. Such ‘composition suppliers’ are not supposed to collect/pay CGST & SGST at prescribed rates. Instead, they are given the simpler option to pay a lumpsum ‘amount’ as a percentage of their turnover. That’s why the bills issued by composition suppliers don’t contain CGST & SGST components. However, they have to mention the words  “Composition taxable person, not eligible to collect GST on supplies”    on the top of every bill and also display the same on notice/signboard prominently at the place of business. Penalty for such non-mention/non-display is up to Rs. 25,000/-.
GST Bill/Invoice
As a vigilant consumer, insist on bill for every purchase. GST law provides that the supplier may not issue invoice (i) if the value of goods/service is < Rs. 200/- and (ii) if the recipient is not a GST-registered person (e.g., a consumer) and (iii) if the recipient does not require invoice. However, a consolidated tax invoice shall be issued for all such supplies at the close of each day.
Some businesses are not giving bill or not showing GST separately in the bill on the pretext that their computer system is not working or software is still not ready. Note that the Bill/invoice under GST need not be computer-generated. It can be hand-written on paper also but shall contain the mandatory particulars like GSTIN, name and address of the supplier, date of issue, rates of Tax etc.
Any person/business not registered under GST is prohibited from collecting GST. If GST is charged, check whether GSTIN (PAN-based GST Identification Number) is indicated clearly in the bill. You can enter the GSTIN and verify business details at www.gst.gov.in > Search Taxpayer > Search by GSTIN/UIN. Also check whether CGST & SGST rates and amounts are indicated separately.GST shall not be collected on any discounts allowed in the bills. However, GST is payable on any other additional amounts collected/shown separately in bill, e.g., in the name of ‘service charges’, ‘handling charges’, ‘packing charges’, ‘processing charges’ etc.
No GST on MRP
MRP (Maximum Retail Price) is affixed on most of the packaged products. MRP is inclusive of all taxes including GST. So, it is a malpractice to charge GST, again on MRP. Complaints in this regard can be filed with concerned Asst. Controllers of Legal Metrology who are part of State government.
Generally, there will be single MRP for any packaged product. However, in view of change in GST rates, Department of Consumer Affairs  has permitted  for declaring revised MRP until 31st March, 2018.
For any queries or guidance on consumer protection issues, one can visit:  http://www.consumerhelpline.gov.in  or call National Consumer Helpline, Toll Free: 1800-11-4000 or send SMS to +918130009809.
‘Service Charge’ in restaurants
From 15th  November 2017, all stand-alone restaurants, whether AC or non-AC, restaurants in hotels with room tariff of less than Rs. 7500 per unit per day and food parcels/takeaways attract only 5% GST (2.5% CGST + 2.5% SGST).
Apart from food tariff and taxes, some restaurants are charging extra amount in the name of “Service charge”. Some claim that this amount will be distributed equitably among all the restaurant staff (not only waiters but the cooks, cleaning staff etc.). So, this is not any government tax but a kind of “compulsory tip” charged by restaurants from customers. However, if a restaurant collects ‘service charge’, GST is payable on that amount also.
‘Anti-Profiteering’ in GST
It has been the experience of many countries that when GST was introduced, there had been a marked increase in inflation and prices of the commodities. This happened in spite of the availability of tax credit right from the production stage to the final consumption stage, which should have actually reduced the final prices. To tackle this, the GST laws have an “anti-profiteering” provision which mandates that all businesses must pass on any reduction in the rate of tax or the benefit of input tax credit to consumers, by way of proportionate reduction in prices.
If this is not done and if any business indulges in illegal profiteering, the consumer’s interest is protected by the National Anti-Profiteering Authority which may order for: (a) reduction in prices; (b) return of the amount not passed on with interest @ 18% to the recipient/consumer; (c) imposition of penalty; and (d) cancellation of registration of the supplier. This Authority ceases to exist after expiry of two years from the date on which its Chairman enters upon his office, unless the GST Council recommends otherwise.
Affected consumers may file an application before the State Screening Committees, if the profiteering is of local nature or before the Standing Committee on Anti-profiteering, if the profiteering has all-India character.  Contact details of State Screening Committees  are available on the CBEC portal. National-level Standing Committee on Anti-profiteering is located at Second Floor, Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, Bhai Vir Singh Marg, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110001. Tel No.: 011-2371537, Fax No.: 011-23741542, e-mail:  anti-profiteering@gov.in  Prescribed  application form  for filing complaint against anti-profiteering is also available on the CBEC portal.
Administration of GST
Both the Central Government (Central Board of Excise & Customs, to be rechristened soon as Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIT)) and State Governments (Commercial Tax Departments) have role in the administration of GST. However, there will be no dual control on taxpayers. Each business registered under GST is assigned either to Centre or respective State. In many States, already this assignment of taxpayers among Centre/State is complete and the lists are displayed on websites of CBEC zonal offices and State Commercial Tax Departments. Further, the assignment of taxpayers will be switched between the Centre and States at regular intervals as decided by GST Council. In view of this, before reporting violations of GST law or to give specific information about GST evasion etc., it is advisable to check which taxpayer is administered by which authority and accordingly address the complaint.
Author is a member of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and has keen interest in Consumer and Media Laws (ravikiranedara123@gmail.com). This write-up in simple language is meant for consumer awareness only and shall not be used for legal interpretation purposes.

created: January 23, 2018


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How to become an Indian Voter?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 21, 2017
Do you wish to register as a voter? Do you wish to change the spelling your name or other particulars in the Voter ID card? Have you shifted to another place? This explainer video answers all your questions
This video in partnership with Nyaaya explains the process of becoming a voter in India. Below are some important links
Form 6: http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/FORM…
Form 6 (Online): http://www.nvsp.in/Forms/Forms/form6
Finding Name in the electoral Roll & finding booth: http://electoralsearch.in/
Form 8 (for correction of particulars): http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/FORM…
Form 8 (Online): http://www.nvsp.in/Forms/Forms/form8
Form 8A (for shifting from one place to another in the same constituency): http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/FORM…
Form 8A (online): http://www.nvsp.in/Forms/Forms/form8A
List of documents accepted as proof of identity for voting: http://eci.nic.in/eci_main1/current/I…

created: September 21, 2017


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To Beg, Borrow and Steal. The case of bad loans in India - Factly
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 30, 2014
A Non-performing asset(NPA) is defined as a credit facility in respect of where the interest and/or installment of principal has remained ‘past due’ for a specified period of time. These are essentially Bad Loans or defaults. Usually, any amount to be received remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days is termed as a NPA.
(This is a follow up story to the one on NPA numbers)
The economic meltdown of 2008 has created a financial crisis at different levels around the world. In India, the downturn of the economy and the increasing burden of debt or Non- Performing Asset (NPA) in banks is a serious concern. The majority of these banks being Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) or government owned.
The silver lining is definitely the consistent growth of deposits as well as credit in the last few years. Overall Credit has increased from 2,775,549 crores in 2008-09 to 5,994,096 crores in 2013-14 and deposits have risen fro, 3,834,110 crores to 7,705,560 crores in 2013-14. For the period between 2008-09 and 2010-11 the NPA as a percentage of both credit and deposits has been consistent. But the figures from the last three years indicate a substantial increase in the NPA as a percentage of both credit & deposits.
While the total credit and deposits have grown consistently at 15 %, NPAs have increased 2-3 times the growth of the credit and deposits. If NPAs are the yardstick to measure the health of the Indian banking sector, it is definitely very ill. This calls for an urgent need to create revised framework for the credit appraisal process and stricter regulation to control the NPAs.

created: December 30, 2014


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Begunkodor Railway Station has been reopened more than a decade ago & a few trains stop there - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 4, 2022
A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that no train has stopped at West Bengal’s Begunkodor Railway Station in the last 42 years. The video mentions that the place is haunted, and the train doors and windows are closed while passing through that station. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: No train has stopped at West Bengal’s haunted Begunkodor Railway Station in the last 42 years.
Fact: While it is true that the Begunkodor Railway Station was shut for around 42 years, it was reopened in 2009. Many news agencies have reported that multiple trains stop at the Begunkodor Railway Station. However, due to the decades-old rumours, people still prefer to use the station before it gets dark. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched about the Begunkodor Railway Station on the internet, many news reports regarding that station were found in the search results. In ‘The Hindu’ article, it can be read that – “Begunkodor station, had earned the distinction of being a “ghost station” after 1967, the year its stationmaster reportedly died after seeing a woman clad in a white sari walking along the tracks at night.….The station was reopened 42 years later in 2009 by Mamata Banerjee during her tenure as Railway Minister. Since then, trains have stopped here but passengers use it only till 5 p.m., fearful of encounters with the ghosts.”  In 2017, a group of rationalists camped at the railway station the entire night and busted the myth of ghosts.
‘The Indian Express’ has reported that there is a ticket counter at the Begunkodor Railway Station which “opens at 4.30 am, and closes at sundown, around 5.30 pm. At 9 pm, the counter opens again for a few minutes, for the last train of the day, though there are never any ticket buyers. The 10-12 passengers who arrive are mostly daily wagers returning home. Only about half a dozen other local trains halt at the station, though it is located on the main line between West Bengal and Jharkhand, most of them before sunset, and it doesn’t figure on the computerised ticketing system of South Eastern Railways”.
Some of the visuals of a train stopping at that station can be seen here. Also, several websites have listed the trains which halt at that station.
To sum it up, the Begunkodor Railway Station has been reopened more than a decade ago. Also, a few trains stop there.


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Ben Garrison did not create this cartoon mocking seven years of BJP rule - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 16, 2021
A post accompanying the cartoon of a cow symbolizing BJP, that is seen eating a leaf which symbolizes India is being shared on social media. The cartoon depicts Ambani & Adani milking the cow, whereas the excreta is collected in a container which symbolizes BJP supporters. This cartoon is being widely shared with a claim that it is created by American cartoonist Ben Garrison depicting 7 years of BJP rule. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: American cartoonist Ben Garrison’s cartoon depicting seven years of BJP rule.
Fact: This cartoon is not created by Ben Garrison and is not available on Ben Garrison’s official website. Different versions of this cartoon are available on the internet at least since 2015. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Search on grrrgraphics.com website which is an official repository of Ben Garrison’s work did not yield any results about this cartoon. Ben Garrison has also tweeted in 2017 clarifying that he never drew any cartoons on Indian Politics, and all such cartoons with his signature are fake.
Reverse image search of this photo yielded us multiple social media posts and blog posts which shared different versions of this cartoon mocking BJP and Congress governments. Some of these posts are even six years old. These posts can be seen here and here.
When a different version of the same cartoon allegedly drawn by Ben Garrison targeting the BJP government went viral back in 2019, BOOM, a fact-checking agency reached out to Ben Garrison seeking a clarification regarding the cartoon. BOOM reported that in their correspondence, Ben denied the news that he created the cartoon. Also in their article, BOOM reported that in their correspondence with Amal Mehdi, a Facebook user had admitted that he is the creator of a version of the cartoon mocking the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the BJP government.
To sum it up, Ben Garrison did create this cartoon mocking seven years of BJP rule.

created: February 16, 2021


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What are the Benefits & Facilities extended to Freedom Fighters?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 13, 2018
The Government of India extends certain benefits and facilities to Freedom Fighters.
For more information, read this detailed story.


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What are the Benefits & Facilities extended to a Bharat Ratna Awardee?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 26, 2019
Bharat Ratna is India’s Highest Civilian Honour. But what do the awardees receive from the Government? What is the worth of the medallion presented to them? Are they given any monetary reward? What other facilities are extended to them?
Bharat Ratna is India’s highest Civilian honour. It was instituted in the year 1954 and only a total of  48 individuals  have received the award till date including the three awards announced in 2019. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
The Process
The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. No formal recommendations for this are necessary though a number of citizens keep recommending various individuals for the award. The number of awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
What does the Awardee receive?
The Bharat Ratna awardee receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President of India and a medallion. The medallion is in the form of a Peepal leaf, about 5.8 cm long, 4.7 cm wide and 3.1 mm thick. It is made of toned bronze. On its obverse is embossed a replica of the sun, 1.6 cm in diameter, below which the words Bharat Ratna are embossed in Devanagari script. On the reverse are State emblem and the motto, also in Devanagari. The emblem, the sun and the rim are of platinum. The inscriptions are in burnished bronze.
This medallion is made by the India Government Mint in Kolkata. As of 2014, the total cost of one Bharat Ratna medal & miniature along with its box costs Rs. 2,57,732.
What about Monetary reward?
Unlike other awards and contrary to popular perception, the Bharat Ratna Award does not carry any monetary grant. And the award cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name. But an award winner may use the following expressions in their biodata/letterhead/visiting card etc. to indicate that he/she is a recipient of the award.  The only expressions allowed are ‘Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President’ or ‘Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award’
What about other Benefits/Facilities?
While they are not extended any monetary grant, the Bharat Ratna awardees are extended a host of benefits & facilities. They are extended four different benefits/facilities as noted below.
Declaration as a State Guest while travelling within India
The dignitaries of the Government of India and other State Governments are normally treated as State Guests. For example, the following people are treated as state guests
Many other dignitaries are treated as state guests by the state governments based on their rules. State Guests are extended reception, transport, boarding & lodging in the state. They are also extended security based on the rules. Members of the family of the State Guest (Spouse & Children) will also be given hospitality at the expense of the state. Personal Staff & Driver also provided to these guests.  The Bharat Ratna awardees are treated as State Guests when they travel within India.
The awardee is entitled for diplomatic passport
Diplomatic Passport has a Maroon cover and is issued to Indian diplomats, top ranking government officials and diplomatic couriers. The Bharat Ratna awardees are entitled for a diplomatic passport. Diplomatic passport entitles them for a separate immigration counter, access to VIP lounge in the airports etc. Apart from this, the Indian Missions abroad extend them all possible support in their visits abroad.
Lifetime free executive class travel on Air India
They are entitled for lifetime free executive class travel in the national Carrier, Air India.
They are placed at 7A in the Table of Precedence
The Table of Precedence is published by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the order in this table is meant for State and Ceremonial occasions and has no application in the day-to-day business of Government. In such state or ceremonial functions, the Bharat Ratna Awardees are at 7A above Chief Ministers & Governors of states, outside their state. This order is used for protocol in official state functions.

created: January 26, 2019


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Best platforms ranked based on official sources and expert reviews - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 19, 2022
The online casino industry has witnessed a surge in popularity in recent years, and Norway is no exception. With the growing number of players looking for entertainment and potential winnings from the comfort of their own homes, it is crucial to identify the best online casinos in Norway, and toppcasinonorge.com can help. This article aims to provide a comprehensive ranking based on official sources and expert opinions so that players can make an informed choice in their online gambling endeavors.
Before delving into the best online casinos, it’s essential to understand the regulatory framework in Norway. The country has strict regulations governing gambling activities, both online and offline. The Norwegian Gaming Authority is responsible for overseeing and regulating the gaming sector. However, online casinos that operate from abroad are not subject to Norwegian laws. This has led to an influx of international online casinos catering to Norwegian players.
To determine the best online casinos in Norway, we considered several key criteria. These include the casino’s reputation, licensing, game variety, payment methods, customer support, and overall user experience. By analyzing these factors, we can present a comprehensive and unbiased rating based on both official regulations and expert opinions.
Zoome Casino has emerged as a top choice for Norwegian players, boasting a diverse range of games, including slots, table games, and live dealer options. Licensed by reputable authorities, Zoome Casino provides a secure and fair gaming environment. The user-friendly interface and responsive customer support further contribute to its positive reputation.
21bit Casino is a globally recognized online casino that has earned high marks from both players and experts. With a vast selection of games and an intuitive mobile platform, 21bit Casino caters to the modern player. It holds licenses from respected jurisdictions, ensuring a safe and regulated gaming experience for Norwegian users.
To complement the official ratings, expert reviews play a crucial role in assessing the finer details of online casinos. Reputable review sites evaluate factors such as software providers, bonus offers, and the overall player experience. By aggregating insights from these reviews, players gain a more nuanced understanding of each casino’s strengths and weaknesses.
In the dynamic landscape of online casinos in Norway, staying informed is key to a satisfying gaming experience. The top-rated online casinos mentioned here, backed by official regulations and expert reviews, provide a solid starting point for players seeking reputable platforms. It’s essential for players to consider their preferences and priorities, whether it be game variety, security, or mobile compatibility, when selecting the online casino that best suits their needs. By combining official regulations with expert insights, players can embark on their online gambling journey with confidence and enjoyment.
notionvc: 2cbdacb3-8215-49e9-ad48-ab44819af0aa


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Beti Bachao Beti Padhao – Under Utilization of Funds & Non-Compliance of Guidelines emerge as key issues
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 26, 2020
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is one of the first major schemes to have been launched by the NDA government after it came to power in 2014. Under Utilization of Funds & Non-Compliance of Guidelines emerge as key issues hampering the implementation of the scheme as per government data & other reports.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), the Central Government’s flagship scheme for the girl child was launched in 2015. The broad goals of the scheme are to put an end to gender based selective sex elimination, ensure survival and protection of the girl child, and also to ensure education and participation of the girl child in all areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the scheme in Haryana, the state which had consistently recorded the lowest number of girls per 1000 boys up to 6 years of age. The scheme is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Through the scheme, the government’s overall goal is to celebrate the girl child and enable her education. Districts from across the country which had a low Child Sex Ratio on the basis of 2011 Census were identified for the implementation of the scheme. It is a centrally sponsored scheme with 100% financial assistance to state governments. The key elements of the scheme include the enforcement of Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, awareness and advocacy campaigning, and multi-sectoral action.
BBBP has been rolled out in 640 districts- at least one in each state/UT
BBBP was initially rolled out in 100 districts and later expanded to another 61 districts in 2015-16. Currently, it is being implemented across all 640 districts in the country. Of the 640 districts, 405 districts are covered through multi-sectoral interventions in addition to media and advocacy outreach. The remaining 235 are covered through media and advocacy outreach, that is through television advertisements, radio jingles, SMS campaigns, social and print media.
Almost 73% of the available funds were utilized for media outreach & publicity
Since the inception of the scheme, a total of Rs. 928 crores have been allocated till 2019-20, according to a response by the government in the Lok Sabha. However, only Rs. 540.92 crores has been utilized until 02 March 2020, which is about 58% of the total allocation for the scheme.  A whopping 72.6% of the funds released, amounting to Rs. 392.76 crores was spent on publicity & media advocacy. In 2016-17, more than 91% of the fund used was for media and advocacy.
More than Rs. 160 crores were utilized for publicity & media advocacy under the scheme in the year 2018-19. More than 75% of the total utilization in the years 2017-18 and 2018-19 was for the media advocacy purpose.
In 2020-21, as on 17 September 2020, Rs. 96.7 lakh has been spent on media advocacy. A total of Rs. 280 crores have been allocated for the scheme for 2020-21.
Only around 62% of the funds released have been utilized since the inception of scheme
The amount of grant-in-aid sanctioned to states under the scheme includes the cost of activities such as inter-sectoral consultation, meeting of State Task Force, Training and Capacity Building, sensitization programmes, awareness generation activities, monitoring and evaluation and sectorial activities of ministries. State governments are supposed to maintain separate records of expenses incurred for the implementation of the scheme and submit a statement of expenditure along with a progress report for every quarter. Based on audit of expenditure, funds are released to the states after adjusting the unspent amount of previous year. As per the government’s explanation in a response in the Lok Sabha, the total amount available for a particular year includes amount in that year plus the amount unspent from previous year.
For the year 2019-20, a total of Rs. 123.84 crore was allocated of which only Rs. 67.62 crore was utilized by the states. That is, only about 54.6% of the funds available for the scheme were utilized in 2019-20. This was the greatest amount used by states since the introduction of the scheme. Rs. 91.77 crore is available for 2020-21. Overall, through the six years of scheme implementation, only around 62% of the funds has been utilized by all the States/UTs together.
More than 80% utilization in only 5 States
Only 5 States & one UT have utilized more than 80% of the funds allocated to them in the six years of scheme implementation. These states are Sikkim, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, and Nagaland. Puducherry is the UT that has utilized more than 80% of the allocated funds. Seven states including the bigger states of Punjab, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, have utilized more than 70%, but less than 80% of the funds allocated to them. Kerala and Karnataka are among the other states/UTs to have utilized more than 60% of the funds. It is observed that majority of the states that have utilized a greater share of the allocation compared to the national average are either the Southern states or the North-Eastern states.
Odisha and Bihar have utilized only 12 to 14% of the allocated funds
The major states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have utilized more than half of the allocated funds. Alarmingly, Jharkhand has utilized only 37% of the funds, whereas Odisha and Bihar have utilized a paltry 14.6% and 12.2% respectively.
Further, it is observed that only three states, namely Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh were allocated more than Rs. 20 crores each. The three states alone accounted for 22% of the districts covered under the scheme. These three states are the only states to have utilized more than Rs. 10 crores each. A total of nine states/UTs have been allocated more than Rs. 10 crores each.
Child Sex Ratio across majority of states has improved
The main objective of the scheme is to improve the Child Sex Ratio (CSR). There has been a considerable improvement in the CSR at the national level, from 918 girls in 2014-15 to 934 girls per 1000 boys in 2019-20 as per the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Except for a few, all other states/UTs have recorded an increase in CSR. Assam, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are the only states that have reported a continuous improvement in the CSR since 2014-15. Other states have witnessed a mixed trend.
Main challenges include underutilization of funds and non-compliance to guidelines
The CAG reports of Haryana and Punjab published in 2016/2017 analysed the implementation of the scheme and identified certain challenges in the implementation.
Though not directly related to the implementation of the scheme, a private study found that there were unforeseen effects of the scheme implementation. As per an article published in The Hindu,  a study by Foundation for Reproductive Health Services (FRHS) across 6 states & 1500 chemists between January to March 2020 revealed that over-regulation of drugs to curb gender-biased sex selection through programmes like BBBP has reduced the access to safe, legal, and cost effective abortion.
Strict monitoring & proper co-ordination necessary for achieving the objectives
The fund utilization and the observation of the CAG in certain states clearly indicates that monitoring of the scheme implementation is not up to the mark. Regular audits & real-time updation of activities are necessary to ensure compliance.
Further,  female volunteers could be identified at the grass roots for the purpose of training & advocacy. These volunteers could be given incentives like certificates etc. Media advocacy & publicity is an important component of the scheme and hence indispensable. However, emphasis on other issues pertaining to the girl-child, like improvement of education & health infrastructure should also be focused upon though not directly a part of this scheme. Here is where inter-sectoral co-ordination might help.

created: October 26, 2020


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Beti Bachao – India Needs to learn from its Scheduled Tribes (STs)
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 2, 2015
The Prime Minister’s recent Mann ki Baat reminded the country once again about our dismal record with respect to saving the girl child. The Child Sex Ratio is at its worst since 1961. Hence, the Government has launched the Beti Bachao – Beti Padhao scheme in 100 gender critical districts. But the Scheduled Tribes (STs) are far ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to the Sex Ratio & Child Sex Ratio.
The entire country is talking about saving the girl child and the declining Child Sex Ratio. The government even launched the ‘Beti Bachao – Beti Padhao’ scheme in 100 gender critical districts of the country. But are there groups/communities in India that are doing better than the rest of the country in this aspect? The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.  The Scheduled Tribes (STs) are far ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to Child Sex Ratio (CSR) & Sex Ratio.
Child Sex Ratio and Sex Ratio
The 2011 Census data showed a significant declining trend in the Child Sex Ratio. (Child Sex Ratio is calculated as number of girls for every 1000 boys between age group of 0-6 years). It is at an all-time low of 918 in 2011 from 976 in 1961. The decline in CSR has been unabated since 1961. The Sex Ratio showed a mixed trend from 1961 unlike the CSR that has declined unabated since 1961. This decline in the CSR has been wide ranging and in all communities & regions.
Child Sex Ratio: STs Vs the Rest
The Child Sex Ratio of the STs in the country has always been way ahead of the rest of the country. While the All India CSR was 945 in 1991, it was 985 for STs.  It was at 940 for the rest of India. Similar trend was observed both in 2001 and 2011. The CSR of STs is way higher than the rest of India. In 2011, while the All India CSR was at an all time low of 918, the corresponding figure for STs was 957. All India CSR dropped to 910 if the STs are excluded.
What about the Sex Ratio?
Similar trend is observed even in the Sex Ratio. In 2011, while the All India Sex Ratio was 940, the Sex Ratio for STs was at 990, 50 greater than the All India figure. If STs are excluded, the All India figure drops to 936. Same was the case in 2001, when the All India Sex Ratio was 933 and was 978 for STs.
Is it Uniform across States?
Except for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and a couple of smaller states, STs have a far better child Sex Ratio in all the other states. In some of the Gender critical states like Gujarat, Maharashtra & Rajasthan, the Child Sex Ratio of STs is much greater than the rest. Similar trend is observed in the Sex Ratio figures as well.
What does it mean?
The data clearly shows that education and technological progress have very little to do with our outlook towards women & the girl child. STs traditionally had lower literacy rate than the rest, but that lack of education does not reflect in the Sex Ratio figures. Most of us who think that people living in tribal areas should be empowered and that they need development, could learn a thing or two from them.


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Between 1953 & 2017, an average of 1644 lives were lost annually due to floods
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 20, 2018
Kerala is reeling under unprecedented floods this year. The death toll in Kerala this year is the highest ever as per the data compiled by the Central Water Commission (CWC). As per CWC data for the entire country, an average of 1644 lives were lost annually due to floods in the 65 year period between 1953 & 2017.
Kerala is reeling under unprecedented floods and possibly the 2nd worst flood after 1924 as per the state government website. Data about floods like the population affected, area affected, houses damaged etc. is compiled by the Central Water Commission. The data, available from the year 1953, indicates that an average of 1644 lives were lost annually due to floods.
More than 70 million were affected in 1978, the highest ever
Between 1953 and 1970, an average of 16 million people were affected by floods annually. The next two decades were probably the worst ever in terms of the number of affected people. An average of 45.5 million were affected annually between 1971 & 1980 while this went up to 50.1 million in the next decade between 1981 & 1990. In other words, between 1971 & 1990, the annual average of people affected was thrice that of the number between 1953 & 1970. For the next two decades, this annual average stood at 34 million and 30 million respectively. The annual average number of affected people between 2011 & 2017 is close to 20 million.  In the year 1978, more than 70 million people were affected by floods, the highest for any year. In the recent years, 2015 was the worst ever when more than 33 million people were affected by floods.
More than 11000 lives were lost due to floods in 1977
In the 65 years between 1953 & 2017, less than 1000 casualties were reported 20 times. On 30 other occasions, the casualty figure was between 1000 and 2000 while the death toll was more than 2000 on the remaining 15 occasions. The death toll due to floods was more than 10000 only once, in the year 1977 when 11316 lives were lost.
Though the number of people affected by floods has gone down significantly in the last few decades, the casualty figure hasn’t changed. Around 19000 lives were lost due to floods in each of the three decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s).
Unprecedented floods in Kerala
As per the Kerala CMRDF website, more than 300 lives are lost due to floods since May this year. This is by far the highest casualty figure in Kerala as per the data compiled by the CWC. As per these figures, the death toll due to floods in Kerala was more than 100 on 14 occasions since 1953. After 2018, the year 1992 reported the greatest death toll in Kerala at 265. The scale of floods in Kerala this year can be gauged by the fact that majority of the state population (13 out of 14 districts) is affected by floods this time around while the average for Kerala is just 1.6 million people for the period between 1953 & 2017.
Featured Image: Kerala Floods


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Between 2001 and 2011, absolute population of Muslims & Christians in the 0-9 age group increased while that of Hindus decreased
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 12, 2019
Population in the 0-9 years’ age group
gives a better idea of population growth since these are people born within the period of the census exercise. As per the 2011 census data, the absolute population of both Muslims & Christians in the 0-9 age group increased while the population of Hindus in this age group decreased compared to the 2001 census.
Population growth rate is a key measureto identify the increase in population over a period of time. Factly hadearlier written about the population growth rates across the country at district level and among the various religious communities.
The growth of population is influencedby the number of births as well the number of deaths over a period of time,with the net value reflecting in the population growth rate. In this story, weanalyse the actual number of people that are being added to the population, orthose in the 0-9 age group in different parts of India as well as from differentreligious communities.
To measure the number of people added overa decade, we have considered the population within the age group of 0-9 years’as per both 2001 and 2011 census, as these are born during theintervening decade.
Share of population in the 0-9 Years
age group declines across religious communities
The share of population within 0-9years age group has come down in 2011 census compared to 2001 census. The share of population in the 0-9-years’ agegroup as per 2001 census was 23.2%, while it reduced to 19.8% as per the 2011census. This reduction in the share of this age group is consistent across allthe religious communities.
As per 2001 Census, among the Hindus,22.8% were in the 0-9 years’ age group which reduced to 19.3% in 2011. In thecase of Muslims, the share of those in the 0-9 years’ age group was 27.2% in2001, but has reduced 23.8% as per 2011 census. The same is true among otherreligious communities. Of all the religious communities, as per 2011 census,the share of those in the 0-9 years age group is more than the national averageof 19.8% only in the case of Muslims.
Increase in the absolute population of
0-9 age group observed among Muslims & Christians
As per the census in 2001, populationwithin the age group of 0-9 was around 23.87 crores which increased to 23.97crores in 2011, an increase of around 10 lakhs. This comparative increase canbe attributed to the increase in the corresponding numbers among Muslims andChristians.
The population of Muslims in the 0-9 agegroup was 4.09 crores as per 2011 census, up from 3.76 crores as per the 2001census, an increase 33 lakhs. Similarly, in the case of Christians, thepopulation in the 0-9 age group as per 2001 census was 47.14 lakhs whichincreased to 48.9 lakhs in 2011, an increase of 1.76 lakhs.
Meanwhile, in the case of Hindus, thepopulation in the 0-9 age group as per 2001 census was 18.84 crores whichreduced to 18.61 crores in 2011, a decrease of 23 lakhs. A similar decreasing trendis observed among other religious communities.
Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh witness increase in the population of 0-9 age group
Among the states, Bihar saw anexponential increase in population of 0-9 age group in 2011 census compared tothat of 2001 census. As per 2001 census, the population in the 0-9-years’ agegroup was 2.38 crores in Bihar, which increased to 2.78 crores as per 2011census i.e. an increase of nearly 40 Lakhs. This increase is observed across allthe major religious communities within Bihar. The comparative increase in Hindupopulation in this age group was 30.7 lakhs and Muslim population in this agegroup grew by 8.33 lakhs.
In the case of Jharkhand, thepopulation in the 0-9 age group increased by 6.12 lakhs between 2001 &2011. Of this Hindu population increased by 3.26 lakhs and the Muslimpopulation increased by 1.55 lakhs. Similar population increase across thecommunities is observed in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh along withJammu & Kashmir.
West Bengal and erstwhile Andhra Pradeshare among the bigger states who saw a significant decrease in the population of0-9 years age group. In Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana), as per 2001census the population in this age group was 1.56 crores while it decreased to1.35 crores as per 2011 census i.e. a reduction of 21 lakhs. Similarly, WestBengal’s population in this age group was 1.71 crores in 2001 and it decreasedto 1.55 crores in 2011 i.e. decrease of 15 lakhs. The decrease in populationfor this age group was consistent across all the religious communities in thesetwo states. In the case of Andhra Pradesh, 95% of this decrease is among theHindus.
In few other states, the trend ofchange in population differed between the communities. In Uttar Pradesh, the populationin the 0-9 age group decreased by 1.74 lakhs between 2001 & 2011. However, thepopulation of Muslims in this age group increased by 4.71 lakhs whereas thepopulation of Hindus decreased by 7.34 lakhs. Another such state was Assam, wherethere was increase of 1.19 lakh, in the population of 0-9 years’ age group, largelydue to rise in Muslim population in this age group. Muslim population in thisage group increased by 3.87 lakhs offsetting the decrease in Hindu populationby 2.77 lakhs.
Fertility rates have reduced across
communities as per 2011 census, but still highest among Muslims
The national total fertility rate orTFR among married women as per 2001 census was 3.03 while this has reduced to2.69 by 2011 census. TFR indicates the average number of children expected tobe born per woman during her entire span of reproductive period.
This decrease in the fertility rate isobserved across all the religious communities. The fertility rate among theHindus in 2001 was 2.97 which reduced to 2.64. Although, the fertility rateamong the Muslim community is still the highest, the TFR among Muslims has decreasedto 3.14 in 2011 compared to 3.52 in 2001.
The TFR has decreased across all the states. States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Chhattisgarh continue to have higher TFR than the national average, but even they have a reported a lower TFR compared to 2001 census.  Significant change in the TFR is observed in West Bengal where it decreased by 0.51 of which the fertility rate among Hindus reduced by 0.51 and among Muslims by 0.58.
Other larger states with significantchange in fertility rates are
Even as per the Sample Registration System (SRS) report of 2017, All-India TFR for 2015-17reduced to 2.2 compared to 2.8 during 2005-07.
Decreasing TFR is good news, but high TFR
in some states & among Muslims still a concern
As noted above, the decreasing trend in TFR across the country is good news.  However, the TFR in some states & the Muslim community is still higher than the national average and also the replacement rate. Replacement rate is TFR at which women give birth to enough babies to sustain population levels. If the current decreasing trend continues, the TFR in these states may also reach the replacement levels in the near future. Decreasing fertility rates would not give rise to any presumptive change in the population dynamics.
Featured Image: Absolute population of Muslims & Christians

created: September 12, 2019


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Between 2013 and 2018, Supriya Sule never declared income more than Rs 2.5 Crores - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 9, 2019
A post with a screenshot that has the text that NCP leader Supriya Sule has declared Rs 100 Crore agricultural income from 10 acres of land is being widely shared on Facebook. The post seen in the screenshot is that of December 2016. Let’s check the authenticity of the information in the screenshot.
NCP leader Supriya Sule has declared Rs 100 Crore agricultural income from 10 acres of land.
Fact: Between 2013 and 2018, the income declared (from all sources) by Supriya Sule in the election affidavit isn’t more than Rs 2.5 Crores in any year and no information is available for the year 2018-2019. So, the claim that the NCP leader Supriya Sule has declared Rs 100 Crore agricultural income from 10 acres of land is FALSE.
The message is found to be circulating since 2014 on social media. When searched on the Election Commission of India website, the affidavit filed by NCP leader Supriya Sule for 2019 elections was found. The income declared by her (from all sources) between 2013 and 2018 are as follows.
No information is available for the year 2018-2019.
To conclude, between 2013 and 2018, the income declared by Supriya Sule in the election affidavit isn’t more than 2.5 Crores in any year. And, no information is available for the year 2018-2019.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?

created: December 9, 2019


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More than 1 crore trees permitted to fell under the Forest Conservation Act
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 17, 2020
The protests in Mumbai against tree felling in the Aarey forest put the focus on tree felling across the country. As per the available data, governments permitted felling of more than 1 crore trees between 2014 & 2019 under the Forest Conservation Act. Though data is not available, many more trees would have been cut under various state laws.
Last year, there were intense protests in Mumbai when the Maharashtra government permitted Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation to clear trees in Aarey forest for the construction of metro railcar shed. Ultimately, the Supreme Court had to intervene and stayed the felling of trees. This particular incident put the focus tree felling and the trends across the country.
As per data shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, between 2016 and 2019, permission was sought for felling more than 76 lakh trees under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA). Telangana topped this list with permissions for felling 12.12 lakh trees in these 3 years. Another set of data shared by the government indicates that permission was sought for felling more than 1 crore trees between 2014 & 2019. However, it has to be noted that these are only numbers where the permission was sought under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA). Data for trees felled under various state laws are not maintained centrally though many more trees would have been felled under various state laws.
Who
approves tree felling?
The approval for tree felling depends on the type of area (place/land)and also the type of trees. For any diversion of forest land to non-forestactivities which involves tree cutting, the approvals are granted as per theprovisions laid down in the Forest Conservation Act(FCA). In the case of tree cutting in non-forest & private lands, theprocess laid down in relevant state laws is to be followed.
Some examples ofstate laws are Maharashtra
Felling of Trees (Regulation) Act,1964,  Punjab
Land Preservation Act, 1900,  Telangana
Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA), The Tamil
Nadu Preservation of Private Forest act.
FCA mandates approval from government for forest
clearance
Under the Forest (Conservation) Act, it is mandatory to get clearance from the government before diverting forest land for non-forest purpose. For this, the project proposal has to be sent to the nodal officer of state government as per Forest Conservation Rules of 2003 following which examination of the proposal takes place at various levels.
The approval process for trees in non-forest areas varies based on tree type
In the case ofnon-forests and other private lands, the process laid down in the relevantstate law is followed. In most state laws, trees are categorized into exempt & non-exempt categories. The process is differently defined for both thesecategories.
In most stateslike Tamil
Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana the application process for felling of trees has been simplified following theintroduction of the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) rankings.
In the case of Telangana, those who want to fell trees in Patta land or government assigned land for the industry have to submit an online application with details related to land, its ownership, tree species, number of trees and dimensions along with required documents.
A list of exempted and non-exempted species of trees based on its value is maintained by the department. In the case of exempted trees, the applicant can pay the fee and then go ahead with felling, which is called the self-certification process. The procedure for non-exempted trees is more elaborate as discussed below.
In the case of non-exempted trees, the application has to be filed along with the relevant annexures.
The application goes to the Forest Divisional Officer. It is then forwarded to Forest Range Officer who, along with Forest Section Officer inspects the site. The DFO/designated officer then issues notice asking the applicant to pay a security deposit as an assurance of replanting the area.  The process along with timelines at each stage is defined.
The amount to be paid per tree also varies based on the category in which the tree falls.
Data
shared in the Lok Sabha only pertains to FCA
The data
shared in the Lok Sabha recently onlypertains to permission sought for removal of trees (tree felling) under theFCA. Permissions sought for tree felling as per the state laws could be manymore and such data is not maintained centrally.
More than 76 lakh trees were felled between 2016-17 &
2018-19 under provisions of FCA
In the last threeyears, between 2016-17 & 2018-19, more than 76.72 lakh trees were cut underthe Forest
(Conservation) Act, 1980.  About 40% of these permissions were given in2018-19 alone.
It is observed that the number of trees cleared for ‘developmental’ activities has increased by 40% in 2017-18 and by another 4.5% in 2018-19.
Telangana tops the list with 16% of the tree felling
under FCA
State-wise analysisreveals that Telangana accounted for the maximum number of tree fellingpermissions in these three years. A total of 15.8% of the permissions were inTelangana. In fact, the state also accounted for the maximum number of trees fellingpermissions in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Following Telangana is Maharashtra which accounted for 14% of the permissions in the three years. In 2016-17, Maharashtra reported the maximum number of tree felling permissions with these accounting for 56% of the permissions in Maharashtra in the three years.
Ten states account for more than 80% of the tree
felling permissions under FCA
Almost 82% of thetotal felling permissions under FCA, between 2016-17 & 2018-19  were reported from only ten states. Inaddition to Telangana & Maharashtra, the list also includes Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab andRajasthan.
While Sikkim, Goa,Delhi and Tamil Nadu reported less than 10,000 tree felling permissions in thethree years, Mizoram, Kerala, Tripura and Meghalaya were the only states whichreported a total of less than 1000 tree felling permissions each in thisperiod.
In Assam and Jharkhand, more than 90% trees felled in the three years was in 2018-19
The massiveincrease in the proportion of trees felled in 2018-19 under FCA is because of afew states which showed a substantial increase from thousands to lakhs in2018-19. These states are- Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Haryana, HimachalPradesh and Assam. During these three years, 99% of the trees fellingpermissions in Assam and 94% in Jharkhand were reported in 2018-19. Similarly,around 63% of tree felling permissions in Haryana, Chhattisgarh and HimachalPradesh, and 55% in Odisha were also reported in the same year.
Data from previous Lok Sabha session shows different
numbers
Strangely, the data provided in the Lok Sabha in July 2019 regarding the number of tree felling permissions in the last five years show different numbers. Between 2016-17 and 2018-19, the increasing trend is visible in spite of different numbers presented.
Government claims that action is being taken to
increase India’s forest cover
The government has tried to compensate this loss by highlighting the increase in forest cover and tree cover as per the latest 2019 Forest Survey of India’s State of Forest report. Since 2015, as per this report, tree and forest cover have increased by 13,209 sq.km. The forest cover includes all land in the country which has trees on more than one-hectare land area irrespective of ownership or legal status. Similarly, tree cover includes all tree patches of less than one hectare outside the recorded forest area.
Furthermore, the ministry also stated that 7.87 crore trees were stipulated to be planted in place of the 76.72 lakh trees removed under compensatory afforestation. The government runs the Compensatory Afforestation Programmes, National Afforestation Programme and Green India Mission, but the impact of these programs is to be studied in detail. The biodiversity loss that results from the chopping down of trees cannot be compensated in the short-term.
Featured Image:Forest Conservation Act

created: February 17, 2020


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Between 2016 & 2018, more than ₹ 100 crore paid in Compensation for complaints against Airlines
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 10, 2019
As more & more people travel by air, a centralized & simple to use grievance system is necessary. The Government has launched the ‘Air Sewa’ portal & also published a charter of passenger rights towards this end. Government data indicates that a total of more than ₹ 100 crore has been paid in compensation for complaints against Airlines between 2016 & 2018.
With more and more people choosing totravel by air every year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)released a ‘Passenger Charter’, or a ‘KnowYour Rights’ document for the passengers aiming to make air travel efficient,fair and approachable. This document was released in February this year at the ‘Aviation Conclave’ themed ‘Flying forall’.
The charter enlightens flyers all withtheir rights when a flight is cancelled, delayed, diverted and in otheremergencies. Factly had earlier written in detail about thischarter.
We look at the complaints received, natureof complaints and action taken with respect to facilities provided to flightpassengers in this story.
The number of domestic passengers has doubled from 6 crores in 2014 to
about 12 crores in 2018
In the period between January and July 2019alone, 8.26 crore passengers were carried bydomestic airlines. This is an increase of 3.2% compared to the same period lastyear.
In fact, the total number of domesticpassengers has doubled from around 6 crores in 2014 to about 12 crores in 2018.While the number of passengers has increased manifold over the years, whatabout the numbers related to complaints?
A total of 30,433 complaints have been registered from
2016 till May 2019
Annually, thousands of complaints are lodged against airlines for various reasons. Data provided by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the Lok Sabha shows that from 2016 to 2018, the number of complaints has reduced. In the year 2016, a total of 9772 complaints were received. The number of complaints went down by 15% in 2017 (8293 complaints) and by a further 18% in 2018 (6820 complaints). The number for 2019 is expected to be more than the 2018 figure since 5548 complaints have already been lodged in just 5 months till May 2019.
The complaints are registered for varied reasons like baggage, catering, customer service, facilities to the disabled, refund, fare, flight problem, behaviour of staff and more.
30% of complaints are related to flight problems, 25% about customer
service and 22% regarding baggage
The maximum number of complaints lodgedevery year is related to flight problem like delay, cancellation etc. Of thetotal 30,433 complaints in the last three years, 30% of them fall under thiscategory. Annually, an average of 2,294 cases registered are related to flightproblems like delay etc. Complaints related to customer service are the next inline. Issues such as improper treatment, threats and more fall under thiscategory. Such complaints comprise 25% of the total complaints. Baggage relatedissues such as loss, damage and misplacement amount to 22% of the complaints. Apartfrom these, issues related to catering, persons with disability, fare, refundand others together amount to the remaining 23% of the complaints. The annual numberof complaints received in each of these categories from 2016 to May 2019 is inthe following chart.
From 2016-2018, more than ₹ 106 crores paid in Compensation
The resolution in most of these complaints has been compensation in terms of refunds or providing facilities. While most of the airlines provide alternate facilities to deal with the concerns of passengers, a look at the money spent on compensation reveals that every year, substantial amounts of money is spent on compensation for issues related to flight delays, denied boarding and flight cancellations. In 2016, ₹ 22.1 crores was spent on compensation. In the following years, 2017 and 2018, ₹ 45.6 crores and ₹ 40.7 crores was spent. For the year 2019, till May 2019, ₹ 19.2 crores has been spent. Compensation has been the largest for denied boarding where ₹ 68.2 crores has been spent for compensating for denied boarding. Flight delays has resulted in a compensation of ₹ 42.1 crores. Compensation paid for flight cancellation has amounted to ₹ 17.3 crores. It has to be noted that though the number of complaints has reduced from 2016 to 2017, the total compensation amount has almost doubled in 2017.
The passenger charter clearly lays down the rights of
Flyers
The passenger charter clearly lays down therights of flyers and provides details of all the facilities to be provided topassengers.  For instance, for a delay offlight by more than four hours, the airlines must provide food or refreshmentsto the passengers. If the delay is more than six hours it is mandatory that theairline informs the passengers a day in advance.  There are many other such provisions in thepassenger charter. You can read more about them here.
‘Airsewa’ launched to register grievances
In order to make it simpler for people to file complaints and also provide information about flights, the Government of India launched the Airsewa portal and a mobile application in November 2016. Further, one can also file a grievance using #Airsewa on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Featured Image: Compensation for complaints against Airlines

created: September 10, 2019


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MPs, beware. Government has given irrelevant Answers to your Questions in Parliament
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 31, 2017
It is not just the RBI that has repeatedly refused to disclose information related to demonetization, the government also has given irrelevant answers to questions raised by MPs in both houses of parliament in the ongoing budget session.
It is not just the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)  that has time & again refused to disclose information related to the demonetization, various ministries of the Government of India have given irrelevant answers to the questions raised by Members of Parliament (MPs) both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Factly found at least five (5) questions raised by MPs during the current session where the government has given irrelevant answers. In all these questions, the MPs sought information related to demonetization.
In the Rajya Sabha, YSRCP MP  Vijaysai Reddy and CPI MP D Raja wanted to know why the NRIs & Indian Gulf workers from AP & Telangana have to travel to Chennai to deposit their old currency notes. They also wanted to know the reasons for not designating the Hyderabad RBI branch, one of the large RBI branches for exchange of old notes by NRIs. They also asked the steps proposed by the government to ease the hardships and expense of Indian gulf workers who wish to deposit their old notes. In response, the Minister of State for Finance, Arjun Ram Meghwal had a standard answer that mentions the names of the five RBI branches that have been designated to deposit old notes during the grace period. He did not answer the core questions raised by both the MPs about Hyderabad not being chosen and the steps being taken to ease the hardships.
What is the total cost incurred by RBI in printing the new 500 and 2000 rupee notes?
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress MPs Ambika Soni & Subbirami Reddy wanted to know the total cost incurred by RBI in printing the new 500 and 2000 rupee notes. This was one of the four questions asked by them. In his written response, the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry, Arjun Ram Meghwal spoke about everything from how the RBI has made adequate arrangements for supply of notes to how the notes are being continuously printed except answering what was asked.
Is the Government considering to issue directions to Doctors to receive fee in cashless mode?
The response to this question was even more funny. Samajwadi Party MP in the Rajya Sabha, Naresh Agarwal asked the government if it is considering to issue directions to doctors to receive their fee in cashless mode in order to prevent the hoarding of black money. In his written response, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Faggan Singh Kulaste spoke about how the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulations, 2002) mandate a physician to clearly display his fees and other charges on the board of his chamber. It has to be noted that the question was neither about the physician charges nor about the transparency in charges. But the entire answer was about how a physician should be transparent with his fees etc. There was no mention of cashless mode which was the original question.
How much new currency was distributed to each State & UT?
Rajya Sabha MP from DMK, Kanimozhi wanted to know the total amount of currency circulated by the RBI in the two months after demonetization (November 10th, 2016 to January 10th, 2017). In addition, she wanted to know the total value of currency distributed to each State and Union Territory during this period. In his written response, the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry, Arjun Ram Meghwal said that Rs 6.78 lakh crore of currency was distributed to various States and Union Territories during the period from November 10, 2016 to January 13, 2017. For reasons unknown, he chose to ignore the second part of the question.
Ratio in which the Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000 notes were distributed between public and private sector banks
Nineteen (19) MPs in the Lok Sabha raised various questions related to demonetization. Among other things,  they asked about the ratio in which the Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000 notes were distributed between public and private sector banks in the country. In his written response, the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry, Arjun Ram Meghwal said that new notes were equitably distributed across the country, but did not disclose the ratio in which they were distributed between public and private sector banks.
Minutes and Agenda of the meeting of Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India
Congress Rajya Sabha MP, P L Punia sought the details of minutes and agenda of the meeting of Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India and the copy of Cabinet Note placed before Cabinet in respect of demonetization announced on 8th November, 2016. In his written response, the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry, Arjun Ram Meghwal spoke about the agenda of the meeting, but neither disclosed the minutes of that meeting nor provided a copy of the cabinet note.
Reasons for Steep rise in bank depsoits in September & October 2016
Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Neeraj Shekar sought to know the reasons for the steep rise in bank deposits in the months of September & October 2016. In his written response, the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry, Santosh Kumar Gangwar did not specify the reasons for the steep rise in deposits.
Featured Image: Demonetization response from the Government


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Beware of bogus websites offering free laptops, smartphones, and scholarships in the name of Government - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 24, 2020
A registration link is being shared widely on social media asking students to fill up so that they can get free laptops being provided by the government. The post claims that the government is providing free laptops as schools and colleges are closed due to COVID-19. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Registration link to get free laptops being provided by the government.
Fact: It is a fraudulent link. The link redirects the user to a blog and asks for personal details. It also asks the user to share the message to 10 other people to complete the registration. Previously, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has debunked many such fake blogs offering smartphones, laptops, and scholarships. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On clicking the link given in the post, it redirects the user to a blog – “https://registration-for-your-laptop.blogspot.com/”. If the government is providing laptops, it does the registration through an official portal, not through a blog. Also, on filling up the details in the registration form given on the website, it redirects again to a different page, where the user is asked to share the link with 10 other people to complete the registration. No government initiative or scheme asks people to share a link on WhatsApp to complete the registration. It is a fraudulent website.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has previously debunked the claim when a similar website link went viral in March 2020.
#FraudAlert
A Message with a website link is circulating on Social media claiming that the Govt. is offering free laptops for youth & to click on the provided link to book it. #PIBFactCheck: The circulated link is a Spoof website to trick users perpetrated in the name of Govt. pic.twitter.com/lU10VUcoXO
Also, recently, the PIB debunked the claim when an advertisement allegedly from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs claimed that, under COVID-19 Online Education Purpose, students from 8th class to PUC 1 will be given laptops at ₹3,500.
Claim: An advertisement allegedly from Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) claims that under #COVID19 Online Education Purpose, students from 8th class to PUC 1 will be given laptops at ₹3,500. #PIBFactCheck:This claim is #Fake. MCA is not associated with any such programme. pic.twitter.com/8CSbSlvaoO
There are also other blogs which are claiming that the government is providing free smartphones and scholarships, and are asking the students to register themselves on their blogs. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has already debunked those claims and requested people to be beware of those fraudulent websites. The tweets by the PIB can be found here and here.
To sum it up, do not register yourself on blogs for free laptops, smartphones, and scholarships. If the government offers any such product, the registration will be through official government portals.

created: September 24, 2020


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Increased diversity in Padma Awards to Sportspersons in last two decades
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 1, 2021
India’s obsession with Cricket is well known. This was also reflected in the civilian awards (Padma awards) given by the government. However, in the last two decades, there is an increased diversity in the recipients from sports while cricketers still get the most awards.
The Indian Government honours and recognizes the contributions of the citizens in various fields by conferring civilian awards, popularly known as the ‘Padma’ awards.  Every year, these awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day. The awards are presented by the President in ceremonial functions held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The highest of these civilian awards is the Bharat Ratna followed by the various Padma awards which are given in three categories- Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher-order), and Padma Shri (distinguished service). Factly had earlier published a story on Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards.
About 5% of the Padma awards have been conferred on Sportspersons
The civilian awards are conferred to those persons who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields such as Art, Literature, Education, Social Work, Science, Public Affairs, Medicine, Sports, Engineering, Agriculture, or any other field. From the time the Padma awards were instituted in 1954, a total of 4,875 awards have been conferred till date including 2021. The majority of these awards, about 22% went to those in the field of Art. More than 64% of the awards conferred went to persons from four fields- art, literature and education, medicine, and science and engineering. With 249 of these awards, sportspersons constituted 5% of all the awardees.
80% of the Padma Awards in sports went to those from 10 sports
More than 64% of the total Padma awards in sports went to those from the four disciplines of cricket (57), mountaineering (36), hockey (27), and athletics (26). Badminton and Tennis players received 11 awards each. Players in 10 sports- cricket, mountaineering, hockey, athletics, badminton, tennis, wrestling, boxing, chess, and football alone received 80% of all the civilian awards to sportspersons.
Cricket dominates the overall number of Padma awards to sportspersons
Of the total 249 civilian awards conferred on sportspersons, 213 were the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan (31), and Padma Vibhushan (4). Only one sportsperson (Sachin Tendulkar) has been conferred the Bharat Ratna. Nearly 23% of all the Padma Awards were conferred on cricketers (57). Cricketers received 44 Padma Shri, 11 Padma Bhushan, and 1 Padma Vibhushan. Cricket is the only sport that has recipients in all four categories including the Bharat Ratna. Cricket also dominates in each of the Padma award categories in terms of a number of awards. However, in 2021, no cricketer was given any Padma award.
Diversity in sports being recognized has increased over the years
When we analyse the trend in awards being conferred on sportspersons since the inception of Padma Awards, interesting trends emerge. For the purpose of this analysis, the 60 odd years from 1954 have been divided into six periods- Up to 1970, 1971-1980, 1981-1990, 1991-2000, 2001-2010, and 2011-2021.
A decadal trend in the number of awards being conferred on sportspersons reveals that the diversity in sports in terms of the number of awards has been on the rise lately. Between 1954 and 1970, sportspersons from 8 different sports were recipients of these awards. This increased to 15 between 1981-1990, and 19 in 2001-2010. Since 2011, sportspersons from 24 different sports have been recognized with these awards. The decade 1991- 2000 had awardees only from few sports because civilian awards were not given for four years between 1993-1996.
Awards have been conferred to sportspersons from 35 different sports so far. Sportspersons from 14 sports such as aviation, physical education, Yoga, sailing, and gymnastics have been conferred the award only once to date.
The number of awards given to sportspersons in each period is given in the following table. On average, 5% of the awards went to sportspersons over these years with slight variations in certain decades.
Proportion of awards to Cricketers has decreased
The decadal trend for awards presented in each of the sports reveals the following.
20 sportspersons have received Padma awards more than once, and six are cricketers
In all, sportspersons have been conferred with 249 Padma awards of which 43 went to 20 persons. The following table lists out the twenty sportspersons who received multiple Padma awards along with the awards they received including the Bharat Ratna. Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri have been abbreviated as BR, PV, PB, and PS, respectively in the table below.
It can be seen that out of the 20 sportspersons, six of them are cricketers. These six cricketers have received 13 awards in total. Only Sachin Tendulkar has received Padma awards thrice while the remaining five received 2 awards each. Sportspersons from other sports such as badminton, tennis, and boxing have also made their way to this list in recent years.
More women and different sports are being encouraged in the last decade or so
India’s obsession with cricket is also reflected in the Padma awards. However, in recent years, sportspersons from other sports are increasingly among the awardees which is indeed a positive sign. It is also seen that more women are being honoured compared to the earlier years.
Sportspersons represent India in the international arena and hence, honouring and recognizing them is important. Not only will it encourage the sportsperson to perform better but also helps in improving the popularity of the sport among people. The diversity in these awards and India’s success in multiple sports beyond cricket may be here to stay.

created: February 1, 2021


text:
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were executed on 23 March 1931, not on Valentine’s Day - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 14, 2020
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged to death on 14 February 1931 (i.e. on Valentine’s Day). Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev martyred on 14 February 1931 (Valentine’s Day).
Fact: Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were executed on 23 March 1931, not on Valentine’s Day. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Every year, 23 March is celebrated as ‘Shaheed Diwas/Martyrs’ Day’ in remembrance of the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. A video of ‘DD News’ on the Martyrs’ Day can be watched here.
The article published by ‘The Tribune’, on 25 March 1931, regarding their execution can be found in a tweet by ‘Prasar Bharati’. ‘The Hindu’ article published on 24 March 1931 can be read here.
From the National Archives of India portal, Factly was able to access the fortnightly reports on the internal political situation in India for the month of March 1931. These reports were sent to the British government on a monthly basis.  This report makes it clear that the execution of Bhagat Singh along with Sukhdev & Rajguru took place on the evening of 23 March 1931.
To sum it up, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were executed on 23 March 1931, not on Valentine’s Day.
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?

created: February 14, 2020


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Bhagat Singh took legal advice from Lala Duni Chand; An RSS associate did not represent the British in the trial - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 30, 2021
A social media post that speaks about Bhagat Singh’s trial in the ‘Assembly Bombing’ case is being widely shared across all platforms. The post claims that Asaf Ali, a Muslim advocate argued on behalf of Bhagat Singh in the court when all the lawyers refused to do so; whereas Rai Bahadur Suryavamsham Sharma, a member of RSS and also a close associate of RSS founding member Hedgewar argued in favour of British empire and pleaded death sentence for Bhagat Singh. Let’s fact-check the claims made in the post.
Claim: Asaf Ali, a Muslim argued on behalf of Bhagat Singh ; Rai Bahadur Suryavamsham Sharma, an RSS member represented the British empire and pleaded death sentence for Bhagat Singh.
Fact: Bhagat Singh faced two trials. The first is in the central assembly bombing case in which Bhagat Singh was sentenced for life. It is in the ‘Murder of Saunders’ case that Bhagat Singh was sentenced to death. As far as the Saunders murder case is concerned, it is evident from the official judgement documents that Lala Duni Chand advised Bhagat Singh in fighting his own case, whereas Mr. Noad appeared for the British crown as prosecutor. In the assembly bombing as per official document, Asaf Ali represented Bhagat Singh, however eminent legal scholar A.G. Noorani in his book contested that Bhagat Singh fought his own case with Asaf Ali as his advisor. Further the official document states Rai Bahadur Suraj Narain appeared as the public prosecutor for the crown. However, we could not find any substantial evidence associating him to RSS or Hedgewar. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Bhagat Singh faced two trials. The first trial was for charges of attempt to murder and conspiracy in the bombing of the Indian Central Legislative Assembly (CLA) in Delhi, whereas the second trail was for the charge of  murder of Assistant Superintendent Saunders in Lahore. This case is also known as the Lahore conspiracy case.
Assembly Bombing Case :
On 08 April 1929, Bhagat Singh along with Batukeshwar Dutt (Datta) threw a low intensity bomb in the central assembly in Delhi, where after both Bhagat Singh and Dutt offered themselves to be arrested. The trial started on 07 May 1929 and ended on 12 June 1929 with the court pronouncing the judgement sentencing both Bhagat Singh and Dutt with transportation to life.
Digitalised records of the Judgement pertaining to this case are available on Abhilekh Patal portal of the National Archives of India. The same document is also available on Indian Culture portal (Vol 1 & Vol 2).
In these judgement documents, it is categorically mentioned that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt are the accused and Asaf Ali is the counsel for both. Further, the document states Rai Bahadur Suraj Narain was the public prosecutor for the crown.
However eminent legal scholar A.G. Noorani in his book ‘The Trial of Bhagat Singh — Politics of Justice’, stated that Asaf Ali represented Batukeshwar Dutt whereas Bhagat Singh fought his own case with the help of a legal adviser. Noorani shared an excerpt of a letter written by Bhagat Singh to his father wherein he requests for a legal advisor. The excerpt shared in the book reads “there was no need to engage a lawyer. But I want to take legal opinion on certain ·matters, but they are not so important”. This is also evident from another excerpt of the book which reads ‘Asaf Ali claimed that while substantially the draft was Bhagat Singh’s, he had polished the language.’ The Hindu also reported that Asaf Ali represented Dutt and advised Bhagat Singh in fighting his own case.
Even this book reiterated the fact that Rai Bahadur Suraj Narain represented the British Crown. However, we could not find any substantial evidence to conclude that Rai Bahadur Suraj Narain is associated with RSS or his association with RSS founding member Hedgewar.
Lahore Conspiracy Case:
It is in this case Bhagat Singh along with Sukhdev and Raj Guru were sentenced to death for killing Assistant Superintendent Saunders. Eventually, the three were hanged on 23 March 1931.
Multiple digitalised documents related to the case are available on Indian Culture portal. As per the judgement document available on this portal, it is not Asaf Ali but Lala Duni Chand who advised Bhagat Singh regarding this particular case. On the other hand, Asaf Ali represented Sukhdev as defence counsel in the court.
As per the documents, Mr. Noad appeared as the public prosecutor on behalf of the British crown. Further, there is no mention of any person named Rai Bahadur Suryavamsham Sharma in the document.
Even in his book, Noorani mentioned that Bhagat Singh opted for Lala Duni Chand for legal advice and Mr. Noad appeared for the British Crown. From all the available information, it is evident that the person who argued against Bhagat Singh in the case which eventually led to his hanging is not linked to the RSS.
To sum it up, Bhagat Singh took legal advice from Lala Duni Chand; An RSS associate did not represent the British in the trial.

created: November 30, 2021


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Bhagat Singh was neither hanged on Valentines Day nor was his death sentence pronounced on that day - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 18, 2021
A post is being shared on social media claiming that the Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was hanged to death on 14 February 1931 ( i.e. on Valentine’s Day). Another post shared on social media claims that freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were awarded death sentences on Valentine’s day in 1931. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Indian freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were executed on 14 February 1931 (Valentine’s day).
Fact: The British Government executed Indian freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev on 23 March 1931, not on Valentine’s day. Every year, 23 March is celebrated as ‘Shaheed Diwas/Martyrs’ Day’ in remembrance of the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Every year, 23 March is celebrated as ‘Shaheed Diwas/Martyrs’ Day’ in remembrance of the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. A video of ‘DD News’ on the Martyrs’ Day can be watched here.
The article published by The Tribune’ on 25 March 1931, regarding their execution can be found in a tweet by ‘Prasar Bharati’. ‘The Hindu’ article published on 24 March 1931 can be read here.
Headline that shocked the Nation !!
The Tribune Newspaper reporting #BhagatSingh, Rajguru & Sukhdev's execution in 1931.#ShaheedDiwas pic.twitter.com/kd9IlHvJN1
From the National Archives of India portal, Factly was able to access the fortnightly reports on the internal political situation in India for the month of March 1931. These reports were sent to the British government on a monthly basis. This report makes it clear that the execution of Bhagat Singh along with Sukhdev & Rajguru took place on the evening of 23 March 1931.
A few social media posts also claim that on 14 February 1931, the British Government passed a verdict to execute the freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. They can be seen here and here.
But the claim made in these posts is also false. According to archived documents, the verdict on Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev’s execution was given on 07 October 1930. These documents can be seen here and here. ‘The Economic Times’ also published an article reporting the same.
To sum it up, a court sentenced Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev to death by hanging on 07 October 1930 and they were hanged on 23 March 1931, not on ‘Valentine’s Day’.

created: February 18, 2021


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Bhagat Singh’s sister Parkash Kaur died in 2014, not recently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 31, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that Bhagat Singh’s sister Parkash Kaur has died recently. In the post, it is also being claimed that no political leader has offered condolences. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Bhagat Singh’s sister Parkash Kaur has died recently.
Fact: Parkash Kaur passed away in Canada in September 2014, not recently. It was widely reported by several media agencies in 2014 and, some political leaders have also expressed their condolences on her death back then. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched on the internet about the death of Parkash Kaur, a lot of news articles published in September 2014 were found in the search results. Some of those news reports can be read here, here, here and here. According to those articles, she died in Canada in September 2014. So, she did not die recently as mentioned in the post.
Some political leaders like Capt.Amarinder Singh and Ashok Tanwar, have expressed their condolences on her death back in 2014.
I express grief & sorrow at the death of Bibi Prakash Kaur, sister of Shaheed #BhagatSingh. I also pay profound homage to the departed soul.
The photo in the post and other photo of her was found in several blogs (here, here, and here). However, we could not independently verify if it is Parkash Kaur in these photos. Her interview with Aikam TV was posted in 2012, which can be seen here.
To sum it up, Bhagat Singh’s sister Parkash Kaur did not die recently. She died in 2014.

created: January 31, 2022