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Digitally altered video shared as US President Joe Biden’s comments against transgenders - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 2, 2023
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as US President Joe Biden’s recent comments against transgenders stating homosexuality is an unnatural phenomenon, a debasement of mankind and has no place in modern civilisation. Joe Biden in the video appears to be making a statement- “You have no womb. you have no ovaries. You have no eggs. You’re a homosexual man twisted by drugs and surgery into a crude mockery of nature’s perfection. All the validation you get is two-faced and half-hearted behind your back, people mock you. Your parents are disgusted and ashamed of you. Your friends laugh at your ghoulish appearance behind closed doors. Men are utterly repulsed by you”. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing Joe Biden’s comments against transgender women.
Fact: The video shared in the post is a digitally altered version of an original video published by CNN. The original video shows Joe Biden’s remarks on the United States continued support for Ukraine. Joe Biden during his speech did not make any such statements criticising transgenders. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched to check if US President Joe Biden had made any such comments against transgenders and homosexuality, we could not find any evidence the same in the White House transcripts. On reverse image search of the screenshots and by searching using relevant keywords on the internet, a video with similar visuals was found published by the ‘CNN’ on 26 January 2023. The description of the video states, “Hear Biden’s full remarks on United States’ continued support for Ukraine”.
The video shows Joe Biden’s remarks on the US continued support of Ukraine on 25 January 2023. From the 4:50 minute timestamp of the CNN video, Joe Biden was seen making the same gesture of touching his head as shown in the video shared in the post. The background and the lipsync match the visuals shown in the CNN video.
At the specific duration in the original video clip, Joe Biden spoke about worldwide commitment to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity from Russian aggression. Joe Biden spoke about the contributions of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and other countries in supporting Ukraine in the ongoing war against Russia. During the speech, Joe Biden never made any comments against transgenders or about Homosexuality.
Joe Biden on multiple occasions announced his support and commitment to strengthening the rights of LGBTQI+ Americans, including transgender Americans. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is a digitally altered video created by editing the audio of the original video.
To sum it up, a digitally altered video is shared as visuals of US President Joe Biden’s comments against transgenders.


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Digitally altered videos shared as Bollywood actors supporting Imran Khan. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2023
A video clip in which Bollywood celebrities Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar are seen expressing their support for Imran Khan after his recent arrest is viral on social media. Let’s verify the authenticity of this video through this fact-checking article.
Claim: Video clips of Bollywood celebrities Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar supporting Imran Khan after his arrest.
Fact: These video clips are digitally manipulated and unrelated to Imran Khan’s arrest. They have been sourced from different contexts and edited to falsely imply the actors’ support for Imran Khan. Therefore, the claim made in the post is False.
Upon closer examination, several red flags indicate that the videos in question have been digitally manipulated. Firstly, the audio in these clips is out of sync with the video, suggesting tampering. Additionally, further investigation uncovered the original sources of these videos, as outlined below:
Hrithik Roshan’s clips:
Performing reverse image searches using keyframes from the clips led to the discovery of the original videos. The first clip was sourced from an interaction Hrithik Roshan had with fans on a ‘ Zoom meet ‘ before his birthday in January 2023. Screenshots from this interaction were found in a social media post from 9 January 2023.
The complete video titled ‘EXCLUSIVE: Hrithik Roshan Birthday Special Fan Interaction FULL VIDEO | Krrish 4, Fighter, Jadoo’ uploaded on 10 January 2023, by the channel Hrithik Rules has the portion used in the viral clip, which begins from 41:24.
The second clip was a portion of a video chat (here and here) Hrithik Roshan had with YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani after the release of his film Vikram Veda.
Salman Khan’s clip:
The original video featuring Salman Khan was found on his Instagram handle. Salman Khan uploaded a video on 21 April 2023 in which he announced his plans to go to Dubai to celebrate Eid.
Akshay Kumar’s clip:
Reverse image searches on keyframes of the viral clip led to the discovery of another video with the same claim. In this video, Akshay Kumar is seen pointing at his watch while speaking.
Further searches led to the original video uploaded in November 2019, where Akshay Kumar is seen promoting an ECG product by GOQii. The portion of this video from approximately 00:47 to 00:59 matches the viral clip.
After analyzing the evidence, it becomes clear that the claim of Bollywood celebrities supporting Imran Khan after his arrest is false. The videos in question were digitally manipulated (by adding a fake dubbed voice and cropping the video), and the original context of these videos reveals their true nature.
The viral videos showcasing Bollywood celebrities Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar expressing support for Imran Khan after his arrest are digitally manipulated.

source: news-factly

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

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Digitally altered visuals are being shared as robots participating in games alongside humans - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 6, 2023
Update (06 October 2023):
Another video showing a robot participating in a basketball game alongside a human is currently circulating on various social media platforms, giving the impression that the video is genuine.
However, the viral video does not show real robots participating in a basketball game with humans. Instead, the video has been digitally manipulated to create the illusion of robots playing alongside humans.
Conducting a reverse image search on screenshots from the viral content directed us to a TikTok video featuring the unedited version of the same video. A comparison between these original visuals and the viral content clearly reveals that the viral video has been digitally manipulated to depict robots playing with humans. Further, a seven-minute video of the unedited version can be viewed here.
Published (20 September 2023):
A video depicting popular soccer player Kylian Mbappe engaged in a game of soccer alongside a robot is being shared with a claim that the footage is authentic. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting popular soccer player Kylian Mbappe engaged in a game of soccer alongside a robot.
Fact: These visuals are not authentic, they have been generated through digital manipulation, substituting a human with that of a robot. The original video can be found on YouTube. Similar assertions have been made such as robots engaging in sports like badminton and table tennis. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals do not depict Mbappe engaging in a soccer match with a robot; instead, they have been digitally altered. Upon careful examination, it becomes evident that there is a distinct point at which the human is substituted with a robot.
Additionally, conducting a keyword search on YouTube directed us to a short video that shares resemblances with the viral visuals. This video was posted in June 2022 and has accumulated 137 million views. It appears that this video was digitally manipulated to create the illusion of Mbappe playing alongside a robot. A comparison between these visuals and the ones that went viral confirms their similarity.
Previously FACTLY has debunked similar claims related to robots engaging in sports such as table tennis and badminton alongside humans. Articles debunking these claims can be read here and here.
To sum it up, digitally altered visuals are being shared as robots participating in games alongside humans.

created: October 6, 2023


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Digitally created image of a winged snake is being shared as a real snake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 30, 2022
A social media post accompanying an image of a winged snake is being widely shared as if the image shows a real snake. Comments on the post  show that people are perceiving to be a real creature. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the image.
Claim: Image of a winged snake.
Fact: The viral image does not show any real creature, but was created using digital tools. The creator of the image shared the image on Deviant art, back in 2010. He also shared the two separate sources from which he collected the images of a snake and wings individually. Currently there doesn’t exist any creature like winged snake. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The image shared in the viral do not show any real creature but is created using digital graphics. Reverse image search of the photo led us to the same image on Deviant Art, an online social community for artists and art enthusiasts.
A user named ‘Kuramay’ shared the same image in 2010, saying that he has created it for a computer graphic project. Further, he also provided two separate sources from which he collected the images of a snake and wings individually. This establishes the fact that the image was created using digital tools.
Moreover, there doesn’t exist any creature like winged snake as on date. There is no recorded evidence or images to show the existence of such creature even in the past. However, in 2017, scientists have found fossils of a winged serpent in a sink hole in eastern Tennessee. As per the research paper co-authored by palaeontologists of University of Pennsylvania, the serpent lived five million years ago. And surprisingly, the fossils did not match any known species of snake, living or extinct. The researchers named the new genus and species Zilantophis schuberti.
To sum it up, digitally created image of a winged snake is being shared as a real snake.


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Digitally created image shared as picture of a foetus’s footprints on the mother’s belly - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 8, 2022
A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as a beautiful picture showing a foetus’s footprints on the mother’s belly. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo showing a foetus footprints on the mother’s belly.
Fact: The photo shared in the post is most likely digitally created artwork. Several media agencies including the ‘AP News’ confirmed it as a manipulated image. While it is possible to see the bulge of a foetus’s limbs during pregnancy, doctors confirm that the details of a foot would not be visible because it would be inside the uterine wall. Lev Dolgachov, an Estonia-based photographer, created a similar artwork of a pregnant belly with a baby footprint in 2017. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found that the photo was circulating on the internet at least since 2004. ‘Snopes’ published a fact-check article mentioning it as false news in 2004 and later updated the article citing a clarification from a doctor in 2018. Jennifer Gunter, a California-based doctor, through a tweet, confirmed that the photo was a digitally created image. Jennifer Gunter said, “That seems to be photoshopped because otherwise this lady is term, breech with a ruptured uterus”.
And those toes are hella weird so it’s a bad photoshop likely from some trash forced birth site
Not only ‘Snopes’, but several news websites including the ‘AP News’ website published articles clarifying it as a manipulated image created digitally using photoshop software. They can be seen here and here. Dr Laura Riley, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Weill Cornell Medicine, spoke to the ‘AP News’ regarding this photo and said, “That is fake. If you saw that much definition of the foot, then the uterus would have ruptured. Baby is floating inside of the uterus until delivery and the uterine wall is thick“. While it is possible to see the bulge of a foetus’s limbs during pregnancy, doctors confirm that the details of a foot would not be visible because it would be inside the uterine wall. The complete details of foetal development during pregnancy can be seen here.
On searching for further sources, a similar digitally created photo of a pregnant belly with a visible baby footprint was found in an article published on the ‘Dreamstime’ website in 2017. Lev Dolgachov, an Estonia-based photographer has created this digital artwork and published it on several image-sharing platforms. Lev Dolachov published this image with a description, “pregnancy, love, people and expectation concept – close up of pregnant woman belly with baby footprint over green natural background”. The original image on which these footprints were digitally added can be seen here. Though we could not find out the details of the creator of the image shared in the post, from all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the image shared in the post is most likely a digitally created image, not a real photo.
To sum it up, a digitally created image is shared as a picture of a foetus’s footprints visible on the mother’s belly.


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Digitally created military robot is portrayed as the world’s most intelligent robot - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 17, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of the most intelligent robot in the world. This video shows armed robot training for military war exercises. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing the most intelligent robot in the world.
Fact: The robot in the video is not a real one. This robot was digitally created using the CGI technique. ‘Corridor Digital’. A US-Based visual effects company created this video. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots shared in the video, we found a similar video published on the ‘Corridor’ YouTube channel on 26 October 2019. This video was uploaded on YouTube with the title “New Robot Makes Soldiers Obsolete (Corridor Digital)”. ‘Corridor Digital’ is a US-Based visual effects company known for creating short videos using the CGI technique.
When we searched for further details using these keywords, a video showing a similar military robot was found published on the ‘Corridor Crew’ YouTube channel. The description of the video mentions that they have used CGI technology to Fake Military Robots. This video shows the making process of this digitally created military robot. We found the same making video on the official website of ‘Corridor Digital’. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the military robot shown in the video is a digitally created one.
Earlier, when the same video was shared as the visuals of US Delta force ‘Robot’ training to kill Terrorist Al Baghdadi in Syria, FACTLY published a fact-check article on it. It can be read here.
To sum it up, a digitally created military robot is portrayed as the world’s most intelligent robot.


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Digitally created news clip shared as Sambit Patra stating 'only gas prices have increased, not the cylinder price' - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 13, 2022
A post is being shared on social media claiming that BJP National spokesperson Sambit Patra made a statement that ‘only gas prices have increased, not the cylinder price.’ Let’s verify the claim made in the post through this article.
Claim: ‘Only gas prices have increased, not the cylinder price.’- Sambit Patra.
Fact: There is no evidence of Sambit Patra making this statement. The post has an edited image and it uses a famous breaking news template available on the internet. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We took the image from the post and did a reverse image search on Yandex. It led us to a press conference video of Sambit Patra on Facebook. A screenshot of the video at 5:04 matches the image used in the post.
We did not find any media reports on the statement made by Sambit Patra, since he is a spokesperson of the BJP, the media would have reported if he made such a statement.
Through our investigation, we found that a famous breaking news template is available for free on the internet. Anyone can use this template and edit images by adding text as per their wish.
We also found that the image used to create the post has also been used in a few articles published by ‘The Tribune’. These article can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, a digitally created news clip is hared as Sambit Patra stating ‘only gas prices have increased, not the cylinder price’.


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Digitally created newspaper clipping shared as 4,000 RSS workers arrested under the IPC Sec 377 in 1971 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 30, 2021
A newspaper clipping with an article titled – ‘4000 RSS workers arrested’ is being shared on social media.  In the posted article, it can be read that the RSS workers were arrested under the IPC section 377 for performing unnatural sexual acts while protesting in front of the Parliament house for the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. While the posted article looks like a satire, it is being shared by multiple users on social media criticizing the RSS. It is being shared in the context of PM Modi’s recent comments in Bangladesh regarding his participation in the Bangladesh freedom agitation in India. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Newspaper clipping from 1971 shows 4000 RSS workers were arrested under the IPC section 377 for performing unnatural sexual acts while protesting for the liberation of Bangladesh.
Fact: It is a digitally created fake newspaper clipping. While there are reports about Jan Sangh protesting in support of the liberation of Bangladesh, there is no evidence that 4,000 RSS workers were arrested under IPC section 377 for performing unnatural sexual acts while protesting. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the news mentioned in the newspaper clipping, no such news was found in the search results. No credible reports were found regarding the arrest of 4,000 RSS workers under IPC section 377 for performing unnatural sexual acts while protesting for the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. On doing Google Reverse Image of the posted photo, it was found that a similar template was available for creating fake newspaper clippings on the ‘fodey.com’ website. The posted clip might have been created using such a template. Also, 30 August 1971 was a Monday, not Sunday (as mentioned in the photo).
Using the template on the ‘fodey.com’ website, anyone can create a similar-looking newspaper clipping with their own title and content. FACTLY tried to create the posted newspaper clipping using the template on the ‘fodey.com’ website; the process followed can be seen below.
While there is no evidence that 4,000 RSS workers were arrested under the IPC section 377 for performing unnatural sexual acts while protesting in 1971, there are reports about Jan Sangh protesting in support of Bangladesh’s liberation. Many social media users have posted the article published by ‘The Times of India’ in August 1971 with the title – ‘10,000 Jana Sangh men court arrest in Delhi’. Also, ‘The Times of India’ has mentioned it in their recent article on the issue with respect to Modi’s comments in Bangladesh. The video related to Jana Sangh’s demonstration rally is available on the AP Archives website.
The mention of satyagraha held by Jan Sangh in August 1971 in support of Bangladesh’s liberation can be also found in the citation of ‘Bangladesh Liberation War Honour for Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’.
To sum it up, a digitally created fake newspaper clipping is being falsely shared as 4000 RSS workers arrested under the IPC section 377 for performing unnatural sexual acts while protesting for the liberation of Bangladesh.


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Digitally created photo of a giant skeleton is falsely shared as the skeleton of Ghatotkacha - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 20, 2020
Photo of a giant skeleton is being shared on social media claiming it as the 80 feet giant skeleton of Ghatotkacha, an important character described in the ancient Indian epic of Mahabharata. In the post, it is claimed that this skeleton was found near Kurukshetra. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of 80 feet giant Ghatotkacha skeleton found near the city of Kurukshetra.
Fact: The giant skeleton shown in the post is a digitally created photo. ‘Whitmath57’, an American graphic designer created this using photoshop for the project ‘Size matters 4’ in an online platform ‘DesignCrowd’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found a similar photo in an online platform ‘DesignCrowd’. ‘DesignCrowd’ is an online crowdsourcing platform, which conducts community contests and assigns projects for the designers to make money. In the website, this photo was described as the photoshop design created by an American designer with user name ‘Whitmath57’. It is mentioned that this photo of a giant skeleton is created for the project ‘Size matters 4’ on ‘14 August 2011’. We also found the same photo in the portfolio of the user ‘Whitmath57’ in ‘DesignCrowd’.
Ghatotkacha is an important character described in the ancient Indian epic of Mahabharata. Ghatotkacha is said to be killed in the battle of Kurukshetra, which took place between the two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and Pandavas for the throne of Hastinapura. This digitally created photo is being shared as the skeleton of Ghatotkacha, found near the city of Kurukshetra.
To sum it up, a digitally created photo of giant skeleton is being falsely shared as the 80 feet giant skeleton of Ghatotkacha.
Did you watch our new video?


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Digitally created photo of ‘The Sleeping Lady Mountain’ shared as a click from Aircraft - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 6, 2020
Photo of a mountain in the shape of sleeping lady is shared on social media claiming it as the awesome photo click of ‘The Sleeping Lady’ Mountain in Alaska. The post claims that this picture was shot from Aircraft. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Photo of Alaska’s ‘The Sleeping lady’ mountain, captured from an Aircraft.
Fact: Sleeping Lady shaped mountain seen in the post is a digitally created photo version of Alaska’s Mount Susitna, which is famously known as ‘The Sleeping Lady’ mountain. It was created by a digital artist named Jean-Michel Bihorel. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search, a similar photo was found in ‘Behance’ social media service website. In the website, this photo was shared in ‘Winter Sleep’ album collection, created by a digital artist named Jean Michel Bihorel. Video showing this digital version of ‘The Sleeping Lady’ mountain was posted in the YouTube channel of Jean Michel Bihorel.
When we searched for more information using these keywords, we found the same photo in the official portfolio of Jean Michel Bihorel. In the Portfolio of Bihorel, this photo was shared inside the album of ‘Winter Sleep’.  Sharing the same photo, ‘Art Station’ social media website also credited the photo to Jean-Michel Bihorel.
Jean Michel Bihorel, a digital artist is known for creating digital images. In his ‘Winter Sleep’ album collection, he published this version of Alaska’s Mount Susitna, which is famously known as ‘The Sleeping Lady’ mountain.
When someone asked him about the location of this image on his Facebook post, Jean Michel Bihorel clarified that it’s and digital artwork, and not a real place.
To sum it up, a digitally created photo of ‘The Sleeping Lady’ Mountain in Alaska is falsely shared as an awesome photo click shot from aircraft.
Update (AUGUST 9, 2020):
Jean Michel Bihorel’s Facebook post was added to this article as an additional evidence.
Did you watch our new video?

created: August 6, 2020


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Digitally created photo shared as that of a Kashmir boy who looks like Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 15, 2020
A post is being shared on social media claiming it as the photo of a Kashmir boy who looks like as the Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a Kashmiri boy who looks similar to the Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan.
Fact: Photo shared in the post is a digitally created one. This photo is created using the FaceApp application. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, the original photo of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan is found in the articles published by ‘iloveindia.com’ and ‘Pakistan Today’ websites. They can be seen here and here. The comments under some of the other posts sharing the same photo suggest it as the edited photo created in ‘FaceApp’ editing application.
To cross-check that, we uploaded the Shahrukh Khan photo published in these articles in the editing dashboard of  ‘FaceApp’ editing application. By selecting the ‘Age’ filter in the application and using the ‘child’ sub-filter, similar image as shared in the post is created. So, it can be concluded that the photo shared on the post is an edited one.
Earlier, few news websites published articles about the people who look alike as the Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, a digitally created photo shared as the Kashmir boy who looks similar to the Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan.

created: December 15, 2020


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Digitally created video clips shared as real visuals of giant aquatic creatures caught on camera - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 30, 2022
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of giant aquatic creatures caught on camera in an ocean. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of giant aquatic creatures caught on camera in an ocean.
Fact: The video shared in the post shows two different video clips that are digitally created using the Computer Graphic Imagery (CGI) technology. A 3D animator named Borisao Blois created these videos and published them on his different social media handles. The video does not show real visuals of giant aquatic creatures. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, we could not find any reliable sources related to this video. On observing the video carefully, one could see watermarks of two TikTok profiles that are displayed at different time intervals on the video. When we searched for this video on these TikTok profiles, we found the same video clips in a TikTok profile named ‘borisao_blois’. They can be seen here and here. A description of one of these videos stated, “ The Great Maja has responded and moving south” (when translated from Spanish to English).
Borisao Blois is a 3D animator who publishes animated videos related to sea creatures, robots and other concepts. Borisao Blois published the same videos on his Instagram and YouTube handles stating, “The day of the meeting has arrived… Several dozen underwater drones, an aerial team of helicopters, many cameras and hydrophones; everything is ready to capture the moment. The suspected battle is about to begin and the entire world is watching. The Bloop finally comes face to face with El Gran Majá and the tense atmosphere shakes everybody, shakes every breath”. In the description of one of the videos, he credited the music to ‘REPULSIVE-Virulence’.
A few other CGI videos published by Borisao Blois can be seen here, here and here. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post shows an animated video created by a 3D animator named Borisao Blois.
To sum it up, digitally created video clips are shared as the real visuals of giant aquatic creatures caught on camera.


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Digitally created video shared as real incident of satellite falling on ground during a reels shoot - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 15, 2022
A video is being shared on social media, which claims to be a clip of a satellite falling on the ground while someone was shooting an Instagram reel. Let’s fact-check this video through this article.
Claim: Visuals of a satellite falling on ground from the sky during an Instagram reel shoot.
Fact: This video is digitally created using an existing green screen overlay. Similar such videos have existed on the internet for a very long time, and all of them feature the same satellite clip falling at different locations. Hence the claim made is FALSE.
We searched the internet with relevant keywords to check for news reports related to such an incident in India. Except for reports (here, here and here) from April 2022 about parts of a satellite that have fallen from the sky in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, we did not find any relevant information about a satellite falling from the sky, which got captured on a camera during an Instagram reel shoot. If such an incident really took place, the media would have widely reported the same.
Searching the Internet with relevant keywords led us to videos featuring the same Satellite in the viral video. Videos with titles like ‘Space satellite falls into residential area‘, ‘Satellite falls to the ground in Michigan‘, ‘Satellite drop VFX SHOTS ’are available on Youtube, and many such videos exist on the internet (here and here), some of these are from 2014.
This video is created using an editing technique called ChromaKey, a video tutorial of how such videos can be made using a stock green screen video is available on YouTube; you may watch it here.
To sum up, a digitally created video is shared as a real satellite falling on the ground during a reels shoot.

created: November 15, 2022


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Digitally created video shared as real visuals of drones playing volleyball - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 1, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as real visuals of two drones playing a volleyball game on a building rooftop. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of two drones playing volleyball on a building rooftop.
Fact: The video shared in the post is a digitally created one. This animated video was created by an Iran-based visual effects artist, Hamid Ebrahimnia. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, similar visuals were found in a video published on the Instagram handle of Hamid Ebrahimnia, a visual effects artist based from Tehran city in Iran. In the description of the video, Hamid Ebrahimnia mentioned it as an animated video created using Cinema 4D software. Hamid Ebrahimnia shared the same animated video on his YouTube channel.
According to an article published by ‘Snopes’, Hamid Ebrahimnia published the making process of this drone video on his Instagram handle. However, this making video is not available now on his Instagram handle. Hamid Ebrahimnia shared the ‘Snopes’ article on his Instagram handle.
The portfolio of Hamid Ebrahimnia can be found on the ‘Foundation. app’ website. Similar CGI videos of a Giant whale flying in the air, and Eiffel tower covered with a blanket were found in the portfolio of Hamid Ebrahimnia.
To sum it up, a digitally created video is being shared as real visuals of two drones playing the volleyball game on a building rooftop.


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Digitally edited image of Lord Krishna on a train is passed off linking it ISKCON in Russia - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 3, 2022
A social media post accompanying an image of Lord Krishna on a train is being widely circulated with a claim that ISKCON has painted Lord Krishna on the engine of a train in Russia so that people all over the world can know about Lord Krishna. Through this article, let’s fact-check the veracity of the photo and the claim made in the viral post.
Claim: Image of Lord Krishna on a Russian train, painted by ISKCON.
Fact: The image of the train is actually from Australia. The same image of the train is found on Southern States Group (SSG) website, an Australia based transportation company.  It is also available on the company’s Facebook page. However, these images on the website and the Facebook page do not show any painting of Lord Krishna on the train. Further, there are no reports of SSG painting Lord Krishna on their trains. Also, there are no reports of Krishna paintings on trains in Russia. This establishes that the viral image is digitally edited to show Lord Krishna image on a train. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The image of the train shared in the viral post is from Australia, not Russia. Further, the original image of the train does not contain any painting of Lord Krishna as claimed in the post.
Reverse image search of the photo in the post led us to a YouTube video that carried visuals of a train similar to the one in the viral post.
Taking a cue from this, further search led us to the same image of the train on Southern States Group (SSG) website, an Australia-based company that offers services related to transportation. Further, the same image is also available on the company’s Facebook page. However, these images on the website and the Facebook page do not show any paintings of Lord Krishna on the train.
On comparing these images with that of the viral image, it is evident that either of these could be the source of the viral image. And the image of Lord Krishna is digitally added.
Melbourne’s Public Transport Gallery YouTube channel shares multiple videos of the city’s public transportation. On this channel, there are videos of metro trains similar to the one in the viral post. However, none of the videos show trains with images of Lord Krishna.
Further, we could not find any reports of  ISKCON painting Lord Krishna on Melbourne or Russian trains. All these establish that the viral image is digitally edited to show Lord Krishna’s image on a train.
To sum it up, a digitally edited image of Lord Krishna on a train is passed off linking it to ISKCON in Russian.

created: February 3, 2022


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Digitally edited image shared as visuals of police guarding a theatre screening Pathaan movie - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 24, 2023
A photo of a police unit guarding a building with weapons in their hands is being shared on social media. The building has a poster of the upcoming Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer Pathaan. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: A picture of a police unit guarding a theatre screening Pathaan.
Fact: In 2018, when the release of Sanjay Leela Bansali’s film Padmavat received opposition from Hindu right-wing groups, it was released amid tight security in some places. The viral photo uses one of the photos captured in front of a theatre screening Padmavat movie and replaced it with the poster of Pathaan. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We performed a reverse image search to learn more details about the viral photo. This led us to a few news reports (here and here) from 2018, which contained similar images. This photo was taken in front of Delite Cinema, Delhi, which screened Padmavat then. Photos of the same cinema theatre from different angles can be seen here and here. Reportedly, the film Padmavat was released in January 2018 with tight security amid protests from various Hindu Right-Wing groups. This photo is edited to include the poster of the film ‘Pathaan’.
Amid calls for a boycott of the movie Pathaan, it is set to release on 25 January 2023. The film’s star, Shahrukh Khan, spoke to the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma after Bajrang Dal activists burnt posters of Patan outside theatres in Assam. The CM tweeted about the conversation and said ‘assured him that it’s duty of state govt to maintain law & order.‘
Bollywood actor Shri @iamsrk called me and we talked today morning at 2 am. He expressed concern about an incident in Guwahati during screening of his film. I assured him that it’s duty of state govt to maintain law & order. We’ll enquire and ensure no such untoward incidents.
To sum it up, this post shares a digitally edited image and calls it the visuals of police guarding a theatre screening Pathaan.

created: January 24, 2023


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Digitally edited visuals shared as a pigeon saluting Russian President Putin - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 6, 2022
A social media post accompanying a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin waving at a pigeon and in return, the pigeon raising its wing, as if it were saluting him back is being widely circulating as a real video. Another Facebook user also shared the same video claiming ‘Pigeon salutes Putin’. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the video shared in these posts.
Claim: Visuals of a pigeon saluting to Putin.
Fact: The viral visuals showing a pigeon waving at Putin are not real but created digitally. As per the original visuals, Putin waves his hand at a pigeon, however, the pigeon does not wave back in return but pigeon moves away and then walks along its path. The incident took place when Putin visited the Rogozhskiy Religious Center in Moscow in 2017. Russian state owned media agency Ruptly reported the original visuals back then. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded us a 2017 news report of Ruptly (Russian state-owned media agency) that shared a video. The title of the report reads ‘Russia: Coo-Coo! – Putin blanked by pigeon at Spiritual Centre’. However, the video failed to load on this website.
Further, a thumbnail of a Ruptly (YouTube video) news report also carried the image of Putin and a pigeon. Even this video is not available in our country, as YouTube blocked Russian state-owned news channels RT & Sputnik, in the light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, a YouTube user uploaded the original Ruptly news video on his channel. Even these visuals show the pigeon moving away a little as Putin extends his hand but does not salute him. Thus these establish that the viral visuals showing a pigeon saluting Putin are created digitally.
Multiple fact-checking agencies have debunked the same claim when it went viral in 2017 (here & here).
To sum it up, digitally edited visuals share as a pigeon saluting Russian President Putin.


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Digitally morphed videos shared as mobile handset blast on answering call from 777888999 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 10, 2021
A social media post accompanying a video that shows a mobile phone exploding upon answering a call from a number ‘777888999’ is being widely shared. The video also shows a person who had badly injured his mouth, alluding to the mobile blast as the cause of his injury. We also received a query on our WhatsApp tip line enquiring about the authenticity of the same video. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing blast of a mobile handset upon answering a call from ‘777888999’.
Fact: The video shows a 9 digit mobile number whereas Indian mobile numbers follow a 10 digit series. This proves that the mobile number is not valid. Earlier ABP news reported the video as a hoax. As far as the visuals of the person with mutilated face are concerned, the visuals are actually related to an incident where a person tried to kill himself by placing explosives in his mouth. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video shows a 9 digit mobile number. However,  Indian mobile numbers follow a 10 digit series. Even if we assume that the mobile number belongs to a foreign country, there should be a country code displayed before the number, which is not the case as per the video and this proves that the mobile number is not valid.
Google search with relevant keywords yielded us an ABP news report, which reported the same news back in 2017. The report rated the news as a hoax and requested the public to not share such baseless news. However, the news report did not feature any visuals of the person who injured his mouth, as shown in the viral video.
Further reverse image search of the screenshots of the injured person led us to a 2016 Brazilian fact-check story that reported the same visuals. As per this article, the visuals of a person with a mutilated face are real, and the reason for the injury is that the person tried to blow up his mouth by placing explosives in his mouth. However, some of the sources provided in the article are no longer accessible though their archived versions are available. Hence, could not independently verify the same. Another article that reiterated the same can be read here. All these pieces of evidence establish that the viral video is digitally created using a couple of unrelated old videos.
To sum it up, digitally morphed videos show a blast of mobile handset upon answering a call from 777888999.


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Digitally rendered clip of a giant fish attacking a ship shared as real-life footage from Canada - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 5, 2023
A video clip of a giant fish breaking a ship in half is being shared on social media, claiming that this attack was captured in Canada. The post’s description reads, ‘Fish attack from Canada.’ Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Visuals of a giant fish attacking a ship in Canada.
Fact: The video in the viral post is a digitally rendered animation clip created by an artist named ‘aleksey.’ Hence the claim made in the post is False.
We ran the video through the InVid tool to obtain a few keyframes of the viral video. Then we performed a reverse image search using a few of those, which led us to a few media reports (here and here) containing this video clip’s screenshots.
According to ‘The Sun‘, this animated CGI video clip was created by a digital video creator named ‘aleksey.’ ‘The animated CGI video has over nine million likes on TikTok and imagines how a giant megalodon-like shark would destroy a modern boat.‘ the sun wrote.
Aleksey, who has 434K followers on Instagram (@aleksey__n), uploaded the video on that social media platform on 9 March 2023 with the caption ‘Meg🦈.’
To sum up, a creative animated visualisation of a giant shark, Megalodon attacking a ship is shared as real-life footage captured in Canada.


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Digitally simulated video shared as fireworks display in Mumbai - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 30, 2019
A fireworks video is being shared widely across many social media platforms. The text seen along with the video is- ‘1 min, 45 seconds of fireworks in Borivali, West Mumbai. This show is the first of its kind in the world (spherical pyrotechnics) Worth seeing … one of the World’s best fireworks display. PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO’. Let’s analyze the authenticity of that claim.
Fireworks display in Borivali, West Mumbai.
Fact: The video doesn’t show a real-life fireworks display, it is a digitally simulated one. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image search technique, many search results of it were obtained. From those search results, it was found that the same video was doing the rounds on social media with different versions. Those search results can be seen here, here and here. During the search process, the same video was found to be uploaded by a YouTube channel ‘MediaByJJ’ in 2013. In the description of the video, the uploader has stated that he has created the fireworks display shown in the video and synchronized the music of ‘Heart of Courage’ to it using a software tool ‘FWSim’ Fireworks Display. When you go through the ‘About’ section of that channel, it was found that ‘MediaByJJ’ is a channel that delivers content in the form of gaming videos, firework displays, nature content, videos about life, etc.
‘FWsim’ is a fireworks simulator that allows users to create firework displays by synchronizing music to it. So, the video doesn’t show a real-life fireworks display, it is actually a digitally created fireworks display.
To sum it up, the video shared as a fireworks display in Mumbai is actually a digitally simulated one.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?

created: October 30, 2019


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Digvijay Singh made no such comments on beating Shivling with a chappal - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 20, 2019
A post is being shared by many users on Facebook with the screenshot of AajTak news channel breaking news showing Digvijay Singh comments on removing Modi from the power. Let’s try to check the claim made in the post.
Digvijay Singh: “I will even beat Shivling with a chappal, if required, to remove Modi”.
Fact: Digvijay did not make those comments. The picture of AajTak breaking news is photoshopped. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for the news on the internet, no results were found. If such controversial comments were made by a senior leader like Digvijay Singh, the media houses will definitely cover that but no such news was found. Previously, the same screenshot but with the image of Shashi Tharoor was viral with the same claim. At that time, FACTLY has written a fact-check article on that post. According to the ANI post on Twitter, Tharoor said, “There’s an extraordinarily striking metaphor expressed by an unnamed RSS source to a journalist, that, Modi is like a scorpion sitting on a Shivling, you can’t remove him with your hand & you cannot hit it with a chappal either.” So, his comments were twisted in the post. Now, the same fake post is being circulated again in the name of Digvijay Singh. So, there is no truth in the claims made in the post.
Finally, Digvijay Singh did not say that he will beat Shivling with a chappal, if required, to defeat Modi.
Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


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Digvijaya Singh did not change his stance on Sanatana Dharma recently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 20, 2023
A video featuring Congress leader Digvijaya Singh discussing Hindutva and Sanatana Dharma has gone viral, with the claim that he has changed his stance on Hindutva and Sanatana Dharma that he defamed earlier to gain votes in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Digvijaya Singh changed his stance on Sanatana Dharma for political gain in 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections.
Fact: Based on news reports and the original versions of the clips available in the viral video, we found that Digvijaya Singh has consistently expressed his adherence to Sanatana Dharma and that it is different from Hindutva. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
We began by sourcing the original clips in the viral video to verify the claim, which we found by performing keyword searches online.
The first clip (here and here), from May 2023, shows Digvijaya Singh stating, “My dharma is Sanatana Dharma; we don’t consider Hindutva as a dharma.” In this speech, he elaborates on the differences between Sanatana Dharma and Hindutva.
The second clip, from 2019, features Digvijaya Singh condemning crimes by individuals wearing saffron (Bhagwa) clothes, asserting that such actions tarnish Sanatana Dharma.
The third clip, the most recent, shows him expressing devotion to Sanatana Dharma and naming Lord Ram as his favourite deity.
Despite the sequencing of the clips and text in the viral video implying a change in stance, our investigation found that Digvijaya Singh consistently differentiated between Hindutva and Sanatana Dharma.
In a 2019 statement to the Economic Times, he affirmed his devotion to Sanatana Dharma while asserting that Hindutva is not part of the Hindu religion but a term with political connotations.
Therefore, the claim that Digvijaya Singh changed his stance for political gains is misleading. His statements in the viral video align with his past expressions, indicating a consistent stance on Sanatana Dharma.
To sum up, Digvijaya Singh’s statements in the viral video do not reflect a change in his stance on Sanatana Dharma.

created: November 20, 2023


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Disclosure of gifts presented by the Prime Minister to Foreign Dignitaries – The Curious stand of MEA
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 7, 2017
There has been a lot of media interest in the Prime Minister’s maiden visit to Israel. Newspapers have also written about the gifts presented by the PM to his Israeli counterpart. But the MEA has time & again refused to disclose details of the type and value of the gifts presented by the PM to his foreign counterpart. We look at MEA’s strange stand and why it doesn’t make any sense.
The Indian media has been agog with the Prime Minister’s maiden visit to Israel. Among other things, the media has reported in detail about the gifts presented by Narendra Modi to his Israeli counterpart. In the past, multiple applications under Right to Information (RTI) have been filed with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking information about the nature & value of gifts presented by the Prime Minister to foreign dignitaries. The MEA, for some strange reason has been refusing to disclose such information citing an exemption clause in the RTI act.
What are the rules governing gifts presented to Foreign Dignitaries?
The foreign recipients of gifts are divided into five categories as per the response to a RTI application by the MEA. The following people could be the recipients of gifts.
Broadly speaking, the five categories of recipients of gifts are Head of State, Minister, Secretary, Official & Pool level. There are monetary ceilings for the purchase of gift items for each category and these ceilings are approved by the Ministry of Finance. These ceilings have been effective since May 2010.
But the MEA has always refused to disclose information on these ceilings. The MEA believes that disclosure of ceilings may cause embarrassment to both India & the receiving government. The MEA does not stop at that and goes onto say that such disclosure will affect bilateral relations.
‘Cannot reveal the value of gifts presented to Foreign Dignitaries’
MEA has a standard response to all such RTI applications seeking information of the type & cost of gifts presented by the Indian Prime Minister to Foreign Dignitaries.
In response to one application, MEA said that disclosure of the value of the gifts presented by the PM would have unintended effects on foreign relations because analysis/scrutiny and comparison between the quantum & value of gifts would be undesirable. MEA adds that such a comparison would defeat the purpose of generating goodwill between countries. MEA cites Sec 8(1)(a) of the RTI act that talks about exemption of any ‘information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence’.
In response to another application, MEA responded similarly refusing to disclose any information with respect to the type/cost of the gifts presented by the PM.
Why MEA’s stand does not make any sense
MEA’s stand on disclosure of gift related information does not make any sense because many countries have a policy of public disclosure of the gifts given & received by their heads of state. In addition, the Government of India itself through press releases discloses the type of gifts presented to foreign dignitaries.
Type of Gifts is already in the Public Domain: Refusing to reveal the type of gifts presented by the PM is silly because such information is disclosed by the government itself through various press releases. The press release about the gifts presented to Israeli Prime Minister is here. Similarly, the details of PM’s gifts to the Supreme Leader of Iran were also released by the government.
Other Countries disclose the value & type of gift: If the disclosure of information about the value of the gifts presented by the PM affects the bilateral relations, then our relations with various nations must be already in trouble. This is because many countries have a policy of public disclosure of the gifts received by their heads of state including the value & source of the gift.
For example, USA has a policy of disclosing the details (including the value) of the gifts received by federal officials including the President. According to the disclosure by US Department of State, below is the list of gifts with value presented by the Indian Prime Ministers to the President of United States & his spouse. The data is available from 2002 to 2015.
Even the United Kingdom has a policy of public disclosure of all the gifts given & received by the Prime Minister of UK.


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Disclosure of Foreign Assets & ITR of 5-years are now mandatory for Lok Sabha & Assembly election contestants
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 6, 2019
The government has recently amended the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, on the insistence of the Election Commission. The amendment now makes it mandatory for candidates contesting Assembly & Lok Sabha elections to disclose their foreign assets & liabilities, IT Return information for five preceding years of the election.
Candidates planning to contest the elections for Legislative Assembly of the states or Lok Sabha have to fulfill certain criteria. They also have to submit a list of documents without which their nomination will be rejected.
The government has recently amended the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, on the insistence of the Election Commission. The amendment now makes it mandatory for candidates contesting Assembly & Lok Sabha elections to disclose their foreign assets & liabilities, IT Return information for five preceding years before the election.
Here is a look at all the documents & details to be submitted by candidates wishing to contest the State Assembly or the Lok Sabha election.
The person wishing to contest the election has to be a citizen of India and has to satisfy the following age criteria
A person must be enrolled in the current electoral roll of any of the Parliamentary Constituencies for contesting elections from a Parliamentary Constituency. For contesting elections to State Legislature, the person must be enrolled in the current electoral roll of any of the assembly constituencies within that State. There are other disqualification criteria as listed in various electoral laws.
Check List of documents to be submitted
The following check list of documents must be submitted by every contesting candidate.
Nomination Paper
The nomination paper consists of the basic details of the candidates including a photograph. It also has details of the candidate’s name in the relevant electoral roll.
The form should also have details of the proposers in that constituency
Affidavit in Form 26
The affidavit in form 26 has to be filed along with the nomination papers. The affidavit contains the following information of the candidates
The candidates are required to fill up all columns in the affidavit and no column can be left blank. If there is no information to be furnished against any item, appropriate remarks such as ‘NIL’ or ‘Not Applicable’ or ‘Not Known’ as applicable should be indicated in such column. The candidate should not leave any column blank. The Affidavit should be sworn by the candidate before an Oath Commissioner or Magistrate of first class or before a Notary Public.  Each page of the affidavit should be signed by the candidate and the affidavit should bear on each page the stamp of the Notary or Oath Commissioner or Magistrate before whom the affidavit is sworn.
In 2017, the government notified new rules that made disclosure of sources of income mandatory. In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court has issued certain guidelines for those candidates with pending criminal cases. The following are now mandatory for all contesting candidates with pending criminal cases
Every candidate at the time of filing nomination paper, should also provide details of all the liabilities to public financial institutions & the government. Earlier, an additional affidavit  also had to be filed with the ‘No Dues Certificate’ from the agencies providing electricity, water and telephone. He/she is also required to give details of rent, in case he had been in occupation of any government accommodation during the last 10 years. Now those details are included in Form 26. Hence the candidate is not required to file any additional affidavit.
Certified extract of electoral roll
In case the candidate is registered as an elector/voter in the electoral roll of a constituency different from the constituency from which he/she stands as a candidate, then a copy of electoral roll of that constituency where the name of the candidate is entered must be attached with the Nomination paper.
Form A and Form B (applicable in the case of candidates set up by political parties)
In case a candidate is put up by any political party (whether recognised or not) then the prescribed notice from the concerned Political Party  about his sponsorship in Form A and Form B, has to be submitted along with the Nomination paper. Know more about the Form B or popularly known as B-Form here.
Copy of Caste certificates (if the candidate claims to belong to SC/ST)
Candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes are required to submit documentary proof of being a SC/ST.
Security Deposit
The security deposit amount based on the election being contested should be deposited either in cash with the Returning Officer or by filing a challan in the Reserve Bank of India or a Government Treasury. The following is the amount of security deposit for various elections. A defeated candidate who fails to secure more than one sixth of the valid votes polled in the constituency will lose his security deposit and the amount would not be refunded to him.
Oath and affirmation
The candidate has to make an oath in the prescribed format as given in the 3rd Schedule of the Constitution, before the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning officer.
Featured Image: Checklist of documents


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Disinvested PSUs & their Profit/Loss Journeys: Part I - 2004-05 to 2012-13
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 8, 2020
In an earlier article, we looked at disinvestment history of various governments and the amounts earned through them. In this story, we look at the individual companies and their status at the time of disinvestment.
In Factly’s earlier article we briefly looked at thehistory and political trends of disinvestment in the country. In this article,we look whether the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) disinvested during2004-05 to 2012-13 were incurring profit or loss around the year of theirdisinvestment.
In the previous article, we outlined the three approaches todisinvestment, namely, Minority disinvestment, Majority disinvestment, andComplete disinvestment or privatization.
Disinvestment of a minority stake in PSUs is broadly carried out in the following ways:
Disinvestment of a majority stake in PSUs is broadly carried out in thefollowing ways:
Year-wise Disinvestments
Now, let’s take a look year-wise break-up of disinvestments from 2004-05to 2012-13. In the following table, the mode and type of transaction describesthe way in which disinvestment was carried out (broadly discussed above). Residualequity with government describes the post-transaction equity of the governmentin the said PSU.
The data is sourced from the Department
of Public Enterprises, from their Annual Year Books and Public Enterprises Survey Reports.
Are these PSUs profit or loss
making?
Now,let’s look at the trend of profit and loss for the disinvested PSUs. In thefollowing table, the profit and loss data has been recorded for threeconsecutive years around the given year of disinvestment. All profit values arerecorded as (+) entries and loss values as (-) entries.
*Data not available in PublicEnterprise Survey Reports.
There are a few notableobservations:
Featured Image: Disinvested PSUs


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Disinvested PSUs & their Profit/Loss Journeys: Part II - 2013-14 to 2018-19
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 11, 2020
In an earlier article, we looked at disinvestment history of various governments and the amounts earned through them. In this story, we look at the individual companies and their status at the time of disinvestment from 2013-14 to 2018-19.
In Part -I, we looked at whetherthe Public Sector Undertakings disinvested during 2004-05 to 2012-13 wereincurring profit or loss around the year of their disinvestment. In thisarticle, we will look at the same for period 2013-14 to 2018-19.
Previous articles by Factly have outlinedthe various approached to disinvestment.
Year-wise Disinvestments
Now, let’s take a look year-wise break-up ofdisinvestments from 2013-14 to 2018-19. In the following table, the mode andtype of transaction describes the way in which disinvestment was carried out(broadly discussed in previous articles). Residual equity with governmentdescribes the post-transaction equity of the government in the said PSU.
The data is sourced from the Department of Public Enterprises, from their Annual Year Books and Public Enterprises Survey Reports. s
Are these PSUs profit or loss making?
Now, let’s look atthe trend of profit and loss for the disinvested PSUs. In the following table,the profit and loss data has been recorded for three consecutive years aroundthe given year of disinvestment. All profit values are recorded as (+) entriesand loss values as (-) entries.
*Data not available inPublic Enterprise Survey Reports.
There are a fewnotable observations:
Featured Image: Disinvested PSUs


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Draping the Indian National Flag in Civilian Funeral is an Offence
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2016
Ravi Sisodia’s dead body was draped with an Indian Flag recently. As per the flag code of India, draping the flag in a civilian funeral (if it’s not a state funeral) is an offence.
Bishara, a small village in Uttar Pradesh was mourning the death of a 22-year old resident, Ravi Sisodia. Ravi along with 18 others is accused of killing Mohmmad Akhlaq, claiming that he had eaten beef in his home. He passed away at LNJP hospital in Delhi, while in judicial custody.
On October 5 2016, day after his death, large number of villagers gathered for his funeral in Bishara. The dead body was laid in the open community space, placed in a transparent casket. There was something unusual in the pictures of this funeral, the casket was covered with the Indian national flag. The tricolor draped over a civilian’s dead body and that too of a man who has been accused of murder and was in judicial custody. So, can the flag be draped over anything or anybody?
Picture Courtesy: IANS
A local reporter also tweeted a short video of the incident.
Hum iska badla le kar rahenge.Hinduon ne chudiyan nahi pahan rakhi hain. In mullon ko jad se ukhaad phenke ge hum, says a speaker in #dadri pic.twitter.com/7D9mVMKKQh
— Mohammad Ali (@hindureporter) October 6, 2016
The Flag Code of India
Every country has a Flag Code. The flag code is a set of rules to be followed in regard to the use of the national flag in various capacities. From hoisting the national flag to draping it over a casket, it contains things to do and things that cannot be done.
According to Section V of the Flag Code of India,
“The Flag shall not be used as a drapery in any form whatsoever except in State/Military/Central Para military Forces funerals herein after provided.
The Flag shall not be used as a drapery in any form whatsoever, including private funerals;
The Flag shall not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle, train or boat.”
The funeral in Bishara was neither of the ones mentioned in the Flag Code. Hence it was a clear case of misuse of the flag. And if there was a misuse of the flag like in Bishara, the Flag Code of India also outlines the consequences under the law of the land. The Flag Code of India is essentially governed by two laws, the Emblems and Name (Prevention and Improper Use) Act, 1950 and Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act 1971.  Both these acts extend to the whole of India.
Picture Courtesy: Twitter
Violation & the Punishment
Draping the tricolor in a civilian funeral comes under the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act of 1971. The Act states,
“ Whoever in any public place or any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect or brings into contempt (either by words spoken, written or acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term that may be extended up to three years or with fine or with both.”
Disrespect to the flag includes many clauses, out of which, using the Indian National Flag as drapery in any form whatsoever in except State/Military/Central Para military Forces funerals amounts to violation. The incident in Bishara, draping the transparent casket with the Indian National Flag is a violation that should have amounted to imprisonment and fine. But clearly, neither the villagers nor the law enforcement agencies followed the law.  It will important to note that, the area around Bishara, was also under section 144 that night, indicating that there was a heavy police presence and surveillance and the visit of a Union Minister. Either nobody noticed or everybody ignored wanting to portray the death of the deceased who was accused as a pseudo- martyr and intentional disrespect.
As a little girl, when I watched a scene in the movie Roja, where the hero runs and falls on a burning national flag, I had no understanding of the sentiment of nationalism, his need to extinguish the fire or the Flag Code. Today, my idea of nationalism is still as unclear because of what we do in the name of it, but at least the Flag Code of India is an easy document for us to read and practice.

created: October 21, 2016


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Is there diversity in Indian Judiciary?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 12, 2017
The Ministry of Law and Justice recently released information about gender diversity in the Supreme Court and the High Courts. The data highlights the gender disparity in the Indian judiciary and makes the case for a more representative Indian judiciary.
Of the 676 judges serving in the Indian judiciary, only 70 are women. The Supreme Court has only one-woman judge and eight High Courts comprise all-male judiciaries.  With 12 women on the bench, Bombay High Court has the highest number of women judges in the country.
Only eight (8) High Courts have a greater percentage of female judges compared to the national average. Sikkim has one female judge out of the working strength of two. Delhi High Court has 28.2% or 11 female judges. Only Bombay & Delhi High Courts have female judges in double digit. Four (4) high courts and the Supreme Court have only one female judge.
There is no data to illuminate the caste, class or religious composition of the judiciary. However, the homogeneity of the Indian judiciary is widely known.
The role of the judiciary is to make decisions in accordance with the letter of the law. While the law formulates general regulations, legislations allow enough discretion to the judiciary to exercise their independent reasoning and provide justice to the unique factual circumstances in individual cases. It is in exercising this discretion that judges draw from their own worldview and personal experiences.
A monolithic, homogenous worldview of the judiciary would not adequately be able to do justice to our pluralistic society where each citizen occupies a different political position in the hierarchies of gender, caste, religion, region, class, culture, ability and sexuality.
For instance, the low rates of conviction for crimes committed against members of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities is considerably due to the privilege of the largely upper-caste judiciary which does not understand the routine violence and systemic oppression meted out to lower caste communities. Research also reveals that marginalised socio-economic sections in society are more disparately impacted by death penalty convictions.
The issue of the composition of judiciaries not adequately representing all sections of the population is common across countries. However, judiciaries are now being urged to address this issue. In the US and UK, calls for gender diversity in the bench have gained traction and the systemic discrimination to exclude women from the bench has been revealed.
The Indian judiciary must possess a diversity of worldviews that matches its legal expertise to ensure justice. This necessarily requires the composition of the judiciary to adequately represent the different sections of the Indian society. The lack of diversity impacts the judgments given by the court and these judgments have an impact on our society. Courts can free people from stereotypes and oppression or unwittingly assist in perpetuating them due to the lack of perspective on worldviews.
In fact, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)  in its 2011 report  recommended the constitution of a National Judicial Commission for making appointment to the Superior Courts and that the Judicial Commission must follow a minimum reservation for various groups. The Government in its reply to a question in the Lok Sabha stated that it has requested the Chief Justices of the High Courts to give consideration to suitable candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and women while sending proposals for appointment of Judges. Despite these recommendations, there is no considerable progress.
Featured Image: Supreme Court of India

created: January 12, 2017


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‘Divine words can defeat diabetes, says research’ – not exactly - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 3, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media with the image of a news article claiming that divine words can defeat diabetes. The post even claims that Bhagavad Gita could be used to cope with illness, especially chronic diseases such as diabetes. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘Divine words can defeat diabetes, says research’.
Fact: The supposed study cited in the claim is a review article and not a research paper. A research paper is based on original research done after collecting and analysing raw data which is different from a review article, which does not report original research but is based on other published material. However, the article cites verses from the Bhagavad Gita to show how one may cope with the stress of illness such as diabetes. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A google search with relevant keywords directs one to a Times of India article published on 31 August 2018. The article makes this claim that it was according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The article refers to a supposed study titled, ‘Coping with illness: Insight from the Bhagavad Gita’ published in the year 2018 and can be seen on the website of Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. However, it is a review article, not a research paper.
A research paper is based on original research done after collecting and analysing raw data; the conclusions would be based on the analysis and interpretation of this data, which is different from a review article, which does not report original research but is based on other published material.
So, the study referred to in the Times of India article is not an experimental paper that describes empirical results from treating patients with diabetes. The article cites verses from the Bhagavad Gita to show how one may cope with the stress of illness such as diabetes. According to the article, ‘we may read the Bhagavad Gita to find out how Lord Krishna helps Arjuna cope with his stress. We can then utilize the same coping skills to cope with illness-associated stress such as diabetes distress.’
To sum it up, ‘Divine words can defeat diabetes, says research’ – not exactly.

created: September 3, 2021


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DMK పార్టీ 2016 లో చేసిన హామీలను ఇప్పుడు తమకు ఉపయోగపడేలా వివరించి తప్పుదోవ పట్టిస్తున్నారు. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 25, 2019
DMK పార్టీ తమ ఎన్నికల మేనిఫెస్టోలో ముస్లింలకు అనుకూలంగా హిందువులకు వ్యతిరేఖంగా హామీలు ఇచ్చారని కొందరు ఫేస్బుక్ లో మేనిఫెస్టో ఫోటోలు పెట్టి షేర్ చేస్తున్నారు. ఆ పోస్ట్ లో ఎంతవరకు నిజముందో విశ్లేషిద్ధాం.ఈ పోస్ట్ యొక్క ఆర్చివ్డ్ వెర్షన్ ఇక్కడ చూడొచ్చు.
DMK ఎన్నికల హామీ: ‘ముస్లింల స్థలాలు ఆక్రమించకుండా చర్యలు తీసుకుంటాం. హిందూ దేవాలయ భూములను పేదలకు పంచుతాం’.
పోస్ట్ లో పెట్టిన ఫోటోలు సరిగ్గా చూస్తే అవి 2016 లో అసెంబ్లీ ఎన్నిలకు DMK రిలీజ్ చేసిన మేనిఫెస్టో గా తెలుస్తుంది. ఆ మేనిఫెస్టోలో కూడా హిందూ దేవాలయ భూములను పేదలకు పంచుతామని అనలేదు, ఒక కమిటీ వేసి చట్ట ప్రకారం దేవాలయ భూములను కొనుక్కుందాం అనుకునే వాళ్ళ డిమాండ్ ని పరిశీలిస్తాం అని పేర్కొన్నారు. కావున పోస్ట్ తో తప్పుదోవ పట్టించడానికి ప్రయత్నిస్తున్నారు.
పోస్ట్ లోని వాఖ్యాలను గూగుల్ లో వెతకగా దాన్ని మొట్టమొదటిగా మధు పూర్ణిమ కిశ్వర్ అనే వ్యక్తి ట్విట్టర్ లో పోస్ట్ చేసిందని తెలుస్తుంది. ఆ పోస్ట్ యొక్క కామెంట్స్ లోనే కొంత మంది పోస్ట్ చేసింది 2016 మేనిఫెస్టో లోని దని కామెంట్ చేసారు. అంతే కాకుండా 2019 మేనిఫెస్టో లో అలాంటి హామీ లేదని కూడా చాలా మంది కామెంట్ చేసారు
వాటి ఆధారంగా 2016  మరియు 2019 మేనిఫెస్టోలు చూసినప్పుడు కామెంట్స్ లో నిజం ఉందని తెలుస్తుంది. 2016 మేనిఫెస్టో లో హిందూ దేవాలయ భూములను పేదలకి పంచుతామని లేదు. ఒక హై లెవెల్ కమిటీ వేసి చట్ట ప్రకారం దేవాలయ భూములు కొనాలనుకునే ప్రజల డిమాండ్స్ ని పరిశీలిస్తామన్నారు. అంతే కాకుండా ఖాళీగా ఉన్న హిందూ దేవాలయ భూములను కాపాడడానికి ల్యాండ్ బ్యాంకు ఏర్పాటు చేస్తామన్నారు. 2019 మేనిఫెస్టో లో వక్ఫ్ మరియు దేవాలయ భూముల గురించి ఎటువంటి హామీలు లేవు. మళ్ళీ ఎన్నికల ముందు కొందరు 2016 లోని హామీలు పెట్టి ప్రజలను తప్పుదోవ పట్టిస్తున్నారు.
చివరగా, పోస్ట్ చేసినవి 2016 హామీలు. వాటిని కూడా తమకు ఉపయోగపడేలా వివరించి తప్పుదోవ పట్టిస్తున్నారు.


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DMK party 2016 manifesto promises regarding wakf and temple lands are misinterpreted in the post - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 25, 2019
A post is being shared on Facebook by many users claiming that the DMK is an anti-Hindu party because of its election promises against Hindu temples but in favor of Wakf lands. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.The archived version of the post can be found here.
DMK Manifesto: ‘People occupying encroached Temple lands will be regularized and ownership transferred’, ‘Encroached Wakf properties will be reclaimed and handed over to wakf’
The claims made in the post are from DMK’s 2016 Assembly Elections manifesto. Also, the election promises made by DMK are misinterpreted to justify their claim. DMK just promised setting up a high-level committee to consider the demands of people to own the temple land under a legal framework. Hence the claim made in the post is
When looked for the tweet on Twitter, it is found that Madhu Purnima Kishwar has actually posted the tweet mentioned in the Facebook post. But when looked in the comments below the tweet, it is found that the claims made by her are from DMK’s 2016 Assembly Elections manifesto, not 2019 Parliamentary Elections manifesto
When looked for the claims in 2016 and 2019 manifesto, it is found that the election promise in 2016 manifesto is misinterpreted to serve their agenda. In the manifesto, DMK promised to set up a high-level committee to consider the demand of people to buy temple lands within the legal framework. They did not promise regularization and transfer of ownership of temple lands. In the 2019 manifesto, there was no mention of wakf or temple lands. So, just before the parliamentary elections previous election promises of DMK from 2016 are misinterpreted and shared to mislead the people.
Finally, the promises regarding wakf and temple lands are from the 2016 manifesto and also, misinterpreted in the post.


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Do not send DDs to Kanak Enterprises. There is no ‘Gram Vikas Rozgar Yojana’ scheme. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 23, 2019
A photo of a letter was forwarded to FACTLY to check its authenticity. The letter is being widely circulated on WhatsApp with a claim that three ‘Village Service Representatives’ would be selected from each village under ‘Gram Vikas Rozgar Yojana’. Let’s try to check the authenticity of the letter in the post
Employment for Rural Educated Boys Candidates as ‘Village Service Representatives’ under ‘Gram Vikas Rozgar Yojana’.
Fact: There is no such scheme with the name, ‘Gram Vikas Rozgar Yojana’. The government does not ask demand drafts in the name of private enterprises for official recruitments.  Also, the South West Khasi Hills district administration in Meghalaya has issued an advisory note, in March-2019, stating that the letter is not authentic. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched for any scheme with the name ‘‘Gram Vikas Rozgar Yojana’ on Google, it was found that there is no government scheme with that name. In the letter, it is mentioned that the interested candidates should send a demand draft (DD) of Rs. 1200 in the name of Kanak Enterprises, payable at Delhi. But no government agency asks for a DD in the name of a private enterprise for official recruitments.  Also, a lot of spelling and grammatical errors can be found in the letter. No official notification or note contains such errors. Even the name of the scheme was spelt differently at different places in the letter.
When searched for any additional information on this scheme with the keywords ‘Gram Vikas Rozgar Yojana Kanak Enterprises’ on Google, it was found that the South West Khasi Hills district administration in Meghalaya has issued an advisory note in March-2019 when this letter went viral in Meghalaya. The advisory note reads: ‘On evaluation of representation documents received at the Village, the same cannot be proven to be authentic and has a dubious objective.”
Also, a similar letter was found to be in circulation in Punjab. According to a Dainik Bhaskar article, around 20 people from a village in Punjab sent DDs to Kanak Enterprises in the hope of getting a job. But when they did not get any response, they enquired about the scheme at Panchayat Department’s office, who told them that there is no scheme with that name.
To sum it up, donot send DDs to Kanak Enterprises. There is no ‘Gram Vikas Rozgar Yojana’scheme.
Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Parliament?


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Do we have enough Doctors in the country?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2019
Ever since the National Medical Commission bill
was passed by both houses of Parliament, the medical fraternity, primarily
doctors have been protesting against the various provisions of the act. One of
them is the concept of Community Health Providers. Do the numbers justify the
need for a CHP system?
This month witnessed a nation- wide protest by doctors and medical students following the approval of the National Medical Commission bill (NMC) in both the houses of parliament. In an earlier story on Factly,  details of the National Medical Commission Act including the changes proposed, pros and cons have been discussed. In this story, we discuss the Community Health Providers (CHPs) as provided in the NMC and if the numbers justify the move towards introduction of CHPs.
Data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in the Lok Sabha indicates that there are 11.59 lakh registered allopathic doctors in India as on 31 March 2019.  The Ministry further stated, supposing that the availability is 80%, there will be approximately 9.27 lakh doctors in India who may be available for active service. Since the population of India is a staggering 1.35 billion, the doctor population ratio is 1:1456, implying that there is one doctor for every 1456 people in the country. As per the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, the ideal doctor population ratio for a country is 1:1000 and India lags behind the WHO norm. India would need around 5 lakh more doctors to meet the WHO norms.
57.3% of the
allopathic doctors in India do not possess a medical qualification as per a WHO
report
As per a  report on the Health Workforce
in India published by WHO in 2016, of the totalallopathic doctors in India, 57.3% of them did not possess a medicalqualification. This study was conducted on the basis of the 2001 census data.The findings of the study were initially not accepted by the government. In Lok Sabha, on 28 June 2019,when a question was raised regarding the unqualified doctors in the country,the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubeystated that, the report was ‘erroneous’. He justified his statement by addingthat the minimum qualification for enrolling in the State Medical Register tobecome a registered medical practitioner is MBBS and so, all doctors should bequalified.
The Minister also mentioned that health is a State subject and sothe responsibility to deal with fraudulent doctors and unqualified medicalpractitioners is that of the state governments. As per the Indian MedicalCouncil Act of 1956, the offender was liable to pay a fine up to Rs.1000 and/orface imprisonment up to one year. The National Medical Commission Act hasraised the penalty up to Rs. 5 Lakhs and/or one year imprisonment.
Contradicting this statement made in the Lok Sabha, on August 6, 2019, the press release on ‘FAQs on National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill’ by Press Information Bureau of India highlighted that, at present 57.3% of the personnel currently practicing allopathic medicine did not have any medical qualification. In other words, 57.3% of the allopathic doctors were ‘quacks’. The number has been used to support Section32 of the National Medical Commission Act which gives the commission the authority to grant limited license to CHPs. This press release makes it clear that the government accepts the numbers put forward by the WHO report.
The WHO report also states that 31.4% of the allopathic doctorspossessed education qualification only up to secondary school level. Further,the education level was higher among urban doctors than rural doctors. A totalof 58.4% of the urban doctors had a medical qualification whereas this is only18.8% among the rural doctors. The study on health workforce has also revealedthat 39.9% of Ayurveda doctors do not have a medical qualification. Among Homeoand Unani doctors, 58.2% and 54.2% respectively do not possess any form ofmedical qualification. In the case of dental practitioners, 57.7% do notpossess medical qualification.
Number of doctors
in Urban areas is almost four times that in Rural areas
The Government has also added that the distribution of doctors inrural and urban areas is highly skewed. The ratio of doctors in urban and ruralareas has been stated as being 3.8:1. TheWHO also reported in the study that there were 12.25 lakh (59.2%) healthworkers in urban areas which accounts for 27.8% of the population while thereare 8.44 lakh (40.8%) health workers in rural areas where the remaining 72.2%of the population resides. Health workers include doctors, nurses, mid-wivesand ancillary health professionals. The government’s press release states thatthis disparity has resulted in the rural population falling prey to quacks. Thereasons behind the dependence of rural and impoverished population on quacksare both access and affordability of healthcare.
Shortage of 14.3%
of doctors with respect to requirement in PHCs
In the Lok Sabha, MoHFW also provided data on the availability of
allopathic doctors in Public Health Centres  (PHCs) as on 28 June 2019. There is a shortageof 3,673 doctors across the country- a shortfall of 14.3% as compared to therequirement. While there is a requirement of 25,473 doctors in total and eventhough there 27,567 doctors in position, as on 31 March 2019, the distributionis not uniform. The shortfall in availability of doctors is witnessed in thestates of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, MadhyaPradesh, Nagaland, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Of the 3,673 shortfallof doctors, Uttar Pradesh (in spite of including 841 AYUSH doctors) has ashortfall of 2,277 doctors followed by 434 in Chhattisgarh and 371 in Odisha.Further,  1494 PHCs in the countryare functioning without a doctor as per 2018 data including 295 PHCs in Chhattisgarhalone.
8860 AYUSH doctors
have been appointed in PHCs in India
In the case of Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopath (AYUSH), thegovernment reported that there are a total of 7.88 Lakh doctors of which, assuming80% availability, approximately 6.30 lakh doctors available for service. Ifthey are considered along with their allopathic counterparts, India’s doctorpopulation ratio will be 1:867 which is much better than what is recommended bythe WHO. The appointment of AYUSH doctors in PHCs comesunder the purview of state governments. A total of 8860 AYUSH doctors have beenappointed in PHCs in India with the 15.6% in Bihar (1384). The governmentmentioned in the Lok Sabha that co-location ofAYUSH facilities at PHCs is to enable greater choice to the patients fordifferent systems of medicine. The number of AYUSH doctors in PHCs isillustrated in the following chart.
Who are Community
Health Providers?
According to the NMC act, Community Health Providers are thosepersonnel who will be given a limited licence by the medical commission topractice medicine at mid-level. It should be someone connected to the modernscientific medical profession. The total number of CHPs should not exceed one thirdthe total number of licensed registered medical practitioners under theNational Register maintained by the Ethics and Medical Registration Board.  The extent of their practice, circumstancesand duration will be specified in the regulations. The CHPs are permitted toprescribe medicine independently in primary and preventive healthcare. However,in all other cases, they prescribe medicine only under the supervision of registeredmedical practitioners.
Similar
initiatives in other countries have been found to be effective
In order to attain the government’s Ayushman Bharat objectives,there is a requirement for 1.5 lakh mid-level healthcare providers within the  next 3 to 5 years. It would take another 7 to8 years to fill this requirement purely by MBBS professionals considering thecurrent level of medical education in India, Thus, to bridge this gap, otherkinds of medical professionals like CHPs are a necessity for extendingnecessary healthcare. Further, the government has cited examples of suchinitiatives from other countries such as Thailand, United Kingdom and Chinawhere the outcomes have improved. The practice if done properly will also helprelieve the medical practitioners from the existing overburden. It has beenmentioned by the government that stringent regulations will be made withconsultation of doctors for stipulation of norms for CHPs.
Considering the shortage of doctors in the country coupled with uneven distribution of the available doctors, CHPs can help in addressing this gap by attending to primary and preventive healthcare.  While the government considers the inclusion of CHPs into healthcare as a measure to mitigate malpractice, medical practitioners are apprehensive as to this will lead to giving authority to quacks. Moreover, there are arguments that there are students who pass out of medical college and are unemployed. Introduction of CHPs will be a barrier for them since it increases competition for them. Since the regulations are yet to be formulated, not much is known about the norms to be set for CHPs in terms of qualification. However, the government would do well to take the medical community into confidence so that the CHP system does not lead to legitimizing quacks.
Featured Image: National Medical Commission bill


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How much does the Government earn through Toll on National Highways?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 7, 2017
So how much does the government earn through user fee at toll plazas? Has demonetization affected government revenues from toll plazas?
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up by an act of Parliament and is entrusted with the responsibility of development, maintenance and management of National Highways. As of November 2016, there are 394 toll plazas on various National Highways across the country. As per the available data the government earned more than 6700 crore rupees through toll fee in 2015-16.
User Fee at Toll Plazas
NHAI enters into Concession Agreements for design, construction, operation and maintenance of highways through Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model. The Concessionaire builds NH stretches and during operation and maintenance of the said stretch collects and retains the toll (user fee). The operator shares a part of the toll revenue with the government.  In case of stretches developed by government or NHAI Funds, NHAI engages Operate, Maintain and Transfer (OMT) Concessionaire / User-Fee Collection Contractors.
What would be the impact of Demonetization on Toll collection?
Soon after demonetization was announced, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) suspended the user fee collection on National Highways from 09th November 2016 to 02nd December 2016. For almost a month, the toll fee collection was suspended on national highways across the country. The government also informed the Lok Sabha that the average toll collection per day is Rs. 51.59 crores from the toll plazas under the NHAI and hence that amount did not accrue to the government during the suspension period.
From the data shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, it looks like the revenue collection at various toll plazas in 2016-17, developed with NHAI funds, may stay at 2015-16 levels with little or no increase. The revenue collection at these toll plazas has seen a continuous rise every year with addition of new highways and greater traffic movement. From Rs 3447 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 4937 crore in 2015-16, the revenue collection increased by about 43% in three years. In 2016-17, the revenue collection is at Rs 3993 crore till December 2016. On the other hand, the revenue share from BOT projects has remained more or less constant at Rs 1800 crore.
UP accounted for more than 20% of the toll collection
Uttar Pradesh consistently accounted for more than 20% of the total revenue collected at toll plazas. The revenues from UP crossed Rs 1000 crore in 2015-16. Together, the five states of UP, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal accounted for more than 60% of the total revenue collected in each of the past few years. Between 2013-14 and 2015-16, revenue collection crossed Rs 100 crore in twelve (12) different states. In 2016-17, the revenue crossed Rs 100 crore in 13 different states.
Featured Image: www.igovernment.in


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Doctor prescription should now be ‘Legible’ and preferably be in ‘Capital Letters’'
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 25, 2016
After long drawn efforts by a few NGOs and individuals, the government has now notified amendment to the Indian Medical Council Regulations that make it mandatory for Doctor prescriptions to be legible and preferably in capital letters.
Doctor prescriptions are perhaps the most difficult to read & understand since they are illegible. There have been cases where pharmacists mistook one medicine for another because of the illegible hand writing that led to health complications for patients. After a prolonged struggle by a few NGOs and individuals, the government has now notified amendments to the  ‘Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002’  that makes it mandatory for all doctors to prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters.
Not a single complaint till 2012
The Medical Council of India (MCI) and State Medical Councils, are empowered to enquire into the professional conduct of any doctor under the  ‘Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002’. In 2012, the government informed Lok Sabha that the MCI had not received any complaint regarding illegible prescription by a doctor. The government also informed the Lok Sabha in the same year that the MCI has no proposal to direct doctors/medical practitioners to write their prescription in capital letters.
A Pharmacist from Telangana files a case in the AP High Court
In late 2013, a pharmacist by name C Paramathma from the Nalgonda district of the present day Telangana state made a request to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with a plea that doctors be directed to write their prescription in capital letters only. He stated in his plea that names of some drugs differ by only a single letter and that illegible prescriptions sometimes lead to pharmacists giving the wrong medicine.
Though his plea was forwarded to the MCI, there was no response, following which he filed a PIL in the then Andhra Pradesh High Court. In his PIL, he cited a few examples of drugs and how their names differ by a single letter. In the PIL, he also referred to an incident that took place in Telangana where in a Pharmacist mistook MISOPROST 200 for MICROGEST 200 because of the illegible prescription. MICROGEST 200 is for helping women with her pregnancy while MISOPROST is for abortion.
Disposing the PIL, the AP High Court expressed its inability to pass a favorable order since there was no such requirement by law. However, the court felt the cause is genuine and hence directed the MCI to look into the issue.
The Government amends the rules
Following the directions of the AP High Court, the government has approved the amendment to the relevant regulation. Towards the end of 2014, the government informed the Lok Sabha that the amendment to the relevant rules is approved. After about 2 years, the government has now notified amendment to the  ‘Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002’  that makes it mandatory for all doctors to prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters.
Any violation of the regulation can be brought to the notice of the MCI or the relevant State Medical Council  who are empowered to enquire into the issue and take appropriate action.

created: October 25, 2016