Stock Photo Used As Kerala Railway Porter Who Cleared IAS Exams
The man in the viral post is not Sreenath K, the coolie from Kerala who actually cleared the civil services exam.
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CLAIM
A viral photo has resurfaced which claims that a railway porter, identified as Sreenath K, has cleared the civil services exam by using the free WiFi service at the Railways.
Several users shared the news on Facebook.
The Quint also received a query about the post on its WhatsApp helpline.
TRUE OR FALSE
While the news is authentic, the man in the image is not Sreenath K, the coolie from Kerala who actually cleared the civil services exam.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
A reverse image search led us to the original image on Alamy’s website, a stock photography agency. The image was clicked by Philip Bigg, and is of a porter in Pune.
The news with the wrong image was shared by a Facebook page, Wirally, on 12 May 2018.
So, who is Sreenath K?
Well, the news first broke out on 9 May 2018, when Sreenath K, a porter at the Ernakulam Junction in Kerala, cleared the written test of the Kerala Public Service Commission.
The real Sreenath K can be seen in the video below.
Sreenath listened to his digital coursework through earphones while working. A high school pass-out, he took advantage of the free WiFi Internet service available at Ernakulam station.
“I have appeared thrice for the exam and this is the first time I used the WiFi at the station. What I do is put on my earphones and listen to the study material as I carry the luggage or solve questionnaires in my mind. This way I can study while I work. I revise all my work at night when I get free time,” he told PTI.
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