From claims that Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla’s daughter, Anjali Birla cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination in the first attempt without taking the exam or sitting for the interview, to the mainstream media misreporting a sponsored article by the Uttar Pradesh government in TIME magazine, here’s a round-up of all that misled the public this week.
1. Speaker Om Birla’s Daughter Did Take the UPSC Exam
Social media is rife with claims that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s daughter Anjali Birla did not take any exam or interview and cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Examination in the first attempt, insinuating that she got the privilege of being the Speaker’s daughter.
However, Anjali Birla shared the copy of her admit card with The Quint’s WebQoof team and said that she followed the due procedure. We also scanned the merit lists of UPSC examination 2019 and found her roll number in the preliminary and mains result list.
You can read the full story here.
2. No, TIME Didn’t Run a Story Praising Yogi Govt’s Handling of COVID
A sponsored article by the Uttar Pradesh government in the TIME magazine was picked up by several mainstream news organisations as the international publication congratulating Yogi government for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An archived version of the tweet can be found here.
(Source: Zee News/Screenshot)
The article titled ‘Hang in there, better times are ahead’ carries a disclaimer on top, which reads ‘Content from Uttar Pradesh’, which indicates that the article is sponsored content and not an editorial piece by the TIME magazine. The same disclaimer can be seen on the next page of the article as well.
You can read the full report here.
3. Old Image of Unnao Murder Case Viral in Context of Badaun Incident
An image of a woman’s body from a two-year old murder case of a 21-year-old student in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district has been revived in the context of the 50-year-old woman who was brutally raped and murdered in Badaun district, allegedly by a priest and his disciples on Sunday night.
The Station House Officer of Maurawan village, where the murder took place on 24 December 2018, and the victim’s cousin Phoolchandra, confirmed to The Quint that the viral image was of Goldy Yadav. The SHO further stated that she was murdered by her cousin, Satish Kumar, due to a one-sided love affair.
You can read the full report here.
4. Free COVID Vaccine in India But Not in UK, US? ABP News Misreports
A claim broadcast by Hindi news channel ABP News and widely shared on social media suggests that the COVID-19 vaccine is free in India, while it costs Rs 5,500 in the United States and Rs 3,000 in the United Kingdom.
However, the claim is misleading. In India, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has clarified that the vaccine will be provided free of cost to three crore beneficiaries in the first phase of vaccine administration. Both US and UK are also providing the coronavirus vaccines free of cost, as of now.
You can read the full report here.
5. No, Mike Pence Cannot Unilaterally Reject Electoral Votes
In another attempt to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, outgoing US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, 5 January, claimed that Vice-President Mike Pence could unilaterally reject the ‘fraudulently chosen electors’ during Congress’ Electoral College certification process.
However, the claim doesn’t hold much relevance because as per the laid rules, Pence doesn’t have the power to do that as the president of the Senate.
According to the procedure followed in a joint session of the Congress, the vice-president (president of the Senate) opens the envelopes from each state, which contains the results, and hands them over to the four members of the House and Senate, who then read it out aloud.
You can read the full story here.
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