#FactCheck -Claim That India’s GDP Was “Fake for 10 Years” is Misleading
Executive Summary
A viral graphic post on social media claims that India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was “fake for 10 years.” The post also states that the real economic growth was around 4%, while official figures reported it at 6%. It further cites a former Chief Economic Adviser (Ex-CEA) and presents the claim as a “revelation.”
Research by CyberPeace Research Wing found this claim to be misleading. No official government document, nor India’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), or any recognised international institution has stated that India’s GDP was “fake.”
Claim
On the social media platform Instagram, a user shared a post claiming that the Chief Economic Adviser said India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was “fake for 10 years.” The link to the post and its archive link are given below, along with a screenshot.
The viral post refers to a 2019 research paper linked to former Chief Economic Adviser (Ex-CEA) Arvind Subramanian. In this study, he raised questions about India’s GDP growth estimation and suggested that during 2011–12 to 2016–17, the actual growth could have been around 4.5%, while the official estimate was close to 7%.
However, the study does not conclude anywhere that India’s GDP was “fake” or entirely incorrect. It only presents an alternative estimation based on different assumptions and methods, which has also been challenged by other economists and government agencies.
- https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/publications/faculty-working-papers/india-gdp-overestimate?utm_source
- https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/publications/faculty-working-papers/india-gdp-overestimate?utm_source
Conclusion:
The claim circulating on social media is misleading. The former Chief Economic Adviser provided an academic view on GDP estimation, but there is no evidence or official confirmation that India’s GDP was “fake for 10 years.” The data released by the Government of India was not validated by the figures circulated on social media.
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Introduction
As the 2024 Diwali festive season approaches, netizens eagerly embrace the spirit of celebration with online shopping, gifting, and searching for the best festive deals on online platforms. Historical web data from India shows that netizens' online activity spikes at this time as people shop online to upgrade their homes, buy unique presents for loved ones and look for services and products to make their celebrations more joyful.
However, with the increase in online transactions and digital interactions, cybercriminals take advantage of the festive rush by enticing users with fake schemes, fake coupons offering freebies, fake offers of discounted jewellery, counterfeit product sales, festival lotteries, fake lucky draws and charity appeals, malicious websites and more. Cybercrimes, especially phishing attempts, also spike in proportion to user activity and shopping trends at this time.
Hence, it becomes important for all netizens to stay alert, making sure their personal information and financial data is protected and ensure that they exercise due care and caution before clicking on any suspicious links or offers. Additionally, brands and platforms also must make strong cybersecurity a top priority to safeguard their customers and build trust.
Diwali Season and Phishing Attempts
Last year's report from CloudSEK's research team noted an uptick in cyber threats during the Diwali period, where cybercriminals leveraged the festive mood to launch phishing, betting and crypto scams. The report revealed that phishing attempts target the e-commerce industries and seek to damage the image of reputable brands. An astounding 828 distinct domains devoted to phishing activities were found in the Facebook Ads Library by CloudSEK's investigators. The report also highlighted the use of typosquatting techniques to create phony-but-plausible domains that trick users into believing they are legitimate websites, by exploiting common typing errors or misspellings of popular domain names. As fraudsters are increasingly misusing AI and deepfake technologies to their advantage, we expect even more of these dangers to surface this year over the festive season.
CyberPeace Advisory
It is important that netizens exercise caution, especially during the festive period and follow cyber safety practices to avoid cybercrimes and phishing attempts. Some of the cyber hygiene best practices suggested by CyberPeace are as follows:
- Netizens must verify the sender’s email, address, and domain with the official site for the brand/ entity the sender claims to be affiliated with.
- Netizens must avoid clicking links received through email, messages or shared on social media and consider visiting the official website directly.
- Beware of urgent, time-sensitive offers pressuring immediate action.
- Spot phishing signs like spelling errors and suspicious URLs to avoid typosquatting tactics used by cybercriminals.
- Netizens must enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for an additional layer of security.
- Have authenticated antivirus software and malware detection software installed on your devices.
- Be wary of unsolicited festive deals, gifts and offers.
- Stay informed on common tactics used by cybercriminals to launch phishing attacks and recognise the red flags of any phishing attempts.
- To report cybercrimes, file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in or helpline number 1930. You can also seek assistance from the CyberPeace helpline at +91 9570000066.
References
- https://www.outlookmoney.com/plan/financial-plan/this-diwali-beware-of-these-financial-scams
- https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/diwali-and-pooja-domains-being-exploited-by-online-scams-see-tips-to-help-you-stay-safe-405323-2023-11-10
- https://www.abplive.com/states/bihar/bihar-crime-news-15-cyber-fraud-arrested-in-nawada-before-diwali-2024-ann-2805088
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/phishing-you-a-happy-diwali-ai-advancements-pave-way-for-cybercriminals/articleshow/113966675.cms?from=mdr
Introduction
As e-sports flourish in India, mobile gaming platforms and apps have contributed massively to this boom. The wave of online mobile gaming has led to a new recognition of esports. As we see the Sports Ministry being very proactive for e-sports and e-athletes, it is pertinent to ensure that we do not compromise our cyber security for the sake of these games. When we talk about online mobile gaming, the most common names that come to our minds are PUBG and BGMI. As news for all Indian gamers, BGMI is set to be relaunched in India after approval from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Why was BGMI banned?
The Govt banned Battle Ground Mobile India on the pretext of being a Chinese application and the fact that all the data was hosted in China itself. This caused a cascade of compliance and user safety issues as the Data was stored outside India. Since 2020 The Indian Govt has been proactive in banning Chinese applications, which might have an adverse effect on national security and Indian citizens. Nearly 200 plus applications have been banned by the Govt, and most of them were banned due to their data hubs being in China. The issue of cross-border data flow has been a key issue in Geo-Politics, and whoever hosts the data virtually owns it as well and under the potential threat of this fact, all apps hosting their data in China were banned.
Why is BGMI coming back?
BGMI was banned for not hosting data in India, and since the ban, the Krafton Inc.-owned game has been engaging in Idnai to set up data banks and servers to have a separate gaming server for Indian players. These moves will lead to a safe gaming ecosystem and result in better adherence to the laws and policies of the land. The developers have not declared a relaunch date yet, but the game is expected to be available for download for iOS and Android users in the coming few days. The game will be back on app stores as a letter from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been issued stating that the games be allowed and made available for download on the respective app stores.
Grounds for BGMI
BGMI has to ensure that they comply with all the laws, policies and guidelines in India and have to show the same to the Ministry to get an extension on approval. The game has been permitted for only 90 days (3 Months). Hon’ble MoS Meity Rajeev Chandrashekhar stated in a tweet “This is a 3-month trial approval of #BGMI after it has complied with issues of server locations and data security etc. We will keep a close watch on other issues of User harm, Addiction etc., in the next 3 months before a final decision is taken”. This clearly shows the magnitude of the bans on Chinese apps. The ministry and the Govt will not play the soft game now, it’s all about compliance and safeguarding the user’s data.
Way Forward
This move will play a significant role in the future, not only for gaming companies but also for other online industries, to ensure compliance. This move will act as a precedent for the issue of cross-border data flow and the advantages of data localisation. It will go a long way in advocacy for the betterment of the Indian cyber ecosystem. Meity alone cannot safeguard the space completely, it is a shared responsibility of the Govt, industry and netizens.
Conclusion
The advent of online mobile gaming has taken the nation by storm, and thus, being safe and secure in this ecosystem is paramount. The provisional permission form BGMI shows the stance of the Govt and how it is following the no-tolerance policy for noncompliance with laws. The latest policies and bills, like the Digital India Act, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, etc., will go a long way in securing the interests and rights of the Indian netizen and will create a blanket of safety and prevention of issues and threats in the future.
Executive Summary
A news video is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has resigned from his post in protest against the ongoing UGC-related controversy. Several users are sharing the clip while alleging that Kumar stepped down after opposing the issue. However, CyberPeace research has found the claim to be false. The researchrevealed that the video being shared is from 2022 and has no connection whatsoever with the UGC or any recent protests related to it. An old video has been misleadingly linked to a current issue to spread misinformation on social media.
Claim:
An Instagram user shared a video on January 26 claiming that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had resigned. The post further alleged that the news was first aired on Republic channel and that Kumar had submitted his resignation to then-Governor Phagu Chauhan. The link to the post, its archived version, and screenshots can be seen below. (Links as provided)
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, CyberPeace first conducted a keyword-based search on Google. No credible or established media organisation reported any such resignation, clearly indicating that the viral claim lacked authenticity.
Further, the voiceover in the viral video states that Nitish Kumar handed over his resignation to Governor Phagu Chauhan. However, Phagu Chauhan ceased to be the Governor of Bihar in February 2023. The current Governor of Bihar is Arif Mohammad Khan, making the claim in the video factually incorrect and misleading.
In the next step, keyframes from the viral video were extracted and reverse-searched using Google Lens. This led to the official YouTube channel of Republic Bharat, where the full version of the same video was found. The video was uploaded on August 9, 2022. This clearly establishes that the clip circulating on social media is not recent and is being shared out of context.
Conclusion
CyberPeace’s research confirms that the viral video claiming Nitish Kumar resigned over the UGC issue is false. The video dates back to 2022 and has no link to the current UGC controversy. An old political video has been deliberately circulated with a misleading narrative to create confusion on social media.
