#FactCheck: IAF Shivangi Singh was captured by Pakistan army after her Rafale fighter jet was shot down
Executive Summary:
False information spread on social media that Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, India’s first female Rafale pilot, had been captured by Pakistan during “Operation Sindoor”. The allegations are untrue and baseless as no credible or official confirmation supports the claim, and Singh is confirmed to be safe and actively serving. The rumor, likely originating from unverified sources, sparked public concern and underscored the serious threat fake news poses to national security.
Claim:
An X user posted stating that “ Initial image released of a female Indian Shivani singh Rafale pilot shot down in Pakistan”. It was falsely claimed that Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh had been captured, and that the Rafale aircraft was shot down by Pakistan.
Fact Check:
After doing reverse image search, we found an instagram post stating the two Indian Air Force pilots—Wing Commander Tejpal (50) and trainee Bhoomika (28)—who had ejected from a Kiran Jet Trainer during a routine training sortie from Bengaluru before it crashed near Bhogapuram village in Karnataka. The aircraft exploded upon impact, but both pilots were later found alive, though injured and exhausted.
Also we found a youtube channel which is showing the video from the past and not what it was claimed to be.
Conclusion:
The false claims about Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh being captured by Pakistan and her Rafale jet being shot down have been debunked. The image used was unrelated and showed IAF pilots from a separate training incident. Several media also confirmed that its video made no mention of Ms. Singh’s arrest. This highlights the dangers of misinformation, especially concerning national security. Verifying facts through credible sources and avoiding the spread of unverified content is essential to maintain public trust and protect the reputation of those serving in the armed forces.
- Claim: False claims about Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh being captured by Pakistan and her Rafale jet being shot down
- Claimed On: Social Media
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
Related Blogs
Executive Summary:
A video gone viral on Facebook claims Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsed the government’s new investment project. The video has been widely shared. However, our research indicates that the video has been AI altered and is being used to spread misinformation.
Claim:
The claim in this video suggests that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is endorsing an automotive system that promises daily earnings of ₹15,00,000 with an initial investment of ₹21,000.
Fact Check:
To check the genuineness of the claim, we used the keyword search for “Nirmala Sitharaman investment program” but we haven’t found any investment related scheme. We observed that the lip movements appeared unnatural and did not align perfectly with the speech, leading us to suspect that the video may have been AI-manipulated.
When we reverse searched the video which led us to this DD News live-stream of Sitharaman’s press conference after presenting the Union Budget on February 1, 2025. Sitharaman never mentioned any investment or trading platform during the press conference, showing that the viral video was digitally altered. Technical analysis using Hive moderator further found that the viral clip is Manipulated by voice cloning.
Conclusion:
The viral video on social media shows Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing the government’s new investment project as completely voice cloned, manipulated and false. This highlights the risk of online manipulation, making it crucial to verify news with credible sources before sharing it. With the growing risk of AI-generated misinformation, promoting media literacy is essential in the fight against false information.
- Claim: Fake video falsely claims FM Nirmala Sitharaman endorsed an investment scheme.
- Claimed On: Social Media
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
Introduction
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 20th August 2024 issued directives requiring Access Service Providers to adhere to the specific guidelines to protect consumer interests and prevent fraudulent activities. TRAI has mandated all Access Service Providers to abide by the directives. These steps advance TRAI's efforts to promote a secure messaging ecosystem, protecting consumer interests and eliminating fraudulent conduct.
Key Highlights of the TRAI’s Directives
- For improved monitoring and control, TRAI has directed that Access Service Providers move telemarketing calls, beginning with the 140 series, to an online DLT (Digital Ledger Technology) platform by September 30, 2024, at the latest.
- All Access Service Providers will be forbidden from sending messages that contain URLs, APKs, OTT links, or callback numbers that the sender has not whitelisted, the rule is to be effective from September 1st, 2024.
- In an effort to improve message traceability, TRAI has made it mandatory for all messages, starting on November 1, 2024, to include a traceable trail from sender to receiver. Any message with an undefined or mismatched telemarketer chain will be rejected.
- To discourage the exploitation or misuse of templates for promotional content, TRAI has introduced punitive actions in case of non-compliance. Content Templates registered in the wrong category will be banned, and subsequent offences will result in a one-month suspension of the Sender's services.
- To assure compliance with rules, all Headers and Content Templates registered on DLT must follow the requirements. Furthermore, a single Content Template cannot be connected to numerous headers.
- If any misuse of headers or content templates by a sender is discovered, TRAI has instructed an immediate ‘suspension of traffic’ from all of that sender's headers and content templates for their verification. Such suspension can only be revoked only after the Sender has taken legal action against such usage. Furthermore, Delivery-Telemarketers must identify and disclose companies guilty of such misuse within two business days, or else risk comparable repercussions.
CyberPeace Policy Outlook
TRAI’s measures are aimed at curbing the misuse of messaging services including spam. TRAI has mandated that headers and content templates follow defined requirements. Punitive actions are introduced in case of non-compliance with the directives, such as blacklisting and service suspension. TRAI’s measures will surely curb the increasing rate of scams such as phishing, spamming, and other fraudulent activities and ultimately protect consumer's interests and establish a true cyber-safe environment in messaging services ecosystem.
The official text of TRAI directives is available on the official website of TRAI or you can access the link here.
References
- https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/Direction_20082024.pdf
- https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/PR_No.53of2024.pdf
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2046872
- https://legal.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/regulators/trai-issues-directives-to-access-providers-to-curb-misuse-fraud-through-messaging/112669368
According to Statista, the number of users in India's digital assets market is expected to reach 107.30m users by 2025 (Impacts of Inflation on Financial Markets, August 2023). India's digital asset market has been experiencing exponential growth fueled by the increased adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. This furthers the need for its regulation. Digital assets include cryptocurrencies, NFTs, asset-backed tokens, and tokenised real estate.
India has defined Digital Assets under Section 47(A) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Finance Act 2022-23 has added the word 'virtual' to make it “Virtual Digital Assets”. A “virtual digital asset” is any information or code, number, or token, created through cryptographic methods or otherwise, by any name, giving a digital representation of value exchanged with or without consideration. A VDA should contain an inherent value and represent a store of value or unit of account, functional in any financial transaction or investment. These can be stored, transferred, or traded in electronic format.
Digital Asset Governance: Update and Future Outlook
Indian regulators have been conservative in their approach towards digital assets, with the Reserve Bank of India first issuing directions against cryptocurrency transactions in 2018. This ban was removed by the Supreme Court through a court order in 2020. The presentation of the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill of 2021 is a fairly important milestone in its attempts to lay down the framework for issuing an official digital currency by the Reserve Bank of India. While some digital assets seem to have potential, like the Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and blockchain-based financial applications, a blanket prohibition has been enforced on private cryptocurrencies.
However, in more recent trends, the landscape is changing as the RBI's CBDC is to provide a state-backed digital alternative to cash under a more structured regulatory framework. This move seeks to balance state control with innovation on investor safety and compliance, expecting to reduce risk and enhance security for investors by enacting strict anti-money laundering and know-your-customer laws. Highlighting these developments is important to examine how global regulatory trends influence India's digital asset policies.
Impact of Global Development on India’s Approach
Global regulatory developments have an impact on Indian policies on digital assets. The European Union's Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) is to introduce a comprehensive regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies that could act as an inspiration for India. MiCA regulation covers crypto-assets that are not currently regulated by existing financial services legislation. Its particular focus on consumer protection and market integrity resonates with India in terms of investigating needs related to digital assets, including fraud and price volatility. Additionally, evolving policies in the US, such as regulating crypto exchanges and classifying certain tokens as securities, could also form the basis for India's regulatory posture.
Collaboration on the international level is also a chief contributing factor. India’s regular participation in global forums like the G20, facilitates an opportunity to align its regulations on digital assets with other countries, tending toward an even more standardised and predictable framework for cross-border transactions. This can significantly help India given that the nation has a huge diaspora providing a critical inflow of remuneration.
CyberPeace Outlook
Though digital assets offer many opportunities to India, challenges also exist. Cryptocurrency volatility affects investors, posing concerns over fraud and illicit dealings. A balance between the need for innovation and investor protection is paramount to avoid killing the growth of India's digital asset ecosystem with overly restrictive regulations.
Financial inclusion, efficient cross-border payments with low transaction costs, and the opening of investment opportunities are a few opportunities offered by digital assets. For example, the tokenisation of real estate throws open real estate investment to smaller investors. To strengthen the opportunities while addressing challenges, some policy reforms and new frameworks might prove beneficial.
CyberPeace Policy Recommendations
- Establish a regulatory sandbox for startups working in the area of blockchain and digital assets. This would allow them to test innovative solutions in a controlled environment with regulatory oversight minimising risks.
- Clear guidelines for the taxation of digital assets should be provided as they will ensure transparency, reduce ambiguity for investors, and promote compliance with tax regulations. Specific guidelines can be drawn from the EU's MiCA regulation.
- Workshops, online resources, and campaigns are some examples of initiatives aimed at improving consumer awareness about digital assets, benefits and associated risks that should be implemented. Partnerships with global fintech firms will provide a great opportunity to learn best practices.
Conclusion
India is positioned at a critical juncture with respect to the debate on digital assets. The challenge which lies ahead is one of balancing innovation with effective regulation. The introduction of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and the development of new policies signal a willingness on the part of the regulators to embrace the digital future. In contrast, issues like volatility, fraud, and regulatory compliance continue to pose hurdles. By drawing insights from global frameworks and strengthening ties through international forums, India can pave the way for a secure and dynamic digital asset ecosystem. Embracing strategic measures such as regulatory sandboxes and transparent tax guidelines will not only protect investors but also unlock the immense potential of digital assets, propelling India into a new era of financial innovation and inclusivity.
References
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/10/different-countries-navigating-uncertainty-digital-asset-regulation-election-year/
- https://www.acfcs.org/eu-passes-landmark-crypto-regulation
- https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2022-23/doc/Finance_Bill.pdf
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/10/different-countries-navigating-uncertainty-digital-asset-regulation-election-year/
- https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Digital_Assets_Regulation_2024.pdf
