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At FactChecker.in, besides scrutinizing official statements and reports, we were a part of two global factcheckathons in 2015—for the G20 summit in Antalaya, Turkey, and the COP21 summit in Paris, France.

As the year comes to an end, we look at the top three stories on FactChecker.in.

Power Ministry: Series Of False Claims, Marginal Improvements

"Highest-ever” addition of power-generation capacity (22,566 MW) in a single year; power generation touching the trillion-unit mark; lowest-ever (3.6%) power deficit; and a 32-million-tonne increase in coal production. These are some of the claims made by the Ministry of Coal and Power in its performance report card. However, we trawled the data and found selective and exaggerated reporting.

Maneka Gandhi Is Right: Funds For Critical Nutrition, Health Schemes Cut 51%

In February 2015, the budget of the women and child welfare ministry was cut by about half. Women and child welfare minister Maneka Gandhi sparked a controversy earlier this year after telling Reuters that her departments were struggling, her observations interpreted as criticism of her own government. Gandhi is right. Factchecker.in found that the budget for women and child development was cut by 51%.

Modi’s 5 Mega Plans: Long Road Ahead

“Our programmes of inclusive development, including financial Inclusion, universal access to basic needs by target year, Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Industrial Corridors and Smart Cities will boost growth and employment in India.” This was the declaration India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made at the G20 multilateral summit in Antalaya, Turkey, where several heads of state gathered to discuss the global economy, climate change and terrorism in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks. Modi’s statement during the session on “Inclusive Growth: Global Economy, Growth Strategies, Employment and Investment Strategies” spotlighted his government’s main plans. We factchecked his statement and updated the progress of five big government programmes. This FactCheck exercise and report was collaborative effort with members of the Global Fact Checkers Association, timed with the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey.

Factchecker Team