Fact Checking a Sixth Estate of Democracy

U Sudhakar Reddy

Trends of independent Fact checking across the globe reveal that it has been growing as a strong institution of democracy in the age of post-truth politics and fake news scenario. Especially at the time when some politicians are debunking scientific concepts like Climate Change as a hoax, and a range of misinformation from political claims(especially during elections) to health is flooding the web, social media and instant messaging applications fact-checking have emerged as a new estate of democracy.  While mainstream media has been hailed as Fourth Estate of Democracy for years recently, analysts termed social media like Facebook, Twitter and web media that includes blogging as Fifth Estate.
The credibility of information reaching public has touched a new low ebb due to the fake news in social media and 'superficial' journalism practices in mainstream media, that lacked in-depth fact checking though they supposed to keep a tab on Legislative, Executive and Judiciary the three pillars of democracy. Independent Fact-checking has now come in place to clean up the mess.
Apart from 115 independent active fact checkers including the pioneering ones like Full Fact and First Draft of UK; the news organisations, NGOs, that woke up to the need, not only in the Europe but Asia too have been setting up fact checking units in their firms.
For instance, Panos South Asia with its headquarters in Kathmandu, a reputed NGO working on environment issues like climate change in the context of Himalayas, has just published a job offer for a ‘female fact checker’ on its site.  During the recent elections and referendums in US, France and now in UK agencies like Full Fact and First Draft have done exemplary work in the field of checking the claims and could be able to decimate the right information to the public.
First Draft’s collaborative journalism verification project, 'Crosscheck', during the recent French Elections, played a significant role in slaying the misinformation. 'CrossCheck' supported by GoogleNewsLab has tied up with 17 French newsrooms including Agence France-Presse(AFP), BuzzFeed News, France Médias Monde and others. Post French Elections First Draft has received requests from the across the globe and to name just a few of these countries are Singapore, Argentina and Zambia.
The Full Fact and First Draft have come together to work on fact checking during the upcoming UK elections.  The Full Fact established in 2010 with just three staff has now grown big not only by numbers but the impact that it has been creating in the area of exposing the misinformation and claim checking. Full Fact had worked extensively in 2015 elections as well as during the Brexit referendum and had a database of 2044 already verified claims in public service sectors like NHS and areas like Immigration, Crime and Law.
 Reuters Institute For the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford has published a Digital News Project report in 2016 titled ‘The Rise of Fact Checking Sites in Europe’ .  According to the report, the new millennium witnessed growth and rapid global spread of a new democratic institution, the independent political fact-checkers.
The report says “at least 34 permanent sources of political fact-checking are active in 20 different European countries, from Ireland to Turkey”
According to Duke Reporters’ Lab Including the United States, 11 countries have more than one fact checker with a total of 177 including 115 are active. In 2015 the number was just 44.  The report reveals the United States has the largest number of fact checkers totalling 43 followed by France with  6 and then the United Kingdom  6.   Spain has 4,  Ukraine 4, South Korea 3, Canada 3, Brazil 3, Mexico 2, Argentina 2, Colombia 2, China 1 and India 1.
Taking fact checking further ahead Full Fact has started an automated fact-checking system which works in real time and will not only be useful to journalists but to the general public too.
According to Full Fact’s State of Automated Fact Checking report, its system is now for internal use and will be available for external use in future. The automated system tracks what MPs speak in UK Parliament and reports in major media outlets. The system not only identified previously checked claims but also test the accuracy of the claims. Full Fact is now working on a roadmap for developing the international standards with a broader collaboration to make useful tools and as well as to avoid duplication of work. Full Fact in its report says automated fact-checking is all about “getting the right information to the right people at the right time”.
The role of fact checking is likely to grow further in protecting democratic principles with the use of technology apart from involving human fact checkers where newer areas like consumer rights and misinformation in goods and other public services can be added in along with claims made by politicians and media on various subjects.


 References:
https://reporterslab.org/fact-checking/
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/The%20Rise%20of%20Fact-Checking%20Sites%20in%20Europe.pdf
https://fullfact.org/blog/2017/feb/what-automated-factchecking-and-how-will-it-work/
http://panosa.org/vacancy-announcement-for-female-fact-checker/

Aadhaar to track 'benami' properties

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Aadhaar seeding of revenue data of agricultural lands, property tax data of buildings and vacant land tax of open plots will help identify original owners of properties and flush out benami property holders, said officials on Monday.

Till date Aadhaar seeding has been used to weed out bogus beneficiaries of both state government schemes and crop loans and to identify property tax defaulters.


With the amended Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act coming into force from November 1, Aadhaar seeding data of property tax has become vital for identification.

UIDAI deputy director general, Mr M.V.S. Rami Reddy said, “AP has completed 90.95 per cent of pattadars of Chief Commissioner of Land Administration Webland and TS is also in the process of speeding it.

Only few data pertaining to people living outside the state and NRIs is yet to be seeded in AP. Once it is seeded with Aadhar, the property or land can be tagged to a particular person. As per Section 57 of the Act, the state may enact rules for the use of the Aadhaar number for any purpose.”

Fema cases on 3 Hyderabad forex traders

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday booked cases under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against three city-based foreign exchange companies. ED seized around Rs 1.5 crore worth unaccounted foreign and Indian currencies during the searches conducted in the city on Friday evening.

Cases were booked against Jain Forex Private Limited, which has branches across the city, Shanthi Forex which has four branches and Kapnox Forex. Searches were conducted following complaints that several foreign exchange companies were selling foreign currencies by accepting demonetized Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, sources said.


“ED officials have seized around Rs 22 lakh worth Indian currency, which we were about to deposit in the bank. There is no violation,” said Mukesh Gandhi, managing partner of Kapnox. “ED officials have conducted searches. This is part of the nationwide raid.  No cash has been seized from our firm,” said Mr J. Raju, claiming to be an employee of Jain Forex.

No one was available for comment from Shanthi Forex. Searches were conducted at over 500 locations across the country. It was reported that the Enforcement Directorate was scrutinising 67 foreign exchange dealers and the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence was also monitoring prominent jewellers and bullion traders. The ED is looking into foreign exchange violations and money laundering by money exchanges, revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia said in New Delhi.

Flat-owners and builders at war in Telangana and AP

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Abnormal delay in construction of apartments and villas by big construction firms and small-time builders has been causing untold misery to flat buyers and original landowners in cities like Hyderabad, Vizag and elsewhere in AP. There are several cases of consumer forums fining big builders like Alien Developers and Maytas. Cheating cases have been booked in some instances. Despite that, builders continue to delay the construction causing misery to buyers who paid money.

Recently, in a judgement, the Hyderabad consumer forum found fault with a builder who delayed the handover of flats, and asked him to pay compensation to landowners. More and more flat buyers are knocking on the doors of the forum for relief.


The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Reddressal forum-3 passed the order in a complaint filed by M Narsimha Rao and M Sadodith, residents of Prashantinagar in Saidabad against builder SP Haridayal’s construction company. The forum ordered builders to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the delay and hand over possession of the completed flats that are due to landowners as their share immediately.

In 2010, a development agreement was struck for completion of the flats in 18 months from the date of obtaining permission with a grace period of three months. The complainants alleged that the builder failed to comply with the terms of the development agreement and failed to deliver the constructed space within time. The builder failed to complete the flooring, fix doors and windows and do electrical work.

In another case, Amitendu Patnaik, a resident of Erragadda, complained against Sanathnagar enterprises in Hyderabad consumer forum 3. The complainant booked a flat “Casa Paradiso” of the Lodha Group in Sanathnagar for Rs 46 lakh and the complainant was promised it would be delivered in 2012.

The complainant alleged that there was delay in getting possession of the flats and that he had paid excess amounts. The forum ordered the builder to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh as well as costs.

Demonetisation: Banks, hoarders nexus under lens

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The CBI has orally asked all vigilance wings of banks to keep a tab on their staff following information that managers and other employees are conniving with black money racketeers and allowing multiple exchanges of demonetised notes against the RBI quota.

Incidents have been reported at Hyderabad and Guntur wherein multiple exchanges of Rs 4,000 is being done with different ID proofs. CBI sources said that they can book cases only if specific complaints are filed. A top CBI source said, “We have learnt about bank staff, along with black money racketeers, using multiple ID proofs for mass exchanges of demonetised notes in multiple names. We haven’t received any specific complaint. We have asked internal vigilance wings of banks to keep tabs on the staff.” Central government banks and postal department employees come under the purview of the CBI probe.


Can’t track driving licence
Banks have no mechanism to check how many times a person visits as there is no link with the driving licence database of the RTA.

ED sources said, “Auto-rickshaw drivers in the city are mostly off the roads. Racketeers are using them for their driving licenses by paying Rs 200 to Rs 300 each time for standing in queues for Rs 4,000.” Even in rural areas, agricultural labourers are being used to change demonetised notes at banks and post offices.