The government plans to introduce a nationwide, unique Aadhaar-like digital health ids under the National Digital Health Mission.

Fact Check: Under the proposal, Electronic Health Reports (EHR) will be readily available through an individual’s unique digital health id.

The government hopes the move will help it achieve its goal of Universal Health Coverage, making healthcare available, accessible and affordable.

National Digital Health Blueprint

The blueprint aims to bring such programs under one umbrella with the assistance of Electronic Health Records and tools such as Fast Health Interoperability Resources (FHIR) that standardise the exchange of health information and SNOMED CT- the medical vocabulary used by different health service providers.

The health ministry plans to create registries highlighting diseases, blood/organ donors, facilities, and the various health personnel (doctors, nurses, health workers, allied professionals). These will be open sources and assist in maintaining records.

The government proposes to create various data hubs which can be accessible on mobile phones through a myHealth app, Digital India web portal, call centres specially designed for the initiative, and through social media. (Read Full Story)

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy called the letter fake and said his signature had been forged.

Fake News: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy called out a viral letter claiming to be his resignation, as fake, in the latest twist to the political drama as the CM struggles to keep his tottering coalition alive.

The document addressed to the Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Vala was supposedly written and signed by Kumaraswamy, and was widely shared on social media.

It is not clear where the letter originated from or who was behind it.

The letter comes at a time when the state could be on the brink of another political upheaval with 12 MLAs from the JDS-Congress coalition government having earlier resigned and have now gone ‘missing’.

The act threw the 14-month old government into jeopardy as it no longer held a majority to form the government. While the Bharatiya Janata Party demands a floor test, the house has been in session for more than a week. Meanwhile JDS-Congress leaders are stalling the floor test while BJP insists on conducting it. The coalition government also missed two deadlines set by Governor Vala to hold the floor test.

Read More → Karnataka Floor Test

A video showing a ‘mock auction’ of sex slaves to raise awareness about atrocities committed by the Islamic State is shared with misleading context.

Viral News India: A video showing a man announcing the sale of sex slaves in an open market has been shared with a caption ‘FEMALES Are Getting SOLD LIKE GOATS in The World’s So Called Most Peaceful religion #ISLAM’.

Fact-Check

The five-year old video has been debunked by BOOM earlier too. While earlier the video was viral with a claim that Islamic State was auctioning sex slaves, it has resurfaced with a different claim now.

The video, shot in 2014, was a mock auction organised by a Kurdish activist as part of a protest against ISIS in London.

The women shown in chains in the video are actors. The group was trying to raise awareness on about the plight of women taken by ISIS as sex slaves. (Read Full Story)

BOOM found that the online form was a hoax to dupe people into providing their information on a fake website.

Fake News India: A viral message promising people free solar panels distributed by the government under a scheme initiated by Prime Mintier Narendra Modi, is fake. No such scheme exists.

The message in Hindi claims one can avail of free solar panels if one fills up the form on ‘solar-panel-recive.blogspot.com’.

BOOM received the forward on its WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111) inquiring about its veracity.

The WhatsApp message states the following.

“Prime Minister’s Free Solar Panel Scheme – Free solar panels in your home or village, do not charge you any kind of fees just fill the form quickly. The last date for application is 31 July 2019 then please hurry and send this message to all your friends so that the benefit of this scheme can be availed for everyone. Apply now.” (Read Full Story)

The Indian Medical Association claims the proposed bill only favors the rich and promotes quackery.

Fact Check India: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has opposed the revised National Medical Commission (NMC) bill which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2019, and claims the proposed bill only favours the rich and promotes quackery.

The IMA has a problem with three major provisions in the existing bill: the 50% capping of fees in private medical colleges, the common exam for both licensing and post-graduation, and ambiguity over the definition of ‘Community Health Providers’.

Doctors and medical students, who are members of the IMA, protested against the NMC bill by burning copies of the bill outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on July 24. The IMA – a voluntary registered body for doctors in India, has been opposing the bill since 2016.

One exam: Cause or cure of problems?

The association has demanded a better explanation on the proposed common entrance exam in the bill, if introduced, will allow students to practice medicine as well as pursue higher medical education.

The association thinks that this one exam cannot be used as a parameter to determine both who will practice medicine and who will pursue a specialisation. (Read Full Story)

The Right To Information Amendment Bill, passed by Lok Sabha, alters the mandate of the tenure and the remuneration of Information Commissioners, with the opposition crying foul.

Fact Check on Fake News: The Rajya Sabha has passed the Right To Information (RTI) Amendment Bill, 2019, which directly amends the RTI Act, 2005, aimed at making the government more accountable. The bill was passed despite strong protests from the opposition benches that saw the proceedings of the house disrupted for a day.

Earlier, the amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 22 with 218 ‘yes’ votes and ’79’ no votes, three days after it was introduced by Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh.

The bill has already generated a furore – among the opposition and former RTI commissioners – over the potentially ominous path citzens’ right to information has been forced to take.

Why has this amendment been introduced?

It states that while EC is a constitutional body established by Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the Information Commission is a statutory body established by the RTI Act, 2005. Therefore, the functions being carried out by the both these authorities and their general mandate is completely different. Hence, this amendment is a step towards rationalising their status and service conditions.

Know More → Right To Information Amendment Bill

Hitesh Mulchandani, was abducted and stabbed after a fight in a Pune bar. Local police tell BOOM action will be taken against those spread communal hatred using this incident.

Fact Check News India: Maharashtra’s Pimpri Police have refuted claims doing the rounds on social media that there was a communal angle in the abduction and murder of 24-year-old Hitesh Mulchandani. Viral posts on Twitter and Facebook claimed that Mulchandani was murdered by a Muslim gang for raising his voice against public urination.

BOOM also contacted Rohit Sukheja, friend of the victim who was present during the incident and filed the FIR, who said he was “angry at such communal posts.” Sukheja said, “Such communal and religious posts are even hurting the Mulchandani family.”

Following investigation, Pune’s Pimpri police registered a case against six accused including two minors. The accused have been identified as Akshay Bhosle alias Linga, Shahbaaz Shiraz, Yogesh Tompe alias Langda, Arbaaz Shaikh and two minors whose names have been withheld. While the police have arrested Bhosle and Tompe, Shiraz and Shaikh remain absconding.

Pimpri is a suburb off Pune city and forms one of the twin cities of Pimpri-Chinchwad. (Read Full story)