Is It A Drone? A Plane? It’s Misinformation

August 02, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Hello,

For weeks, villages across Amroha district in western Uttar Pradesh have been gripped by a strange and growing fear. Nighttime drone sightings, “suspicious” strangers, alerts on WhatsApp, rumours of armed robbers, and a steady stream of unverifiable videos on social media have fed a climate of anxiety – and sometimes, violence.

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Fact-Check: Did Amit Shah Say Sardar Patel Opposed The 1960 Indus Treaty?

Claim: Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate posted a viral video on her X handle with Hindi text which translates to: "Lie told in Parliament: In 1960, Sardar Patel had protested, he went to Air India Radio (AIR) in his car, and closed the doors, so that they don't make the announcement. - Amit Shah. Here is the truth: Sardar Patel died in December 1950."

What Really happened?

  • On July 29, 2025, while addressing the Lok Sabha during the discussion on Operation Sindoor, Shah said the three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev were linked to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. 

  • Between 41:47 and 41:50, even as Shah says, “Manyawar, in 1960,”, he was interrupted by an unidentified opposition MP shouting "Sardar Patel .. (not clear)". This interjection becomes clearer when the playback speed is reduced to 0.75x.

  • Responding to the interruption, Shah continues: “Sardar Patel protested, he went to All India Radio (AIR) in his car and closed the doors so that they wouldn’t make the announcement.” 

  • He then looks down at his papers and resumes: “Manyawar, In the year 1960, we were geographically and strategically strong on the issue of Indus waters. But what did they do? The Indus Waters Treaty was signed and 80% of India’s water was given to Pakistan…” continuing to make the remarks on the Indus Waters Treaty signed by Nehru between India and Pakistan.

  • This sequence establishes that Shah did not claim Sardar Patel opposed the 1960 Indus Treaty. He was replying to another MP’s interjection, and then resumed discussing the treaty and blaming Nehru, which led to the confusion.

DECODE

Drone Rumour Is Keeping Uttar Pradesh Villages Awake And Armed

Around 9:30 pm on a humid July night, Balwant Singh, stood outside his home in Fatehpur Shumali village, staring at blinking red and green lights hovering above. “It circled the village several times,” the 55-year-old village head recalled. 

“People came out with torches and sticks. Some even climbed on their rooftops.” By morning, local WhatsApp groups were buzzing. 

What had been a simple drone sighting became something far more sinister: villagers now believed that thieves were using drones to scout homes before robbing them.

But the police insist there is no evidence that drones are being used by criminals. Despite police advisories and meetings held in all 13 police station areas, the panic continues. Arun Kumar Chahal & Shefali Srivastava report.

Why Indians Are Sharing Their Deepest Secrets With AI, Not Therapists

"It always felt like I was sitting in a classroom, where I chose the wrong subject," Abhay said, describing his therapy sessions. 

In his Delhi apartment, Abhay sits across from his laptop screen, typing out his thoughts to ChatGPT. The 30-year-old has lived with ADHD, severe depression, and anxiety for years. After multiple failed attempts with licensed therapists—where he felt misunderstood and patronised—he turned to something unexpected: an AI chatbot. 

Decode’s Archis Chowdhury spent weeks trying out various AI chatbots, presenting them with hypothetical and real mental health scenarios. The responses varied by platform, but many were strikingly empathetic—sometimes uncannily so. In contrast, others were inadequate, or downright dangerous, raising several red flags.

EXPLAINED

Starlink Is Launching In India And So Are Fears Of Scams

  • Starlink is set to roll out in India, limited to 20 lakh connections with speeds of up to 200 Mbps and an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 per month. 

  • The service is touted to improve connectivity in rural and remote regions, where traditional internet access remains poor. 

  • U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan raised alarms after scam compounds in Southeast Asia reportedly used Starlink over 40,000 times in 3 months. 

  • India is already battling a cybercrime surge, from Mewat scams to digital arrests, UPI frauds, and job scams linked to Myanmar. Hera Rizwan explains.

'FAKE NEWS’ YOU ALMOST FELL FOR

🔍 A montage of 12 different earthquake visuals was falsely linked to the earthquake that hit Russia on July 30, 2025. Read 🔗 Srijit Das’ ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 Did Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi admit to the loss of 250 soldiers during recent clashes with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor? Find out in 🔗 Archis Chowdhury’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 A fake quote misattributed to former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin surfaced online with claims that he criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for going ahead with the match between India Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025 in September. 🔗 Anmol Alphonso ↗️ debunked the claim.

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This week's recommendation is: Addressing the "Quick Fix" Mindset

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