A news graphic purporting to be from a news channel is being shared falsely claiming that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided that schools and colleges would be shut till December 31, 2020.
BOOM reached out to First India News Rajasthan channel who stated that the viral graphic is fake and no such news was run by the channel. The Home Ministry on social media has also denied taking any such decision.
This is being shared in the backdrop of some states and local administrations keeping schools and colleges shut till December 31, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Home Ministry had permitted the re-opening of schools and coaching institutions outside containment zones, after October 15, 2020, in a graded manner leaving it on state governments to take a decision in consultation with the respective school/institution management, based on their assessment of the situation and subject following conditions set in the SOPs issued by the government.
The viral graphic when translated reads, "Breaking News: The Home Ministry has taken a big decision: Schools and colleges will remain closed all over the country till December 31"
Click here to view, and here for an archive.
(In Hindi - इंडिया गृह मंत्रालय का बहुत बड़ा फैसला 31 दिसंबर तक पूरे देश में सभी जगह स्कूल और कॉलेज बंद रहेंगे)
Click here to view, and here for an archive.
We also received the viral graphic on our WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111) inquiring about it.
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM did not find any credible news reports or any announcement from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding keeping schools and colleges shut till December 31, 2020.
We also looked for the news clip of First India News Rajasthan which screengrab is now viral and did not find any clip with the same news. We found a clarification put out by the channel stating that the viral graphic is edited and was not run by the channel.
BOOM reached out to First India News Rajasthan channel who denied running any news on the Home Ministry deciding to keep schools shut till December 31, 2020, stating that the graphic is fake.
We also checked the Home Ministry's website and did not find any release on such a decision. The ministry's official Twitter handle had retweeted a tweet by Press Information Bureau (PIB) FactCheck, which is an official arm of the government that rubbished the claim calling it fake stating that no such order has been issued.
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