54% in India turn to social media for factual info: OUP study

(New Delhi, Jun 28, 2022) As many as 54 per cent of people in India turn to social media when looking for factual information, according to a global study by Oxford University Press (OUP).

The research-led campaign ‘The Matter of Fact’ looked at the level of understanding of how truths are identified and sources validated.

Despite concerns around misinformation and false claims, social media users around the world continue to believe that the information they read and share on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook is factually correct, with levels of trust highest in emerging economies, the study said.

The findings show that when looking for factual information, 37 per cent turn to social media, rising to 43 per cent of Mexicans and South Africans and 54 per cent of Indians. Britons were less likely to look for facts using social media, with only 16 per cent describing it as a preferred source, compared to nearly three in 10 (29 per cent) Americans.

Overall, most of us rely heavily on Google and other search engines for information, with two thirds (67 per cent) worldwide and 62 per cent in the UK finding facts this way. Three-quarters of people are confident information they share from social media is accurate.

In India, as many as 87 per cent of people who share information from social media are confident in its truthfulness, slightly above the global average of three quarters, it said.

The study takes a broad look at how people across the world seek out information and judge its accuracy, drawing on a pool of evidence bolstered by survey data collected from 5,000 people across the UK, the US, South Africa, India, and Mexico.

It found that more than half (52 per cent) said that when it came to distinguishing fact from fiction, sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram play an important role.

At the same time, reliance on books and more traditional means of gathering accurate information has declined. For example, less than a third cited non-fiction books and encyclopedias as sources when seeking facts. 

There were geographical differences in the level of trust people put in social media, with almost 80 per cent of Indian and 60 per cent of Mexican respondents seeing these networks as an important tool for separating fact from fiction, but only 27 per cent taking this view in the UK and 42 per cent in the US, the study said.

People under the age of 55 were more inclined to believe in the accuracy of the material they shared on social media while 35 per cent of people aged 25 to 44 said they were ‘very confident’ they were sharing only truthful information on social media and only 13 per cent of over 55s felt the same, it found.

Younger people are also more likely to rely on social media as a source of factual information, with over 44 per cent of those in the 25 to 44 age-bracket turning to the platforms compared to just 12 per cent of over 55s, the study said.

The pandemic does appear to have had an impact on people’s perceptions of truth, with around three in four people agreeing that they are now more cautious about the accuracy of the information they encounter – a figure that climbs to over 80 per cent in India, Mexico, and South Africa, the study said.

Notably, parents from India were much more likely than those elsewhere to use social media and WhatsApp when teaching their children, with around 30 per cent citing these sources.

Speaking about the research, OUP CEO Nigel Portwood said: “With an ever-increasing number of sources to turn to for information, from books to academic texts to digital channels, and so many answers available at the touch of a button, it’s no surprise that our research presents a global picture of confusion.”

OUP India MD Sumanta Datta said with over 87 per cent of Indians placing their trust and confidence in information circulating on social media, there is a need to understand the potential impact of factual inaccuracies and misinformation.

“We hope to continue to provide and increase access to tools that allow individuals to be more confident to engage in debates and discussions in their pursuit of knowledge. In a country like India, with a large young population, it is imperative to build processes and policies that help raise a well-informed, intelligent, and perceptive future generation,” he said.

When Mercedes cars reached Dharamsala for Lalit Modi!

(New Delhi, Jun 26, 2022) S-class Mercedes cars had to be made available in Dharamsala and Nagpur when now-fugitive Lalit Modi went to those cities during his stint as IPL commissioner as he wouldn’t ride any other model, says a new book.

In Maverick Commissioner: The IPL-Lalit Modi Saga, Boria Majumdar also writes that once Modi had left the country in May 2010 the hotel had sent a bill amount to the BCCI that remained unpaid and the board, which by then had no sympathy left for him, refused to clear it.

According to the author, these are examples why the IPL continued to be hated by many.

Despite the cricket and the growing brand value, vulgar displays of opulence were always going to be an eyesore, he says.

“Lalit, who was riding high on success, failed to see the writing on the wall and suffice it to say became a victim of his own success in the long term. In fact, for him these things were a necessity. Glamour and opulence were at the very core of the league’s existence and for Lalit, his actions were integral to making the IPL what it had turned out to be,” he writes.

The success of the first two seasons of IPL meant Lalit Modi had gained in prominence and it was all evident from his high-flying lifestyle, Majumdar argues.

“The grapevine has it that for a game in Dharamsala which Lalit attended, his office had booked two S-class Mercedes cars from Delhi which travelled to Himachal before he landed there. He wouldn’t ride any other model and such extravagance had become routine with Lalit,” he writes.

This wasn’t the only occasion when something as bizarre as this had happened, the author says.

“On another occasion when he travelled to Nagpur to meet (Shashank Venkatesh) Manohar and watch an IPL game, his office had called up to arrange for an S-class Mercedes. On being told the model wasn’t available in Nagpur they booked a car from Hyderabad, which was driven all the way to the orange city for Lalit to use,” he writes.

Booking an entire floor of a five-star hotel for himself had become second nature and no one in the BCCI had the courage to object, the book, published by Simon & Schuster, says.

“Was he paying for the hotel from his own funds or was it all at BCCI’s expense? Such questions weren’t asked and if someone did, he would invoke the ire of the establishment. To question Lalit Modi had become synonymous with questioning the IPL and with the league generating record monies for the BCCI, no criticism of any sort was welcome,” Majumdar writes.

The book goes on to describe how the IPL, which was perhaps the biggest gamble of Lalit Modi’s life, turned out to be the biggest success story ever, making him a cult in the echelons of global sport.

“And in creating the IPL, Modi ended up giving a new life to cricket in India and beyond. Cricketers found a new voice and marketers a new investment opportunity. Broadcasters found a magic product and the BCCI found its golden goose.

“While Modi had to give it all up in a few years and leave India for good, his imprint has stayed on making him one of the most talked about figures ever in Indian cricket administration,” it says.

Majumdar says while there aren’t straight responses to many questions surrounding Lalit Modi and the unsolved mysteries at key points in his life, it is important to deep dive and seek some of these answers.

“In doing so, we end up discovering a man who was a genius as well as a maverick. His actions can’t always be described in black and white and that’s what adds to the aura of Lalit Modi,” he says.

Maverick Commissioner is soon planned to be made into a film by Vibri Motion Pictures.

Book talks of myriad encounters of cop’s wife during Covid

(New Delhi, Jun 26, 2022) A new book tells how a police officer’s wife dealt with different challenges during the first Covid lockdown of 2020 after her husband got a new posting and they moved to a different city.

In Mess Diaries: Encounters of a Police Officer’s Wife, Vidya Iyer Vyas talks about her life at a Police Officer’s Mess in Indore with her youngest son Atharva and cop husband Sameer as they are weathering the lockdown forced upon by the pandemic.

Her elder son Aryan was in the US and couldn’t travel due to Covid-imposed restrictions.

The diary account touches upon the fears and insecurities that the author’s family goes through while braving some of the ugly encounters that life throws at them.

Vyas did not have a functional kitchen of her own as she and her family were huddled at the Police Officers Mess since her husband’s transfer. Her only chore since coming to Indore was doing the laundry, using her semi-automatic washing machine.

And her evening would go off ironing the accumulated load of clothes.

Vyas also talks about fulfilling new protocols every day with respect to her husband after he returned from work – disinfect his shoulder badges, lanyard, wireless set and mobile phone.

“New things were being poured out for the police force, a lot of first-time stuff exclusively for battling the virus situation. What was heart-warming was the concern being shown by the senior officers for those who would be the front liners in this battle – the constables, the ASIs and the SIs,” she writes.

But with Covid cases only rising, the possibility of a lockdown extension made Vyas grumpier.

“The rotational tiffin system was a good arrangement for two weeks. The days too were getting hotter now…,” she writes.

A few weeks later, the family, however, was able to find a rented accommodation.

After things slowly limped back to normal, Sameer too was back to regular policing.

“… Our bickering also got back the old flavour. Aryan realised his dream of working in an investment bank, by earning an internship with his grit and toil. Atharva has coped up well with the new school and its methods,” the book, published by QGG, says.

12-yr-old to pen journey from war-torn Kharkiv to Dublin

(London, Jun 23, 2022) Bloomsbury on Thursday announced that it will publish a moving diary of a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl, charting her journey with her grandmother from war-torn Kharkiv to eventual safety in Dublin.

“You Don’t Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl From Ukraine” is scheduled to hit bookstores in October.

On February 24, Yeva Skalietska was woken by the sound of explosions. She grew up living with her granny in Kharkiv, near the Russian border. Though there have been rumblings and rumours, few truly believed that war will break out between Russia and Ukraine.

And yet it had. What follows are 12 days in Ukraine that change Yeva’s life forever. She and her grandmother rush to take shelter from the missile attacks in a dusty, crowded basement.

When the situation worsens, they need to find somewhere safer to stay, so they make their way to a friend’s house in a different area of the city. But the conflict rages all around them and Yeva struggles to keep calm over the continual sound of explosions and shelling.

Eventually they take the difficult decision to head to Western Ukraine. It’s there, in a makeshift shelter in a school hall, that Yeva meets the team of UK journalists. She tells them she is writing a diary.

The poise and maturity of Yeva’s account are striking, and the crew features her in several news articles. They help Yeva and her granny cross the border into Hungary and, ultimately, to find a place to live in Dublin, where they are welcomed and cared for by their host, school teacher Catherine Flannagan.

Lara Hancock, head of Illustrated Publishing, with Commissioning Editor Sally Beets, acquired UK and Commonwealth Rights in auction from literary agent Marianne Gunn O’Connor of Marianne Gunn O’Connor Literary, Film/TV Agency.

“You Don’t Know What War Is” has cover illustrations inspired by Ukrainian folk art by Anastasia Stefurak and illustrated maps of Kharkiv, Ukraine and Europe by Olga Shtonda, displaced Kharkiv-native.

“In ‘You Don’t Know What War Is’, we read about Yeva’s experience of the war in Ukraine in real time. Each diary entry is interspersed with personal photos Yeva took during her journey. Compelling and urgent, this book is a powerful document of a conflict few thought could happen, seen through the eyes of a child,” says Hancock.

Yeva says she began writing this diary to help herself cope with her painful feelings and to write down her experiences so that years from now she can remember how her childhood was destroyed by war.

“Yeva’s story has touched us deeply. Her writing is immediate and important and we are so honoured that Yeva chose to publish ‘You Don’t Know What War Is’ with Bloomsbury. It is a book that everyone needs to read,” says Beets.

According to O’Connor, Yeva was super excited that the publisher of the “Harry Potter” book series wanted to publish her diary. “Yeva’s diary is now sold in 12 languages and counting. This is a passion project for me and one that I’m committed to with my whole heart and soul. It’s truly an honour to be part of Yeva’s journey and to be able to make a difference,” she adds.

Malaika Arora’s debut book to be on nutrition

(New Delhi, Jun 15, 2022) Actor Malaika Arora is all set to foray into the literary world with her debut book on nutrition.

The book will offer readers a deep dive into Arora’s healthy eating routine and cover some key elements of food and nutrition like relationship between eating right and overall well-being, challenges associated with food deprivation; and process of mastering discipline in eating with a guide on how to mix nutrition plan with fitness goals.

Talking about her book, Arora says, “It will help us share our insights with people at large. I personally believe in the comprehensive well-being of our body. Concentrating on just one, does not support the other. So the idea is to promote good health inside out and we have barely scratched the surface as of now.”

The book is being agented by The Sunflower Seeds literary consulting.

The publication date or the publisher’s name are yet to be announced.

Speaking about the project, Preeti Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of The Sunflower Seeds, says health is a huge focus for Indian readers.

“Malaika’s overall level of fitness is a testimony to the principles of healthy eating that she lives by. While her followers have engaged with her on social media, the book will offer them a unique opportunity to understand the concept and details of healthy living in much greater detail in Malaika’s terms.”

Pallavi Barman, founder of LAP Ventures, an Exceed Entertainment group company, says the book is an extension of the focus on health, fitness and well being that Malaika Arora Ventures has.

“As an entrepreneur, MAV has already invested in Label Life, Sarva Yoga and now NUDE Bowls. Her purpose as an author will be guided by the same values that she believes in as an entrepreneur,” Barman adds.

Nephew chronicles actor Sanjeev Kumar’s journey

(New Delhi, Jun 9, 2022) A new biography of actor Sanjeev Kumar looks at his versatile life and career and also brings to light many firsts he had to his credit – using prosthetic make-up in Hindi cinema, playing nine roles in one movie and being part of one of the first films to be banned in independent India.

Written by his nephew Uday Jariwala and Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar: The Actor We All Loved will be published by HarperCollins India ahead of his birthday on July 9.

It has an endorsement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprises personal essays by Kumar’s friends Gulzar, Randhir Kapoor, and co-stars Sharmila Tagore, Moushumi Chatterjee, Tanuja, among others.

Jariwala says this book is a labour of love and it has taken almost four years to complete.

“It is an authentic representation of his life. For the first time, his fans will get to know him up close as he really was,” he says.

Co-author Gupta adds: “The one thing that stands out for me when I was writing this book was that all of Sanjeev Kumar’s friends told me, ‘Please write a happy book, because Haribhai was a happy man.’ I believe that’s what we have achieved with the book.”

HarperCollins India Executive Publisher Udayan Mitra says this book is a “wonderful tribute to the actor we all loved, with accounts from many luminaries in the film industry who knew Sanjeev Kumar intimately”.

This is a biography that will bring back memories of a golden age of Indian cinema for many readers, he adds.

Modi describes Kumar as natural and one of the most powerful actors.

The authors say their book aims to unearth what’s not commonly known about Kumar or Haribhai, as he was popularly known. Born on July 9, 1938, Harihar Jethalal Jariwala began his film journey with black-and-white cinema. He was a mainstream hero doing action, romance and stunt films convincingly before a premature paunch asserted itself.

Kumar was the antithesis of the typical Bollywood hero doing romance and action. Not one to crave glamorous roles, he was more interested in versatility. From his mature roles in films like Mausam and Aandhi to his comic timing in Angoor or the angst of a person with disabilities in Koshish – he was truly a thinking man’s actor. His expressive face, inflections and pauses, natural ease for lip-syncing, all of it made him the complete package.

As an actor, he has many firsts and crazy risks to his credit.

“He was the first actor to introduce prosthetic make-up in Hindi cinema in 1981 with Chehre Pe Chehra. He was also the first actor to play nine different roles in one Hindi film, Naya Din Nai Raat. It may also be said that Hari’s Aandhi was one of the first films to be banned in independent India,” the book says.

A R Rahman named ambassador of Indo-UK culture platform

(New Delhi, Jun 8, 2022) Music great A R Rahman has been named the ambassador of British Council’s ‘India-UK Together Season of Culture’, which aims to boost collaboration among emerging artists.

The ‘Season of Culture’ that marks the 75th anniversary of India’s independence was officially launched on Tuesday here by Director (India) of British Council Barbara Wickham.

Rahman said as an artiste, it is a pleasure to be part of an innovative cultural programme which supports creative excellence and artistic appreciation; and brings diverse audiences together.

“Today, creative expression and exchange can nurture young talent and create a global stage for fair and equitable access to arts,” he added.

Wickham said Rahman has been a significant adviser to the ‘Season of Culture’ and his work and professional journey truly embody what the ‘Season of Culture’ stands for – working together, and artistic output that captures the imagination of the world.

Over 1,400 artistes will showcase their collaborations to millions of audiences across India, Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, through a wide array of arts such as theatre, dance, visual arts, literature, music, architecture, design, fashion, tech-art, and new media art.

The ‘Season of Culture’ aims to build on the British Council’s work in India and strengthen India-UK collaboration in the areas of arts, English and education.

Wickham said people in both the countries will have the chance to experience innovative and exciting creative work from some of the most promising UK and Indian artists pushing the envelope of creativity and the infusion of creative tech.