Fack Check: Centre giving free mobile recharge to school-going children? Key details here

The fact-checking unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Thursday, April 30, issued a strong clarification regarding an AI-generated video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that children going to school will be provided free mobile recharge by the government.

The video was shared on Instagram from the handle “saloni_idr”.

Advertisement

In the viral clip, it has been claimed that the government will provide free mobile recharge for three months to all school-going children. However, PIB Fact Check has clarified that the video is completely “fake” and generated through artificial intelligence (AI) tools. It further warned the public against spreading misinformation on the internet.

“An Instagram handle ‘saloni_idr’ has shared an #AI video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that school-going children will be given free recharge. This claim and video are fake. No such announcement has been made by Prime Minister @narendramodi or the central government,” PIB Fact Check wrote on X.

इंस्टाग्राम हैंडल ‘saloni_idr’ द्वारा प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी की एक #AI वीडियो साझा कर यह दावा किया जा रहा है कि स्कूल में पढ़ने वाले बच्चों को मुफ्त रिचार्ज दिया जाएगा ।#PIBFactCheck

❌ यह दावा और वीडियो फर्जी हैं।

✅ प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi या केंद्र सरकार द्वारा इस… pic.twitter.com/yZjzk5mfxY

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 30, 2026

It has further advised people to visit the official government website http://myscheme.gov.in to get official information regarding Centre’s public welfare schemes.

This comes after a viral social media message claimed that government is planning to hike petrol and diesel prices. However, it was later clarified that the document circulated on the internet was “fake”.

PIB Fact Check stated that the order, purportedly from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, had falsely claimed that petrol prices had been increased by Rs. 10 per litre and diesel by Rs. 12.50.

🚨FAKE NEWS!

An order circulating on social media claims to be issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, stating that petrol and diesel prices have been increased by ₹10 and ₹12.50, respectively.#PIBFactCheck:

❌ This order is #FAKE .

✅ The Government of India… pic.twitter.com/tMmJa0Y4qA

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 29, 2026

But officials have clarified that no such directive has been issued by the central government.

The clarification came amid rapid spread of the message across platforms that led to confusion among consumers over a possible fuel price spike. However, authorities have emphasised that any decision related to fuel pricing is communicated solely through verified government channels.