Several videos (here, here, here, here, here & here) are being widely shared on social media claiming that the Government of India is giving ₹10,000 to needy families for Diwali 2025. Let’s verify this claim.
Claim: The Government of India is distributing ₹10,000 to poor and needy families for Diwali 2025.
Fact: The Government of India has not announced any such scheme. The viral videos use AI-generated content featuring media personalities to deceive the public into sharing personal data on a suspicious website. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A search of official websites, including the Press Information Bureau and other government portals, found no announcement of such a scheme. Furthermore, if such a significant scheme existed, it would have been widely reported by the media; however, no credible news reports on this matter could be found.
The viral videos use edited clips of PM Narendra Modi and AI-generated videos of journalists and influencers promoting the scheme. For instance, one video appears to show journalist Sudhir Chaudhary endorsing it, but a closer inspection reveals inconsistencies in lip-syncing and audio. AI-detection tools have also confirmed that the audio is AI-generated.
The viral clip is a manipulated edit from a ‘DECODE With Sudhir Chaudhary’ episode (DD News, 03 June 2025). The original segment shows a discussion of current affairs and contains no promotion of the fake ₹10,000 Diwali scheme. Moreover, these videos direct users to a suspicious private website named ‘bazartak’ and ask them to enter personal details like their name, age, state, and phone number.
The Indian government consistently warns citizens against sharing such information online due to the escalating risks of cybercrime, including financial fraud, identity theft, and blackmail.
FACTLY has previously debunked (here & here) similar claims where users were tricked into sharing personal information under the guise of government schemes.
To sum it up, the claim that the Indian government is giving ₹10,000 to needy families for Diwali is false.
