
Shivani Singh, IAF's Rafale pilot, captured by Pakistan? Here's the truth
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
No pilot has been captured
Indian Pilot Ejected Over PoK? PIB fact checks
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
False news amid rising tensions
Fact check teams stay alert
Ministry issues advisory for online safety
A viral claim on social media saying that an Indian Air Force female pilot has been captured by Pakistan is false, the Indian government has confirmed. The Press Information Bureau's (PIB) Fact Check unit on Saturday said the reports are fake and urged the public not to fall for misinformation.The social media posts claimed that Squadron Leader Shivani Singh , a female officer in the Indian Air Force, was taken into custody by Pakistani authorities. These posts were shared widely by several pro-Pakistan handles and pages.However, the PIB Fact Check unit responded, saying, 'Pro-Pakistan social media handles claim that an Indian Female Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Shivani Singh , has been captured in Pakistan. This claim is FAKE!'PIB Fact check also said that the claim of Indian pilot ejecting over PoK is also false.Indian Pilot Ejected Over PoK? Here's the Truth! Posts on social media claim that an Indian pilot ejected from a fighter jet over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).The false claim comes days after tensions between India and Pakistan increased following Indian air strikes on terror camps across the border. Since then, several social media accounts have shared misleading or fake information attempting to create confusion.This is the second major claim debunked by the PIB in recent days. Earlier, the unit denied another viral post that said Pakistan had destroyed India's S-400 air defence system. That claim was also labelled fake by the government.Also Read : india pak ceasefire News Live Updates The PIB's Fact Check unit has urged people to be cautious while reading or sharing information online. They asked users to rely on official sources and not spread unverified content that could cause panic.The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) also issued a broader alert about the spread of misinformation. It asked citizens to stay vigilant and not forward posts without confirming their authenticity.'Always follow cybersecurity precautions. Don't fall for fake news or panic-inducing messages,' MeitY said in its advisory.There is no truth to the claim that Squadron Leader Shivani Singh has been captured. The Indian government has confirmed that the information circulating online is false. Readers are advised to stay alert and not believe or spread such fake messages.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
23 minutes ago
- Hans India
Why are we still preparing students the old way?
A silent revolution is underway in India's job market. The tectonic shifts in the global economy, the emergence of digital-first industries, and the post-pandemic recalibration of work have brought dramatic changes to employment trends in the country. While job postings in India have surged by nearly 9 percent in May 2025, ending a prolonged dip, this revival is not just about numbers—it is about transformation. India today stands nearly 80 percent above its pre-pandemic job posting volumes, ranking among the world's top-performing labour markets. Yet, amid this progress, an unsettling paradox persists. Despite this growth, 77 percent of Indian professionals report being underprepared for the very skills employers demand. The educational system, meanwhile, continues to churn out graduates whose abilities align more with yesterday's jobs than with tomorrow's needs. This disconnect between market reality and academic training is not just unfortunate—it is unsustainable. Curriculum Inertia The rigidity of India's education system remains one of its most critical barriers to future readiness. For decades, curricula across institutions have followed a model optimized for the industrial age—rote learning, standardized testing, and theoretical instruction with limited practical exposure. This traditional template fails to keep pace with the rapidly evolving demands of modern employers who prioritize creativity, problem-solving, adaptability, and digital fluency. Despite scattered efforts at reform, the dominant model remains static, divorced from industry requirements. Colleges still treat coding, data analytics, and digital marketing as electives rather than essentials. Even vocational training programs suffer from outdated modules and lack the agility to adapt to emerging skills. As a result, many graduates leave university ill-equipped to participate in or contribute meaningfully to India's knowledge-based economy. Industrialization 4.0 The advent of the fourth industrial revolution has redrawn the global employment map. Powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0 is reconfiguring every sector—from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and finance. Automation is not a distant threat but a present force. The World Economic Forum predicts that 83 million jobs will be displaced globally by next year, while 70 million new roles will emerge in domains requiring high digital competency. India, with its youthful workforce, could seize this opportunity—if adequately prepared. Yet, the lack of forward-looking education and structured skill development means that the promise of Industry 4.0 could bypass a significant segment of the Indian workforce. Bridging this gap requires more than token digital literacy modules; it demands a structural overhaul in how institutions envision, teach, and assess future skills. The Skills Deficit India's employment boom masks a deeper concern—one of qualification, not availability. The skills deficit is both wide and deep. Nasscom's findings show that half of India's workforce—about 150 million people—will need reskilling or upskilling by 2025. This is not just a technological challenge but a pedagogical one. Employers increasingly look for hybrid capabilities where technical skills merge with soft skills like emotional intelligence, collaboration, and decision-making. Yet, most educational institutions still overemphasize theoretical knowledge while undervaluing hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches. Without realignment, the economy may experience a dual crisis—youth unable to find suitable employment, and industries struggling to find job-ready candidates. A skills-first strategy must now become the backbone of educational policy and institutional vision. Pathways Forward Fixing this imbalance calls for a radical rethink of how education interacts with work. It is time for industry and academia to co-create dynamic learning ecosystems. Apprenticeships, live projects, and industry-certified micro-credentials should become integral to academic pathways. Policy incentives must support institutions that embed employability frameworks into their programs. Additionally, the idea of education as a one-time pursuit must give way to lifelong learning, with flexible opportunities for working professionals to upgrade skills continuously. While India's job market is expanding with promise, that promise will be short-lived unless matched by a workforce that is both aspirational and adequately prepared. To truly capitalise on its demographic dividend, India must stop preparing students for the world that was and start readying them for the one that is rapidly taking shape. (The author is Senior Director of PrepInsta)


Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
ISMA urges Govt to continue with curbs on ethanol imports
New Delhi: The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has urged the government to continue with the restrictions on ethanol imports as the measure has spurred India's petrol blending programme in the drive to green energy and also enabled timely payments to sugarcane farmers. ISMA has, in a letter to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, referred to media reports suggesting the possible consideration of lifting restrictions on ethanol imports for fuel blending, as part of ongoing trade discussions with the US. The latter states that over the last few years, the Government's clear and forward-looking policy direction-anchored in the National Policy on Biofuels which led to placing ethanol imports for fuel under the 'restricted' category, has laid a solid foundation for a self-reliant, domestic ethanol economy. The interest subvention schemes and facilitative regulatory ecosystem have catalysed the establishment and expansion of indigenous ethanol capacities across India, the letter points out. These landmark interventions have achieved multiple national objectives of ensuring timely payments and enhanced incomes for sugarcane farmers, reducing India's dependence on imported crude oil and promoting clean and sustainable biofuels, the letter states. It highlights that the coordinated effort has led to India's ethanol production capacity growing by over 140 per cent since 2018, with investments exceeding Rs 40,000 crore. Ethanol blending has already reached 18.86 per cent and is firmly on track to meet the 20 per cent blending objective ahead of target. This remarkable progress has been made possible due to the Prime Minister's visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the welfare of India's farmers. This has had a direct and measurable impact on farmers' welfare. By allowing the diversion of sugarcane and surplus grains into ethanol production at administered prices, the government has enabled timely cane payments and improved farm-level incomes across the country, the letter added. The latter states that opening up ethanol imports for blending would pose challenges to the sugar industry as it would affect profitability and may lead to underutilisation of Indian ethanol plants, many of which are still in the early stages of capital recovery.


NDTV
32 minutes ago
- NDTV
24 Hours To Execution, Big Relief For Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya In Yemen
The execution of Nimisha Priya has been postponed with hectic parleys underway in Yemen in a last-ditch effort to save the nurse from Kerala who was sentenced to death by local authorities for killing a man who was harassing her. Ms Priya's execution was scheduled for tomorrow, but it has now emerged that the murdered man's family has been convinced to postpone it at least for tomorrow. This does not mean she would be released or sent back to India. She is currently in Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital of Yemen. India does not have any diplomatic relations with the Houthi rebels. The Indian government had asserted yesterday that it had done everything within its limits to stop the execution, suggesting 'blood money', is likely the last option that Ms Priya can avail to evade death. The government, which has been providing all possible assistance in the matter, had made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for the family of Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the victim's family, said sources. Despite the sensitivities involved, Indian officials had been in regular touch with the local jail authorities and the prosecutor's office, leading to securing this postponement, they added. Nimisha Priya had taken up the role of a nurse in Yemen in 2008 while looking for a lucrative job to support her parents back in Kerala. She initially worked in hospitals but later opened her own clinic. And to comply with the local law, she took on board a local business partner named Talal Abdol Mehdi, 37. Mehdi, however, started harassing her. He stole her money and snatched her passport, practically stopping her from leaving the country. With no other option to escape him, Ms Priya had injected him with a sedative in 2017, planning to recover her passport after he lost consciousness. Mehdi, however, died, and Ms Priya was arrested while trying to flee Yemen. The government had earlier appointed a Yemeni lawyer to represent her in the local courts, but all her petitions were dismissed, said Babu John, an activist leading efforts on behalf of the nurse on death row. In 2023, Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld her conviction, following which the country's President approved her death sentence, he said. The Indian government yesterday described it as a "very complex case", with Attorney General R Venkataramani telling the Supreme Court, "There is not much that the Indian government can tried whatever was possible." "The only way is if the family (of the Yemeni man) agrees to accept the 'blood money'," he said, referring to the financial compensation mentioned in the Quran that must be paid to the family of a murdered person for pardon. The murdered person's family reserves the right to accept or reject this 'blood money'. Ms Priya cannot be executed if the 'blood money' is accepted by the murdered man's family, as per the Islamic law.