#FactCheck - MS Dhoni Sculpture Falsely Portrayed as Chanakya 3D Recreation
Executive Summary:
A widely used news on social media is that a 3D model of Chanakya, supposedly made by Magadha DS University matches with MS Dhoni. However, fact-checking reveals that it is a 3D model of MS Dhoni not Chanakya. This MS Dhoni-3D model was created by artist Ankur Khatri and Magadha DS University does not appear to exist in the World. Khatri uploaded the model on ArtStation, calling it an MS Dhoni similarity study.
Claims:
The image being shared is claimed to be a 3D rendering of the ancient philosopher Chanakya created by Magadha DS University. However, people are noticing a striking similarity to the Indian cricketer MS Dhoni in the image.
Fact Check:
After receiving the post, we ran a reverse image search on the image. We landed on a Portfolio of a freelance character model named Ankur Khatri. We found the viral image over there and he gave a headline to the work as “MS Dhoni likeness study”. We also found some other character models in his portfolio.
Subsequently, we searched for the mentioned University which was named as Magadha DS University. But found no University with the same name, instead the name is Magadh University and it is located in Bodhgaya, Bihar. We searched the internet for any model, made by Magadh University but found nothing. The next step was to conduct an analysis on the Freelance Character artist profile, where we found that he has a dedicated Instagram channel where he posted a detailed video of his creative process that resulted in the MS Dhoni character model.
We concluded that the viral image is not a reconstruction of Indian philosopher Chanakya but a reconstruction of Cricketer MS Dhoni created by an artist named Ankur Khatri, not any University named Magadha DS.
Conclusion:
The viral claim that the 3D model is a recreation of the ancient philosopher Chanakya by a university called Magadha DS University is False and Misleading. In reality, the model is a digital artwork of former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni, created by artist Ankur Khatri. There is no evidence of a Magadha DS University existence. There is a university named Magadh University in Bodh Gaya, Bihar despite its similar name, we found no evidence in the model's creation. Therefore, the claim is debunked, and the image is confirmed to be a depiction of MS Dhoni, not Chanakya.
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Introduction
India envisions reaching its goal of becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047. With a net-zero emissions target by 2070, it has already reduced GDP emission intensity by 36% (from 2005 to 2020) and is working towards a 45% reduction goal by 2030. This will help the country achieve economic growth while minimizing environmental impact, ensuring sustainable development for the future. The 2025 Union Budget prioritises energy security, clean energy expansion, and green tech manufacturing. Furthermore, India’s promotion of sustainability policies in startups, MSMEs, and clean tech shows its commitment to COP28 and SDGs. India’s key policy developments for sustainability and energy efficiency include the Energy Conservation Act (2022), PAT scheme, S&L scheme, and the Energy Conservation Building Code, driving decarbonization, energy efficiency, and a sustainable future.
India’s Policy and Regulatory Landscape
The Indian law of Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act which was enacted in 2022 aims at enhancing energy efficiency while ensuring economic growth. It works on the aim of reducing emission intensity by 2030. The Act tackles regulatory, financial, and awareness barriers to promote energy-saving technologies. Next, the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) Scheme improves cost-effective energy efficiency in energy-intensive industries through tradable energy-saving certificates. Adding on, the PLI Scheme boosts green manufacturing by attracting investments, both domestically and internationally. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) enforces Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and star ratings for appliances, guiding consumers toward energy-efficient choices. These initiatives collectively drive carbon reduction and sustainable energy use in India.
Growth of Energy-Efficient Technologies
India has been making massive strides in its integration of renewable energy, such as solar and wind energies, mainly due to improvements in storage technologies. Another key development is the real-time optimization of energy usage through smart grids and AI-driven energy management. The EV and green mobility boom has been charged through by the rapid expansion of charging infrastructure and the policy interventions to support the shift. The building of green building codes and IoT-driven energy management has led to building efficiency, and finally, the efforts for industrial energy optimisation have been met through AI/ML-driven demand-side management in heavy industries.
Market Trends, Investment, and Industry Adoption
The World Energy Investment Report 2024 (IEA) projects global energy investment to surpass $3 trillion, with $2 trillion allocated to clean energy. India’s clean energy investment reached $68 billion in 2023, a 40%+ rise from 2016-2020, with nearly 50% directed toward low-emission power, including solar PV. Investment is set to double by 2030 but needs a 20% further rise to meet climate goals.
India’s ESG push is driven by Net Zero 2070, SEBI’s BRSR mandates, and UN SDGs, with rising scrutiny on corporate governance. ESG-aligned investments are expanding, reinforcing sustainability. Meanwhile, energy efficiency in manufacturing minimizes waste and environmental impact, while digital transformation in energy management boosts renewable integration, grid reliability, and cost efficiency, ensuring a sustainable energy transition.
The Way Forward
There are multiple implementation bottlenecks present for the active policies which include infrastructure paucity, financing issues and even the on-ground implementational challenges of the active policies. To combat these issues India needs to adopt measures for promoting public-private partnerships to scale energy-efficient solutions. Incentives for industries to adopt green technologies should be strengthened (tax exemptions and subsidies for specific periods), with increased R&D support and regulatory sandboxes to encourage adoption. Finally, the role of industries, policymakers and consumers needs to be in tandem to accelerate the efforts made towards a sustainable and green future for India. Emerging technologies play an important in bridging gaps and aim towards the adoption of global best practices for India.
References
- https://instituteofsustainabilitystudies.com/insights/lexicon/green-technologies-innovations-opportunities-challenges/
- https://powermin.gov.in/sites/default/files/The_Energy_Conservation_Amendment_Act_2022_0.pdf
- https://www.ibef.org/blogs/esg-investing-in-india-navigating-environmental-social-and-governance-factors-for-sustainable-growth
Executive Summary:
A viral online video claims visuals of a massive rally organised in Manipur for stopping the violence in Manipur. However, the CyberPeace Research Team has confirmed that the video is a deep fake, created using AI technology to manipulate the crowd into existence. There is no original footage in connection to any similar protest. The claim that promotes the same is therefore, false and misleading.
Claims:
A viral post falsely claims of a massive rally held in Manipur.
Fact Check:
Upon receiving the viral posts, we conducted a Google Lens search on the keyframes of the video. We could not locate any authentic sources mentioning such event held recently or previously. The viral video exhibited signs of digital manipulation, prompting a deeper investigation.
We used AI detection tools, such as TrueMedia and Hive AI Detection tool, to analyze the video. The analysis confirmed with 99.7% confidence that the video was a deepfake. The tools identified "substantial evidence of manipulation," particularly in the crowd and colour gradience , which were found to be artificially generated.
Additionally, an extensive review of official statements and interviews with Manipur State officials revealed no mention of any such rally. No credible reports were found linking to such protests, further confirming the video’s inauthenticity.
Conclusion:
The viral video claims visuals of a massive rally held in Manipur. The research using various tools such as truemedia.org and other AI detection tools confirms that the video is manipulated using AI technology. Additionally, there is no information in any official sources. Thus, the CyberPeace Research Team confirms that the video was manipulated using AI technology, making the claim false and misleading.
- Claim: Massive rally held in Manipur against the ongoing violence viral on social media.
- Claimed on: Instagram and X(Formerly Twitter)
- Fact Check: False & Misleading
Introduction
Devices and interconnectivity are the pipelines which drive the data into cyberspace, and in turn, the users consume this data to perform different tasks in the digital age. The security of devices and networks is essential as they are the first defenders of cyberspace. Bad actors often target systems and networks with malware and ransomware, these attacks are differently motivated, but all wreak havoc upon the system and can impact individuals and organisations alike. Mobile users worldwide prefer iOS or Android, but both operating systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks these days. Some of these attacks go undetected for a long time.
Op Triangulation
As reported by Kaspersky, While monitoring the network traffic of their own corporate Wi-Fi network dedicated to mobile devices using the Kaspersky Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform (KUMA), Kaspersky noticed suspicious activity that originated from several iOS-based phones. Since it is impossible to inspect modern iOS devices from the inside, they created offline backups of the devices in question, inspected them using the Mobile Verification Toolkit’s mvt-ios and discovered traces of compromise. This is known as Operation Triangulation and has been in action since 2019 and got detected in 2023.
The Malware
A portion of the filesystem, including some of the user data and service databases, is included in mobile device backups. The files, directories, and database entries’ timestamps make it possible to reconstruct the events that happened to the device roughly. The “timeline.csv” file created by the mvt-ios software contains a sorted timeline of events that is comparable to the super-timeline utilised by traditional digital forensic tools. Pinpointing particular artefacts that show the compromise using this timeframe. This made it possible to advance the research and reassemble the broad infection sequence:
Through the iMessage service, a message with an attachment containing an exploit is delivered to the target iOS device.
The message initiates a vulnerability that results in code execution without any user input.
The exploit’s code downloads multiple additional stages, including additional exploits for privilege escalation, from the C&C server.
After successful exploitation, a fully functional APT platform is downloaded as the final payload from the C&C server.
The first message and the attachment’s exploit are removed
The lack of persistence support in the harmful toolset is most likely a result of OS restrictions. Multiple devices’ timeframes suggest that after rebooting, they might get infected again. The earliest signs of infection that we found date to 2019. The most recent version of the devices that have been successfully attacked as of the time of writing in June 2023 is iOS 15.7.
The final payload analysis is still ongoing. The programme executes with root rights, implements a set of commands for gathering user and system data, and can run any code downloaded as plugin modules from the C&C server.
Malicious Domains
Using the forensic artefacts, it was possible to identify the domain name set used by the exploits and further malicious stages. They can be used to check the DNS logs for historical information and to identify the devices currently running the malware:
addatamarket[.]net
backuprabbit[.]com
businessvideonews[.]com
cloudsponcer[.]com
datamarketplace[.]net
mobilegamerstats[.]com
snoweeanalytics[.]com
tagclick-cdn[.]com
topographyupdates[.]com
unlimitedteacup[.]com
virtuallaughing[.]com
web-trackers[.]com
growthtransport[.]com
anstv[.]netAns7tv[.]net
Safeguards for iOS users
Despite its world-class safety and privacy architecture, iOS is vulnerable to a few attacks; the following steps can be undertaken to safeguard iOS users –
Keeping Device updated
Security patches
Disabling iMessage would prevent Zero clicks exploits or the Triangulation attacks
Paying zero attention to unwanted, unsolicited messages
The user should make sure that any application they are downloading or installing; it should be from a trusted source ( This Zero click attack does not occur by any other means, It exploits / it targets software vulnerabilities in operating systems networks and applications)
Being cautious with the messaging app and emails
Implement device restrictions (management features like parental control and restrictions over using necessary applications)
Conclusion
Operation Triangulation is one of the recent operations combating cyber attacks, but such operations are launched nearly daily. This is also due to a rapid rise in internet and technology penetration across the world. Cyberattacks have taken a new face as they have evolved with the new and emerging technology. The influence of the Darknet has allowed many hackers to remain on the black hat side due to easy accessibility to illegal tools and material over the dark net, which facilitates such crimes.
