PM Modi crosses 100 million X followers, netizens share 2018 report showing 60% fake followers
Similar claims where made when he crossed previous milestones in 2021 and 2012
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official Twitter account, @narendramodi, has crossed a significant milestone by surpassing 100 million followers.
The achievement sparked congratulations from BJP leaders and trended widely on X. However, amidst the celebration, controversy arose as users shared a 2018 study suggesting that Modi had a substantial percentage of fake followers, a claim also highlighted when he crossed previous milestones in 2021 (70 million followers) and 2012 (1 million followers).
Several social media users pointed to a 2018 study conducted by the social media site, which claimed that Modi had the highest percentage of fake followers — 60 per cent.
According to a study by Status People back in 2012, approximately 46% of Modi's followers are deemed fake, while 41% are inactive. This information, provided by engineers based in London, had led to discussions about the authenticity of Modi's massive follower base in 2012 when he had reached 1M followers.
Since its inception in 2009, PM Modi's account has steadily accumulated followers, reflecting his strategic use of Twitter to bolster his social media presence. Previous analyses, including a 2015 study by the University of Michigan found that a combination of carefully crafted tweets and strategic followbacks to other Twitter accounts helped the PM build a powerful social media brand.
“PM Modi is fake from top to bottom, even his followers are FAKE,” one user tweeted sharing the old study of 2018.
Despite the milestone, debates surrounding the methods used to expand PM Modi's X following continue to resonate on social media platforms. Netizens have been pretty vocal in calling out PM Modi for fake followers.
BREAKING NEWS ➖ PM Modi is fake from top to bottom, even his followers are FAKE ⚡⚡
— Ravinder Kapur. (@RavinderKapur2) July 14, 2024
Twitter ( now X ) says Narendra Modi has 60% fake followers and he's No 2 on the list of fake followers on Twitter around the world. pic.twitter.com/RtvTvJKk3U
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Karnataka approves AI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru's Electronics City
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has approved the establishment of a CoE for AI in Biotechnology at IBAB in Electronics City (Phase 1), here.
The decision, taken by the state Cabinet on Thursday night, marks a significant step towards strengthening Karnataka’s leadership in emerging technologies, IT and biotechnology, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.
The centre will be established over four years with a total outlay of Rs 20 crore, in partnership with the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), according to a statement from the minister’s office.
"Karnataka has consistently been at the forefront of technological innovation. As we enter the decade of deep tech, our focus is on building future-ready capabilities at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology," Minister for IT and Biotechnology said.
"This Centre of Excellence will strengthen our research ecosystem, accelerate innovation and enable Karnataka to lead in high-impact next-generation technologies," he added.
Priyank added that the state government, through the Departments of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, is actively investing in emerging technologies and taking steps to strengthen Karnataka’s AI and deep-tech ecosystem.
The minister said the Cabinet has also approved the transfer of a 51 per cent stake in the Karnataka Technology & Innovation Museum Foundation (KTIMF) to the Unboxing BLR Foundation.
KTIMF was established by the Government of Karnataka as a not-for-profit organisation to promote innovation, technological awareness, startup culture and public engagement in science and technology, aligned with the state’s vision of building a robust innovation ecosystem, he said.
The Technology & Innovation Museum will be developed at the NGEF campus in Baiyappanahalli, Bengaluru, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with a total project cost of Rs 100 crore. Of this, Rs 49 crore will be contributed by the state government and Rs 51 crore by the private partner, he said.
