ISB graduate Priyanka Chaturvedi gets her mathematics terribly wrong

In what has turned out to be a major embarrassment for the Congress, its spokesperson has got her maths terribly wrong. She tweeted, “The incidence of dyslexia in India is believed to be 15%. As per a 2013 report, there are 228,994,454 dyslexic students enrolled in recognized schools. This message for an insensitive PM Modi who doesn’t mind mocking them for political point scoring. Brilliantly done @arvindtm”. In an attempt to criticise PM Modi, the Congress spokesperson claimed that the incidence of dyslexia in India is 15 per cent and that 228,994,454 dyslexic students are enrolled in Indian schools.

This figure is concocted and fake on the face of it. The fact remains that as per a 2014 TOI report, there are 315 million students in India which would also include several college going students. The number of school going students will definitely be far lesser than the number of total students. Therefore, the number of school going students would most probably be below 228 million. At most, it may be somewhere near that number but would in no case exceed it by a considerable margin.

If we go by Priyanka Chaturvedi’s version there are more than 228 million dyslexic students enrolled in Indian schools. If this was to be relied upon, it would mean that almost all or at least an overwhelming majority of the Indian school going students are dyslexic. This clearly defies all logic.  For a disorder that is believed to occur in one among ten people, the figure given by Priyanka Chaturvedi looks highly disproportionate. If we were to look at the total population of India, then again the figure of more than 22.8 crore only among the school going population out of a total population of 125 crores turns out to be highly exaggerated.

Either Priyanka Chaturvedi has intentionally exaggerated or has got her maths terribly wrong. The latter seems highly probable given that she is believed to have got it wrong in the past as well.

It is embarrassing for the Congress that one of its spokespersons has been caught spreading disinformation about such a sensitive issue. Political blame games are a regular feature of Indian politics. However, it should not reach such a level that falsehoods and disinformation is spread about sensitive issues like a disorder. The grand old party must issue a clarification and clear the air around this issue.