Dheeshma

Dheeshma Puzhakkal heads the fact check team at NewsMeter. Commencing her career as a tech writer in 2018, she transitioned into journalism in 2019 as a multimedia journalist with NewsMeter. In 2020, she joined India Today, where she advanced to the position of Principal Correspondent within the organisation's fact check team. Dheeshma specialises in analysing maps and satellite imagery, and gathering open-source intelligence for investigative journalism. Her reporting extends across diverse domains, including health, consumer affairs, data, politics, and law enforcement agencies. Throughout her career, Dheeshma has proven herself as a seasoned fact-checker, delving into misinformation surrounding various topics, including elections, cross-border conflicts, and communalism. Her contributions have earned recognition, with Members of Parliament, ministers, and embassies acknowledging and sharing her findings.

    Dheeshma

    COVID-19 test for dogs in Gadwal district of Telangana
    COVID-19 test for dogs in Gadwal district of Telangana

    Hyderabad: Doctors from the Animal Husbandry Department on Tuesday conducted COVID-19 tests on stray dogs in a village in Jogulamba Gadwal district....

    By Dheeshma  Published on 29 April 2020 8:47 AM GMT


    Satellite data shows increasing pollution levels in Indian cities including Hyderabad
    Satellite data shows increasing pollution levels in Indian cities including Hyderabad

    Hyderabad: The air quality index for nitrogen dioxide in Indian cities had seen a substantial drop of up to 40-50 percent following the country-wide...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 29 April 2020 5:56 AM GMT


    32 recovered COVID patients, Markaz returnees ready to donate plasma: Owaisi
    32 recovered COVID patients, Markaz returnees ready to donate plasma: Owaisi

    Hyderabad:The Hyderabad MP and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on 27 April wrote a letter to Telangana health minister Etala Rajender stating that 32...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 28 April 2020 8:24 AM GMT


    COVID-19: Hyderabad shopkeeper tests positive,  16 contacts under quarantine
    COVID-19: Hyderabad shopkeeper tests positive, 16 contacts under quarantine

    Hyderabad: A 50-year-old shopkeeper of Saroornagar area in Hyderabad has been tested positive for Coronavirus.The administration has put as many as 16...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 28 April 2020 4:58 AM GMT


    Fact Check: No, UKs Covid vaccine trial volunteer Dr Elisa is not dead
    Fact Check: No, UK's Covid vaccine trial volunteer Dr Elisa is not dead

    Hyderabad: A vaccine trial on humans for the novel Coronavirus was started in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2020. Developed by a group of...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 27 April 2020 9:48 AM GMT


    Ahead of Ramzan Gandhi hospital segregates COVID patients, shifts non-Muslims
    Ahead of Ramzan Gandhi hospital segregates COVID patients, shifts non-Muslims

    Hyderabad: With the month of Ramazan starting on April 24 in the Telangana State, the Gandhi Hospital administration, the nodal centre for COVID-19 in...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 24 April 2020 4:49 AM GMT


    Fact Check: No, Railways has no plan to cut salary of its 13 lakh employees
    Fact Check: No, Railways has no plan to cut salary of its 13 lakh employees

    As many across the country face job loss and salary cuts due to COVID-19 lockdown, news articles regarding a similar salary cut in the Indian railway...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 23 April 2020 9:28 AM GMT


    Fact Check: Netflix offering free premium subscription is a scam
    Fact Check: Netflix offering free premium subscription is a scam

    Hyderabad: It sounds too good to be true. A message claiming that Netflix is offering its premium version for free has gone viral. It reads, "2...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 23 April 2020 5:19 AM GMT


    Fact Check: No, Modi government is not offering Rs 15,000 to every individual
    Fact Check: No, Modi government is not offering Rs 15,000 to every individual

    Hyderabad: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, fake news and misinformation have been rampant on social media. One such WhatsApp forward that has been viral...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 22 April 2020 6:48 AM GMT


    How to handle COVID medical waste, hospitals clueless
    How to handle COVID medical waste, hospitals clueless

    Hyderabad : Hospitals are sitting on an infection powder keg as most of the healthcare workers are ignorant about the guidelines for disposing of...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 22 April 2020 4:30 AM GMT


    Second test compulsory to declare COVID suspects negative: Experts
    Second test compulsory to declare COVID suspects negative: Experts

    Hyderabad: More COVID-19 cases where patients were initially tested ā€˜negativeā€™ are coming out. The latest instance is that of an 80-year-old paralysis...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 19 April 2020 10:41 AM GMT


    45 days old baby is Narayanpets first COVID patient
    45 days old baby is Narayanpet's first COVID patient

    Hyderabad: A 45 days-old-baby is the first Covid-19 case reported in Narayanpet district of Telangana, which has managed to keep away from...

    By Dheeshma  Published on 18 April 2020 2:01 PM GMT


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