Fact Check: PM Modi uses thumb impression as his signature? No, here’s the truth
A collage claiming to show signatures of world leaders, where PM Modi’s signature is depicted as a thumb impression, has gone viral.
By M Ramesh Naik
Claim:An image shows the signatures of world leaders, in which PM Modi’s signature is a thumb impression.
Fact:The claim is false. The photo is edited. PM Modi does not use a thumb impression; he signs his name in Hindi.
Hyderabad: A photo has gone viral on social media claiming to show the signatures of world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, while leaders like Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are shown with handwritten signatures, PM Modi’s signature appears as a thumb impression.
An X user shared the image with the caption, “Signature Chart of Global Leaders.” (Archive)
Similar posts can be seen here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the image is digitally altered. PM Modi’s signature, which he writes in Hindi, can be found in the public domain.
A keyword search led us to a report by ABP Live dated May 29, which showcased the signature styles of PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi. The report included a photo of PM Modi’s authentic signature in Hindi.
The description below his signature read, “PM Modi’s way of signing is very simple, like most people. Whenever PM Modi signs, he writes his full name in Hindi, i.e. Narendra Modi.” (Translated from Hindi)
We also came across a News18 Hindi article published on January 25, 2018, which described PM Modi’s signature style in detail. Numerologist Anupam V Kapil analysed Modi’s autograph, noting that it reflects his personality and even hides his birth date. The article featured PM Modi’s original signature written in Hindi script.
Additionally, Wikipedia provides further confirmation of PM Modi’s actual signature style, reinforcing that he signs in Hindi and not with a thumb impression.
A side-by-side comparison of the viral image and authentic examples of PM Modi’s signature clearly shows that the thumb impression was digitally inserted, replacing his real signature.
Through a reverse image search, we also found a similar post on Threads, where the same photo appears but with PM Modi’s actual Hindi signature, not a thumb impression. This indicates that the viral version was digitally altered by replacing PM Modi’s real signature with a thumb impression.
We also found a letter signed by PM Modi on the official PM India website, which clearly shows his original signature in Hindi, not a thumb impression.
The viral photo claiming that PM Modi uses a thumb impression among world leaders’ signatures is edited. In reality, PM Modi signs in Hindi. Hence, the claim is false.
