Fact check: Are Google docs registration form for rescue flights from India authentic?

Claim: People who are stranded in foreign countries need to fill Google forms to apply for a seat in the rescue flights from India to USA. 

Rating: False

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What is the rumour about?

• Since the government declared that it would be arranging flights to bring distressed and stranded Indians back to the country, a WhatsApp message started circulating stating that Google forms are needed to be filled to start with the process.
• The forms are called Rescue flights form which need to be filled by all those who want to return to their country in the rescue flights that India would be starting from this week. 
• These Google forms are for Indian citizens who are stranded in Canada, Australia and the USA  and want to return home. 

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Who is spreading the rumour?

• Social media forwards especially WhatsApp messages.

The Google docs application form went viral shortly after India announced its biggest evacuation plan that will be executed in the following week. This evacuation plan is to bring back Indians stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown. 

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Republic World did a fact check 

• Republic World did a fact check on the Rescue flight forms rumour and found the WhatsApp message to be a hoax message. 
• Even though the ones stranded have to register their details for the Rescue flights to India, they don't have to fill Google docs for that purpose.
• People who want to travel back to India should register only through the official embassy website so as to initiate their travel back home.
• The Indian government has NOT released any Google form to be filled by the passengers travelling from Canada, the USA, and Australia to register for their flights back home, so people are suggested to avoid clicking such links. Take a look at the PIB Fact Check official handle where they recently posted about the same rumour, claiming it to be a fake message. 

Image courtesy: Twitter

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• India's national air carrier Air India will start the rescue operations for stranded passengers from May 7. The flight operations would continue till May 13 where Air India will operate 64 flights within this week. Indian Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri released the details. 
• It is expected that the rescue flight operations would bring at least 15,000 people back to India, from countries like the Persian Gulf, the US, the UK, Singapore, and Bangladesh. Out of which, states like Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, and Maharashtra would be receiving the maximum number of people. The states are ordered to be prepared for the required quarantining facilities for all these people. 
• Evacuation priority is based on Indian citizens who are stranded, medically distressed, whose visas have expired, deported people, and those who were on a temporary visit and got stranded due to the coronavirus lockdown. 

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Is there any rumour you want Republic World to do a fact check on? Do you have facts about a rumour? Share your pictures or videos with Republic World on contact@republicworld.com or comment on this story itself. 

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