By Kavita Mistry 
Last Updated:
A letter, claiming that students of the Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University had to compulsorily attend PM Modi’s event to get 50 internal marks, triggered a political row.
PM Narendra Modi will visit Dehradun on Sunday. (File Image: @NarendraModi/YT/PTI)
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) fact-checked a fake letter claiming that the attendance of students was mandatory at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programme at the Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University, which sparked political backlash.
A letter was circulated on social media, saying that students of B.Tech CSE and Specialisation (2nd Year) and BCA (2nd Year) had to mandatorily attend the upcoming PM Modi’s event on Sunday. The attendance would be considered under the Bharatiya Gyan Parampuara (Indian Knowledge System) course, and 50 internal marks would be awarded to each participant.
The post was shared by lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, who wrote, “Dev Bhumi Uttarakhand University to award 50 marks for attending Modi’s rally! And how many for shouting Modi Modi?”
Uttarakhand Congress spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni also shared the letter, saying the BJP was coercing students to attend the event by luring them with 50 marks to meet its target of one lakh attendees. She said the Uttarakhand BJP had run out of workers and leaders.
After the letter went viral, the PIB issued a clarification, saying it was fake and no such order had been issued by the university. “Please do not fall for such misinformation. Rely only on information obtained from authentic and verified sources,” it said.
A letter allegedly issued by Devbhoomi Uttarakhand University is being circulated on social media, claiming that students’ attendance at Prime Minister @narendramodi‘s programme has been made mandatory and that internal examination marks will be given for it.#PIBFactCheck❌… pic.twitter.com/dxP1XajxU4
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) November 8, 2025
The university also issued a clarification, saying the letter was false. “It has come to our attention that a fake notice has been circulated in the name of DBUU regarding marks for the upcoming visit to FRI on 09 November 2025,” the university said in a statement.
“We would like to clarify that the notice is completely false and not issued or approved by the University. It does not bear any official signature, reference number, or authorisation. Please rely only on official DBUU communication channels for accurate information,” it added.
The Registrar of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University also issued a strong statement, distancing the institution from the fabricated letter. “The university completely dissociates itself from any such notice,” the Registrar said.
PM Modi will visit Dehradun and participate in a programme marking the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the formation of Uttarakhand on Sunday. He will also launch a commemorative postal stamp to mark the occasion and address the gathering.
During the programme, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for various development projects worth over Rs 8,140 crores, including the inauguration of projects worth over Rs 930 crores and the foundation stone laying of projects worth over Rs 7,210 crores, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
Dehradun, India, India
November 08, 2025, 23:01 IST
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