Mumbai, December 31: Social media platforms, especially X and Instagram, are flooded with posts alleging that IAS officers used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fabricate evidence for a national award. The controversy centres on the 6th National Water Awards and Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Awards 2025, conferred in November. The allegations have been levelled against Khandwa District Collector Rishav Gupta (Rishabh Gupta), Zila Panchayat CEO Nagarjun B Gowda, Mancherial District Collector Kumar Deepak, Barmer District Collector Tina Dabi and her sister and Udaipur Zila Panchayat CEO Ria Dabi.

There are allegations that the documentation, submitted by these IAS officials, contained fake data and AI-generated images of water structures that do not exist on the ground. However, the officials as well as the Ministry of Jal Shakti have refuted the allegations. IAS Tina Dabi ‘Reel Star’ Row: Barmer Collector Denies Allegations of Detaining ABVP Students Over Disrespectful Remarks.

Rishav Gupta (Rishabh Gupta) and Nagarjun B Gowda

Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district was declared the national winner for construction and conservation of water structures under the 6th National Water Awards, announced by the central government on November 11. Rishav Gupta and Nagarjun Gowda received the award from President Droupadi Murmu on November 18. However, an investigation by Dainik Bhaskar revealed that the district administration had falsely claimed credit for constructing 11 ponds and 150 duck wells, which allegedly do not exist on the ground.

The documentation, according to Dainik Bhaskar, contained synthetic photos of water conservation structures that do not exist on the ground. Some of these images reportedly featured visible "Google Gemini" watermarks.

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Khandwa Admin Refutes Allegations

The district administration dismissed the allegations and offered a technical defense centered on the use of two different digital platforms. At a press conference on December 30, Gowda clarified that the award was won based on 1.29 lakh verified photos uploaded to the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari portal, which underwent physical audits by central teams.

He admitted that 21 AI-generated images were found on the Catch the Rain portal, but claimed this was an educational platform and played no role in the award selection process. "The district administration has found that 21 images generated through AI were uploaded on the Catch the Rain portal. This was possibly done with malicious intent. The district administration is taking action against those who uploaded these images," news agency PTI quoted Gowda as saying.

Allegations Against Tina Dabi and Ria Dabi

Some social media posts alleged that Tina Dabi and Ria Dabi, who were also honoured at the 6th National Water Awards and Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Awards 2025, uploaded incorrect pictures to secure awards for their repective districts. It is alleged that Tina uploaded one photo multiple times and Ria's documentations contained a photo of a wedding invitation card.

Tina Dabi Rejects Allegations

Addressing a press conference on December 30, Tina vehemently denied allegations of irregularities in the district's water conservation efforts, labeling circulating social media posts as "baseless, misleading, and delusional".

She emphasized that the controversial screenshots originated from the older Jal Shakti Abhiyan portal, which documents information, education, and communication (IEC) activities in the district. However, the award Barmer received was specifically for the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari programme.

"These posts are linking unrelated data from the Jal Shakti Abhiyan portal to our JSJB award without any basis," Tina stated, urging the public to verify the distinct portals online. She assured that any erroneous uploads on the portals would be investigated, with corrective actions and potential disciplinary measures against responsible officials if wrongdoing is found.

The collector suggested the misinformation campaign aimed to tarnish the administration's reputation and undermine Barmer's achievements in water conservation. "We are fortunate to have received this honor from the Honorable President, and such efforts seek to diminish our district's pride," she added. IAS Tina Dabi ‘Bows’ 5 Times in 7 Seconds Before BJP Leader Satish Poonia in Barmer, Viral Video Surfaces.

Udaipur Collector Responds To Allegations Against Ria Dabi

Reacting to an X post alleging that Ria's documentations contained a photo of a wedding invitation card, the official X account of Udaipur Collector posted: "The photo–data uploaded on this portal (Jal Shakti Abhiyan) regarding the award recently received by the CEO (Ria Dabi) has no connection whatsoever. The post is entirely misleading."

The Collector, however, admitted that a photo of a wedding invitation card was uploaded on the Catch the Rain (CTR) portal instead of the water structure "due to an error by the staff". Original photos of the water structure were also shared to dismiss the allegations against Ria.

Jal Shakti Ministry Issues Clarification on the Controversy

The Jal Shakti Ministry, on December 30, issued a categorical rejection of allegations that the inaugural Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Awards were secured through the use of AI-generated or fraudulent images. In a statement, the Ministry clarified that its evaluation process is protected by multi-tier scrutiny and that the controversial images circulating on social media do not belong to the award evaluation portal.

Addressing the specific claims regarding AI-generated visuals - some of which reportedly featured Gemini watermarks - the Ministry explained that these images were found on the Catch the Rain (CTR) portal, not the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Award dashboard.

The CTR portal is a separate platform intended for public awareness and educational purposes. While the Ministry acknowledged that a small number of duplicate or synthetic images were detected on the CTR portal, it stated these entries had "no bearing" on the awards process. Local district administrations have already begun taking disciplinary action against field staff who uploaded these images to meet internal targets.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2025 12:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).