<p class="bodytext">In an age of information overload and post-truth, it is crucial to verify and validate the accuracy of the information we receive, even if it appears authentic. Incorrect information can have severe consequences in certain situations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">I was astounded by the lengths one might go to ensure the correctness of reports after reading an account of Lt Gen Sagat Singh, GOC IV Corps, in the book Mi-4s At War. The book, authored by Sqn Ldr Pushp Vaid and the late Wg Cdr Unni Kartha, elaborates on the contribution of Mi-4 helicopters in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and highlights the critical role played by Lt Gen Sagat Singh. The authors argue that without Singh’s strategic leadership, the liberation of Bangladesh might not have been possible.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to an account in the book, Sagat Singh had an extraordinary thirst for verifying the news he received. During operations in Karimganj, a border district in Assam, he received a report stating that two Pakistani officers had been killed and buried. Singh flew to the Indian army battalion that issued the report and had the bodies exhumed, only to find that they were soldiers, not officers. In the theatre of war, this distinction made a world of difference. Through this act, Singh sent a clear message to his men: accurate reporting is essential because timely and correct information can be the difference between victory and defeat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">During my induction training at a factory, a process manager emphasised the importance of accuracy in data by sharing an anecdote. When steel structures for a section of the plant arrived on-site, the project team was puzzled by their unusually large size. Upon reviewing the design documents, they discovered that the structures had been mistakenly designed for a wind speed of 120 miles per hour instead of the required 120 kilometres per hour. This meant that the structures were designed for 193 kilometres per hour of wind speed, leading to a significant overdesign. This error in ‘unit,’ committed by a designer, went unnoticed at many levels and ultimately ended up costing the company significantly. The management had little choice but to accept the structures with a 'steel heart!'</p>.<p class="bodytext">Much like trigger-happy gunmen, people today are in a frenzy of forwarding information. The moment they receive a WhatsApp message, they immediately forward it to several of their contacts without batting an eyelid and questioning the authenticity of the information they are transmitting. We may not possess the sagacity of Sagat Singh, but when we receive information, should we not, at the very least, pause and ask ourselves: Is this correct?</p>
<p class="bodytext">In an age of information overload and post-truth, it is crucial to verify and validate the accuracy of the information we receive, even if it appears authentic. Incorrect information can have severe consequences in certain situations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">I was astounded by the lengths one might go to ensure the correctness of reports after reading an account of Lt Gen Sagat Singh, GOC IV Corps, in the book Mi-4s At War. The book, authored by Sqn Ldr Pushp Vaid and the late Wg Cdr Unni Kartha, elaborates on the contribution of Mi-4 helicopters in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and highlights the critical role played by Lt Gen Sagat Singh. The authors argue that without Singh’s strategic leadership, the liberation of Bangladesh might not have been possible.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to an account in the book, Sagat Singh had an extraordinary thirst for verifying the news he received. During operations in Karimganj, a border district in Assam, he received a report stating that two Pakistani officers had been killed and buried. Singh flew to the Indian army battalion that issued the report and had the bodies exhumed, only to find that they were soldiers, not officers. In the theatre of war, this distinction made a world of difference. Through this act, Singh sent a clear message to his men: accurate reporting is essential because timely and correct information can be the difference between victory and defeat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">During my induction training at a factory, a process manager emphasised the importance of accuracy in data by sharing an anecdote. When steel structures for a section of the plant arrived on-site, the project team was puzzled by their unusually large size. Upon reviewing the design documents, they discovered that the structures had been mistakenly designed for a wind speed of 120 miles per hour instead of the required 120 kilometres per hour. This meant that the structures were designed for 193 kilometres per hour of wind speed, leading to a significant overdesign. This error in ‘unit,’ committed by a designer, went unnoticed at many levels and ultimately ended up costing the company significantly. The management had little choice but to accept the structures with a 'steel heart!'</p>.<p class="bodytext">Much like trigger-happy gunmen, people today are in a frenzy of forwarding information. The moment they receive a WhatsApp message, they immediately forward it to several of their contacts without batting an eyelid and questioning the authenticity of the information they are transmitting. We may not possess the sagacity of Sagat Singh, but when we receive information, should we not, at the very least, pause and ask ourselves: Is this correct?</p>
