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| Sataparna is 18, in her 12th standard. She lied and which teen does not |
March 3, 2016, NewsCrunch
The West Bengal student, Sataparna Mukherjee, who said she had won a Nasa scholarship has been found to have made false claims.
She claimed that she had proposed a Black Hole theory, which she posted on a Nasa website, and which in turn offered her a scholarship to study astrobiology and English literature at
It was a string of lies, which has been called out. For complete details of her claims and point-by-point rebuttal, we recommend Huff Post.
Huff Post also has an exclusive official denial from Goddard Institute for Space Studies of Nasa saying they have not given any scholarship to any student called Sataparna.
We also recommend The Wire for a short rebuttal of her claims.
Sataparna is 18, in her 12th standard. She lied and which teen does not.
Her parents should realise that they have been taken for a ride by her. They should cut off her TV and mobile phone for two weeks.
That is what she should be subjected to, not investigative journalism.
More guilty in this episode is media – so many swallowed her claims, fed on each other and published without verification.
Why did not any reporter or editor feel the need to get a little more probing and end the story with a laugh. Do all stories go through a similar editorial rigour – the nation wants to know.
We do hope that Sataparna gets on with her life and goes to achieve some of the things she has been dreaming about.