Unfortunately, the claim cannot be verified as there is no primary evidence to substantiate the media report at the current time.
The Caravan Magazine had published an article quoting a couple of members from the Indian COVID task force who spoke on condition of anonymity saying that the government actually ignored expert advice and failed to implement the necessary measures to contain the outbreak, once the lockdown measures were implemented. The report also alleged that the Indian government did not seek any form of scientific advice while preparing to fight the pandemic.
However, the evidence is not available as of now to show whether or not the government sought scientific advice. Implementation of lockdown in the country cannot be termed as a success or a failure as of yet due to the difference in factors such as India's population including varying age groups compared to other developed countries and how those countries have been handling the mitigation of the virus.
There are no credible statistical reports available at the current time to actually support or refute the statement regarding the failure of lockdown measures as a result of unscientific measures being implemented.
Correction: The previous version of the fact-check did not contain the report by the Caravan as there was no statistical or first-hand evidence from the experts to consider it. Some details reported by them have been added while retaining our previous judgement along with our reasoning to retain it.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.
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