Truth vs Hype: Decoding The Notes Ban 'Tax Surge'

Confronted with more and more evidence that demonetisation may have dented the economy, the government has put out a confusing jumble of numbers to show that the move to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes has led to a surge in India's tax base. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech said that 56 lakh people filed Personal Income Tax Returns after notes ban - a big jump from same period last year. The latest Economic Survey says 5.4 lakh new taxpayers were added after notes ban. The Finance Minister earlier suggested that 91 lakh new taxpayers were added as a result of demonetisation. 56 lakh, 5.4 lakh, 91 lakh - what is the correct number? What sense do we make of it? And do these numbers reflect a big increase, or has the data been cherry-picked? We try and decode the mystery math on a special edition of Truth vs Hype.