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“For us deaf people, Indian Sign Language is the only resort, the only way we can communicate with people. If people don’t learn the Indian Sign Language, the communication between us and the world will not be possible. Why can’t we treat sign language like we treat every other language in India, it is the same like Tamil, Hindi, English, Gujarati etc. There is a dire need to normalize the ISL and the need is now.” A.S. Narayanan, President of the National Association of the Deaf.

Indian Sign Language (ISL) is used by the deaf and hearing-impaired people all over India. But ISL is not the language taught or used to teach deaf children. Teacher training programs all over India do not consist of the necessary education for teachers to learn the method of using ISL (to teach). ISL is not very common amongst people in general. This ignorance widens the gap between children and normalization. It also leads to a severe need for interpreters in educational institutions, to communicate between the deaf and the others. Currently, India only has around 300 interpreters and no separate college for deaf people.

According to a census in 2011, there are more than 50,71,007 deaf people and amongst them, 19,98,535 have speech disability too.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD)

NAD is an organisation that is working to empower Deaf and Hard of Hearing people across India; one that is of the deaf, by the deaf and for the deaf. NAD hopes to breathe new life into the deaf movement and empower deaf people across the country to stand up and claim the rights that they are entitled to.

With multiple awareness programs in place, the NDA aims to educate people on the importance of the Indian Sign Language. It has worked with multiple police stations, to educate the department about the language, helping them to deal with crimes against the deaf.

Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC)

The Planning Commission was set up in India in the 1950s, more than 50 years back. The Planning Commission had blind and orthopedically challenged people but no deaf person. The Disabled Rights Group, headed by Javad Abidi kept advocating with the Planning Commission, for the right of deaf people to also be included in the Commission, but the request was not accepted.

The NAD had five demands from the Planning Commission, which included: the ISLRTC, interpreters, subtitles, colleges for the deaf and schools up to 12th standard.

There was no progress for two years and then on December 3, 2009, the Disabled Rights Group and NDA held a protest outside the Planning Commission Office and it was conveyed to the Planning Commission that they have not been responding to their letters from past 2 years and presented the demands.

Mr. Narayanan stated that “More than 80% of the deaf people in the country are uneducated and unaware of their rights or language. People don’t know what to do with deaf people, so they leave it be. The topic is just not discussed enough.”

The Planning Commission said that it was very difficult to implement all five demands of the NAD, and they were asked to choose one from the five, which could be implemented. The NAD chose ISLRTC.

In 2010, the Finance Ministry approved of the demand and allocated a budget of Rs. 44 crores for the project. After some time, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment took a decision to include ISLRTC to Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). IGNOU was made the administering body of ISLRTC and the Vice-Chancellor was replaced with a new person.

According to the official website of NAD, the new Vice-Chancellor was not very considerate about ISLRTC and the responsibility of ISLRTC was given back to the Ministry for Social Justice & Empowerment. NAD demanded ISLRTC to be an independent body and they were promised that their demands would be met, but it was not granted.

“We organised a protest on May 5, 2015, outside Shastri Bhawan Gate, and more than 3,000 people came and protested with us. The people protested fro the autonomy of ISLRTC. This enabled us to get the required attention from the authorities and ministries. We were advised to meet the PMO” Mr. Narayanan said talking to The Wonk.

After two days of the protest, Sibaji Panda, Vice President from All India Federation of the Deaf, Uma Kapoor, General Secretary of All India Foundation of Deaf Women, Zorin Singha, President of National Association of the Deaf, A S Narayanan, Secretary of National Association of the Deaf and Surender Randhawa, PhD went to meet Shri Jitendra Singh in the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO). The demands were agreed upon and after two months, on September 22, 2015, the ISLRTC was made autonomous by the PMO.

Deaf Women and the problems faced by them

Searching crimes against deaf women can be a major pain. Many cases come up about minor and adult deaf and mute women been raped, abused and assaulted on a daily basis. So many articles on the crime and little to no justice. All this comes in when there is lack of awareness and education to communicate with the victims.

Organisations like Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS) work for the upliftment of these women all over the world. In India, there is no such specific organisation to help deaf women survivors. The National Commission of Women in the only established organisation, apart from various NGOs who go around the country to train, educate and make people understand the problems women face.

Geeta Sharma, Women Secretary at the National Association of the Deaf, explaining the rights of deaf women

While speaking about crimes against the deaf to The Wonk, Mr. Narayan stated, “There was a girl, aged 10, in the outskirts of Delhi, she lived with her family, in which, her mother and sister were also deaf. The father didn’t know the ISL language, thus not being able to communicate with the rest of his family. The girl was being gang-raped since a long time but wasn’t able to communicate. We went their to help the police and the family. The situation was a mess.”

Crimes against the disabled people have been increasing rapidly over the past years, which has increased the importance of learning the language of the disabled for the police officers more than ever.

Mr. Narayanan added, “The crime rate and no education is bad enough in the urban areas of the country, rural areas are even worse, and there is no determining how worse it actually is.”

There is not much data about the suffering of deaf women, which is another matter of concern as the area remains unexplored. Thus, thousands suffer.

Awareness comes from perspective. In the end, it all comes down to the lack of education regarding the language. As the gap between deaf and hearing people widens, the local public suffers.

NEP 2020 and the Indian Sign Language

With the New Education List in place, the education system will be changing for the better in the coming year. Apart from changing the education pattern to 5+3+3+4, the New Education Policy also mentions that the Indian Sign Language will be standardised across the country. Also, the National and State curriculum materials will be developed for use by students with hearing impairments.

The National Institute of Open Learning will develop high-quality modules to teach ISL and to teach other basic subjects using the Indian Sign Language.

The New Education Policy also mentions about making way for barrier free access for all children with disabilities. They will be fully enabled to participate and be included in the classrooms with access to assistive devices and appropriate technology-based tools and language-appropriate teaching-learning methods.

The NEP 2020 has a deep focus on the inclusion and promotion of languages overall, and ISL being one of them is a huge success for the deaf community.

Mr. Narayanan expressed the issue of lack of education regarding the ISL stating, “In the US, more than 200 deaf people have gone as far as doing PHDs, making a phenomenal career for themselves, if we look in India, not even a single deaf person has gone that far when it comes to education.”

He also expressed his gratitude and happiness for the inclusion of ISL in the NEP 2020 stating, ” The government recognized the issue and included ISL in the NEP 2020, it is a huge step for all of us and raises a ray of hope in our eyes that there is a better future for the deaf community.

Petition to include ISL in India’s Official Languages

The NAD put forward an official petition to the Home Ministry to include ISL in India’s official Languages list.

“India has 22 official languages, and we want that Indian Sign Language becomes the 23rd official language of the country. A large population is dependent on it, and its importance should be highlighted.” Mr. Narayanan said.

The NAD made a request in 2019 and got a reply from the Home Minister stating the procedure on how to proceed with the demand.

Mr. A.S. Narayanan explaining the demands of the petition

Mr. Narayanan stated that the NAD is in talks with the Home Minister to go forward with the demand and wishes to get the permission granted soon.

“I have two kids and me and my wife, taught both of them sign language as their first language, like their mother tongue. They are now fluent in sign language and understands the importance of it, they both can hear and speak, there is no problem with that. But the fact that they understand and advocate the importance of sign language is tremendous and makes me proud. Sooner the hearing people realize the importance of the language and stand up for it with us, the better world it would be for us. We just want to make people understand that sign language is not a foreign concept, it is needed and important just like the other languages because it is all we have.” Mr. Narayanan said while talking to The Wonk.

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Ramappa Temple: India’s 39th World Heritage Site

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Ramappa temple built by Kakatiyas near Warangal in Telangana.

The 13th-century Ramappa temple in Palampet, Telangana is now a World Heritage Site. After being on UNESCO’S tentative list for the tag of World Heritage site since 2014, the Rudreswara Temple also known as Ramappa temple is now finally inscribed as a location with an “outstanding universal value” by the United Nations organization.

Despite being Indian government’s only nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage site tag for the year 2019, Ramappa temple finally made it to the 2021 UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The decision to inscribe this 13th-century temple was taken at the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO held on Sunday in China.

World Heritage Site tag

The World Heritage site is given to a location that holds a universal value which implies cultural significance. World Heritage is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization gives the tag to a place after selecting them on the basis of cultural and natural criteria. To be included on the World Heritage List, the sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria.

The Ramappa Temple and UNESCO tag

The Ramappa temple in Telangana became the 39th site in India to be inscribed in the world heritage list. During the selection procedure on Sunday which was held in China, over 17 of the 21 member nations supported the inscription of the Indian temple that is named after its architect, Ramappa.

What does the tag mean?

With UNESCO giving Ramappa temple, the tag of World Heritage site is obvious to have the query that what this tag would mean for the temple? And will UNESCO have a say in the functioning of the temple?

Ramappa temple in Telangana, a World Heritage Site.

It is obvious that the World Heritage tag is for sure going to increase the tourism of the traditional temple located in Telangana. Apart from this, the title of World Heritage and the fame attached to it even makes the government as well as citizens more aware of the cultural and heritage preservation of the site.

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Impractical, Degrading & Sexualising

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Norwegian Women’s Handball Team fined for not playing in bikini bottoms.

Norwegian women’s beach handball team

The players in the Norwegian women’s beach handball team were fined on Monday over “a case of improper clothing.” The women players were punished for wearing shorts rather than bikini bottoms during a recent game in Bulgaria. Yes! That’s true. Each player of the Norwegian women’s handball team was penalised as they decided to compete in their usual training uniforms and not bikini bottoms.

The European Handball Association (EHF) has fined the 10-member squad with a fine of 150 euros (around $175) for violating international handball uniform requirements. In the efforts to protest against the rule that mandates the women’s handball team to compete in bikini bottoms, the team wore thigh-length elastic shorts during the match – shorts that are only acceptable for male handball players.

Norwegian women’s Beach Handball Team in their uniform.

According to International Handball Federation regulations, while male players are permitted to play in tank tops and shorts no longer than 4 inches above the knee, women are required to wear midriff-baring tops and bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” and a maximum side width of 4 inches. In short, for female players, bikini bottoms are the required and a must uniform requirement.

Men’s Beach Handball Team uniform Vs Women’s Beach Handball Team uniform

Despite a strong criticism against this uniform requirement for the women’s team in Norway, the International Handball Federation in its statement has said, “All necessary efforts will be taken in order to further promote the sport. This includes the ideal presentation of the sport and that includes the outfit of the players too.”

Why the violation is gaining support?

The federation’s rule that men are allowed to wear shorts, while women can only wear bikini bottoms in itself is problematic. By not complying with the International Handball Federation’s regulations, Norway’s team is clearly standing against the presence of double standards for female athletes in the sports world.

When both male and female players work equally hard and get trained in a similar manner, the difference in their uniform doesn’t make any sense and only promotes sexualising of women in sports.

As per the Norwegian team, the bikini bottoms aren’t practical in a sport that sees players constantly diving into the sand and a sports uniform should be what players are comfortable in while playing. Apart from this, some players even believe that these rules related to uniform requirements are simply degrading to women.

Norway is supporting its players

It’s interesting to note that although the players are being fined for violating the uniform requirements, the country’s Handball Federation is supporting them. The NHF on their social media platform even supported their team by said that it is extremely proud of its women team for taking a stance against the much-criticised and controversial rule.

In fact, since 2006, the NHF has been campaigning to change the uniform requirements, but “nothing has happened yet”. Also, as per the head of the NHF, Kare Geir Lio, “Women should have the right to have a uniform they think is suitable for performing in their sport.”

Even before the championships, Norway approached the EHF to ask for permission to play in shorts but were told that breaches of the rules were punishable by fines.

The issue is now gaining momentum on social media and is receiving support from various parts of the world as it is believed that such rules are impractical, embarrassing, sexualising, and degrading to women. Also, this inequality when it comes to the uniform amongst the male and female players is not just restricted to handball but impacts other sports like Beach Volleyball and Tennis as well.

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5 reasons why Bollywood has a monopoly over the Indian Music Industry

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With absolutely no doubt, the most important thing that we adore about Bollywood is its music. If there’s one common thread that strings together all films that are released in Bollywood, it has got to be the entertainment with the frill of music that just adds spice and masala to these Bollywood movies.

But let’s think about it the other way. Popular Bollywood music has been around since the 1950s and ever since then, its audience has increased exponentially. People might probably be unaware of their Chief Minister’s name, but will surely know the lyrics of ‘Munni Badnaam’.

We love our music Industry, we honestly do. It has given us songs ranging from energetic party anthems to songs that just match well with our mood even when we feel dim. From songs that give us goosebumps sometimes to songs whose lyrics are downright ridiculous, we have it all. But if I ask you to name a few Hindi songs from your collection, it is for sure that most of the songs you will name will be from Bollywood movies. Ok…just for the sake of your satisfaction, try it once.

Bollywood music is definitely one of the reasons why most people love Bollywood, but have you ever thought that how despite having other film industries as well like Tollywood, Mollywood, Sandalwood, Pollywood and so many talented indie music artists in our country, Bollywood still manages to steal the thunder. With this, can we say that the music industry of our country is dominated and monopolised by Bollywood completely?

But if this is the case, it becomes important for us to know the rationales behind how Bollywood maintains its monopoly and governs the music industry of India.

1. Success of Bollywood stands out and above all

It’s a fact that Bollywood stands out and above all other national cinemas as far as its reach is concerned. As the majority of people in our country speak and understand Hindi, Bollywood becomes the choice of Indians. It is therefore that Bollywood music automatically gets its audience with the vast reach of the industry. Since most people in our country listen to Bollywood music, the industry has created its monopoly over the Indian music industry.

As per KPMG in India analysis Bollywood music accounts for about 50 per cent of all consumption in the country and the rest is then divided into regional music, music by indie artists and international repertoire.

2. Opposition between Indie & Bollywood music industry

The tussle is no new to the film industry. It’s not just restricted to Bollywood but other film industries in India to keep their focal point more on the songs as compared to the artists. Yes! The sad reality is that the film industries in our country are highly song-focussed and not artist-focussed which always makes the artist play a secondary role.

The mannerism in which the film industry works often makes the artist and his talent take the backstage while making the lip-synching actors gain all attention from the audience. Although, this is a necessary step in the process, still, it is important to note that the practice often makes the audience ignore the actual talent behind the scenes.

3. Bollywood looks for a shortcut

Bollywood uses a simple strategy: What’s already popular, make it your own. Let me make this easy for you. You must have probably noticed that Bollywood tries to adapt to what’s already famous. We have seen an immense number of Bollywood songs that are a copy of songs that are already a hit. Simply, if something is becoming somewhat famous and is being enjoyed amongst the Indian consumers, soon enough that music gets featured in Bollywood.

We have a clear example of the latest trend in Bollywood where old evergreen hits are getting recreated. The music industry today just looks for a shortcut by picking old or other popular hits to make money by adding a new twist to it.

4. Bollywood: A promotional instrument

For most music artists, Bollywood acts as a promotional instrument. Everybody wants to get into the big industry. Many music artists and singers believe that getting into Bollywood would get them the name and fame they always aspired about, which to an extent is true as well.

Far from doubts, Bollywood has great promotional potential as with its vast audience and reach, it provides the music artist and singers to reach the 1.3 billion population of the country. Therefore, even the artists and musicians intend to get into the industry to create a fan base and an audience.

5. Ownership of music

Gaining ownership with the help of Copyright laws is one of the most important factors that allow Bollywood to access a complete monopoly over the music industry in India. The complicated process of music creation and the involvement of multiple individuals makes it difficult to understand who should be considered as the owner of the song and who is the principal creator of the artwork.

The process and gaining rights over the musical piece majorly go to the music label or film production company that ultimately gives the label the control to exploit the content as well. This simply denotes that the Music Label owning the copyrights can use the ‘work’ in whatever way they seem fit.

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The problem with ‘What I eat in a day’ videos

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Exploring the harmful side of ‘what I eat in a day’ videos, with the pertinent question being – Is this content really healthy?

Let me start by asking a very simple question to you – What’s ‘what I eat in a day’ videos for you? Let me guess – ‘Doodh chodh do, dahi chodh do, ghee chodh do, atta chodh do, just don’t eat anything’ – at least, these videos on the face perpetuate this very idea of starving yourself to death if in any case, you want the so-called healthy, attractive or slim body. Right?

But you know what scares me the most – the idea that following a particular diet plan that just worked for a specific person will work for everyone on the planet. Honestly speaking, these trends in a sense are a bit problematic, why? Because most of us are now following a sedentary lifestyle with the lowest levels of physical activity, and watching these videos will give us the idea that following the same meal plan might help us achieve similar outcomes.

With every thumbs-up and thumbs-down on our screen, there’s one thing common with these ‘what I eat in a day’ videos, and that’s their thumbnails. Almost every time, I come across these videos online, the image of an extremely delicious-looking salad appears, but right next to it, there mostly appears an image of a woman wearing either a sports bra or a swimsuit making it just obvious that by eating this specific meal plan, you too are going to attain the same body structure.

Don’t you think that meal plans are getting shared too much nowadays? Nonetheless, this craze of ‘what I eat in a day’ videos is hitting an all-time high in terms of its viewer tally.  However, some scroll down after watching these pseudo-professional nutrition tips without thinking of it much, but some on the other are obsessed with these videos and often fall for such diet plans which is alarming.

It is unquestionably true that today’s generation is easily persuadable and which is why this leading ‘what I eat in a day’ content by many influencers and celebrities has increased the concerns of many health experts and nutritionists about its dangers as they believe that these videos made on misleading and incorrect information may encourage disordered eating which can lead to unfavourable outcomes. 

“I have seen a lot of celebrities, social media influencers and quacks post about such trends to engage their audience and influence them. Honestly, it’s a wrong practice and misguides everyone. A large number of the young population receive inspiration from these videos which often leads to crash dieting and adverse health outcomes. Frankly speaking, there is no fixed meal or food that needs to be taken throughout the day, it keeps on changing and ultimately variety is needed. There has to be sustainability,” said Margi Mankad, a Nutritionist based in Pune.

Most important! Differentiate between an Influencer & an Expert

“Just like brushing your teeth doesn’t make you a dentist. Similarly, losing weight or having a healthy lifestyle does not make you a Nutritionist. This might sound weird, but it’s true. Viewers need to understand that these meal plan videos will not only mislead them but will also not provide them with the benefits they are looking for. It’s like blind leading the blind,” said Aesha Mehta, Health Coach at GOQii technologies and Research assistant at Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai.

You will be misguided from your intention if you gain knowledge from unprofessional nutrition guidance. It is, therefore, important and necessary to have legitimate solid advice promoted by professionals as diet plans need to involve the right nutrition content and direction.

“What if a doctor prescribes a wrong medication to the patient? The patient will of course suffer and will have adverse health outcomes. Similar is the case with ‘food’,” Mankad said. “Incorrect practices may lead a person towards extreme weight-loss, being deficient in essential vitamins and minerals, and will ultimately decrease their quality of life.”

Remember! Every ‘body’ is different, ‘genes’ have a role to play

It is important to note that these ‘what I eat in a day’ videos simply put out the message that following the same meal plan may lead any person to lose weight and can help them obtain the same physical appearance as that of the influencer. But the catch here is that these influencers or quacks not just conveniently forget about proper nutrition required by a human body but also discards the role of genetics in determining a person’s weight loss journey.

 

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but weight loss also relies on genetics. Metabolism, presence of any hereditary or non-hereditary disease, family history, many such characteristics define a person’s body weight and external appearance,” said Vaidehi Apte, a food safety enthusiast and a postgraduate in Food Science from London Metropolitan University (UK).

 “It’s good that celebrities and media influencers today are promoting health. But they should only be vocal about a healthy lifestyle, not a particular diet which is often showcased in ‘what I eat in a day’ videos.” Further adding, she said, “It’s high time that people should stop comparing themselves with a person who has a completely different body type and this is the very reason why one-on-one consultation from a professional is mandatory before experimenting with our beautiful bodies.”

A complete deficiency of Body Positivity!

It is no secret that these ‘what I eat in a day’ videos are mostly posted by the influencers who possess the so-called ‘standard or attractive body’ which automatically makes the viewers compare themselves with those thin and small body sizes visible in the visuals.

Hardi Trivedi, a professional in Nutrition and Dietetics said, “These videos often portray the fact that the ultimate achievement of a healthy body is being thin. Most people believe that since their favourite influencer or a particular celebrity is following a certain diet, they can do it too and obtain similar results. But that’s not the case. She also said, “In this whole process of looking attractive, we are losing ourselves and have stopped appreciating who we actually are.”

Social Media Influences who celebrate self-love in all shapes, sizes and skin colours.

Not just the viewers! It affects the creators too

Negative feedback and comments are a part of social media and therefore, sometimes it can relatively act toxic as well. Some people look at things with different glasses which can lead to negativity for some. The same is the case for social media.

“Non-stop negative feedback and comments about the creator’s appearance, body or any personal aspect can lead to a drop in confidence. This can even make them become the victims of suicidal thoughts and severe depression,” Trivedi added.

It is sometimes possible that instead of gaining likes, comments and praises for the content shared on social media platforms, the creator might even get trolled which can further hamper the mental health of the creator itself affecting their confidence leading them to depression, anxiety, disturbed mental health.

Therefore, various health experts and nutritionists warn against such social media trends as the visuals present in the videos often mislead people. It is not possible to end this trend at once, but proper knowledge and awareness of facts may help us cope with this catfishing.

 

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Indian Indie Music Artists who deserve to be on your playlist

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Music, no doubt, fills an unavoidable space in our lives. To some extent, we all are dependent on music in one or the other way. Music has always been a go-to for almost all of us. Music is the only language we understand irrespective of the place or the culture we live in.

Specifically talking in context to India where the Music Industry is dominated and monopolised by Bollywood, Indie music is slowly making its mark. It is beyond the shadow of a doubt that India in recent times is not only accepting the drastically changing music but is also accepting indie music with an open heart.

Therefore, to celebrate this World Music Day, we at The Wonk have decided to share a few Indie Artists in India who deserve to be on your playlist in 2021.

1. The F16s

The F16s is a Chennai-based alternative band who describe themselves as ‘a pop band disguised in a rock and roll outfit’. This Indie rock band is known for their catchy lyrics with grooving bass lines and high in energy upbeat drums.

The band comprises of vocalist-guitarist Josh Fernandez, bassist Sashank Manohar, keyboardist/sampler Harshan Radhakrishnan, drummer Vikram Yesudas and guitarist Abhinav Krishnaswamy. The common hatred of the band members for engineering brought them together and helped them found a common ground in the music they liked and wanted to play.

You can listen to the top 10 songs by F16s here.

2. Anoushka Maskey

Anoushka Maskey is a singer-songwriter, who turned the ears of the listeners towards her last year when she described the loneliness and hard truths of the pandemic that changed almost everybody’s life. The self-taught singer released her first musical project “Things I Saw in a Dream” in August 2020.

Maskey’s songs will surely make you feel nostalgic with a touch of relatability. Her distinctive vocal styling is very calm and is soothing for all kinds of listeners.

3. MC Altaf

Yes! The 18-year boy who tutored Ranveer Singh for Gully Boy. MC Altaf at a young age has carved his own lane in the hip-hop scene in the country. The rapper from Dharavi, Altaf Shaikh better known as MC Altaf’s shot into the limelight when his song was featured on the Bollywood film ‘Gully Boy’s’ soundtrack.

MC Altaf’s last year not only released a slew of singles including the trap-leaning “Cash Do”, but also sat in on fellow rapper Divine’s hit track “Mirchi” off his album Punya Paap. The hip-hop artist this year as well released his latest solo single “Soch” and believes to write about relevant things and not just music that serves pure entertainment or commercial purpose. 

So, if you are interested in hip-hop and rap, MC Altaf is undeniably the one artist that you can listen to with full trust.

4. Nucleya

Udyan Sagar, commonly known as Nucleya, is an Indian electronic music producer who is successfully ruling the music charts with his infectious grooves. It is in no way possible that you haven’t danced on the crazy beats of Nucleya. Nucleya, for sure is India’s most popular independent music producer.

5. The Local Train

The Local Train is unquestionably one of the most talented Indie rock bands out there today in India. Known for singles like Aaoge Tum Kabhi, Choo Lo, and Khudi. The Local Train is an Indian Hindi Rock band originally from Delhi, consisting of Raman Negi on lead vocals and guitar, Ramit Mehra on backing vocals and bass guitar, Paras Thakur on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Sahil Sarin on drums and percussions.

The band came together in 2011, and since then the four boys have been leaving everybody astonished with their music and beats.

6. Thugs Unit

Thugs Unit is the first and the only Urdu Rappers from India. Thugs Unit, the Hyderabad-based duo are known for their fusion beats, thought-provoking messaging and signature multilingual lyrics that switch between Urdu, English and Jamaican Patois.

7. Hari & Sukhmani

The Folktronica duo Hari and Sukhmani are known for delivering hit songs tuned with fresh and eclectic sounds with ambient electronics. It’s been 10 years now, and the duo still manages to strike a chord with the audiences with every new song and performance. 

8. Kayan

Singer, producer-DJ, model, actor and voiceover artist, Ambika Nayak aka Kayan, is always found singing stories. The singer with her Jazz and pop stylistic approach has performed at major music events in the country such as NH7 Weekener (2018) and Sula Fest (2019).

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