Latest news with #IndianSignLanguage
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Sign language elective subject in Class XI
Assam has introduced Indian Sign Language as an elective subject for Class XI students, the first state to do so. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hopes it will benefit students with hearing issues. Seventy students have already selected that subject this year. Gauhati University Vice Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta described the step as a forward-thinking move. He stated that under the guidance of Sarma and Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, the National Education Policy 2020 aims to promote inclusive education, equipping students with future-ready skills while integrating empathy and real-world connections. Eye on polls, political focus on Bodoland The autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) will face elections later this year, and it's no wonder that the political focus has shifted to the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) that the BTC administers. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who recently inaugurated several projects in BTR, plans to spend the first week of July in the region. The visit is 'less political, more development-oriented', he assures. Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi also visited Kokrajhar, the Bodo heartland, to address a rally. The BJP and the United People's Party Liberal, which are jointly in power in the BTC, and the Congress will contest separately. Proposed hydel project met with stiff opposition A 55 MW hydropower project, conceived by Assam and Meghalaya on the Kulsi River at the interstate border, is facing opposition. Thousands of people from both states took out a march two days ago to oppose it. They are concerned about the environmental implications following reports that the project involves constructing a mega dam, which would result in the eviction of the area's residents. The decision on the project was taken by the two chief ministers in June's first week. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma then stated, 'Assam and Meghalaya will develop the Kulsi Irrigation project to benefit our farmers, which Assam will fund.' Prasanta Mazumdar Our correspondent in Guwahati prasantamazumdar@
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Hindi not rival, but ally to other languages: Amit Shah
New Delhi: Days after facing criticism over his remarks on English, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said "Hindi is not a rival to any Indian language", but friends with all Indian languages and there should be no opposition to any foreign language in the country. Addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of the Central government's official language department, Shah also asked all the state governments to take the initiative to impart medical and engineering education in the local language. Indian languages must be used to conduct administrative works, he said. "I sincerely believe that Hindi can't be opposed to any Indian language. Hindi is a friend of all Indian languages," he said. Hindi and other Indian languages together can take the self-esteem of the country's culture to its zenith, Shah said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This may be of interest to you! Undo The home minister also said everyone should get rid of the slavery mentality and until a person takes pride in his own language, or does not express himself in his language, that person cannot be free from this mentality. "There is no opposition to any language. There should not be any opposition to any foreign language. But there should be an urge to glorify one's own language, there should be an urge to speak one's own language, there should be an urge to think in one's own language," he said. Live Events Shah said that for any nation, the education policy is a reflection of the path the country will take in the coming 50 years. The NEP-2020 lays emphasis on teaching the mother tongue and the local language up to Class 5 and Class 8. "The development of our languages has been supported in principle and 104 books of the primary classes have been started in 22 states and union territories," Shah noted. Shah said translated teaching material and books have been made available for classes 1 to 12 for Indian Sign Language. More than 200 TV channels provide educational content in 29 languages and over 366,000 e-content in 133 dialects, including 7 foreign languages, is made available on the DIKSHA platform. He said this initiative of the NEP will go a long way in strengthening the official language and Indian languages. He said the examination for the post of constable in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) is now conducted in Indian languages and 95% of the applicants are taking the examination in their mother tongue.
The Wire
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Wire
V Town Chronicles Echoes the Unspoken Pain and Vulnerability of Men with ‘Kya Hu Mein?'
As conversations on men's mental health quietly resurface—a stark reminder of the silent battles many fight—Mumbai-based music collective V Town Chronicles, in collaboration with socially conscious label Lucifer Music, releases Kya Hu Mein?, a soul-stirring anthem that speaks directly to the hearts of those silently suffering. This is not just a song. It is a moment of reckoning. A voice for the unheard. A beat for the broken. Crafted by artists Aasif, Astarif, Bless Aces, and Remo Music, Kya Hu Mein? emerges like a raw diary entry set to music. The track moves away from bravado and bling, opening a vulnerable conversation around self-doubt, internal chaos, and the emotional stigma so often dismissed in male narratives. With stripped-down production and a haunting melody, the song grips listeners from its first breath and doesn't let go. Each lyric lingers, like a question never asked aloud: Who am I now? Am I still whole? Do I matter? A spokesperson from V Town Chronicles shares, 'This isn't just our song—it's every man's mirror. We grew up being told to stay silent, to stay strong. But strength is speaking. Strength is feeling. If even one person feels less alone after hearing Kya Hu Mein?, we've done what we came for.' Backing the track is Lucifer Music, a young but visionary label known for championing socially conscious content. Their intent is not just to make noise—but to make a difference. Earlier this year, the label led India's first mainstream rap campaign with Indian Sign Language integration through The Right Sign initiative. In partnership with Signing Hands Foundation, Wondrlab, and VerSe Innovation, artists including V Town Chronicles replaced gang-style gestures with ISL signs—promoting inclusivity and awareness through rhythm and motion. Gaurav Chanana, founder of Lucifer Music, says, 'At Lucifer Music, we believe sound has the power to heal, to question, and to change. With Kya Hu Mein?, we aren't chasing charts—we're chasing truth. This track is about giving men the space to be vulnerable, to feel, to be human. Music should start conversations where silence has ruled for too long.' V Town Chronicles—born in Mumbai's Vikhroli—has evolved from hyper-local storytellers into a rising voice for emotional truth. Their earlier release Hafta, a concept EP based on seven moods across seven days, showcased their range. But Kya Hu Mein? is their most personal, most poignant offering yet. In multiple languages—Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, English, and Malayalam—they spin verses that reach beyond the speaker. Because grief doesn't speak one tongue. And neither does healing. As social media lights up the conversation around mental health and masculinity, Kya Hu Mein? arrives like a balm. It does not scream. It does not demand. It simply speaks—for those who cannot. And in that whisper, there is power. Let the world hear. Let the men cry. Let the music hold them. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NRDPL and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).
The Hindu
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Disability-related questions in Census must be framed differently, say rights groups
Past population counts, including the last Census in 2011, have historically undercounted people with disabilities, according to rights activists and experts who have written to the Office of the Registrar General of India, seeking a 'shift in approach' to framing disability-related questions in the upcoming Census exercise. In the past, 'simplistic' questions with negative connotations, posed by enumerators with minimal training, wthout considering accessibility concerns, have all contributed to low disclosure, they said, claiming that the 2011 Census had counted 'only 2.21%' of the country's disabled population per some estimates. They sought time to make suggestions for better methodologies for the upcoming Census. After delaying the 2021 Census, the Union government on June 16 notified dates for the next Census, to be completed by March 2027. 'Most undercounted' The 2011 Census recorded about 2.68 crore people with disabilities (PwD) across the country. In their letter to the ORGI and the Secretaries of the Home and Statistics Ministries, disability rights organisation Nipman Foundation and policy think tank The Quantum Hub noted that extrapolations from the World Health Organisation's global estimates suggested that India had at least 200 million, or 20 crore, people with disabilities – almost ten times what was counted in the Census in 2011. In the letter, Nipman Foundation founder Nipun Malhotra said that PwDs are amongst the 'most undercounted' populations in the country. He argued that the 2011 Census had under-reported the number of PwDs in the country because of several factors, including 'simplistic' questions being framed with 'negative connotations' given the existing social stigma. Mr. Malhotra said that questions that asked whether one was mentally or physically disabled, only providing space for a 'yes/no' answer, resulted in low disclosure. 'Moreover, enumerators also received minimal training in disability awareness, contributing further to under-reporting,' he said in the letter. 'Improve accessibility, question formats' He added that the Census process must also be made accessible through the use of Indian Sign Language, Braille, and screen-reader friendly documents, further urging authorities to employ interpreters to ensure meaningful participation of disabled people. The rights group argued that the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, under the UN Statistical Commission, 'offers a more functional approach'. This involves a six-question set, which Mr. Malhotra said was 'most suitable' for national Censuses. For instance, one questions is, 'Do you have difficulty seeing, even if wearing glasses?', and provides a graded response scale, from 'No difficulty at all' to 'Cannot do it at all'. The Nipman Foundation further posited that this was 'much-improved methodology compared to the present approach'. 'These changes are critical to ensuring more accurate and inclusive data collection,' it said in the letter.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Time of India
Arunachal govt launches probe into fake certs
Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh govt has ordered immediate action against special education teachers employed under the Integrated Scheme for School Education (ISSE) who are allegedly using fake or invalid certificates from the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), reports Joken Ete. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a circular issued by the state's education department, authorities expressed concern over what it called a 'grave breach of trust' and a 'violation of statutory norms', stressing that such misconduct jeopardises the rights of children with disabilities, especially those relying on Indian Sign Language. The RCI, functioning under the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment, is the only statutory body that regulates training and registration of rehabilitation professionals. As per the RCI Act, 1992, rendering services without a valid RCI registration is a punishable offence. The education department has directed the ISSE state project director to verify the authenticity of all RCI certificates submitted by special educators.
