Rohan Kalia: Indian-American teen wins President’s Scholarship for glaucoma detection device
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(August 25, 2023) It was after one of Rohan Kalia’s family members was diagnosed with glaucoma that the Indian-American teenager began researching an affordable technology that could be used for early detection. A sophomore at Wheeler High School in Marietta, the 17-year-old found that glaucoma ranks as the second most prominent cause of irreversible blindness on a global scale. The startling fact prompted him to look for an affordable solution in the form of a device that can accurately diagnose the condition. This gave birth to EyePal, a portable device that can detect glaucoma with 95 percent accuracy. The invention won the teenager the 2023 IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) President’s Scholarship, which comes with a prize of $10,000.
Glaucoma is an eye disease involving the degradation of the optic nerve that carries visual information, leading to a gradual loss of vision. If not detected early, it can lead to some degree of permanent blindness. The condition is detected from images taken of the retinal fundus (the back surface of the eye’s interior) during a standard examination by an opthalmologist. During his research, Rohan found that a person’s socioeconomic condition impacts the diagnosis of glaucoma. “I learned that there’s a huge disparity in eye care treatment across the world,” Rohan said, adding, “Diagnosis and prevention of glaucoma is not accessible.”
Rohan Kalia
Moreover, he discovered that people in rural areas are worst affected as many individuals face difficulty in accessing glaucoma testing due to a shortage of eye doctors and testing centers, coupled with the expensive equipment, absence of health insurance, and high-test costs. Understanding the severity of the condition, Rohan knew he had to find a solution. Explaining the working of EyePal, he said, “The EyePal uses a quality camera, a Raspberry Pi minicomputer, machine-learning technology, and a mobile app. The camera takes photos of the fundus and sends them to a mobile device that can be examined by a specialist. EyePal showed 95 percent accuracy when tested on sets of fundus images.”
Apart from its accuracy, the device’s portability is yet another plus point as it can be employed in rural medical centres and health clinics as opposed to the standalone specialised equipment that can be used only in a doctor’s office or vision testing center. “The device costs less than $100,” Rohan said, adding, “It’s 50 times cheaper than the average price of ophthalmology equipment, in addition to being highly portable. What I did was create this new ensemble-based system of diagnosis.”
The invention won him the President’s Scholarship, which refers to as a “nice surprise.” Moreover, EyePal was presented at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in May in Dallas, Texas.
The inventor, who loves creating solutions and plans to work in the field of research, advices future engineers to keep going despite the obstacles. “In an engineering project, you’re going to face times you want to give up, but keep persevering. Pick a project topic that you really like,” the Global Indian says, adding, “When you’re really interested in the topic, it will give you the motivation to keep pushing through.”
(July 06, 2023) At 26, Rajat Bhageria is already well on his way to establishing himself as a socially-conscious serial entrepreneur and an astute investor. Born in India Rajat has lived in four countries, speaks four languages and works, according to his LinkedIn bio, "to build lasting 100-year businesses around 10x solutions to the world's most pressing problems, while simultaneously empowering fellow entrepreneurs to do the same." Currently, he heads Chef Robotics a venture that landed him in the Forbes USA 30 Under 30 list and is the Founder and Managing Partner at Prototype Capital, a distributed $5MM fund investing in 10x comanies around the world. He's also a prolific author, writing his first book soon after high school - What High School Didn't Teach me: A Recent Graduate's Perspective on High Schools are Killing Creativity. His columns have also appeared in TechCrunch, Forbes and HuffPost. The first attempt at entrepreneurship In 2013, Rajat Bhageria founded what he calls his "first ever real startup." CafeMocha was a platform for writers to share their creative work. He was still in high school then, preparing for university. Rajat and his friends had spent their weekend studying for the SATs, memorising terms and
what he calls his "first ever real startup." CafeMocha was a platform for writers to share their creative work. He was still in high school then, preparing for university. Rajat and his friends had spent their weekend studying for the SATs, memorising terms and taking mock exams. It was something they had to do, certainly not something they enjoyed. It got Rajat thinking: "Schools are truly killing creativity. High School basically shuns them from taking risks and rather teaches them to follow a set formula." That made people afraid of their own creative spirit and the few who still expressed it, at least as writers, poets, essayists and researchers, had limited means to share their work.
As a writer himself, he felt the pinch. Blogging was definitely a way but came with a one-in-a-million chance of getting noticed. Tumblr was not academic whatsoever. He decided to create CafeMocha, the "only social-network that is truly aimed at high school students." What LinkedIn is to job seekers, Flickr to photographers and Spotify and Soundcloud to musicians, CafeMocha was to budding teen writers. In just a month after it was founded, the platform had about 30,000 page views and hundreds of unique visitors. "I learned then that one person really can make a difference," he explained.
Life at PennState
The Global Indian headed to Pennsylvania State University as an undergraduate and although he didn’t know then, met two people with whom he would go on to collaborate - Ben Sandler and Joe Cappadona. "I can personally say with a lot of certainty that my classes were by no means worth 60k/year," he wrote, in Huff Post. "But I can also say that the act of simply being in college taught me more than any class ever has." When he first arrived, he was struck with the idea that hundreds of young people had come before him and hundreds more would follow. How could he stand out? Could he leave a mark? It was the start of an "existential crisis" in which he discovered "the real power of college: it forces you to find yourself and ask yourself what you want to accomplish not only in the next four years but also in life."
https://youtu.be/I3biPTHVjeM
A weekend hackathon with Sandler and Cappadona resulted in the team building a prototype to help the visually-impaired recognise objects. They chose the non-invasive method, joining giants like IBM and Apple in those early days of wearable technologies. Rajat Bhageria joined, both fellow computer science undergrads and together, they built the prototype in a weekend hackathon. Their model was a hit and even landed them on the cover of UPenn newspaper.
Challenges
"I had no background building an intuitive product," he writes, in Forbes. And commercialising the product, it turned out, was another story entirely. First, they had to test the market: Was their product worth the effort in the first place? Is it something that the blind actually needed? The team cold-emailed organisations in and around Philadelphia. They received only two responses, out of which only one turned into a viable lead.
It meant reaching out to a wide circle of people, from CEOs to investors to NGOs. "I was able to learn from venture capitalists who had funded Fortune 500 companies, founders who had IPOed their companies, and CEOs leading massive 500+ person companies," he wrote.
It wasn't so much about the advice that he received but the insight it gave him into the minds of extremely successful people. How did they grow? What did they prioritise?
In 2018, having learned the many struggles of entrepreneurship, Rajat Bhageria decided he wanted to empower others like himself. He went on to found Prototype Capital, which is in existence still. According to the company website, Prototype Capital "believes in getting down in the trenches and being there right alongside the most ambitious founders in the world as together, we fund and found lasting 100-year businesses around products that change the status quo by 10x."
Chef Robotics
From wearable technology, Rajat moved on to Robotics and AI. It was a timely start- months before the pandemic struck. This time, he addressed assembly line cooks, "an extremely dull and dangerous job," as the website describes it, "leading to massive turnover rates as people try unsuccessfully to find more fulfilling work." Food companies remained woefully understaffed, in some cases by up to 25 percent.
Rajat's solution: Put robots in assembly lines instead. The idea was also inspire the next generation of founders, engineers and investors to design intelligent robots.
Atharva Desai was eight-years-old when he watched his first Formula 1 race on TV, at his Virginia home. He was enchanted. He ran and pressed his face up against the screen. Today, at 19, the US-born Indian-origin racer is testing for Formula 3 in the UK with Arden Motorsports Team, Banbury. Now the Indian teen racing champ’s sights are set on a Formula 1 seat, and hopefully even a world championship. In early February, Atharva and a small group of drivers headed out to the Young Racing Drivers’ Academy racetrack at the Anglesey Circuit to test Arden Motorsports’ F3 cars – all whetted through a series of simulation rounds. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day - the track lay wet and glistening - hardly ideal for a racer. “I had never spent an entire day driving in the rain,” he recalls, in an exclusive interview with Global Indian. “But I kept it under control. I kept it fast and it went well,” said the Indian teen racing champ. A chance to sign on as an F3 driver and make headway to the coveted Formula 1, Desai is hopeful. [caption id="attachment_11211" align="aligncenter" width="875"] Atharva Desai at the Anglesey Circuit in Wales[/caption]
e to sign on as an F3 driver and make headway to the coveted Formula 1, Desai is hopeful.
[caption id="attachment_11211" align="aligncenter" width="875"] Atharva Desai at the Anglesey Circuit in Wales[/caption]
A Brit Indian with a need for speed
Atharva entered racing before he hit his teens. A cutthroat world that required emotional stability far beyond his years, just as much as talent and skill, he says, “Attitude and confidence are important. You never know who is watching you. While talent is the first thing scouts look for, the second round involves testing a person’s confidence and approach to life. They want someone who can endorse them, who will bring their team a good name.”
Soon after he watched that first race on TV, his obliging parents took the excited eight-year-old to a go-karting track called the Allsports Grand Prix in Northern Virginia. He failed to meet the height requirements but was back the following year, determined to practice on his own. He was noticed by the track owner, Francois, who remarked to Atharva’s father that the boy “drives like a young Sir Jackie Stewart” and began teaching him the fundamentals of racing.
“I was 10 when I entered my first junior league,” says the Indian teen racing champ. A rookie, going up against opponents far more experienced than himself, he went on to win the championship, levelling up, and emerging victorious the next year too. “There was the last level left to compete at but my teacher stopped me. He thought I would beat everyone. My adult opponents wouldn’t have been happy about that,” he smiles.
After finishing second at the ROTAX National Race, Atharva was invited to test Formula 4 cars. And he impressed all. “I got blazing times. It got me noticed,” says the Indian teen racing champ who, in search of a good school to study engineering, chose Oxford Brookes College in the UK due to its motorsports curriculum.
At the Young Racing Driver Academy in Virginia, he met Jamie Horner, director, an established name, Horner’s brother, Christian, the British team principal for team Redbull Formula 1. “I became a developing driver to improve my skills, and hopefully race for them in the future,” says the 19-year-old. At the academy in Anglesey, drivers were put on simulators, chosen based on skills and timing. Atharva found out soon enough that F4 cars in the UK are quite different from those in the US. “The American cars are digital, less rigid. They’re not meant for aggressive racing. In the UK, they’re built for aggressive drivers – which is what I am,” says the Indian teen racing champ who re-honed his skills, leaving his mentors impressed.
How Nikki Lauda inspired him
Committed and driven, Atharva is up before 6 am, starting with an hour at the gym. Back home, he cooks breakfast, and heads to class. Unwavering discipline, born of mental fortitude, he explains, “I don’t get angry often. Motorsports, especially, the earlier phases are competitive and full of aggression. You’re getting attacked both on and off the track. So, you learn. If someone provokes me, I think, my goal is to be in F1. My goal is not to meddle with the guy.”
Even his choice of idols is unusual – Nikki Lauda, the legendary Austrian Formula One and three-time F1 World Drivers’ Champion, the only driver in history to be champion for both Ferrari and McLaren. In 1976, Lauda’s Ferrari swerved off the track and burst into flames. “He was pulled out of the car with half his face on fire. He didn’t give up, with dedication and mental strength, he made it through. Nothing could stand in his way,” says the Indian teen racing champ.
All about motorsport
Doing engineering in motorsport technology at Oxford, Atharva is uncommonly mature. “I was raised with Indian values. I understand that a little competition can go a long way,” he adds.
This year, he hopes to join a Formula 3 team in the US. “I have built good relationships there, and they are willing to give me an F3 seat,” says the racer whose connection with Arden Motorsports will continue alongside. “Next year, I start negotiating with Formula 2 teams. I also have to work at getting sponsors to back me,” says the Indian teen racing champ.
The chequered flag beckons
Much of his success, the Indian teen racing champ attributes to his unwavering resolve. “Attitude, confidence and general likeability all count for a lot. Being a race driver requires huge mental fortitude,” says the boy whose daily regimen involves mental training, “I do reaction time testing and I juggle - for balance and skill.”
Racing is an expensive sport, and staying on the track is thanks to the unflinching support by his parents. “I'm motivated by the fact they trust me and know I'm working hard,” says Atharva. He practices on iRacing, a simulation software. “There are actual drivers and scouts on it, so I practice and register for races,” says the teen, who loves to skateboard or decipher the Rubic's Cubes. Music is also a pet passion, “When I have time to spare, I make electronic music on my laptop,” he adds. The Indian teen racing champ’s 3,420 followers on Instagram are fondly called A4Rians, and he regularly updates them on race day highs.
As Youth Ambassador for Quench 66 by AquaKraft Pvt. Ltd, an initiative by the government of Maharashtra, he is also moving forward the mission to provide 50 million litres of drinking water across 500 schools in the state.
(October 7, 2022) Around 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period, volcanic eruptions occurred at the Western Ghats, giving way to the formation of the Deccan Traps. For years, geologists have been intrigued by this formation, and some 12 years ago, a Pune boy, too, got hooked onto them. This interest led him to become India's youngest volcanologist. This interest in volcanoes has given Sonit Sisolekar a chance to study the lunar surface, thanks to Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone 2023, a NASA-led competition. "Not many youngsters are into geology, but I love it. My tryst with volcanoes started at an early age, and I have been hooked since then. And now I am getting a chance to work on a LunaSat (lunar satellite) that can be sent to the Moon," the 2021 Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar winner told Global Indian. Growing up in Pune, Sonit and his father often visited one of the largest volcanic features on Earth, the Deccan Traps, which was only 50 km from the city, to see the lava flows. "I was three-four years when I first visited them, and it generated a sense of curiosity and got me hooked,"
as three-four years when I first visited them, and it generated a sense of curiosity and got me hooked," says the Aurangabad born. More such visits led to the collection of various rocks, high on basalt which is aphanitic and unique to the area. This tryst with geology kept Sonit fascinated, so much so that he attended an exhibition of rocks and fossils. "I learned a great deal about rocks, and knew that it was something that I was attracted to." His interest was further cemented after taking part in a workshop on Earth Science by a local organisation in Pune. At age 11, he began reading geological research papers and found out about lava tubes. "They are natural tunnels within a solidified lava flow, which were earlier occupied by flowing molten lava. And I discovered two of them. This was the beginning of my research in geology," adds the 15-year-old.
[caption id="attachment_22706" align="aligncenter" width="398"] Sonit Sisolekar is one of the youngest volcanologists in India.[/caption]
The discovery got him introduced to his mentor Dr Raymond Duraiswami, Assistant Professor at the Department of Geology at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "He is the first person I contacted after discovering lava tubes as he is one of the few geologists in India who have done a research paper on lava tubes in Deccan Traps. He found my discovery to be significant and recommended me research papers and journals on them," says the young volcanologist who credits Dr Raymond for inspiring him and guiding him.
It was his mentor who nudged him to look beyond the Deccan Traps and do some research on lava tubes on the moon, called lunar rilles. "In simple terms, they are lava tubes with their roofs collapsed." He began with the mathematical comparison between lava tubes and lunar rilles by juxtaposing the length, dimension, the slope of the two, and later presented the paper at the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conferences at NASA in March 2021.
[caption id="attachment_22707" align="aligncenter" width="486"] Sonit Sisolekar has been working closely on the Deccan Traps[/caption]
His love for studying volcanoes has helped him bag an opportunity to do the same on the moon, thanks to GLEE (Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone) 2023, a NASA-led competition. With 200 teams chosen from across the globe, the mission aims to send small satellites called LunaSats, weighing 5 grams, to the lunar surface to conduct research. While Sonit is heading one of the teams from Pune, the training for the same will begin in October, after which each team will decide the motive behind sending their LunaSat. Ask him if he were to make a decision now, what would he choose the motive to be, pat comes the reply, "research on lunar rilles (the channels formed due to lava flow). I am interested in studying the composition of the kind of volcanism that occurs on the moon and comparing it to the earth."
This isn't his first brush with the subject, as this August he successfully led one of the groups participating in the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) in Italy to bag a gold for a project on 'Carbon sequestration in weathered rocks and its application in reducing global warming'. He even bagged two individual bronze medals, helping India show its best talent at IESO. In 2019, the teenager won big at the Cubes in Space competition by NASA for research on the possible role of ionising radiation in the reddening of Mars soil. "I had sent two samples - volcanic ash and powdered volcanic glass - to understand the effect of UV radiation on the sample, which was sent to space through a scientific balloon. It was proven in the mesosphere, it's exposed to UV radiation which leads to reddening of the soil on Mars," beams the proud volcanologist.
[caption id="attachment_22708" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Sonit Sisolekar is keen to raise awareness on geology[/caption]
For someone whose biggest challenge has been the lack of awareness on geology, he is keen on sharing his knowledge with other students through the Astronomy and Geology Awareness Tourism Education (AGATE) program. "I want to popularise astronomy and geology in rural areas, and I have started it this year only." While the work on AGATE is in process, he is using Astro-Geo Club on WhatsApp to create awareness on the subject.
The Paradise English Medium School student is keen to pursue his passion for geology in the future and has plans of attaining a degree in the subject with a specialisation in volcanology. The Class 10 student has his hands full with research and studies, but he finds time to pursue his hobbies. "I am a tabla player who started learning at the age of five. Apart from this, I write stories and love to paint and draw." The teenager who calls his parents the wind beneath his wings wants to create an impact by creating awareness of geology. For someone who is trodding a path less taken, he says, "you should have a sense of curiosity as it helps you achieve anything. Start wherever you are, rather than waiting for the right time," he signs off.
(December 21,2021) Recycling batteries for a better future Recycle My Battery has recycled over 145,000 used batteries Every day almost 15 billion batteries are purchased to power everyday objects, most of which end up in landfills. In Edison, New Jersey, a seventh grader works tirelessly to rid the world of battery pollutants, aspiring to make the world safe from fires. Interestingly, his campaign also started when a fire at a waste plant in California caused million of dollars' worth of damage. When Sri Nihal Tammana read about it on his tenth birthday, he realised the culprit was a discarded lithium-ion battery. That became a clarion call for the 12-year-old to start a campaign to rid the Earth of used batteries. It galvanised the community, and like-minded children to begin collecting and recycling all types of batteries. Most importantly to save the planet. The little boy founded recyclemybattery.org which has grown exponentially since it began in 2019. Collaborations with Call2Recycle, today there are recycle bins in 200 US locations, and the non-profit is also working with US school superintendents, covering over 200 schools (200,000 children). [caption id="attachment_8698" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Recharge My Battery founder Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption] "I started to learn about
[caption id="attachment_8698" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Recharge My Battery founder Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
"I started to learn about all types of batteries, and how chemicals cause pollution when they end up in landfills, poisoning groundwater and damaging the ecosystem. I realised that our entire world is powered by batteries, and they are only going to be more widely used. I founded Recycle My Battery to address this," says the pint-sized TEDx speaker, environmentalist, eco-hero and Point of Light honouree.
His large, observant bespectacled eyes light up at the mention of science and sustainability. The winner of the NJ Governor’s Award and the Jefferson Award for his work, Nihal has a sensibility that defies his years.
The method to the research
The Woodrow Wilson student, Nihal researched on how to prevent batteries ending up in landfills, and it was a huge turning point that has been the guiding light that is slowly creating a change. "I started RMB to reduce the 15 billion batteries that are carelessly thrown away each year to zero. We have an amazing team of over 150 kids, and have achieved so much in the two years thanks to my team! We have recycled over 145,000 used batteries so far, and educated over an estimated one million people." Now, Nihal hopes to reach India with his campaign.
[caption id="attachment_8700" align="aligncenter" width="837"] Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
Always thinking ahead, partnering with Call2Recycle and Best Brains helped spread RMB’s wings across the US. Call2Recycle offered free battery bins while Best Brains helped right from initiation, advising on where to place battery bins in over 150 locations. Today, 145,000 used batteries have been recycled and the team has educated an estimated one million people on battery disposal, etc.
The 2009 March-born student has been STEM-inclined since he was a toddler, and thus math and science were his favourite subjects.
Infact, Nihal already had dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur even though his parents were concerned that he was too young to start an organisation. He started it, anyway. At age 10, news of fires and lithium-ion batteries put him well and truly on this path. His younger sister is in awe while his parents who work in IT, and are extremely encouraging, especially his father, "He kept motivating me towards my dreams. Without him, I wouldn't have started my organisation!" says Nihal. Nihal loves speaking to his grandparents in Vijaywada, India, and often regales them with his stellar achievements.
From recycle to spreading awareness
The TedX speaker admits sheepishly to being extremely nervous on the podium, and it took two months of practice to prepare for his TedX speech. The Eco-Hero awardee is a 12-year-old who has only just begun tackling world problems. With the help of more than a 145 strong childrens’ team, today RMB has placed more than 250 battery bins across the US. "We have also won 15 plus national and international awards," chirps Nihal.
The PEYA Award is what Nihal cherishes the most, One in a Million Award, NJDEP Recycling Award, Citizens Award, Nihal is thankful for the acclaim and attributes it to team effort, and the partners who supported his dream.
If STEM subjects bring a glint to Nihal's eyes, he is also a proficient artist, and has won national awards for his distinctive drawings, one of which is shared below. "I have loved art and drawing since I was little. It was super creative and fun to draw, and impress everyone. I drew frenetically just to pass time - 100s of drawing, and I have gotten many awards," says the achiever who seems earnest and adult in demeanour.
The boy who has received appreciation from New Jersey state senators Bob Menendez, Sam Thompson, Patrick Diegnan and Vin Gopal, and Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey, exudes a wisdom beyond his years, and is grateful for their support which has furthered RMB.
As other children were gaming or playing tag, Nihal went CEO hunting to ask for support. That came in the form of kudos from Kevin Kassekert, COO of Redwood Materials, among many others.
Experience and impact has already given Tammana the depth to charter new paths in his life. His research-minded proclivity takes him forward, "I tend to do research to learn more about the environment, waste management, and recycling! When I see the battery bin is full, I feel very proud that people are using the bins that we place," says Nihal who still has ample amount of schoolwork to do, his first priority. After that comes RMB work, and of course, research.
[caption id="attachment_8702" align="aligncenter" width="772"] Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
Busy increasing RMB's influence across the US, the 12-year-old was also hired to research on waste management by an Indian firm. "I was recently hired as the youngest research lead at the Delhi-based EnviroVigyan (started by a professor and some PhDs). I want to do more research to learn more about waste management now," he adds. He also blogs for them.
Higher goals, ahoy
Egged on in no small measure by parents in IT, Nihal now has a clear goal in mind - of studying at an Ivy League like Stanford, and learn about environmental science, business development, science, space science and math.
For budding STEM students, his advice is, "Always go after your dreams and never give up! Failure leads to success!"
Having the right mentors opened a whole world of learning and opportunities, and Nihal is grateful for the guidance of Professor Dr Madigosky, Call2Recycle ex-CEO Carl Smith and his dad who "has guided and supported me throughout my journey to bring down the 15 billion batteries thrown away each year to 0!" he smiles.
It's not all work and no play, with doodling giving him the space to rejuvenate, playing and developing video games adding some fun, yet on any given day, reading and researching touts all else.
[caption id="attachment_8696" align="aligncenter" width="541"] A doodle by Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
"I practice martial arts, and recently got my black belt in Taekwondo. I love to learn about space. My dream is to become a space scientist. I hope to learn lessons from space to help us improve life on Earth," says the boy who has his own YouTube channel Learn with Nihal, where he educates through videos.
"In my spare time I draw and have also won some national awards for my work. I like to develop and play games on Roblox with my friends," smiles the boy who recently came third at a school geography competition, the GeoBee.
The world is his oyster, and Nihal is already thinking ahead, about how alkaline batteries help grow corn (which even the author did not know), and, a hopeful wish, "I want to start another company that can develop clean batteries in the years to come."
(May 5, 2024) Ludhiana boy Anuv Jain recently shared one of his latest pictures from New York, standing proudly in front of a billboard showcasing him. “NATURE (music album) is out now on all streaming platforms. I'm thrilled to contribute to the global campaign, ‘Sounds Right’, by United Nations Live! Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this movement. A significant portion of the royalties from this track will support environmental conservation charities,” shared the singer, songwriter and composer. His track Baarishein, featuring the sounds of Indian rains is part of the UN Live album. [caption id="attachment_37591" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Anuv Jain[/caption] The Museum for the United Nations — UN Live, based in Copenhagen, launched its global music initiative, ‘Sounds Right,’ on April 18 this year, just ahead of Earth Day (April 22). The initiative aims to highlight the importance of nature, raise funds for conservation efforts, and inspire millions of music lovers to take action. The ‘Sound Right’ album Nature features a diverse cast of global artists including Anuv Jain, David Bowie x Brian Eno, Ellie Goulding, AURORA, UMI with V of BTS, MØ, London Grammar, Bomba Estéreo, Cosmo Sheldrake, Louis VI, Tom Walker, Aterciopelados, Blinky Bill,
ril 22). The initiative aims to highlight the importance of nature, raise funds for conservation efforts, and inspire millions of music lovers to take action. The ‘Sound Right’ album Nature features a diverse cast of global artists including Anuv Jain, David Bowie x Brian Eno, Ellie Goulding, AURORA, UMI with V of BTS, MØ, London Grammar, Bomba Estéreo, Cosmo Sheldrake, Louis VI, Tom Walker, Aterciopelados, Blinky Bill, Navicula x Endah N Rhesa, and Los Amigos Invisibles.
Available on major streaming platforms, the album has timeless compositions with ocean waves, wind, rainstorms, and birdsongs as prominent features of the background music.
Sounds Right
The website of the Museum for the United Nations-UN Live describes itself as an organization without borders that ignites global empathy, action, and transformation through the influence of popular culture and dialogue.
“By simply listening to music that features sounds of the natural world, fans will help to fund nature conservation and restoration projects in our most precious and precarious ecosystems,” stated a UN press release about the museum’s initiative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXW_Wa-aAAs
The United Nations further highlighted that the ‘Sounds Right’ initiative “comes at a critical time when wildlife populations have declined by an average 69% in the past 50 years and at least 1.2 million plant and animal species are estimated to be at threat of extinction.” The initiative “looks to flip our extractive relationship with the natural world on its head while recognizing nature’s contribution to the creative industries.”
For the nature-loving musician Anuv, being selected for such a prestigious project was one of the most exciting opportunities of his career. All the artists chosen for the album were selected on the basis of how they have intertwined nature with their music throughout their musical journeys.
Inspired by nature
“A lot of my music is inspired by what’s around me; the sky, the rain, the trees,” Anuv remarked in an interview. Some of his “best work highlights nature as a metaphor to describe beauty.” The independent artist is popular for his acoustic melodies and compositions like Baarishein, Gul, and Alag Aasmaan among others. He expressed excitement about being part of an initiative that would help him to contribute to something that has given him so much – not just music but life itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLKwRW2y-sg
Life around music
Anuv's earliest memories of making music dates back to his 10th-grade year when he began playing the guitar and also started songwriting.
“I used to write these really emotional English songs. Eventually, my guitar teacher suggested that I should try writing in Hindi and that’s when I made that switch. I’m so glad I got that suggestion because I realized I was pretty good at it,” he shared adding “The lyrics come from all my personal experiences and the stories that I’ve seen unfold in front of me. I take inspiration from my experiences and turn them into a song.”
[caption id="attachment_37594" align="aligncenter" width="1440"] Anuv Jain in one of his packed live performances[/caption]
With time the artist polished his skills and ‘started becoming a better songwriter taking up more complicated themes and stories’. “I’ve been able to fit it into this economy of words, which is a song. I also feel like I’ve become better as a performing artist — I used to get really nervous initially, but now I am much more confident whenever I’m on stage and I enjoy it a lot more than I ever have before,” shared the singer-songwriter who has several single albums to his credit. He loves to perform at live shows to connect with people and has a large fan following on social media.
Atharva Desai at the Anglesey Circuit in Wales[/caption]
Sonit Sisolekar is one of the youngest volcanologists in India.[/caption]
Sonit Sisolekar has been working closely on the Deccan Traps[/caption]
Sonit Sisolekar is keen to raise awareness on geology[/caption]
Recharge My Battery founder Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
A doodle by Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]
Anuv Jain in one of his packed live performances[/caption]