Mysuru, Sep 1 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah extended a warm welcome to President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived at the Mysuru Airport on Monday, to attend various events during her two-day tour of Karnataka.

Siddaramaiah greeted the President with a bouquet, while Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was also present on the occasion.

During her visit, President Murmu will take part in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) in Mysuru.

On Tuesday, she will attend a breakfast meeting with the Mysuru royal family.

Later, after visiting the historic Mysuru Palace, she is scheduled to leave for Chennai.

After the inauguration of AIISH’s “Diamond Jubilee Celebrations” by President Murmu in Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in his address, said, “Detecting a child’s speech and hearing problems while still in the mother’s womb is indeed a major achievement. For this, the Mysuru-based All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) deserves appreciation.”

Further progress and achievements are needed in this field, he said, adding that the state government has already allotted 10 acres of land for the institute and is ready to provide all necessary support.

The Chief Minister said that AIISH is one of Asia’s premier institutions working in the field of speech and hearing disorders, and it is a matter of pride for Mysuru district and the state.

“This institute has given voice to the voiceless and filled speech into the lives of those who cannot hear. Having such an institute in Mysuru and celebrating its Diamond Jubilee is indeed a matter of pride for all of us,” Siddaramaiah added.

He emphasised that while all human organs are important, eyes and ears are the most crucial.

Vision and auditory perception shape and control human speech, the Chief Minister said.

According to the 2011 National Census, Karnataka has about 3.3 lakh people, who are speech and hearing impaired, amounting to 0.5 per cent of the population.

“These individuals are not just statistics but living examples of constant struggle. It is the responsibility of society and the government to protect and support them with utmost care,” Siddaramaiah said.

The Chief Minister recalled that AIISH, established in Mysuru in 1966, has been serving as a premier national institute in human resource development, research, treatment, rehabilitation, and education related to speech and hearing problems.

The institute has earned national and international recognition, with the World Health Organisation identifying it as a “Centre of Excellence” and the Union Department of Science and Technology recognising it as a “Science and Technology Institute”, he noted with appreciation.

He also said that the state government’s Department of Health and Family Welfare has provided space in district and taluk hospitals, as well as community health centres, for AIISH’s outreach service centres and newborn screening units.

Highlighting the state’s initiative, Siddaramaiah added that under the government-sponsored cochlear implant programme “Shravana Sanjeevini”, Rs 32 crore has been earmarked in the 2024-25 budget to provide costly cochlear implant surgeries free of cost to children from economically weaker sections.

To further expand AIISH’s clinical and rehabilitation services, the state government has allotted 10 acres of land at Varuna village in Mysore district free of cost.

He added that the Mysuru City Corporation has taken up works worth Rs 2.55 crore within the institute premises, including the construction of an amphitheatre for differently-abled children, differently-abled-friendly facilities, development of a park, waiting room and museum for speech and hearing-impaired children.

“It is only because of such premier institutes that we have been able to develop the technology to detect communication disorders even during the fetal stage. The institute has also been carrying out the vital task of creating awareness in society about identifying and treating such problems,” he said.

On the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to all the experts, professors, staff, and students, who have worked and are working at AIISH for the upliftment of a healthier society.

“With its 60 years of glorious history, I hope this institute will grow to even greater heights, undertake all necessary research to prevent speech and hearing impairments permanently, and bring light to the world,” Siddaramaiah said.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, Karnataka’s Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar were present on the occasion.

–IANS

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