President Droupadi Murmu on Monday emphasized the need for India to become self-reliant in the development and manufacturing of assistive technologies for individuals with speech and hearing impairments. She made the remarks at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) in Karnataka’s Mysuru and lauded the institute’s six decades of pioneering work in education, clinical services, and research in the field of communication disorders. The event, attended by Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, marked 60 years of AIISH’s journey since its establishment in 1965 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. President Murmu said, “Today, technology is playing an important role in every field. The use of the latest technologies will prove to be very helpful in removing disabilities related to speech and hearing. But for such devices to reach the common people, their development and manufacturing in the country is necessary.” Citing the example of cochlear implants, she stressed that affordable access could only be ensured through indigenous manufacturing. “To make devices like cochlear implants available at a low cost, we must become self-reliant in their manufacturing,” she added.
