Mysore, Aug 10 :-
The pioneer institution in promoting quality of life to the hearing impaired – the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) – will soon join the elite group of Institutes of National Importance (INI), considered as India’s highest honor for an institution.
Till now, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), the National Institute of Technology (NIT), the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Educational and Research (NIPER) have the privilege of acquiring the INI status.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Basavaraj, director, AIISH, revealed here on Monday that a detailed project report and framework of desired action has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India seeking a recognition of deemed university and thereby INI status to act independently and effectively on research front.
“The Union Ministry, in turn, has constituted a committee headed by the Director General of Health Services, Dr R K Srivistav, to study into the feasibility and efficacy of the recommendation. The committee has visited AIISH recently and submitted a report. We are now awaiting good news from the ministry”, Dr Vijayalakshmi said.
In the proposed action plan, AIISH has promised to start 24 regional institutes across the country with non-recurring budget expenditure of Rs 600 crore. “The focus would be on client orientation programs and AIISH would also move aggressively on research front by establishing exclusive institutes for research activities once the ministry recognizes AIISH as deemed university and give INI status,” she told TNN.
Prof. Dayanand Dondgaonkar, secretary general, Association of Indian Universities, said that INI status to AIISH would be most appropriate. The independent budgetary allocation and freedom to form its own legislation would take AIISH long way forward in imparting training and clinical services in the filed of speech and hearing.
The AIISH on occasion of 44th anniversary on Sunday has expanded its connectivity to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Bagalpur, Bihar. This is the 11 th major medical institution in the country. Besides, AIISH also launched the website of the Centre for Rehabilitation and Education through Distance Mode (www.aiishcredm.in). The Centre aims to develop correspondence therapy software for communication disorders, establishing tele-intervention, helpline for senior citizens and educational guidance services for parents with hearing impairment.
Presently, AIISH is conducting extensive research in acoustic analysis of speech sounds, Development of software for diagnosis and analysis of speech and Prevention of deafness and hearing impairment.