Raj govt considering setting up university for deaf and dumb

The Rajasthan government is mulling setting up a university for deaf and dumb students, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said today.

The medical education department has been asked to prepare a proposal in this regard, she said.

Raje was addressing the parents of children who were fitted with cochlear implant in a camp at SMS government hospital here.

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing in both ears.

"Private hospitals charge Rs 8-9 lakh for cochlear implant and not every family can afford that. Therefore, the government decided to give financial assistance for such surgery from the chief minister relief fund," Raje said.

"The state which focuses on medical and education sector can do overall development and the Rajasthan government is committed to do this," she said.

A total of 489 children have been fitted with the implant with government assistance and the facility would also be introduced in Kota, Bikaner and other cities.

At present, the facility is available in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Bikaner.