PrYAAS Initiative: 37,800 Children to Get Speech and Hearing Tests in Karnataka

Rapid Summary

• The Chamarajanagar district administration, alongside the Departments of Women and Child Advancement, Health and Family Welfare, and AIISH Mysuru, launched the “PrAYAAS” program for assessing auditory and speech-language skills among anganwadi children on Friday.
• Animal Husbandry Minister K. Venkatesh inaugurated the initiative at an anganwadi in Karinanjanapura Layout, Chamarajanagar district.
• PrAYAAS is aimed at identifying speech and hearing problems among children aged 6 months to 6 years in all 440 anganwadis across the district with a goal to screen 35,326 children this year.
• Early detection and free treatment for identified conditions like hearing loss, speech delays, voice disorders, stammering, etc., will be provided by AIISH specialists and ENT surgeons from District Hospital until March 31, 2026.
• Training sessions for anganwadi workers will begin next month as part of a phased rollout plan across the district’s anganwadis.
• MLA C.puttarangashetty called it a ground-breaking initiative in Karnataka to support child development in rural areas through timely interventions for underprivileged families.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The PrAYAAS programme marks a crucial step toward addressing developmental challenges posed by untreated speech and hearing impairments among young children in Chamarajanagar’s rural communities. By partnering with a specialist institution like AIISH Mysuru-known for expertise in dialog disorders-the initiative ensures evidence-based screening backed by medical intervention without financial burdens on economically disadvantaged families.

The broader focus on empowering local anganwadi workers through targeted training not only enhances early diagnosis but also strengthens grassroots healthcare infrastructure within Karnataka’s welfare ecosystem.

This five-phase approach has clear potential to pioneer scalable models for accessible child welfare initiatives that align with national objectives like early childhood care under mission programs such as Poshan Abhiyaan.

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