KANPUR, Feb. 4 -- After spending two decades without the ability to hear or speak, Khushi Gupta's life has taken a turn. The young woman from Kanpur, whose nearly 90 km walk to Lucknow in November last year brought her case to official notice, has begun hearing and speaking after undergoing a cochlear implant surgery facilitated following her appeal to chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Khushi underwent the surgery on January 26, and doctors said the procedure was successful.

Born with a severe hearing and speech impairment, Khushi, 20, had left her home without informing her family to seek help from the chief minister. Her journey drew the attention of the state government, which arranged funding for her treatment. The surgery in Kanpur, ...