ASHA NIKETAN SCHOOL AND THE HOSTEL FOR THE DEAF is a registered society called “Marian Society owned and managed by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery. Under the patronage and chairmanship of Most Rev. Dr. Eugene DSouza Archbishop of Bhopal this establishment was instituted in the year 1969 by our founding Sisters, Sr. Rose Mary & Sr. Clotilde. From a humble origin the institution flourished. Now demands for admission come from all the neighboring states since in India there are not many good schools for the Hearing Impaired.

When we opened our school for the Hearing Impaired in January 1969 with just two students and two teachers we set some goals to be reached in a 5 year plan, a 10 year plan, a 15 year plan, a 20 year plan and 25 year plan. Now we have completed 30 years. We have achieved much but we are still planning to go forward with great courage and hope.

Our institution for the Hearing Impaired was registered separately on 23.03.1988 in the name of “Marian Society. However we continued to remain in Asha Niketan since we did not have a separate School, Hostel and Residence of Sisters.
In 1990 Marian Community was formed with Sr. Rose Mary as animator and Sr. Clotilde, Sr. Kyran, Sr. Veena, Sr. Linda, Sr. Emiliana, Sr. Claudime (Ju.) and Sr. Sunanda (Novice) forming a community with her.

A Diagnostic centre was constructed under the guidance of Dr. Prem Victor, ENT Specialist then ENT Surgeon of ST. Stephens Hospital Delhi. It was inaugurated in 1990 by the then Archbishop of Bhopal Dr. Eugene D Souza. The centre is used to test the degree of deafness of the children as well as adults. The testing facility helps an early diagnosis enabling us to proceed with an immediate and correct programme for each person. We also have the facility for testing the hearing aids and for minor repairs. This ensures that there is no irritation to the user. Speech therapy is also given to deaf children, so that they may not remain always dumb but be able to communicate with hearing persons.

On 26th April 1991 we had the formal blessing of our school and shifted the children into the new school building. The Sisters and the children continued staying in Asha Niketan. We then got the boys hostel ready and had the blessing on 0f4.07.1993 by the then Archbishop, Dr. Eugene DSouza. The boys then shifted into the newly constructed hostel with a few Sisters to take care of them.
In order to take care of the girls and to create more accommodation for the hospital Sisters, some of our Sisters shifted residence to the diagnostic centre.

The three institutions of the Hearing Impaired, of the Mentally Handicapped and of the Orthopaedically Handicapped which started originally as one under the name of “Asha Niketan Rehabilitation Centre came together to celebrate the Silver Jubilee in January 1994.
In February 1995 the Foundation Stone was laid of the hostel for the deaf girls and the residence of the Sisters.
The 1st batch of 4 deaf students did their 10th board exam through another school in Bad Samania, Bhopal, in March 1996.
On the termination of her office as animator, Sr. Rose Mary handed over to       Sr. Linda. She became our new animator form July 1996.

Until 1998 we have had animators from our community having the same profession. Then we felt the need of having someone from outside of our profession. Thus we have Sr. Winifred as our present animator who took charge on 20th June 1998.
In 1998 our school was recognized up to 10th Class and the 2nd batch of 14 deaf children did their 10th Board Exam as regular candidates from our school. We then sought permission from Panchayat and Social Welfare to start the 11th Class and 12th Class. They readily permitted us to begin the Junior College for deaf children. At present we have about 210 students enrolled on our school, out of which 131 students are residing with us in the hostel. Sr. Clotilde who is one of the founder members who worked for 30 years as Principal of the school handed over the responsibility of the school to Sr. Veena in July 1999.
In 1999-2000, 13 students of our school passed 12th Class, from Chitransh School as regular students. This year computer classes & typing classes are conducted by the deaf teachers. Students are given opportunity to learn classical dances such as Bharat Natayam and folk dances etc.

Due to the urgent need of Asha Niketan Hospital we had to shift our Diagnostic centre closer to our school Building. We have almost completed the construction work for the Speech and Hearing Centre.
In 1999-2000 we introduced the House System for better management and discipline of the school and held a formal installation of student office Bearers.

The total number of our teaching staff is twenty and an Audiologist & Speech Pathologist for Speech & Hearing. The Majority of our staffs are residential teachers while some are from Bhopal. We also have eleven non teaching staff working in our institution.
We also committed ourselves to tap all of the potential of our Hearing Impaired students and to leave no stone unturned to expose their accomplishments, to the praise and honour they rightly deserve. We are immensely proud to record that our students have won prizes at National and International level, in Art, on more than one occasion. At our Annual Functions our students perform so well in Indian and Western Dance, perform P.T. and March Past with such precision that people can hardly credit they are Hearing Impaired.
Today we are recognized throughout India as an institution dedicated to quality of services. Our students have excelled throughout the years in the public exams conducted by the Board of Education compulsory for all 5th and 8th, 10th & 12th Class Students. Our students appear in all the subjects required for normal students including Science and Maths. They have papers in Hindi and English. The only concession to these handicapped children is that they are exempted from Sanskrit. However they must take art or some other prescribed subject as substitution.
We have therefore completed thirty years of dedicated service to the deaf world, and continue with great confidence to enter into future.