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75 Glorious Years of the Hyderabad Children’s Aid Society

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The Hyderabad Children’s Aid Society is a Charitable Voluntary Organization established in 1950 (Regd. No.18 of 1950). In 1950 a few committed citizens of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad came together to serve the underprivileged children of the Society under the able guidance of the first Lady of the State Smt. Kutty Vellodi.

The Society celebrated 75 Years of its inception on 5th Sept. 2025 with the Governor of Telangana Sri Jishnu Dev Verma as the Chief Guest for the occasion.

The Society runs three Homes: The Radha Kishan Home for small girls under 7 to12 years. Radha Kishan Balika Bhavan for girls in the age group of 13 to18 years, all situated at Nanal Nagar. The boys home, Vejbai Bal Nivas is located at Shivarampally. The children residing in the three Homes are of the age group 7 to18 years.

At Nanal Nagar, the home has V. K. Dhage School (English Medium) recognized by the Government of Telangana, upto Class VII, Vide letter no. 964/D5/ETR/2015 dated 24-01-2015. There are a total of 156 children in the homes.

Sri V K Dhage and Mrs Temina Bai Dhage were the Founders of the Homes. The Homes are named after Sri VK Dhage’s parents, Krishna and Radha Dhage. Sri Dhage formed a Trust with his personal finances to support the operations of the homes. After his death, Mrs Temnina Bai Dhage, his wife, took over the running of the homes.

In the estwhile Hyderabad state, earlier than 1950, children caught in crimes, thefts, or other offences, were kept in jail with the elders undergoing imprisonment. This would have an adverse effect on their young minds. The Hyderabad children’s aid society formed a children’s act by which such children would be judged by juvenile courts. When such a juvenile Court was set up, Mrs Tehmina bai D was made one of the honorary magistrates. The first reformatory SCHOOL for boys in the erstwhile Hyderabad State was started by the society in the 1950s.

The Couple Of The Millennium

Shri Venkat Krishnaji Dhage and Smt. Tehminabai Dhage Founders of Radha Kishan Homes -1955

Shri. Venkat Krishnaji Dhage and Smt. Tehminabai Dhage

It is interesting to know about the life and the work of the Dhages. They were an exemplary couple. Their life is an inspiring saga of devotion and dedication to the under-privileged children of the Society. They decided not to have their own biological children and care for the unwanted children as their own. Such was the magnanimous sacrifice of the Dhages.

Mr. Venkat Krishnaji Dhage was a M.P. and a practicing Chartered accountant and Mrs Temina Bai Mehta was his student. Both belonged to different communities and their relationship created quite an uproar at that time.

The Famous Declaration Of Marriage

In 1947 Mr. Dhage decided to take the most important decision of his life and set a new trend in society by taking Tehmina as his wife without either of them changing their religion. At that time law did not permit antireligious marriages unless one of them renounced his or her religion. And no self- respecting person would do so.

On this occasion Tehmina said, “On the threshold of my new life I will not deceive myself, marriage is sacred there cannot be dishonesty lingering anywhere around it. We have to respect each other’s religion while being faithful to our own”.

So Dhage prepared a declaration of marriage giving a new perspective to the concept of marriage at a time when India was looking for a social change and integration. He also got a clause introduced in the Special Marriages Act called “the Divorce by mutual consent clause”.

They also pledged that their bodies shall be handed over to a Medical College for students to study Anatomy by practicing dissection. When there is no such use left of the bodies, they shall be cremated.

This marriage declaration flashed in almost all the newspapers and was read by Shri C.C.Biswas Union Minister for Law in Parliament while amending the Special marriage Act.

Their marriage was a challenge to the prevailing laws and at that time of the violent discussion of the Special Marriage Bill in Parliament it was the marriage contract between the Dhage that formulated the basis of it. Further it was Mr. V.K.Dhage (M.P.) who was responsible for the incorporation of the principle of divorce with mutual consent in that act.

This unique trend was set and Sri Venkat Krishnaji Dhage and Smt. Tehminabai Dhage bravely stood the test of time and courageously overcame all hurdles to be called man and wife in all dignity and grace.

Mr. & Mrs. Dhage made a very exemplary couple who gave abundant love, faith and trust to destitute children. Every thought, every action was shared. No wonder they worked together to create happiness around them and succeeded in all their ventures. The couple became extremely popular.

The founder members of the first Executive Committee

Position	Name(s)
President	Mrs. K. Vellodi
Vice-Presidents	Sri. Raja Govardhanlal Pittie Sri. Raja Srikishen
Honorary Secretaries	Sri. D.D. Italia Sukhdev Malani
Honorary Joint Secretaries	Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung Bahadur Dr. M.N. Laxminarasaiah Sri. C. Muthuramakrishnan Mrs. T. Dhage
Honorary Treasurer	Sri. T. Kapadia
Honorary Auditor	Sri. V.K. Dhage
Members of the Managing Committee	Sri. Balwant Singh Dr. Bhandari Sri. Laxminivas Generiwal Sri. Ramkishen Dhoot Sri. Rangachari C Sri. M.S. Sitaramayya Mrs. Wahabuddin Ahmed Srimati Jessawalla Sri. N.C. Varma Rev. Cotelingam Dawar Hussain Kazi Sri. Thiruvengadam Mudaliar Sri. Nakra

Radha Kishan Home was inaugurated on 6th January, 1955 by the then Vice-President of India Dr. Sarvepally Radha Krishnan. When it was started it was the only one institution of its kind in the Hyderabad State. Its main object was to receive abandoned children of unwed and widowed mothers, babies abandoned in the hospitals and other public places like Railway Stations, Dustbins, Temples and public parks, bring them up as healthy babies and give them in adoption to childless parents.

Radha Kishan Balika Bhavan was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 4th February, 1961. This home was meant to shelter young orphan and destitute girls and to give them value based education besides training them to be good house wives. The girls from Radha Kishan Home were transferred to Balika Bhavan when they reached the age of 9 years.

The Small Boys Home came into existence in 1973 and was visited by the 1st President of Independent India Dr. Rajendra Prasad. All the boys are between the age of 5 to 11 years. All of them go to school. The boys are encouraged in sports, gardening and all other cultural activities.

At present there are 51 boys residing in this home. After they pass class 4th and are 11 years old they are transferred to Vejbai Bal Nivas at Shivarampally to continue school education. These boys are of widow mothers or orphans admitted by relatives who cannot take care and educate them.

Sri Lal Bahadur Sastri at Radha Kishan Balika Bhavan.

The Home was nurtured after Mrs Dhage’s death in 1991 by Mrs Dinoo Khanna as Hon. Secretary until 31 December 2015.

Mrs Jeny Gupta took over the reins since then and continues to be the Hon. Secretary of the HCAS.

The children of the home are orphans or semi orphans (1 parent alive), their guardians admit them to the facility if they are unable to provide for them.

The home serves as a center for rehabilitation for children who are sent by various govt. Organisations. These children are sent here to be sheltered and educated.

Children are taken care of very well with love and care in a spacious facility. They go to school and college and have afterschool study hours or activity time. On Sundays, they are busy with activities at the Home. During summers, they either visit their guardians or are in the Home.

The children are sent to field trips and outings and get exposure to sports, games and other educational experiences.

The VK Dhage School was Started in the year 1993 for better education and individual attention to the students of the Homes. The classes here are from Nursery to Gr 7. Academic and cocurricular activities are given equal importance in the school, confidence building plays a key role in the education program of the school. The teachers maintain high standards of education.

Mrs Jeny Gupta leaves no stone unturned to maintain high discipline standards at the school.

Older children are educated without any restrictions. They are free to pursue courses /degrees/ diplomas of their choice. All their education is funded by the organisation who receive donations generously from their loyal donors.

Over the past 75 years at least 40 marriages have taken place in the home. Married girls keep in touch with the home as their “Maika”. They share a close bond with each other as if they were biological siblings.

Priority is given to good health and nutrition, nourishing food is served to all the children. Doctors visit the home for regular check ups. There are complete health check ups held annually for all children.

The Society also receives generous foreign donations from Holland, Sweden and Denmark. These countries also had our children getting adopted into families and these adopted children (now in their 40s and 50s) share a special bond with the home. They visit us from time to time and spend time with the children. For them it’s a home coming and they acknowledge that they have their roots in our country and the Home.

The Society is eligible for Foreign donations and holds government permissions and certifications. Some important ones are as under: