Scheduled Caste panel issues notice after Telangana IAS officer asks students to clean toilets

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Sunday issued notices to Telangana’s chief secretary and the director general of police after an Indian Administrative Service officer allegedly directed students at welfare schools to clean toilets, The Indian Express reported.

The commission sought an action-taken report within 15 days.

This came days after an alleged audio clip of S Alagu Varshini, secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society, directing school principals to incorporate cleaning duties into the students’ routine at welfare hostels and classrooms was widely shared online.

The Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society, which reports to the state welfare ministry, provides education to students from Scheduled Caste communities.

Varshini was heard saying in the purported audio that the students in institutes operated by the welfare society come from extremely poor backgrounds and had to learn how to take care of themselves even while at home, The Indian Express reported.

She made the alleged comment while speaking to the staff at one of the schools run by the welfare society, The Times of India reported.

“They must do the room cleaning,” The Times of India quoted the IAS officer as having allegedly said in the audio clip. “Who will clean their rooms? If a sweeper can do it once, why can’t the students do it on other occasions? Similarly, why can’t...

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