IAS officer under fire for directing Dalit students to clean toilets in Telangana

A storm has erupted in Telangana after IAS officer Dr. V S Alagu Varshini allegedly instructed principals of social welfare schools to include toilet cleaning and hostel upkeep in students’ daily routines — an order that has drawn sharp condemnation and triggered a formal probe by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

The directive, allegedly captured in a leaked audio clip that has since gone viral, specifically targeted students of Scheduled Caste (SC) residential schools, known as Gurukuls. The NCSC has issued notices to the state’s Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, demanding a report within 15 days on what it termed potentially “derogatory” and “discriminatory” remarks.

Dr. Varshini, currently serving as Secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TGSWREIS), can be heard in the recording defending the inclusion of domestic chores like cooking and toilet cleaning as a means to build self-reliance among children from poor backgrounds. “What is wrong in it?” she asks, asserting that such tasks are part of a child’s developmental phase and critical life skills.

However, critics argue the directive reeks of casteist overtones and institutional bias.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former TGSWREIS secretary Dr. R S Praveen Kumar lambasted the move, calling for Dr. Varshini’s immediate dismissal. “Would the Chief Minister’s children clean their school bathrooms?” he asked pointedly on X (formerly Twitter). “This reflects a Manuvadi mindset within the bureaucracy. She’s even threatening parents who dare question these so-called ‘reforms’!”

BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha echoed the outrage, accusing the Congress-led state government of undermining welfare education. “Under our administration, every social welfare school received ₹40,000 monthly to employ cleaning staff. That funding stopped under the Congress regime, and now children are being made to fill the gap,” she posted, labeling the policy exploitative and a violation of child rights.

Kavitha also condemned the alleged withdrawal of assistant caretakers from over 240 institutions, which she claims has forced students to take on the roles of wardens and kitchen managers in addition to their academic responsibilities.

“The original vision of Gurukul schools was to insulate children from caste and class-based discrimination. Forcing Dalit children to clean toilets destroys that vision,” she wrote, holding the state government accountable for what she called an “anti-Dalit, anti-poor” stance.

Dr. Varshini, in a separate audio shared with media, appealed for calm and context, insisting her intentions were being misrepresented. “Children helping at home is part of everyday life. Abroad, everyone does their own chores. It builds muscle memory and resilience,” she said. She denied allegations that sanitation staff were withdrawn or that children were being exploited.

Despite multiple attempts, Dr. Varshini has not responded to direct requests for comment.

The controversy has reignited urgent conversations about caste discrimination, dignity in education, and the line between life-skills training and forced servitude. As the political heat intensifies, all eyes are now on the state government’s next move — and whether it will defend the officer or distance itself from the fallout.