IAS Officer’s Unique Cleanliness Drive Goes Viral in Shahjahanpur

• Trainee IAS officer Rinku Singh, new SDM of Powayan tehsil in Shahjahanpur, went viral for publicly performing sit-ups to address cleanliness issues.
• On his first day, he made individuals urinating in the open and parents keeping children from school do sit-ups to set an example.
• Mr. Singh later did sit-ups himself in front of protesting lawyers, accepting responsibility for the dirty tehsil premises, including filthy toilets and stray animals.

GG News bureau
Shahjahanpur, 30th July: A video featuring a trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Rinku Singh, performing sit-ups in public has rapidly gained traction online, sparking widespread discussion. The incident occurred in Uttar Pradesh’s Powayan tehsil of Shahjahanpur, where Mr. Singh, on his first day as the new Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), demonstrated a unique approach to enforcing civic responsibility and accountability.

Upon taking charge on Tuesday, SDM Rinku Singh conducted a round of the town and observed individuals openly urinating near a public toilet. To address this, he made the offenders perform sit-ups publicly, aiming to set an immediate example. During this inspection, a lawyer reportedly justified public urination by stating his Brahmin caste prevented him from using a dirty public toilet, prompting his choice to urinate in the open. Earlier that day, Mr. Singh also encountered parents of school children loitering instead of ensuring their kids attended classes.

“It felt that primary school students were missing out on education because of their parents,” Mr. Singh stated, explaining his decision to make these parents do sit-ups as a means to “educate parents on the importance of education and discourage such behaviour, ensuring kids go to school.” He clarified that his initial actions were “meant to prevent repeat offences.”

Later, Mr. Singh encountered a group of protesting advocates who initially declined to engage in dialogue. The lawyers instead questioned him about making others do sit-ups. As recounted by Mr. Singh, “They then pointed out that the tehsil premises were also dirty, the toilets were filthy, and stray animals roam around. They asked if I would do sit-ups for that, too? I said yes. Since it was my mistake, I accepted it and did sit-ups.”

A viral video captures Mr. Singh standing among the protesting advocates, engaging in a brief conversation before calmly performing five sit-ups in public, holding his ears. He further explained that the tehsildar had informed him the premises were significantly dirtier just ten days prior, indicating recent cleaning efforts. “Even after this, if the problem remains, it is our mistake, and I accept it. I have asked people to point out our mistakes so that we can rectify them,” Mr. Singh added, emphasizing his commitment to transparency and improvement.

This unconventional display of accountability by the young SDM has resonated widely, initiating a broader conversation about public hygiene, civic responsibility, and administrative leadership in Uttar Pradesh.