The district administration in Bihar’s Patna has ordered an inquiry after a video widely shared on social media showed students alleging caste-based discrimination at a government school in Alawalpur village, The Indian Express reported on Friday.

In the video, students claimed that they had been made to sit separately and were prevented from mingling with upper-caste students. They also alleged that they were denied food at times.

“They ask the other students, ‘Why do you sit with them?’,” the newspaper quoted one of the students as having alleged in the video. “They seat us separately.”

Advertisement

The student added that upper-caste students were moved if found seated next to lower-caste students.

The alleged administrative irregularities such as poor teacher attendance, irregular classes and low-quality food were also raised in the video, The Indian Express reported. Claims were also made about students being forced to do manual labour.

Ranjan Kumar, the principal of the government school, told The Hindu that the allegations were baseless. “We only ask the girls and boys students to sit separately,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Nitan Devi, the panchayat head of Alawalpur, said that she has asked the principal not to spoil the education system in the area. Any teacher violating the guidelines deserves punishment, The Hindu quoted Devi as saying.

Advertisement

Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan SM told The Indian Express that the district education officer has been directed to inquire into the matter and submit a report.

Alawalpur is located about 20 kms south of Patna.

The village had been adopted by Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana in 2014. Under the scheme, MPs are required to adopt a village to develop it into a model village.