On his first day as SDM in Shahjahanpur's Puwaiyan tehsil, IAS officer Rinku Singh Rahi did sit-ups in front of advocates to accept responsibility for the office's dirty condition. A video went viral.
Rinku Singh Rahi, a newly posted IAS officer in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur took charge as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Puwaiyan tehsil on Tuesday. On his very first day, he surprised everyone by doing sit-ups in public to accept the poor condition of the tehsil office.
The act was seen as a rare example of honesty and humility by a government officer. Many people praised him after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
What happened during the inspection?
While checking the tehsil office premises, Rahi noticed that the area was very dirty. There was garbage lying around, people were urinating in the open and even stray animals were roaming freely.
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To stop this kind of behaviour, he made those who were urinating in the open do sit-ups in front of others. He said this was done to set an example and to stop such actions in future, reports the Times of India.
Advocates confront the SDM
Later in the day, a group of advocates who were already on strike met Rahi. They questioned his decision to punish others through sit-ups. But they also pointed out that the tehsil premises themselves were very dirty, including the toilets and surroundings.
They asked Rahi whether he would take responsibility for that too. Without hesitation, Rahi admitted that the office's condition was also a fault of the administration. He then held his ears and did sit-ups himself, in front of the lawyers.
What Rahi said about the act
Explaining the situation, as reported by the TOI, Rahi said, “I had asked people earlier to use toilets, but some continued to urinate outside. That’s why I made them do sit-ups. The advocates asked me if I would do the same for the dirty office. I said yes, and I did it because it is our responsibility.”
He added that the tehsildar had tried to clean the area before, but if the problem remained, the administration had to accept the blame.
A gesture that touched many
Rahi also said that even some parents of school children, who were wandering around the tehsil office, were made to do sit-ups. The goal, he said, was to discourage careless behaviour in public spaces.
Many people on social media praised the officer's simple but powerful gesture. They said his action showed how public servants should lead by example.
On a day that could have been like any other posting, IAS officer Rinku Singh Rahi set a new example of responsibility and humility. By accepting his fault and doing sit-ups in public, he sent a strong message that leaders must also own up to their mistakes.
