A video showing students preparing food at the Mahatma Jyothiba Phule BC Gurukul Boys School hostel in Thorrur, Telangana, has raised questions about the duties assigned to students and the safety arrangements at the residential institution.
The video, reported by Deccan Chronicle on October 2, shows students preparing pooris inside the hostel premises. The report said the footage had circulated on social media and prompted concerns over whether students were being made to undertake cooking and other hostel-related work.
According to the report, hostel staff allegedly asked a student to cut firewood, during which the student sustained injuries. The student was receiving treatment at the hostel, it said. The report did not provide details about the nature or severity of the injuries, the treatment being given, or whether the incident had been formally recorded by the school or the authorities responsible for the hostel.
The account also said that some students were allegedly assigned other tasks connected with hostel operations, including cooking. These allegations have not been independently confirmed in the material available for this report. The video establishes that students were present while food was being prepared, but it does not by itself establish who assigned the activity, whether participation was compulsory, or the conditions under which the work took place.
Residential schools depend on clearly defined administrative arrangements for food preparation, cleaning, maintenance and student supervision. When students are seen performing tasks that may involve firewood, cooking or other potentially hazardous activity, questions arise about the division of responsibility between hostel staff and residents. Those questions are particularly important where the students are minors living on campus, although the supplied report does not provide details about the students’ ages or the applicable institutional rules.
The incident also highlights the importance of documenting injuries and responding transparently to complaints in residential educational facilities. The supplied report does not identify an official statement from the school, the Telangana authorities, hostel administrators, parents or the student’s family. It also does not state whether an inquiry has been ordered or whether any staff member has been questioned.
Further verification is required to establish the sequence of events, the student’s medical condition, the responsibilities assigned to hostel personnel and students, and the response of the institution and relevant authorities. Until those details are confirmed, the allegations should not be treated as established facts. The report said further details regarding the incident were awaited.
