Starting this academic year, which begins in June, government schools in the state will get 'school rakshaks' to maintain hygiene at the premises. This has been decided by the state Department of Public Instruction. Their role will be to clean the toilets and maintain overall hygiene.

Currently, there are no people appointed by the department to clean toilets in government schools. As a result, at many schools, it is the teachers and the children who do the cleaning voluntarily on rotation basis. Involving children in the cleaning process has often led to criticism and child rights activists have called it a violation of rights.

The school rakshaks must visit all the government schools allotted to them in each block and clean the toilets every day before the school opens. In case it is difficult to cover all the schools in the morning, the person can also go to the schools in the evening and do the cleaning.

"Vehicles will be provided to the school rakshaks to travel," a senior official of the department said.

The department will soon start calling for tenders and the one that provides school rakshaks at a cheaper price will be given the tender.