If you have ever travelled by an Indian train, then surely you’ve gone through the experience of holding yourself so tight, avoiding water and food, just to escape the nightmare of using a toilet in there.
Even with the newest of trains or the most luxurious, the toilets are a dead giveaway of the passenger behaviour and how considerate they are. It is not even an economic situation, though, because the situation is the same even when it comes to aeroplanes.
The topic of Indians and their civic sense, or lack thereof, has been pretty active in the past couple of years.
Initially, it was mostly related to the behaviour of our countrymen outside, in foreign locations. However, the conversation has now shifted to how, even inside their own country, many citizens show a concerning lack of care about their surroundings and environment.
This was further highlighted when a senior Indian Railways official even put it under the spotlight in a viral tweet back earlier this year.
The Viral Tweet Calling Out Toilet Etiquette
On January 12, 2026, Chief Project Manager of Indian Railways Ananth Rupanagudi posted on his X/Twitter page about the toilet etiquette of passengers using Indian trains.
In his tweet that ended up going viral, he wrote, “Please travel in it only if you have learnt your toilet manners, will obey the instructions given in the washrooms, and have respect for public property. Thanks! #IndianRailways #VandeBharat”.
Read More: Indians’ Paan Stains And Poor Civic Sense Doesn’t Spare Britain Roads Too
This was not the only time that the civic sense of Indians has been exposed online. On various social media platforms like Instagram, X/Twitter, Reddit and more, this is a topic of constant conversation with many people recounting their own experiences.
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This video, by The Better India, shows a Mizoram train and the civic sense shown by the travellers in it.
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Rupanagudi’s tweet was not a policy recommendation. It was a statement about the relationship between public infrastructure and the people who use it, and about the simple, inconvenient fact that the two must meet at some level of mutual respect for either to function.
The trains get better. The toilets get cleaned again. The seat covers get replaced. The videos keep coming.
The question Rupanagudi asked in January is still waiting for an answer in May.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, TOI,
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This post is tagged under: Trains, indian Trains, civic sense, Civic sense India, Civic Sense indians, gen z, gen z Civic Sense, gen z indians, lack of Civic Sense, behavioural change, citizen duty, civic responsibility, civic sense in India, clean cities, cleanliness and hygiene, culture and responsibility, everyday civic sense,indian mindset, Indian Society, public behaviour, public health India, public spaces, sanitation crisis, social accountability, social responsibility, Swachh Bharat, urban governance, Urban India, waste management india
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