New Delhi, The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a petition seeking directions to the Center and states to provide free sanitary pads to girl students of classes 6 to 12 and ensure separate toilet facilities for women in all residential schools and subsidized by the government.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JP Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is scheduled to hear the plea of Congress leader and social worker Jaya Thakur, in which she has highlighted the difficulties faced by teenage girls from poor backgrounds in the schools.
During the last hearing of the matter on February 5, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed that the Center is compiling all necessary material to formulate a national policy on distribution of menstrual hygiene products to school girls in terms of the orders of April 10, 2023 and November 6, 2023.
On June 13, the Union Education Ministry, in an advisory to schools, said that female students should be allowed to take necessary toilet breaks during board exams for classes 10 and 12 and that free sanitary pads should be provided at all exam centres.
The Supreme Court will reopen its doors on July 8 after the summer holidays.
On November 6, the apex court directed the Center to lay down a national model for construction of toilets commensurate with the number of girl students in all residential and government-aided schools across the country.
While emphasizing the uniform procedure, he also asked the Union government about the policy it has formulated for distribution of sanitary pads to female students nationwide.
During the hearing, the Center informed the high court that a draft national policy for free distribution of sanitary pads to school girls had been formulated and sent to stakeholders for their comments.
The apex court had earlier warned states, which had not submitted their response to the Center on formulating a uniform national policy on menstrual hygiene for girls studying in schools, that they would resort to the "coercive arm of law" if they did not comply. do it.
On April 10, the apex court appointed secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) as nodal officer to coordinate with states and UTs and collect relevant data to formulate a national policy.
He noted that the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Jal Shakti have menstrual hygiene management plans.
The court also directed all states and UTs to submit their menstrual hygiene management strategies and plans being implemented with the help of funds provided by the Center or through their own resources to the Steering Group of the National Health Mission in a period of four weeks.
The top court said states and UTs will also direct the National Health Mission Steering Group on the appropriate ratio of female toilets for residential and non-residential schools in their respective territories.
It asked all states and UTs to also indicate the measures taken to provide low-cost sanitary pads and vending machines in schools and their proper disposal.
The statement submitted by Congress leader Thakur says that teenage girls from poor backgrounds between the ages of 11 and 18 face serious difficulties in getting education, a constitutional right under Article 21A of the Constitution.
"These are adolescent women who are not equipped or educated by their parents about menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
"The disadvantaged economic situation and illiteracy lead to a prevalence of unhygienic and unhealthy practices that have serious health consequences, increase stubbornness and lead to eventual school dropout," the petition states.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JP Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is scheduled to hear the plea of Congress leader and social worker Jaya Thakur, in which she has highlighted the difficulties faced by teenage girls from poor backgrounds in the schools.
During the last hearing of the matter on February 5, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed that the Center is compiling all necessary material to formulate a national policy on distribution of menstrual hygiene products to school girls in terms of the orders of April 10, 2023 and November 6, 2023.
On June 13, the Union Education Ministry, in an advisory to schools, said that female students should be allowed to take necessary toilet breaks during board exams for classes 10 and 12 and that free sanitary pads should be provided at all exam centres.
The Supreme Court will reopen its doors on July 8 after the summer holidays.
On November 6, the apex court directed the Center to lay down a national model for construction of toilets commensurate with the number of girl students in all residential and government-aided schools across the country.
While emphasizing the uniform procedure, he also asked the Union government about the policy it has formulated for distribution of sanitary pads to female students nationwide.
During the hearing, the Center informed the high court that a draft national policy for free distribution of sanitary pads to school girls had been formulated and sent to stakeholders for their comments.
The apex court had earlier warned states, which had not submitted their response to the Center on formulating a uniform national policy on menstrual hygiene for girls studying in schools, that they would resort to the "coercive arm of law" if they did not comply. do it.
On April 10, the apex court appointed secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) as nodal officer to coordinate with states and UTs and collect relevant data to formulate a national policy.
He noted that the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Jal Shakti have menstrual hygiene management plans.
The court also directed all states and UTs to submit their menstrual hygiene management strategies and plans being implemented with the help of funds provided by the Center or through their own resources to the Steering Group of the National Health Mission in a period of four weeks.
The top court said states and UTs will also direct the National Health Mission Steering Group on the appropriate ratio of female toilets for residential and non-residential schools in their respective territories.
It asked all states and UTs to also indicate the measures taken to provide low-cost sanitary pads and vending machines in schools and their proper disposal.
The statement submitted by Congress leader Thakur says that teenage girls from poor backgrounds between the ages of 11 and 18 face serious difficulties in getting education, a constitutional right under Article 21A of the Constitution.
"These are adolescent women who are not equipped or educated by their parents about menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
"The disadvantaged economic situation and illiteracy lead to a prevalence of unhygienic and unhealthy practices that have serious health consequences, increase stubbornness and lead to eventual school dropout," the petition states.
