‘Prepare SOPs for menstrual hygiene in schools’

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New Delhi, April 10

Terming menstrual hygiene an issue of “immense importance”, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) and formulate a national model to be adopted by states and union territories for managing menstrual hygiene of school girls across India.

The Centre should engage with all stakeholders for implementation of uniform national policy on management of menstrual hygiene in schools, including government and government-aided schools, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

Appointing the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Secretary as the nodal officer to coordinate with states and UTs and collect relevant data for formulating a national policy, the Bench directed the Centre to file an updated status report by the end of July.

The MoHFW, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Jal Shakti have schemes running on the issue of menstrual hygiene, it noted while hearing a PIL by Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Jaya Thakur seeking directions to the Centre and states to provide free sanitary pads to girls studying in Class VI to XII in government schools across India.