Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School girls: SC directs to submit response by August 31, 2023

On July 24, the Supreme Court (SC) of India heard a plea seeking directions to the States and Union territories to ensure provisions for menstrual hygiene for school-going girls in classes 6-12. The plea also sought for separate toilets for girls in all government and residential schools. The top Court issued an order directing all the states and union territories to submit their response regarding the menstrual hygiene policy by August 31 this year to the Union Government. Earlier, the SC directed the Central Government to frame National Policy on menstrual hygiene, especially for the school-going girls of the country. Also, the bench asked them to create a policy ensuring low-cost sanitary napkins and a safe disposal mechanism for sanitary pads in schools. The same was to be done within a period of 4 weeks. Yesterday, the matter was mentioned before a three-judge bench including Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Manoj Misra, and Justice JB Pardiwala. During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General appearing for the Union Government, Aishwarya Bhati, apprised the SC bench that only Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal had given their response. She also requested the top Court to direct other states to file their response as early as possible. To this, the SC of India ordered, “We direct all other States and Union Territories to submit their responses positively by 31 August 2023. A copy of this order shall be made available to the Chief Secretaries of the remaining States/Union Territories for compliance.” It added, The States/Union Territories, which are in default, are placed on notice that should there be any further default in submitting their responses, the Court would be constrained to take recourse to the coercion arm of the law. List the proceedings on 6 November 2023.”