Lok Sabha Question No. 1346 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-01
Subject: Subsidised Sanitary Napkins
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1346 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.07.2019

## Subsidised Sanitary Napkins

## 1346.  DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government proposes to distribute free or subsidised sanitary napkins to girls in schools so that they do not dropout because of lack of access to hygienic products;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the Government has carried out any survey to assess the number of school days missed  by  girls  because  of  the  lack  of  access  to  hygienic  sanitary  products  or  due  to disease from the use of unhygienic sanitary products; and
- (d)  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  under  the  Beti  Bachao    Beti Padhao scheme to minimise school dropouts post puberty?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) & (b): To  address  the  need  of  menstrual  hygiene  among  adolescent  girls  residing primarily  in  rural  areas,  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  is  implementing  the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme. Under this scheme, funds are provided to States/UTs through National Health  Missions  as per  proposals  received  from  them  in  their  Programme Implementation Plans and for decentralized procurement of sanitary napkin packs for making provision to adolescent girls at subsidized rates.

This scheme encompasses the following:

-  Increasing awareness among  adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene;
-  Improving access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls specially in rural areas;
-  Ensuring safe disposal of Sanitary Napkins in an environmentally friendly manner;
-  Provision  of  funds  to  Accredited  Social  Health  Activists(ASHAs)  to  hold  monthly meetings in Anganwadi centres or similar platforms with adolescents to discuss issues related to menstrual hygiene;
-  ASHAs across the country are trained and play a significant role in promotion of use and distribution of sanitary napkins.

Under integrated Scheme of Samagra Shiksha of Department of School Education & Literacy,  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development,  State-specific  special  projects  are funded to enhance retention of girl at upper primary and secondary level, such as Adolescent Health Programme, Programmes on Menstrual Health and Hygiene, provision of sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators in schools.

(c): There is no National level survey data available on this.

(d): Under  its  Beti  Bachao  Beti  Padhao  Scheme,  the  Ministry  of  Women  &  Child Development sanctions Rs. 5 lakh per district per annum to the select 405 districts to carry out various planned activities for motivation of the girls to continue their education through the various interventions of the Department of School Education & Literacy viz. re-enrolment of  drop-out  girls  in  secondary  schools,  protocols  for  girl-child  friendly  schools,  institutes district level awards for felicitating girl achievers and special awards for meritorious girls etc. Through these interventions, the Scheme envisages to minimize dropouts of girl students and facilitate them in their higher studies.

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