Lok Sabha Question No. 3469 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Hygiene Related Products
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Pradeep Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3469 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2022

## Hygiene Related Products

## †3469. SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  there  is  a  provision  of  supplying  Hygiene  related  products  to  women  in  all  the Government schools of the country;
- (b)     if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  providing  incentive/subsidy/financial  assistance  to  schools  for increasing awareness about menstrual hygiene and hygiene related products and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has given directions to private schools for providing sanitary facilities to girls and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  schools  are  facing  difficulties  in  procurement  and  providing  sanitary products in schools and if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (e): Education is a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of schools are under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State  Government.  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education is implementing a centrally sponsored Integrated Scheme for School Education 'Samagra Shiksha', effective from 2018-19, in coordination with the States and UTs.

Under Samagra Shiksha, there is a provision of Composite School Grant for, inter-alia annual maintenance and repair of existing school buildings, toilets and other facilities, of which minimum of 10% is to be used for activities related to Swachhta Action Plan namely, undertaking maintenance of school facilities including toilets, safe drinking water and for improvement in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, hand washing with soap, operations and maintenance etc.

Further,  under  Samagra  Shiksha,  financial  support  is  provided  for  Special  State  Specific Projects for varied interventions under equity, including menstrual health and hygiene, for enhancing access, retention, quality and reducing drop-out of girls, by promoting enrolment drives, retention and motivation  camps,  gender  sensitization  modules  etc.  Such  projects  include  life  skills,  awareness programmes,  incinerators,  sanitary  pad  vending  machines  etc.  These  projects  are  sanctioned  by  the Project Approval Board as per the Annual Work Plans proposed by the State/UT concerned.

In addition, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare supports the States/UTs in implementing the scheme for Promotion of Menstrul Hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years, living primarily in the rural areas. Under this scheme,  sanitary napkins are provided to the adolescent girls in the village by the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA).

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation which was merged with Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2019, has developed National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management with focus on provision of functional toilets, availability of safe water and Menstrual Hygiene Management. Additionally, vide a  joint  letter  of  Secretary,  DoSEL  and  Secretary,  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  dated  08.03.2022,  the  states have  been  advised  to  utilize  funds  earmarked  for  Menstrual  Hygiene  Management  (MHM)  and management of menstrual waste under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase-II at village level, for installation  or  maintenance  of  incinerators  in  schools  having  girls  from  classes  VI  to  XII  and  for creating awareness on MHM among adolescent girls and in the society in general.

School Health Programme, under Ayushman Bharat which is a joint collaborative initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and DoSEL, Ministry of Education, a module on 'Growing up Healthy' has been incorporated, which inter-alia includes information on physical challenges during adolescence and attaining puberty.

National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  is  implementing  the Adolescence Education Programme as part of the National Population Education Project. One of the learning outcomes of AEP is to make the learners aware of the concerns of adolescence, i.e. process of growing up during adolescence and to inculcate in them positive attitude regarding these concerns.

Moreover, all States and UTs have been requested to take necessary steps to create awareness amongst adolescent girls in schools about safe usage and benefits of Sanitary Napkins. It has also been communicated that subsidized sanitary napkins are available at the Jan Aushadi Kendras set up by the Ministry of Chemical and Fertilisers, Government of India.

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