In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Jaya Thakur, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) approved a policy to improve access to menstrual hygiene healthcare for schoolgirls in all government, government-aided and residential schools. 

Following are the salient points of the directive -

• Mainstream knowledge about menstrual hygiene within the government school system to help change attitudes towards menstrual hygiene.

• Ensuring access to sanitary napkins for girls (10-19 years of age) between 6th-12th standards and proper environment friendly disposal mechanisms.

• Providing separate toilet facilities for girls at all levels.

The policy will thus aim to tackle the high dropout rates among adolescent girls due to lack of menstrual hygiene products and healthcare and curb the rate of infection and diseases caused due to unsanitary practices for the same.