UP government to provide ‘sanitary pads’ to girls in schools

Lucknow| Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh is running many schemes to promote education and empowerment of girls. In this sequence, the Yogi government has now decided to provide sanitary pads to girls to ensure their regular attendance in council schools. Funds amounting to Rs 110.316 lakh have been released for a total of 36,772 girl students studying in 535 schools in UP. This amount will be spent by the concerned school management committees. In the year 2024-25, about 535 upper primary and composite school students will benefit from the selected PMShri scheme. All these girl students are studying in classes 6 to 8.

Most of the girl students studying in these schools are from rural areas. They have less knowledge about sanitary pads and its uses. This step of Yogi government is being considered as a concrete initiative to ensure regular attendance of girls and take care of their health. On the instructions of Basic Education Minister (Independent Charge) Sandeep Singh, complete transparency has been ensured in the purchase of sanitary pads. Necessary instructions have been given to the Assistant Finance and Accounts Officer and District Coordinator Girls Education in this regard.

As per the instructions, the sanitary pads will be distributed to the concerned school committees within a week of receiving the budget. Along with this, further strategy will be prepared by organizing a meeting of principals at the block level. A committee will be constituted at the school level for procurement and distribution of sanitary pads, which will include the Chairman of the School Management Committee, the Principal, the female teacher, the ICDS Supervisor and an ANM as members.

This scheme is not only a medium to promote the education of girls but is also an important step to increase awareness about their health and hygiene. This is expected to improve the regular attendance and education of girl students in grades 6 to 8.