Kerala plans three-day menstrual leave for schoolgirls, six months maternity leave for women in unorganised sectors

Thiruvananthapuram: The V D Satheesan-led Congress government in Kerala has announced a slew of welfare measures for women, including three days monthly menstrual leave for school students, equal pay for women in workplaces and six months of maternity leave for women in the unorganised sectors.

The maiden policy address delivered by Governor Rajendra Arlekar in the Assembly on Friday also gave thrust for AI and emerging technologies by announcing AI mission and Kerala emerging technologies mission.

The UDF government also proposed to appoint a commission to revise all existing land laws, including the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, and restrictions on land use in Kerala’s plantation sector. The aim is to resolve issues related to land conversion permanently, protect public land, ensure equity in land distribution and foster industrial and economic development, said the Governor.

While the previous CPI(M) government in Kerala had implemented menstrual leave at the college and university levels, the Congress government is now implementing it at school levels. The policy address said that weekend catch-up classes would be organised to ensure that students did not miss classes due to menstrual leave.

The 'Indira Guarantees' of the Congress during the election campaign, which include free bus ride to women to forming dedicated department for welfare of elderly persons, were also reiterated in the policy address. It also stressed on protecting the secular fabric of the state.

Close on the heels of making AI a separate portfolio, the UDF government also decided to rename the 'Department of Electronics and IT’ as ‘Department of IT, Future Technologies and Startups’ and to launch a new brand “Kerala Tech”. A digital government model will be also established with a focus on citizen experience, using digital technologies and AI, said the policy address.

The Governor said that the White Paper on the financial situation of the state being brought out by the government aimed at giving a clear picture to the people of the grim financial situations of the state as well as to lay the foundation for a transparent and responsible financial recovery strategy.

While the Congress government's policy address did not contain any critical remarks against the BJP government at the centre, it said that the state government would engage in constructive engagement with the centre while firmly safeguarding the Constitutional and financial rights of the state.

The last policy address of the previous CPI(M) government had witnessed the Governor altering and omitting portions criticising the centre. But the then CPI(M) government had rejected the changes made by the Governor.

Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan criticised that the UDF government's policy addressed lacked any vision to bring relief to the ordinary people.