<p>The High Court has directed the state government to implement the Shuchi Scheme, which includes providing sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in schools.</p>.<p>The sanitary napkins were not procured during 2019-20 and 2020-21 owing to financial constraints.</p>.<p>A division bench, headed by Justice B V Nagarathna, passed this interim direction asking the government to file a status report by May 31. The bench was dealing with a PIL filed in 2018.</p>.<p>Shuchi Scheme is for adolescent school girls in the age group of 10-19 years, to provide them separate toilets and sanitary napkins in schools.</p>.<p>The government submitted that procurement of sanitary napkins for 17.06 lakh identified eligible school girls, will be made within 90 days from the date of administrative approval. The government said if the schools are closed, distribution will be made through a community-based door-to-door method.</p>.<p>“We reiterate that plan of action under Shuchi Scheme shall be implemented by the State Government for adolescent girls as the same is an aid to the empowerment of such adolescent girls, particularly residing in rural and remote places, travelling from villages to the taluk or district headquarters for their education. They should not miss attendance in the school on certain days of the month on account of lack of effective hygiene products being available to them on certain days of the month,” the bench<br />said.</p>.<p>The petitioners said the report, filed before the court in August 2019 by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) in association with the National Law School of India University, had pointed out certain lacunae in school infrastructure. Out of 889 schools referred to in the report only 63 per cent of schools had separate toilets for girls, of which only 82 per cent were functional. The report also stated that the total requirement of sanitary napkins in the state is 2.04 crore per annum. </p>.<p>In a previous hearing, the bench had stated that the implementation of the Shuchi Scheme, in its true letter and spirit, not only empowers the girl child but also ensures protection of rights under Article 21A of the Constitution.</p>
<p>The High Court has directed the state government to implement the Shuchi Scheme, which includes providing sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in schools.</p>.<p>The sanitary napkins were not procured during 2019-20 and 2020-21 owing to financial constraints.</p>.<p>A division bench, headed by Justice B V Nagarathna, passed this interim direction asking the government to file a status report by May 31. The bench was dealing with a PIL filed in 2018.</p>.<p>Shuchi Scheme is for adolescent school girls in the age group of 10-19 years, to provide them separate toilets and sanitary napkins in schools.</p>.<p>The government submitted that procurement of sanitary napkins for 17.06 lakh identified eligible school girls, will be made within 90 days from the date of administrative approval. The government said if the schools are closed, distribution will be made through a community-based door-to-door method.</p>.<p>“We reiterate that plan of action under Shuchi Scheme shall be implemented by the State Government for adolescent girls as the same is an aid to the empowerment of such adolescent girls, particularly residing in rural and remote places, travelling from villages to the taluk or district headquarters for their education. They should not miss attendance in the school on certain days of the month on account of lack of effective hygiene products being available to them on certain days of the month,” the bench<br />said.</p>.<p>The petitioners said the report, filed before the court in August 2019 by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) in association with the National Law School of India University, had pointed out certain lacunae in school infrastructure. Out of 889 schools referred to in the report only 63 per cent of schools had separate toilets for girls, of which only 82 per cent were functional. The report also stated that the total requirement of sanitary napkins in the state is 2.04 crore per annum. </p>.<p>In a previous hearing, the bench had stated that the implementation of the Shuchi Scheme, in its true letter and spirit, not only empowers the girl child but also ensures protection of rights under Article 21A of the Constitution.</p>