The Delhi High Court has ordered the Delhi government to ensure an uninterrupted supply of sanitary napkins to girl students in government schools under the Kishori Yojana Scheme. The High Court considered a petition by NGO Social Jurist which claimed that since January 2021, the Directorate of Education (DoE) was not providing sanitary napkins under the Kishori Yojana Scheme to girl students of Delhi government schools due to which they are facing problems.
The NGO stated that restoration of sanitary napkins facility for girl students is very important and necessary for their personal hygiene and general health. It contended that the action on the part of the DoE to not provide sanitary napkins facility is “irrational, unreasonable, arbitrary”, and a violation of the fundamental right to education of girl students as guaranteed under the Constitution.
A Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad gave the direction after it was informed by the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education that an e-tender has been floated for the supply of sanitary napkins to its government schools and government-aided schools.
The Delhi government’s standing counsel said in compliance with the court’s earlier order, all heads of schools concerned, Deputy Director of Education and other officers have been sensitised in the matter and given sufficient funds to procure sanitary napkins from the Government e-Marketplace for distribution to each girl student enrolled in Class VI to XII from July 2022.