National policy on menstrual hygiene: SC warns states and UTs if they fail to submit response

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Supreme Court Monday warned the states, which are yet to submit their response to the Centre on forming a uniform national policy on menstrual hygiene for girls studying in schools, it will take recourse to the «coercive arm of law» if they failed to do so by August 31. The warning came after the Centre informed the apex court it has so far received the response of only four states. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed the states and Union Territories (UTs), which have failed to submit their responses, to do so positively by August 31. «The states which are in default are placed on notice that should there be any further default, this court will be constrained to take recourse to the coercive arm of law,» said the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told the bench the central government has so far received inputs from only four states — Haryana, Delhi, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The apex court had on April 10 asked the Centre to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) and formulate a national model to be adopted by all states and UTs for managing the menstrual hygiene of girls studying in schools.

Plea on free sanitary pads for class 6-12 girls to be heard by SC on Monday

Noting that the issue is of «immense importance», the top court had said the Centre should engage with all stakeholders for implementing a uniform national policy on the management of menstrual hygiene in schools, including government and government-aided schools. It is seized of a plea which has sought direction to the Centre, states and UTs to ensure the provision of free sanitary pads to every female