SRINAGAR: The Union Ministry of Education (MoE) has approved the installation of sanitary pad vending and incineration machines in over 1000 government schools in Jammu and Kashmir, in response to growing concerns about the high school dropout rate among females due to menstrual hygiene difficulties. According to officials, the officially supported Samargra Shiksha programme would construct and commission the sanitary pad selling machines and incinerators in 1,025 government schools throughout the Union Territory (UT). In the upcoming days, the installation and commissioning of these equipment will begin.According to experts, surveys have shown that it is challenging for girls to attend school because of a lack of understanding about menstruation, limited access to sanitary goods, and an unwelcoming school climate. “At least 1025 government schools, including 74 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and 951 high and higher secondary schools, were approved by MoE for the installation of sanitary pad vending machines and incinerator machines,” a Samagra Shiksha official stated in a communiqué to the chief education officers (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir.The CEOs have been requested to give the head of the designated schools’ institutions instructions on where best to put the equipment on school property. “Schools where electrical fitting is not available, the expenditure incurred on it shall be met from school electric fund and annual school grant,” it states. According to an official, a UNICEF survey for India also showed that more than 85% of girls in the nation utilised cloth during their periods rather than the readily accessible and safer sanitary napkins made inexpensively there.Medical professionals estimate that most girls begin their menstrual cycle around the age of twelve. To ensure that their children are ready and knowledgeable, parents should speak with their daughters and schools should start educating their pupils at a young age.
