Chandigarh: PU committee accepts proposal for menstrual leave for female students

As per sources, the proposal has a provision to give one-day menstrual leave per month to students. It will be counted additionally on top of the earlier concessions on attendance that can be availed, as long as minimum 33% attendance was maintained

In less than two months since its first meeting, the Panjab University (PU) committee to look into a menstrual leave policy for PU students has given its nod to the proposal. It will now be sent to the higher authorities before final approval and implementation.

Menstrual leave was a key promise made in the manifesto of National Students Union of India (NSUI) before the student council polls. (HT)

Chairing the committee meeting on Tuesday, PU director of research and development cell Harsh Nayyar said that the committee has approved the proposal that was prepared by the sub-committee comprising the two deans of student welfare (DSWs), Sonal Chawla and Meenakshi Goyal, nominee of the vice-chancellor (V-C) to the committee.

As per sources, the proposal has a provision to give one-day menstrual leave per month to students. It will be counted additionally on top of the earlier concessions on attendance that can be availed, as long as minimum 33% attendance was maintained. Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president Jatinder Singh, who is also a member of the committee, said that a form will be prepared for students to claim menstrual leave.

Menstrual leave was a key promise made in the manifesto of National Students Union of India (NSUI) before the student council polls and Singh said he felt happy that they would be able to deliver this promise soon.

Once approved, Panjab University will become the first varsity in the region to offer this kind of leave, following universities like Kerala’s Cochin University of Science and Technology which was the first varsity in the country to start menstrual leave for female students in January 2023. Other universities offering menstrual leave include Gauhati University in Assam, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, and Tezpur University, Assam.

What next

Speaking about what’s next for this proposal, members of the committee said that the proposal will be put for PU V-C’s perusal. If approved by the V-C, it will be put before the PU senate before it can be implemented in the varsity.

The issue had divided the varsity when it was raised during the elections, but PUCSC president Jatinder Singh said it’s important to talk about this to counter the taboo regarding menstruation. Even in the committee’s first meeting on January 24, the PUCSC vice-president Ranmeekjot Kaur and PUCSC general secretary Deepak Goyat had opposed the move.

The president had then submitted proposals of six varsities where this system is already in place. A sub-committee was constituted on February 15 to study these proposals and draft a policy for PU.