New Delhi, May 28 (H.S.): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday interacted directly with principals of government schools and officials of the Education Department through video conferencing on the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day. During the interaction, the Chief Minister held detailed discussions on the health, hygiene, mental empowerment of girl students, and the need for better facilities in schools, while assigning several important responsibilities to school principals.
The meeting, held at the Chief Minister Jan Seva Sadan, was also attended by Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, Director of Education Veditha Reddy, and several senior officials of the Education Department. The Chief Minister instructed principals to ensure that girl students understand that menstruation is a natural biological process and that there should be no fear or hesitation associated with it. She emphasized the need to create a school environment where students can openly share their concerns and receive support in overcoming mental stress.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the poor condition of toilet blocks in schools and directed that all school toilet facilities be kept clean and hygienic, with no damage to doors or infrastructure, and that all necessary repair work be completed in a timely manner.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced several key policy decisions under the “Menstrual Health Matters” campaign. Under this initiative, a special advisory will be issued to ensure regular maintenance and timely refilling of sanitary pad vending machines installed in government schools, government offices, public toilets, and Aarogya Mandirs. To further strengthen awareness at the school level, menstrual health education for Classes 6 to 9 will be made more comprehensive and effective within the curriculum.
The Chief Minister also informed that girls would be made aware not only about menstruation, but also about health-related issues such as PCOS, anaemia, cervical cancer, menopause, and HPV vaccination. For this purpose, regular health sessions will be organized at Aarogya Mandirs, where doctors and trained staff will directly interact with women and girl students. She instructed principals to obtain parental consent before administering the vaccine to students and to educate parents about its importance.
She further stated that after schools reopen, the government will provide free bicycles to girl students, and during the process, parents should also be encouraged to opt for HPV vaccination for their children.
Speaking on the occasion, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said that menstrual health is not merely a matter of healthcare, but is closely linked to dignity, awareness, and self-confidence. He added that it is the responsibility of the Education Department to continuously conduct awareness campaigns in schools on this subject, which has traditionally received limited public discussion.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
