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

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking directions to states and the Centre to provide free sanitary pads to class 6-12 girls and ensure separate female toilet facility in all government-aided and residential schools.

The plea by social worker Jaya Thakur is scheduled to be heard by a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The top court had earlier asked the Centre to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure and a national model to be adopted by all states and Union Territories for managing menstrual hygiene for girls studying in schools.

On April 10, the top court had said the issue was of "immense importance" and that the Centre should engage with all the stakeholders for implementation of a uniform national policy on management of menstrual hygiene in schools, including government and aided schools. (PTI)