Karnataka's Shuchi Scheme:  The Karnataka government has reaffirmed its commitment to menstrual hygiene by revitalising the Shuchi scheme, which had been inactive for the past four years. This initiative aims to provide free sanitary napkins to approximately 19 lakh adolescent girls aged between 10 and 18 years in government and aided schools as well as colleges across the state.

As per Karnataka Health Department officials, the scheme involves the direct distribution of sanitary pads to schools, facilitated by school authorities. Each kit will contain 10 sanitary napkins.

Focus On Health And Hygiene

Highlighting the importance of the scheme, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stressed its role in promoting the hygiene and health of girl students. The initiative comes at a crucial time, recognising the significance of menstrual hygiene management for the overall well-being of young girls.

Moreover, the state government is expanding its efforts beyond menstrual hygiene to enhance the overall living conditions in residential facilities. This includes upgrading infrastructure and expanding entitlements for students residing in hostels.

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Shift Towards Eco-Friendly Practices

Significantly, there is a move towards eco-friendly practices, with plans to transition hostel kitchens to LPG-based cooking facilities, ensuring a greener and healthier alternative. This transition is expected to be completed across all hostels within the next two years.

Currently, 1,736 schools operate under the administrative control of the ST&SC Development, M&BCW Department, while there are approximately 6,000 hostels across the state, including those under the Anwesha and Akankhya programs, accommodating over 5 lakh ST&SC students.

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