Extended menstrual leave law may not be practical: K’taka Minister Santosh Lad
Bengaluru: Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad on Saturday said that granting four to five days of menstrual leave as a legal mandate may not be practically feasible, echoing concerns recently expressed by the Supreme Court on the issue.
In a statement, Lad said he had taken note of the observations made by the Supreme Court regarding menstrual leave for women employees and students. He said the court had pointed out that implementing four to five days of menstrual leave through legislation could pose practical challenges.
The minister welcomed the court’s appreciation of the Karnataka government’s policy that provides one day of paid menstrual leave every month to women employees in both government and private institutions.
Lad said the state government had introduced the Karnataka Menstrual Cycle Policy 2025 after holding extensive consultations with experts, employers, industrialists, entrepreneurs, doctors and senior officials. He said the government had carefully examined the advantages and challenges before implementing the policy.
Referring to the court’s observation that introducing a nationwide law on menstrual leave could reduce employment opportunities for women and potentially create stigma for young women, Lad said the matter required broader discussions among stakeholders and governments.
He said opinions from all stakeholders should be gathered before formulating any nationwide menstrual leave policy so that it would be suitable and beneficial for women across the country.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has dismissed a public interest litigation seeking directions to frame a law mandating four to five days of menstrual leave across the country.
Taking to social media platform X, Minister Santosh Lad further stated, “The Honourable Supreme Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation seeking directions to frame a law providing four to five days of #menstrualleave across the country.
“At the same time, it is encouraging that the Court has also appreciated Karnataka’s progressive menstrual leave policy, which provides one day of paid leave every month for women employees in both government and private institutions.”
“While framing the ‘Karnataka Menstrual Leave Policy 2025’, we held extensive consultations with experts, employers, doctors, industrialists and other stakeholders to ensure a balanced, practical and women-friendly policy. We carefully considered the interests of both employees and employers, reflecting our inclusive approach,” he noted.
If a suitable policy is evolved at the national level after wider consultations, keeping the interests and dignity of women in mind, it would certainly be welcome, Minister Lad added.
