The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that over 97.5% of schools in India, including government, government-aided, and private institutions, now have separate toilets for girls. This update was part of an affidavit filed in response to a PIL by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, which seeks free sanitary pads for girl students in Classes 6-12 and separate female toilets in all government and government-aided schools.

The Centre reported that Delhi, Goa, and Puducherry have met 100% compliance on toilet facilities for girls, with states like West Bengal achieving 99.9% and Uttar Pradesh 98.8%. Other states also reported high compliance rates: Tamil Nadu (99.7%), Kerala (99.6%), and Karnataka (98.7%).

In total, 16 lakh boys’ toilets and 17.5 lakh girls’ toilets have been built in over 10 lakh government schools, along with 2.5 lakh boys’ and 2.9 lakh girls’ toilets in government-aided schools. However, northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir (89.2%) fall behind the national average of 98%.

The Centre also noted progress on a national policy for distributing menstrual hygiene products to adolescent girls, expected soon. Previously, the court had directed the Centre to establish a model for constructing toilets proportionate to the number of girl students and requested updates on policies for providing sanitary napkins in schools.

The plea highlighted the educational challenges faced by girls from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, citing unhygienic practices and health risks as barriers to their education and retention in schools.

Source: PTI

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