20L schoolgirls will get free sanitary pads

BENGALURU: As many as 20 lakh girls in Karnataka, aged between 10 and 18 years and enrolled in government schools and colleges, will get free sanitary pads from October under Shuchi scheme. The scheme had been stalled during the pandemic and is being restarted now.

On September 11, the government rolled out Shuchi Nanna Maitri scheme in Dakshina Kannada and Chamarajanagar on a pilot basis. Around 15,000 girls in these districts will get menstrual cups free of cost.

"If it works out well, it will be extended across the state next year," health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said. "Menstrual cups last for five years and are an environment-friendly option," he added.