Karnataka: Labour Dept plans law to enforce menstrual leave policy for working women
Bengaluru: The Labour Department is considering introducing a law to implement the menstrual leave policy for working women, which the Cabinet approved recently, reported Deccan Herald.
As per the policy, all menstruating women employed in both government and private sectors will be entitled to one menstrual leave per month. An 18-member committee headed by Dr Sapna S. of Christ Deemed-to-be University had recommended six days leave per year, which was enhanced to 12 by the government.
“We will issue a government order (GO) first. We have already proposed a bill and are considering preparing it if need be,” DH quoted Labour Minister Santosh Lad as saying.
Sources in the department cited in the report feel that a bill is necessary, as a GO, which isn’t an Act, will not have the same legal sanctity and can be struck down by the courts.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Law Commission has already drafted the Karnataka Menstrual Leave and Hygiene Bill, 2025. As per a copy of the Bill, which DH said it had accessed, the definition of “menstruating person” includes girls, women and transgender persons.
The Bill also proposes the establishment of the Karnataka Menstrual Leave and Hygiene Authority, which will be responsible for addressing grievances and complaints received from menstruating persons.
The Bill penalises denying leave to a menstruating person by imposing a penalty of Rs 5,000 for each contravention of the provisions of the Act.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
