Karnataka to grant one day of menstrual leave per month for women employees across sectors: Report
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Bengaluru: In a landmark move, the Karnataka government is planning to introduce the Menstrual Leave Policy (MLP) 2025, which will grant female employees one day of paid menstrual leave every month, as reported by The New Indian Express on Thursday.
The policy is designed to address the health needs of women in the workforce and will be mandatory for both public and private sector employers.
The Karnataka cabinet is expected to discuss and approve the proposal during its meeting on Thursday. Once approved, the Menstrual Leave Policy will apply to all women employees across various industries, including government offices, various private sector industries like garment factories, multi-national companies, IT and other companies that are operating within the state.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad emphasised that Karnataka would become the first state to implement such a comprehensive policy. “This is applicable for all the women workforce irrespective of government and private sector. This will be a progressive bill,’’ TNIE quoted Lad as saying.
The policy has evolved from an initial proposal in 2024 that offered six menstrual leaves per year to its current version, which provides twelve days of paid leave annually. “I am aware of the physical pain and mental stress that every woman go through during this time. These days, women are in every field. This policy will help each one of them. I am hoping that this will be approved in the cabinet on Thursday,’’ Lad explained.
Karnataka’s move could have a significant impact, especially in Bengaluru, which hosts hundreds of garment factories and a large number of IT companies. The city has over five lakh garment workers, 90 percent of whom are women, along with many women employed in the IT sector. “This policy if approved will help women in large number,’’ Lad added.
Meanwhile, Kerala has introduced two days of menstrual leave per month for female trainees in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), while Bihar and Odisha have implemented a 12-day annual menstrual leave policy, limited to state government employees.
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Human skeletal remains found in Bengaluru outskirts
Bengaluru (PTI): Human skeletal remains, including a skull, suspected to be that of a woman were discovered in and around a lake on outskirts of the city, police said on Saturday.
The matter came to light after shepherds spotted the remains near the lake at Mugalur near Sarjapur while grazing cattle in the area and alerted the police, they said.
During the inspection, investigators found bones scattered across the dried lake bed and nearby areas, a senior police officer said, adding there was suspicion that the remains must be at least three months old.
Police suspect the victim may have drowned in the lake earlier, with the skeletal remains surfacing after water levels receded significantly during the summer.
Officials also suspect stray dogs could have dragged some of the remains to surrounding areas after the lake dried up further.
With pieces of a saree recovered from the spot, police suspect that it could have been of a woman.
Forensic experts and the Scene of Crime Officer team visited the spot and collected the skeletal remains and other evidence for examination.
A case has been registered and the remains, along with other evidence, have been sent for forensic analysis, the police officer said.
The identity of the deceased and the exact cause of death are yet to be established, he added.
