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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China confirms its support to Pakistan during four-day conflict with India
Beijing (PTI): China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said.
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.
"At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.
What drove his team was the "desire to do an even better job with on site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.
