Kerala Govt announces two days menstrual leave every month for women ITI students

The Kerala government has announced a decision to grant two days of menstrual leave each month to women students in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). Additionally, the government has declared Saturdays as holidays for ITI students.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government declared on Thursday that women students in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will now be entitled to two days of menstrual leave every month. State General Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced the decision, acknowledging the physically challenging nature of several skill-training programs where women excel, including in traditionally labour-intensive trades.

“In today’s era, women are active in every field, including some of the most physically demanding skill-training trades. Taking these factors into account, the government has decided to grant two days of menstrual leave each month for female trainees (students) in ITIs,” he said in a statement in Thiruvananthapuram.

Officials have stated that women students across more than 100 ITIs in Kerala will benefit from this initiative. The exact number of beneficiaries is currently being determined.

This announcement follows a similar decision made last year by the Kerala Higher Education Department, which granted menstrual leave to women enrolled in all state universities under its purview.

All Saturdays Declared Holidays for ITI Students

In addition to introducing menstrual leave, the Kerala government announced on Thursday that all Saturdays will now be holidays for students in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), providing them with additional time off.

“To compensate for the lost training time, ITI shifts will be rescheduled. The first shift will be from 7.30 am to 3.00 pm, and the second shift from 10.00 am to 5.30 pm,” it said.

The Kerala government clarified that while Saturdays will be designated as holidays for ITI trainees, students can still utilize these days for shop-floor training, short-term courses, and extracurricular activities if they choose.