The Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University (PU) Renu Vig as set up a committee to examine if female students should be granted mentrual leaves, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The initiative was brought to attention by Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) President Jatinder Singh, who emphasized this during his candidacy for the student council elections.
The committee is led by Dean University Instruction (DUI) Rumina Sethi and including Professor Meenakshi Goyal of UICET as the Vice-Chancellor's nominee. Both the current and former Dean Students Welfare (DSW), along with DSW Women, are also committee members, with all office bearers of the PUCSC included. The commitee is set to convene on January 24.
A meeting held on November 8 last year delved into various aspects of the issue, with 14 members present, including Dean Students Welfare Women Simrit Kahlon, Chairperson of Women's Studies Department Manvinder Sidhu, and other PU professors.
Campaign Issue
During the PUCSC elections, Singh had prominently raised the issue, and the National Students Union of India (NSUI) actively campaigned on this topic in women’s hostels.
Jatinder Singh told HT, "This is a positive development, and we will present our case to the committee. We have spent the last few weeks raising awareness about the issue and gathering opinions from students. We will now urge the committee to make a prompt decision on this matter."
Advocacy for 10-12 menstrual leaves per semester
The NSUI is currently advocating for the provision of 10-12 menstrual leaves per semester for female students, although not all female students are in agreement with this proposal.
Discussions encompassed operational challenges, academic disruptions, fairness to non-menstruating students, and the advantages and disadvantages of implementing menstrual leave.
