Kerala announces menstrual leave, Saturday holidays for female ITI students
In a significant move, the Kerala government has announced a policy to provide two days of menstrual leave every month to female students at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). The move aims to help women who are enrolled in physically demanding skill-training programs, including traditionally labor-intensive trades. "In today's era, women are active in every field, including some of the most physically demanding skill-training trades," said General Education Minister V Sivankutty.
Policy to benefit numerous students across Kerala
The new policy will be applied to over 100 ITIs in Kerala, potentially benefiting a large number of female students. The exact number of beneficiaries is still being ascertained by officials. This move comes after the Kerala Higher Education Department made a similar decision last year, extending menstrual leave to female students in all state universities under its jurisdiction.
Kerala declares Saturdays as holidays for ITI students
Apart from menstrual leave, the Kerala government has also announced all Saturdays as holidays for ITI students. To ensure training schedules are not impacted by the change, ITI shifts have been modified. The first shift will now be from 7:30am to 3:00pm while the second will be from 10:00am to 5:30pm. Though Saturdays are holidays, students can participate in extracurricular activities or short-term courses on those days if they wish.
