**Executive Summary**
This document addresses Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1046 regarding the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme under the National Health Mission. The question inquires about the impact of menstruation on girls' school attendance in rural India, access to affordable sanitary napkins for women, and details of funds allocated/utilized under the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme. The answer was provided on December 5, 2025, by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Menstrual Hygiene Scheme:**
* Implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
* Aims to improve menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls (10–19 years).
* Focuses on:
* Increasing awareness on menstrual hygiene.
* Enhancing access to sanitary napkins.
* Promoting safe and environmentally friendly disposal practices.
* NHM supports States/UTs to provide sanitary napkins at subsidized rates through ASHAs using school and community platforms.
* Several States/UTs initiatives provide low or free of cost sanitary napkins in schools, Anganwadi centers and health facilities.
* **National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS 5) Data:**
* Shows an increase in the percentage of women aged 15-24 years using hygienic methods during their menstrual cycles, rising from 57.6% in NFHS-4 to 77.3% in NFHS-5.
* **Fund Allocation and Expenditure:**
* Details of State/UT-wise SPIP approvals and expenditure for the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM) for FY 2024-25 are provided in an annexure.
* The data is provisional and based on available Financial Management Reports submitted by State/UTs.
**Impact Analysis**
**States/UTs**
* **Impact:**
* Required to implement the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme as per guidelines.
* Receive financial support from the NHM to provide sanitary napkins at subsidized rates.
* Need to submit Financial Management Reports to track fund utilization.
* **Action Required:**
* Utilize funds allocated for the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme effectively.
* Implement initiatives to increase awareness and access to sanitary napkins.
* Submit accurate and timely Financial Management Reports.
**Adolescent Girls (10-19 years)**
* **Impact:**
* Should benefit from improved access to affordable sanitary napkins and increased awareness about menstrual hygiene.
* **Action Required:**
* Participate in awareness programs.
* Utilize available resources for menstrual hygiene management.
**Women (aged 15-24 years)**
* **Impact:**
* Should benefit from continued improvement in awareness and access to hygienic methods for menstrual hygiene management.
* **Action Required:**
* Utilize available resources for menstrual hygiene management.
**ASHAs**
* **Impact:**
* Play a crucial role in distributing sanitary napkins at subsidized rates.
* **Action Required:**
* Distribute sanitary napkins effectively.
* Educate adolescent girls and women about menstrual hygiene.
Key Entities Referenced
Menstrual Hygiene Scheme: A scheme to improve menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls (10–19 years).
National Health Mission (NHM): An initiative under which the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme is implemented, including financial aspects like fund allocation and expenditure.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The ministry responsible for implementing the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION 1046
TO BE ANSWERED ON5.12.2025
MENSTRUALHYGIENE SCHEME
1046.SHRIKHALILUR RAHAMAN
Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate:
(a)whether a numberof girlsinrural India have droppedout/abstainedfrom the school due
tomenstruation andlack of accesstocleanandaffordable menstrual protectionandif so, the
detailsthereof;
(b) whether a numberof women are unable toaffordsanitary napkinsinthe country andif so,
the detailsthereofand the reasons therefor; and
(c)the detailsof funds allocated andutilizedout of the totalmonetary outlay,underthe
Menstrual Hygiene Scheme of the National HealthMission, State/UT-wise?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) to (c)The Ministry of Health and Family Welfareimplements the Scheme for Promotion of
Menstrual Hygiene to improve menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls (10–19 years).
The scheme focuses on increasing awareness on menstrual hygiene, enhancing access to
sanitary napkins, and promoting safe and environmentally friendly disposal practices.
Under the scheme, NHM supports States/UTs to provide sanitary napkins at subsidized
rates through ASHAs using school and community platforms. In addition, several
States/UTs initiatives provide low or free of cost sanitary napkins in schools, Anganwadi
centersandhealthfacilities.
The National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS 5) data shows that the percentage of women
aged 15-24 years using hygienic methods during their menstrual cycles has risen from
57.6% inNFHS-4to77.3% inNFHS-5.
The details of fund approval and expenditure for Menstrual Hygiene Scheme under
National HealthMission (NHM), State/UT-wise are placed at Annexure.
1Annexure referred to inreply to parts(a)*to**(*c)*of Lok SabhaUnstarred QuestionNo. 1046
for answeron05.12.2025
Annexure
State/UT-wise SPIPApprovals andExpenditure forMenstrual HygieneSchemeunder
NationalHealthMission (NHM) for FY2024-25 (in Rs. Lakhs)
Sl. 2024-25
States/UTs
No. SPIPApprovals Expenditure
1 AndamanandNicobar Islands 0.00 0.00
2 Andhra Pradesh 4,382.00 1196.00
3 Arunachal Pradesh 0.00 0.00
4 Assam 439.33 0.00
5 Bihar 14.00 8.26
6 Chandigarh 0.00 0.00
7 Chhattisgarh 0.00 0.00
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and
8
Daman& Diu 1.00 1.00
9 Delhi 323.43 177.79
10 Goa 14.51 13.18
11 Gujarat 11,296.57 33.58
12 Haryana 0.00 0.00
13 Himachal Pradesh 100.00 528.20
14 Jammu andKashmir 655.28 8.64
15 Jharkhand 9.70 3.25
16 Karnataka 0.00 10.51
17 Kerala 200.00 0.00
18 Lakshadweep 9.75 4.45
19 Madhya Pradesh 282.00 0.00
20 Maharashtra 1,461.09 206.64
21 Manipur 87.99 27.91
22 Meghalaya 3.90 2.59
23 Mizoram 0.00 0.00
24 Nagaland 44.59 44.59
25 Odisha 30.42 486.22
26 Puducherry 90.58 43.47
27 Punjab 1,172.12 2.51
28 Rajasthan 0.00 0.00
29 Sikkim 1.50 0.82
30 Tamil Nadu 4,577.03 4577.03
31 Telangana 1,584.00 0.20
32 Tripura 262.47 0.00
33 Uttar Pradesh 0.00 0.00
34 Uttarakhand 319.50 0.10
35 West Bengal 5,094.01 1206.23
36 Ladakh 36.80 0.57
2Note: Theabove dataisaspertheavailableFinancialManagementReports submittedby
State/UTsandareprovisional.
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