Jahanvi Agarwal
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) in Visakhapatnam has implemented a Menstrual Leave Policy for its students starting from the academic year 2024-25.
The student body initially proposed the policy to the Registrar during the previous academic year. The Executive Council reviewed it in January and approved it within the same month, deciding to enforce it from this academic year onwards.
Under this new policy, students can take one day off each month for menstrual leave. To qualify for this leave, students must maintain a minimum attendance rate of 65%. According to the policy, students who take advantage of this leave do not need to provide a medical certificate. They only need to complete a form or send an email to the designated academic representative, as outlined by the University.
In an interview with Bar & Bench, DSNLU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Surya Prakasa Rao expressed, “We were happy to approve the policy. Menstruation is a natural process for women students and various other health issues like headaches, stomach pain, etc accompany it. So there are no hard and fast technicalities to be looked into for a student to avail this leave. They only need to drop a mail once they have resumed college.”
Prof. Rao also noted that the leave can be used during exams, although students typically prefer not to defer an exam to the next semester.
Additionally, Professor Rao discussed various student welfare initiatives underway at the University. He mentioned that last summer, a student was hospitalized due to sunstroke, prompting the university to prioritize student health. “Since then, we have decided to pay close attention to the health of our students,” he stated.
The university has invested 7-8 lakhs in enhancing student nutrition with protein-rich foods and fruit juices. They have also renovated the dining hall and made 30 air-conditioned rooms in the guest house available for student use, especially during summer. Additionally, students can use the AC rooms on other days at a discounted rate of ₹500 for five days.
Recently, HNLU Raipur also adopted a menstrual leave policy for its students. Prior to that, MNLU Mumbai, MNLU Aurangabad, and NLIU Bhopal introduced similar policies. Over the past year, DNLU Jabalpur, NALSAR Hyderabad, and NLUJA Assam have also implemented menstrual leave for their students.