Panjab University V-C okays menstrual leave for students

Panjab University (PU) is set to become the first university of the region to offer menstrual leave to female students.

PU vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig has granted/implemented menstrual leave for girl students from the odd semester of 2024-25 session in anticipation of approval from the PU senate that will take the final call.

A circular regarding this was issued by dean of university instruction (DUI) Rumina Sethi on Wednesday. While the leave will be granted, terms and conditions have also been attached to it.

One day of leave of absence will be granted per calendar month of teaching, where teaching has taken place for at least 15 days. In all, a maximum of four such leaves will be given per semester.

Leave is limited only to teaching days. This leave will not be admissible during any kind of examinations, whether internal or external, mid semester or end semester exams or even for practical examinations.

The leave must be applied within five working days of the absence of the student, who will have to fill out a form, which will be made available at the departmental office. The leave may be allowed by the chairperson or director of the department and will be granted on the basis of self-certification by the student.

The number of lectures actually delivered on that particular day will be added to the total lectures attended by the student compiled at the end of each month.

Introducing menstrual leaves had been the foremost promise by National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) president Jatinder Singh in the run-up to the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) elections in 2023.

Becoming the first varsity in the region to offer the leave, PU follows in the footsteps of universities like Kerala’s Cochin University of Science and Technology, which was the first varsity in the country to provide menstrual leave to female students in January 2023.

Other universities offering menstrual leave include Gauhati University in Assam, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, and Tezpur University, Assam.

The PU V-C had formed a committee to look into the matter under the DUI. The committee’s first meeting was held on January 24, where PUCSC vice-president Ranmeekjot Kaur and PUCSC general secretary Deepak Goyat had opposed the move.

The president had then submitted proposals of six varsities where this system is already in place. A sub-committee was constituted on February 15 to study these proposals and draft a policy for PU.