The Narendra Modi government is all set to launch a new scheme — ‘Suvidha Sarthi’ — for the free distribution of sanitary napkins to higher secondary girls in schools, News18.com has learnt.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), a body under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, is launching the scheme for the promotion and awareness of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in schools.
Non-government organisations (NGOs), philanthropists, individuals, public representatives, government bodies, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), corporates, doctors and schools will be the stakeholders of the scheme.
According to the letter written by Ravi Dadhich, chief executive officer of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) — a registered society set up under the DoP — the scheme has been formulated with the objective of free distribution of ‘Suvidha Napkins’ to higher secondary girls in schools, facilitated by donors to increase awareness and to build self-esteem among adolescent girls.
PMBI is also running the government’s flagship medicine scheme, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Panyojana, to provide affordable generic medicines to all the citizens of the country.
“As you are aware that the Government of India, under the visionary leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister, has recognized the importance of menstrual hygiene for better health and well-being of girls and women,” said the letter dated October 19, accessed by News18.com.
The Government of India, Dadhich wrote, has initiated several programs to improve menstrual hygiene management in schools, targeted at disseminating knowledge, access to/disposal of menstrual waste and improving sanitation in schools.
“One such example is the availability of low-cost sanitary pads, namely Jan Aushadhi Suvidha, under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).”
How will government run this scheme?
In the letter written to Dr Rajesh Gupta, All India Head, Laghu Udyog Bharati, Dadhich wrote: “PMBI shall run this new scheme with the support of different stakeholders like philanthropes, individuals, public representatives, government bodies, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), corporates etc and PMBJP Jan Aushadhi Kendras will make the last-mile delivery.”
All the stakeholders will be aligned together on a single platform of a dedicated IT portal as well as a mobile App (Suvidha Sarathi) wherein donors and schools will be able to register themselves.
Donors will make financial contributions for the supply of sanitary pads for school girls and will have the choice to nominate the schools. Further, the nominated schools will have to register themselves to avail the benefits of the scheme.
“The donations made to the specific school under this scheme would be disbursed periodically between the intervals of 3-6-9-12 months,” said the letter, adding that “the donors shall be encouraged to motivate the schools of their choice to register on the IT Portal to avail the benefit”.
It explained: “The Suvidha Napkins supplied under the Suvidha Sarathi scheme shall be made available free of cost to schools and the price of the same will be contributed by the respective donors at Rs 30 per pack of 10 which will be distributed for free to the girls of classes VIII to XII on monthly-basis for a school having 200 girls in their class the annual contribution or donation is only Rs 72,000.”
Further, upon receipt of the online donations on the portal or app, PMBI shall deliver the goods to the respective Jan Aushadhi Kendra owners who will transport the boxes of sanitary pads to the schools concerned and hand over the supplies to the nodal person of the registered school.
“I appeal for your wholehearted cooperation as well as support, by adopting some government schools and make this scheme a grand success by becoming a benefactor (Sarathi) for this scheme as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Activities,” the letter read.
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