SC Declares Menstrual Health a Fundamental Right
Why focus: Expands Article 21 scope. SC declarations of new Fundamental Rights are nearly always tested in GS2 Polity 'How-Many-Correct' formats.
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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BEFORE: Menstrual hygiene was managed through variable state-level welfare schemes with inconsistent implementation. NOW: It is a judicially recognized fundamental right under Article 21, making access to menstrual products an enforceable legal claim.
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BEFORE: School sanitation and pad distribution were not universally mandated under strict judicial oversight. NOW: A continuing mandamus requires governments to provide free sanitary napkins and safe disposal facilities in all schools under active court monitoring.
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BEFORE: Dropout rates among menstruating girls were primarily viewed as a socio-economic or administrative challenge. NOW: The Court legally classified these dropouts as a direct violation of the Right to Education Act, 2009, and the principle of substantive equality.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
Correct Statement(s)Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Supreme Court's 2026 judgment on menstrual health? 1. The Supreme Court declared that access to menstrual health and hygiene is an integral facet of Article 21 of the Constitution. 2. The Court issued a continuing mandamus to ensure free sanitary napkins and safe disposal facilities in schools.