Class 11 students denied sanitary pad; sent home from school in Uttar Pradesh

The girl’s father said that the principal and teachers “ignored” her needs and added she is traumatised and is now refusing to go to school.

The principal allegedly denied a 16-year-old student at a government school in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly a sanitary pad after she got her period on Friday during an exam. According to the family, the girl, a class 11 student, was made to wait outside the exam hall for over an hour but was not given a pad.

A class 11 student was denied sanitary pads in a Uttar Pradesh school.

The girl from class 11, studying in a school in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, got her period during an exam on Friday, but the principal allegedly denied her a sanitary pad. The family has since filed a complaint with the district inspector of schools (DIOS) and forwarded it to various authorities, including the women and Child Welfare Department and the state women’s commission, demanding action against the school, as the Times of India reported.

What did the DIOS say on the matter?

DIOS Ajit Kumar said, as quoted by TOI, “The allegation has been made by the student’s father, who submitted a written complaint. We have formed a two-member team and sought a report on the matter. It is also being verified whether sanitary pads were available at the school. Some social organisations and the govt are running awareness campaigns to educate students, and guidelines have been issued to ensure pads are available in all schools across the district.”

The father said the principal and teachers “ignored” his daughter’s needs.

The father of the girl said that the principal and teachers “ignored” her needs, adding, “She had to return home in a terrible condition. She is traumatised and now refuses to go to school due to the embarrassment she experienced.” In response, Rachna Arora, the acting principal of the school, clarified, “I was informed that the student had asked for pads, but I was occupied with urgent matters. She was told to wait, but she left with her friends. By the time I was free, I learned she had already gone home.”

In September 2024, the UP government announced a new program to provide sanitary pads to girls in government schools.