Overview

• Under the Menstrual Leave Policy, 2025, women employees are entitled to one paid day off each month, totaling 12 days a year.
• The cabinet said coverage spans state departments, garment factories, IT firms, multinational companies, and other private employers across Karnataka.
• Officials described the move as the first comprehensive state policy in India to include both government and private sectors, contrasting with narrower measures in Bihar, Odisha, and Kerala.
• Labour Minister Santosh Lad highlighted that a committee’s earlier recommendation of six annual days was doubled to 12, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah framed the decision as supporting dignity and wellbeing at work.
• Reports note unanswered questions on legal enactment, monitoring, and how unorganised-sector workers will be protected, with indications that administrative steps and public rollout will follow.