At 9.15 am, Anitha Ramakrishna, 34, a first division clerk in a government office in Bengaluru’s MS building complex, closed her laptop without guilt for the first time in 12 years of service. Her lower
back hurt, the cramps were familiar, and the morning commute had already drained her. But this time, she wasn’t improvising an excuse or quietly pushing through.
She logged into the system, selected an option that did not exist until recently, and applied for menstrual leave. For Anitha, the leave was not about comfort. It was about legitimacy.
A Policy That Now Has a Name
Karnataka’s newly introduced Menstrual Leave Policy 2025 has formally laid out how women employees can avail one day of paid menstrual leave every month. But behind the government order dated November 12, 2025, are hundreds of women like Anitha, navigating the fine print alongside real-life responsibilities.
The policy applies to menstruating women employees between 18 and 52 years of age and covers permanent, contract, and outsourced staff across government departments. In some sectors such as IT, garment units and factories, departments have begun aligning their internal rules with the state’s framework.
“You Can Take the Leave, But You Must Plan It”
For Shobha K, 47, a Section Officer in the Education Department, the policy has meant answering questions she never had to deal with earlier.
“Women can take the leave, yes. But files don’t stop,” she said, pointing to stacked folders on her desk. “If there are court matters or urgent submissions, the employee must inform the section officer and make arrangements. That is clearly mentioned.”
Under the rules, menstrual leave cannot be carried forward or combined with any other type of leave. It must be used in the same month or it lapses. Applications have to be submitted through the Electronic Employee Database System, and the same authority that sanctions casual leave will approve this leave as well. No medical certificate is required.
A Separate Column, A Separate Conversation
In a taluk office in Gadag, Meenakshi Hugar, 29, a data entry operator on contract, says the most noticeable change is not the leave itself but how it is recorded.
“It goes into a separate column,” she said. “Earlier, if we took casual leave, people assumed reasons. Now it is clearly marked.”
Departments have been instructed to maintain a separate record for menstrual leave in attendance registers, a move officials say is meant to ensure transparency and prevent misuse.
Twelve Days, No More, No Less
The policy allows for 12 days of paid menstrual leave per year, calculated strictly as one day per month. Officials stress that this is a structured benefit, not an open-ended provision.
Circulars issued by departments including the Education Department make it clear that while menstrual leave is a recognised right, it must be exercised within the defined monthly framework. Accumulation is not permitted, and flexibility is limited.
Between Relief and Reality
For Anitha, the relief is real but measured. “It doesn’t erase the pressure,” she said, gathering her bag before heading home. “But it tells us the system finally acknowledges what we deal with.”
As Karnataka rolls out one of its most closely watched workplace policies, the conversations it has triggered are unfolding quietly at desks, in attendance registers, and during early-morning decisions before office hours begin.
For many women employees, menstrual leave is no longer an unspoken adjustment. It now has a form, a process, and a set of rules. And for the first time, a name.
