Bhubaneswar, April 7 -- The Odisha government issued an "extremely urgent" directive to all district collectors, demanding the immediate implementation of comprehensive sanitation and menstrual hygiene facilities across the state's educational network. 

The move follows a landmark Supreme Court judgment in the case of Dr. Jaya Thakur vs. Government of India (2022), which established a national mandate for menstrual hygiene management in schools.

The order, issued by N. Thirumala Naik, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department, signals a robust push toward creating more inclusive and safer environments for students. 

District Education Officers have been instructed to conduct annual inspection...