Patna: The state government will install sanitary pad vending machines in most schools within two months and write to colleges urging the inclusion of disaster management in their curriculum, the assembly was told on Tuesday.
Education minister Sunil Kumar said the initiative on menstrual hygiene facilities would follow a recent cabinet approval of Rs 40 crore. Tendering has begun and financial bids will be opened shortly, he added. Machines and incinerators are meant to be installed in all secondary and higher secondary schools under the menstrual hygiene management scheme, but currently only 0.95% of schools — 419 in total — have the facilities, said Komal Singh (MLA Gaighat Bihar).
The minister said installations would be prioritised in most schools within two months, with remaining sites addressed in the next financial year. Advocates argue that access to sanitary products in schools is essential for gender equity, public health and equal educational participation.
Separately, the government will communicate with colleges about introducing disaster management teaching. The proposal was raised by Ajay Kumar (MLA Vibhutipur Bihar) during question hour.
Bihar is among India’s most disaster-prone states, facing recurrent floods, droughts and lightning strikes. Kumar argued that despite these risks, disaster management is not systematically taught in educational institutions. The minister responded that such content is already provided in schools and that colleges would be advised to follow relevant guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission.
Kumar questioned the absence of disaster management in higher education, noting that the subject appears in competitive examinations such as NET, raising concerns about career pathways for students who specialise in it.
