Let us talk about something that half the population experiences every single month but that most people still find uncomfortable discussing out loud.
Menstrual hygiene is not a luxury. It is not something extra or optional. It is a basic and non-negotiable health need. Every girl and every woman deserves access to clean and safe sanitary products. But for millions of women and girls living in poor families in rural Haryana that access has simply not been there. Not because they do not want it. Because they cannot afford it. And in many villages because nobody has ever even talked to them properly about it.
The consequences of this are real and they are serious. Girls miss school during their periods because they have no sanitary products and no safe way to manage. Women work through discomfort every month using unsafe alternatives that put their health at risk. Young adolescent girls growing up in villages have nobody explaining menstrual hygiene to them and no products available even if they wanted to practice it. All of this quietly affects the health, the confidence, and the dignity of women and girls every single month of their lives.
The Haryana Government looked at this reality and decided to do something direct and meaningful about it. The Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana — also known as the Haryana Women and Adolescent Girl Honor Scheme — was launched on 5 August 2020. The word Samman means honor and dignity in Hindi. And that is exactly what this scheme is trying to give back to every BPL woman and adolescent girl in Haryana. Honor. Dignity. And the basic right to manage their own health without shame, without financial stress, and without having to ask anyone for help.
Under this scheme every eligible BPL woman and girl between 10 and 45 years of age receives a packet of 6 free sanitary napkins every single month — delivered right to their home by their local Anganwadi worker. No cost. No travel. No uncomfortable conversations at a shop counter. Just clean biodegradable high quality sanitary napkins arriving quietly and respectfully at the door every month.
This complete guide covers everything you need to know about this scheme — what it is, who qualifies, what you get, how delivery works, and how to make sure you are receiving the benefit.
The Haryana Women and Adolescent Girl Honor Scheme officially known as Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana was launched on 5 August 2020 by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar through video conferencing. It is implemented by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Haryana.
The scheme was launched alongside the Mukhyamantri Doodh Uphar Yojana — another initiative providing free fortified milk to children and pregnant or lactating mothers at Anganwadi centres — as part of a combined women and child welfare package with a total outlay of Rs. 256 crore.
The core purpose of this scheme is completely straightforward but genuinely impactful. It directly addresses the severe lack of menstrual hygiene awareness and access to sanitary products among women and girls in BPL families in rural Haryana. According to National Family Health Survey data around 78 percent of women in urban areas use hygienic sanitary napkins. In rural areas that number drops to just 48 percent. That gap is enormous and it is exactly what this scheme was designed to close.
The scheme covers around 22.50 lakh women and girls across Haryana from BPL families. The state government has allocated Rs. 39.80 crore specifically for the distribution of sanitary napkins to eligible BPL families. The Education Department of Haryana runs a separate parallel component under which 6 sanitary napkins are provided every month to girl students in schools — covering around 50 lakh girl students independently from the main scheme.
What makes this scheme stand out in its design is one simple but deeply thoughtful decision — home delivery. Anganwadi workers deliver the sanitary napkins directly to the beneficiary’s home every month. The woman does not have to go anywhere. The product comes to her. And that single design choice removes barriers that most people who have never lived in a rural village would not even think about.
Details | Information |
Scheme Name | Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana |
Also Known As | Haryana Women and Adolescent Girl Honor Scheme |
Launch Date | 5 August 2020 |
Launched By | Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana |
Implemented By | Department of Women and Child Development, Haryana |
Benefit | 6 Free Sanitary Napkins Every Month |
Target Group | BPL Women and Girls Aged 10 to 45 Years |
Total Beneficiaries | Around 22.50 Lakh Women and Girls |
Delivery Method | Home Delivery by Anganwadi Workers |
Budget Allocated | Rs. 39.80 Crore |
Type of Napkins | Biodegradable and Eco-Friendly |
School Component | 6 Napkins Per Month to 50 Lakh Girl Students |
Official Department |
Before we get into eligibility it is worth understanding what this scheme is genuinely trying to achieve because the goals go well beyond just distributing sanitary napkins:
The scheme works to promote menstrual hygiene awareness among women and adolescent girls from poor families who have historically had almost no access to information or products. It directly reduces the health risks that come from using unsafe alternatives — infections, rashes, and long-term complications that many rural women silently deal with for years. It addresses the specific problem of girls missing school during menstruation which over time affects their education, their confidence, and their future. It promotes dignity and removes the deep social stigma around menstruation by normalising the use of sanitary napkins through respectful home delivery. It focuses specifically on rural areas and BPL families where the gap in access is the most severe and the need is the most urgent. And it contributes to environmental cleanliness by using biodegradable napkins that can be disposed of safely without harming the environment.
The eligibility conditions are simple and easy to understand:
Residency
The beneficiary must be a permanent resident of Haryana. The scheme is specifically for women and girls living in Haryana.
BPL Category
The beneficiary must belong to a Below Poverty Line BPL family. The scheme is targeted at the most economically vulnerable families where the need for free sanitary products is the most real and the most urgent. There are approximately 11,24,871 BPL families in Haryana and the scheme covers all eligible women and girls within these families.
Age
The beneficiary must be between 10 and 45 years of age. The lower limit of 10 is set because this is the age at which most adolescent girls begin menstruation. The upper limit of 45 covers the majority of women’s active reproductive years.
School Students — Separate Component
For girl students studying in schools across Haryana a separate component runs through the Education Department. Under this component 6 sanitary napkins are provided free every month to girl students regardless of whether their family is BPL or not. This component covers around 50 lakh girl students across the state.
Quick Summary:
Condition | Requirement |
Residency | Permanent Resident of Haryana |
Economic Category | Below Poverty Line BPL Family |
Age | 10 to 45 Years |
For School Girls | Covered Separately Through Education Department |
6 Free Sanitary Napkins Every Month
Every eligible BPL woman and girl between 10 and 45 years receives a packet of 6 sanitary napkins completely free of cost every single month. The napkins are delivered to her home by the local Anganwadi worker. She does not have to go anywhere, ask anyone, or pay anything. They arrive at her door every month like clockwork.
Biodegradable and Eco-Friendly Napkins
This detail matters more than most people realise. Almost all commercially available sanitary napkins in the market are made from non-biodegradable materials that take hundreds of years to decompose and cause serious environmental harm. The napkins provided under this scheme are biodegradable — meaning they can be disposed of safely without damaging the environment. The scheme takes care of women’s health and the environment at the same time.
High Quality Products
The government’s focus with this scheme is not just on providing something. It is on providing something that actually works and actually helps. The napkins are described as high quality products promoting cleanliness, health, and convenience for the women receiving them.
Home Delivery — Private, Respectful, and Barrier-Free
This is the most thoughtful part of the entire scheme and it deserves a moment of attention.
In many rural areas across Haryana buying sanitary products from the local shop means walking up to a counter where the shopkeeper and other customers are often men. That social discomfort is a real barrier. Many women avoid buying sanitary products precisely because of how awkward and exposed that experience feels. The home delivery model completely removes that barrier. A trusted female Anganwadi worker — someone the family already knows — brings the napkins directly to the home. Privately. Respectfully. Without any awkwardness or exposure. The woman receives her monthly supply at home and that is that.
School Girls Component
Under the Education Department’s parallel component girl students in schools across Haryana receive 6 sanitary napkins every month free of cost. This ensures girls do not miss school during their periods because of lack of products. Keeping girls present in school every day of the month is a direct and meaningful contribution to their education and the scheme treats that seriously.
The delivery system for this scheme runs entirely through the existing Anganwadi network that already reaches villages and communities across every district of Haryana.
Anganwadi workers are the backbone of this delivery. They already know the families in their area, they already have a relationship of trust with the community, and they are already present in every village. This makes them the ideal people to deliver sanitary napkins directly and sensitively to beneficiary homes every month without any of the awkwardness or logistical complexity that another delivery system might create.
Each Anganwadi worker is responsible for identifying the eligible women and girls in their area, maintaining an updated list of beneficiaries, and making sure a packet of 6 napkins reaches each one of them every single month at their home.
For girl students in schools the delivery happens through the school itself under the Education Department’s component. School staff manage the distribution and girls receive their monthly supply within the school premises.
Every village and urban ward in Haryana has a designated Anganwadi worker. Your very first step is to identify who the Anganwadi worker is for your area. You can find this out by asking at your nearest Anganwadi Centre or by asking at your Gram Panchayat office. Once you know who your Anganwadi worker is the rest is simple.
This step is more important than it sounds so do not skip over it casually.
Before your name can be added to the beneficiary list your family must be officially recorded as BPL in the government system. The easiest way to confirm this is to check your ration card. If it says BPL on it you are in the right place and can move ahead. That card is what proves your eligibility for this scheme.
Now here is where a lot of families get stuck without realising it. There are genuinely poor families across Haryana whose actual income and living conditions clearly put them in the BPL category but whose official records do not reflect that correctly yet. If your family is in that situation do not assume it will sort itself out on its own. It will not. Go and fix it. Talk to your Anganwadi worker about it or walk into your nearest SARAL Kendra and ask the staff to help you get your BPL status correctly updated. Because until that correction happens in the official records your eligibility for this scheme simply cannot be confirmed no matter how genuinely deserving your family is.
Once your BPL status is sorted this step could not be more straightforward.
Find the Anganwadi worker who covers your area — most people in villages already know who she is — and just talk to her. Tell her you are an eligible woman or girl under the Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana and that you want to be registered to receive the monthly sanitary napkin delivery. That is genuinely all it takes to get the process started.
She will verify your age, confirm your BPL status, and add your name to the official beneficiary list for your area. The Anganwadi worker is there specifically to help with this and she will guide you through anything that needs to be done. And once the registration is done it is done permanently. You do not need to come back and repeat this process every month or every year. One time and it is sorted.
After registration there is nothing left for you to do. No follow-up visits, no monthly requests, no forms to fill, no office to check in with. The process runs on its own from here.
From the very next delivery cycle your Anganwadi worker will bring a packet of 6 sanitary napkins directly to your home every month. You do not go to her — she comes to you. The delivery arrives quietly and respectfully at your door every single month without you having to ask for it or remind anyone. And it keeps coming automatically every month for as long as you remain eligible. Simple, consistent, and completely free.
If you are a girl student studying in a school in Haryana speak to your class teacher or the designated school staff about the sanitary napkin distribution programme. The school manages the distribution internally and eligible girl students receive their monthly supply at school.
The scheme is completely free — you never pay a single rupee for the sanitary napkins delivered to your home. Only BPL women and girls between 10 and 45 years are eligible for home delivery through Anganwadi workers. Girl students in schools are covered separately through the Education Department. If you are eligible but not yet receiving the benefit do not wait for someone to come to you — contact your local Anganwadi worker today and get your name registered. The napkins are biodegradable and completely safe to use and dispose of. And if you face any issues with delivery or registration contact your nearest Anganwadi Centre or the Women and Child Development Department helpline directly.
Contact | Details |
Official Department Website | |
Department | Women and Child Development, Haryana |
SARAL Helpline | 1800-2000-023 Toll Free |
Access Through | Local Anganwadi Worker or Anganwadi Centre |
School Component | Through School Education Department, Haryana |
The Haryana Women and Adolescent Girl Honor Scheme officially known as Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana was launched on 5 August 2020 by the Haryana Government. Under this scheme every eligible BPL woman and girl between 10 and 45 years of age receives a packet of 6 free biodegradable sanitary napkins every month delivered directly to their home by their local Anganwadi worker. The scheme covers around 22.50 lakh women and girls from BPL families across Haryana with a total budget of Rs. 39.80 crore.
Any woman or adolescent girl who is a permanent resident of Haryana, belongs to a BPL family, and is between 10 and 45 years of age is eligible to receive free sanitary napkins every month under this scheme. Girl students in schools across Haryana are covered separately under a parallel Education Department component regardless of whether their family is BPL or not.
The sanitary napkins are delivered directly to the beneficiary's home every month by the local Anganwadi worker. The woman or girl does not have to go anywhere or collect anything from anywhere. The home delivery model was specifically designed to ensure privacy, remove social awkwardness around purchasing sanitary products, and make sure the benefit reaches women in rural areas who might feel uncomfortable buying such products from shops in public.
The sanitary napkins provided are biodegradable and eco-friendly. Unlike most commercially available sanitary products which are non-biodegradable and cause serious long-term environmental damage these napkins can be disposed of safely without harming the environment. They are high quality products designed to promote cleanliness, health, and comfort for the women receiving them.
Each eligible beneficiary receives a packet of 6 sanitary napkins every month completely free of cost delivered to her home by her Anganwadi worker. Girl students in schools receive 6 napkins per month through their school under the Education Department's separate component.
If you are a BPL woman or girl between 10 and 45 years of age in Haryana and you are not receiving your monthly delivery the first thing to do is contact your local Anganwadi worker directly and tell her you want to be registered as a beneficiary. If you do not know who your Anganwadi worker is ask at your nearest Anganwadi Centre or Gram Panchayat office. You can also call the SARAL helpline at 1800-2000-023 for assistance. Do not wait for someone to come to you — reach out and get yourself registered.