AP Free Sanitary Napkin Scheme 2026 - Swechha Yojana for Govt School Girls Class 7 to 12

Swechha Scheme 2026: Andhra Pradesh government is running Free Sanitary Napkin Scheme, also called Swechha Muft Sanitary Pad Yojana, for girl students studying in Class 7 to 12 in government schools and junior colleges. Around ten lakh adolescent girls get free sanitary pads every month under this scheme, and the pack has now been revised to five regular size and five large size napkins based on feedback collected from students.

Swechha scheme was started on 5 October 2021 to improve menstrual hygiene among school going girls and reduce absenteeism during periods. Present government led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has continued the scheme and cleared pending dues of Rs 18.96 crore left over from the previous administration. Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh shared these details in the AP Legislative Council in March 2026.

Swechha Muft Sanitary Pad Yojana 2026

Scheme covers all girls studying from 7th to 12th grade in government schools and intermediate colleges across the state, at a yearly outlay of about Rs 32 crore. Every student gets 120 sanitary napkins in a year, supplied through the school itself. Even during summer holidays, students are given their quota before schools close.

Free branded sanitary products come through agreements the state government signed with companies such as P&G and Niine Pvt Ltd. Whisper and Niine brands are supplied in government schools. Each school has a female teacher appointed as Nodal Officer to help students with pad supply, safe disposal, and any other support they need.

Latest Changes in Swechha Scheme

Students earlier received seven regular size and three large size sanitary napkins each month. After feedback from beneficiaries, government changed distribution to five regular size and five large size pads. Feedback is being collected through RTGS and IVRS phone calls to check how well the scheme is working on ground.

As per this feedback, 96 per cent of girls said they are getting sanitary napkins regularly, while 4 per cent reported gaps in supply. On quality, 85 per cent students rated pads as good, 14 per cent as average and 1 per cent were unhappy. For absorption, 84 per cent gave a good rating. On size, 89 per cent students were satisfied while 11 per cent wanted changes.

Government is also looking at eco-friendly sanitary pads and plans to work with NGOs to spread awareness among adolescent girls. A pilot project with vending machines using smart cards has already started in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, and there are plans to expand this to other schools too. Awareness drives about HPV vaccine are also planned as part of girls health support, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push on this vaccine.

Sanitary Napkins at YSR Cheyutha Stores

Apart from free supply to school students, sanitary napkins are sold at lower prices to around 1 crore women through YSR Cheyutha retail stores in both rural and urban areas. For safe disposal, state government has set up 6,417 incinerators across Andhra Pradesh under Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP) programme.

Objectives of Swechha Scheme

State government runs this scheme for a few clear reasons:

• Spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene among school girls.
• Giving free sanitary napkins so cost does not stop any girl from using them.
• Improving access to good quality sanitary napkins for girls in rural areas.
• Encouraging safe disposal of used pads in an environment friendly way.
• Cutting down health problems linked to poor menstrual hygiene.

Highlights of Swechha Sanitary Napkin Scheme

Detail	Information
Scheme Name	Swechha Muft Sanitary Pad Yojana
State	Andhra Pradesh
Launched On	5 October 2021
Beneficiaries	Girl students of Class 7 to 12 in govt schools and junior colleges
Number of Beneficiaries	About 10 lakh girls
Napkins Per Month	5 regular size + 5 large size (revised)
Napkins Per Year	120 per girl
Yearly Outlay	About ₹32 crore
Department	School Education Department, Andhra Pradesh

Eligibility for Free Sanitary Napkins

Girl students studying in Class 7 to Class 12 in any government school, government junior college or Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Andhra Pradesh can get free sanitary napkins under this scheme. No separate application is needed, school itself supplies the napkins every month through the appointed Nodal Officer.

Why Menstrual Hygiene Support Matters

Report from United Nations Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council had found that 23 per cent girls in India drop out of school due to lack of menstrual products, poor toilets, no running water and no place to dispose pads safely. National Family Health Survey (2015-16) had also found that only 55 per cent women aged 15 to 45 years used hygienic protection methods during periods, with rural areas lagging behind urban areas.

Girls who do not have proper hygiene support are at higher risk of fungal infection, urinary tract infection and other reproductive health problems. State government has also built restroom facilities with running water in thousands of government schools under Mana Badi Nadu-Nedu programme, along with related support such as Jagananna Gorumudda mid day meal scheme and Jagananna Vidya Kanuka scheme for school kits, so that girls continue their education without any gap.

FAQ's

Is Swechha scheme still running in Andhra Pradesh?

Yes, scheme is active and Class 7 to 12 girl students in government schools continue to get free sanitary napkins every month, with distribution now revised to five regular and five large size pads.

How many sanitary napkins does a student get in a year?

Every eligible girl gets 120 sanitary napkins in a year, supplied monthly through her school.

Do students need to apply separately for this scheme?

No separate application is required. Napkins are supplied directly through the school by the Nodal Officer appointed for this purpose.

Source / Reference Links: thehansindia.com, telanganatoday.com