Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Scheme 2026: Women Hygiene & Employment Scheme by Central Govt in Odisha

Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Scheme 2026: Central govt. launched the Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins Initiative for women in Odisha. Under this scheme, women got access to hygiene products along with employment opportunities in every district of the state. This scheme of Union govt. was a counter of the state-run Khushi Scheme, under which Odisha govt. provides free sanitary napkins to female students of govt. and govt. aided schools in the state.

Update: Scheme has been closed, or it was a one time scheme which has been closed by the government. This was a phase 1 pilot from 2018 to set up manufacturing units in Odisha, and no new phase or expansion has been announced since then. There is no ongoing application window for women to join under this scheme. Readers looking for active sanitary napkin support in Odisha can check the Khushi Scheme instead.

What is Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Scheme 2026

In phase 1 of Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Initiative, oil marketing companies set up around 100 local manufacturing units. OMCs set up these units at common service centers (CSCs) across 93 blocks in 30 districts in Odisha. Common Service Centres (CSCs) are facilities set up to deliver govt. e-services in rural and remote locations.

As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) report, the overall usage of sanitary napkins in Odisha was 33.5%, which was quite low. So, central govt. wanted to make usage of sanitary napkins into a mass movement.

Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins Initiative Launch by Central Govt.

Central govt. started Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Scheme to promote hygiene and provide job opportunities to women. Each manufacturing unit was set up at a cost of around Rs. 2.94 crore. Each pack had 8 sanitary pads, priced at Rs. 42 per pack. Also, each manufacturing unit employed 5 or 6 Ujjwala beneficiaries. So, this initiative gave employment to nearly 600 women across all the districts.

Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Scheme to Make Women Self Reliant

Women first received training in manufacturing and sale of sanitary napkins. This initiative gave women a chance to earn between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 15,000 per month. This scheme aimed to make women self reliant, as the earlier method of giving money to women through revolving funds was not enough.

Menstrual Hygiene through Ujjwala Sanitary Pad Scheme

Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins Initiative aimed to raise the overall usage of sanitary napkins in women and promote women hygiene. This initiative gave eligible women a chance to earn in poor and rural areas, in the hours saved from no longer having to cook on firewood.

At each center, around 5 women worked in production and another 5 in marketing. Around 35 lakh women had already benefited from Ujjwala Yojana, and this number was expected to reach up to 45 lakh women. Each facility could produce between 1200 to 2000 pads per day.

Making of Sanitary Napkins

Sanitary pads were made from biodegradable substances like virgin wood pulp sheet, non-woven white sheet and a gel sheet. Also, sterilisation rooms were set up at units to make sure the products were packed in a hygienic manner.

Source / Reference Link: https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/odisha-bhubaneswar-dharmendra-pradhan-launches-ujjwala-sanitary-napkin-scheme-menstrual-hygiene-29341/