Thiruvananthapuram: State Education Minister V Sivankutty has announced menstrual leave and Saturday holidays for trainees at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Kerala. Previously, Saturdays were considered working days. Women trainees at ITIs will now be entitled to two days of menstrual leave each month.

To compensate for the training time lost due to Saturday holidays, the ITI shifts have been rescheduled. The first shift will now run from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and the second shift from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

While trainees will have Saturdays off, these days can still be utilised for extracurricular activities such as shop-floor training and short-term training courses for those who require them.
Minister Sivankutty emphasised that women are actively engaged in all sectors today, including highly skill-intensive and physically demanding trades. Taking these factors into account, the decision to grant two days of menstrual leave to female trainees at ITIs was made, he added.