UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Paid menstrual leave may hurt women’s careers: SC

Q1. Under the Karnataka Government Order on menstrual leave notified in November 2025, what is the maximum number of days of paid menstrual leave a woman employee is entitled to in a calendar year?

  • A. 10 days
  • B. 12 days
  • C. 24 days
  • D. 60 days

Q2. Which one of the following was the first Indian State to introduce a menstrual leave policy?

  • A. Kerala
  • B. Bihar
  • C. Karnataka
  • D. Odisha

Q3. While declining a mandatory national menstrual leave law (2026), discussions on workers' welfare invoked the Directive Principle requiring the State to secure 'just and humane conditions of work.' This mandate is contained in which Article of the Constitution?

  • A. Article 21
  • B. Article 39
  • C. Article 42
  • D. Article 43

Q4. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 — the statute identified as having a 'legal vacuum' on menstrual leave in the 2026 PIL — is administered by which Union Ministry?

  • A. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • B. Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • C. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment