The prestigious Kerala Kalamandalam that offers courses on the state’s traditional music and performing arts has announced menstrual leave for its students in line with the state government’s gender justice policy.

The state-funded deemed university at Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur district that has about 550 students, more than 300 of them girls, enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate courses besides research students, issued a circular notifying the move on Tuesday.

“The decision was taken at last month’s governing body meeting following a request from the students,” the university’s registrar, Dr Rajesh Kumar, told The Telegraph on Wednesday.

He said girls would be provided a concession of 2 per cent in their compulsory attendance, reducing their minimum attendance threshold to 73 per cent.

“Our decision is based on the gender justice policy announced by the state government that instructed all institutions to consider period leave,” said Kumar.

The circular covers only students, as women teachers and other employees are covered under different categories of leave, including medical leave.

The institute offers courses in Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattam, Thullal, Carnatic music and traditional Kerala percussion that accompanies these performing art forms.

CPM campus wing SFI, which controls the students’ union at Kerala Kalamandalam, had last year made a written request to the authorities to allow period leave based on the state government’s policy announced last year.

Students’ union vice-chairperson Sreelakshmi Pradeep said the period leave would be of great help.

“It’ll be of great help, especially for students of performing arts like dances and Kathakali that require a lot of physical effort,” she told this newspaper.

A BA second-year student of Mohiniyattam, a traditional Kerala classical dance form, Sreelakshmi, said the students’ union would continue to strive for gender justice and parity.

“Such a decision would encourage more girls to join this institution that has opened up all courses for girls,” she said.

The university has apparently strengthened its gender justice policies after eminent classical dance exponent Mallika Sarabhai was appointed chancellor in December 2022. The appointment followed the state government’s removal of governor Arif Mohammed Khan as chancellor.

Being a deemed university, the state government was at liberty to remove Khan, who has been at loggerheads with the Left government on several issues.

The Kerala Kalamandalam had in 2021 made a huge departure from its 90-year history by allowing girls to join Kathakali courses, until then the preserve of boys. First suggested by Kathakali exponent Kalamandalam Gopi Asan, the course has since attracted several girls.

“The first batch of girls who graduated in Kathakali passed out and performed last year,” Kumar recalled the epoch-making development.

Another glass ceiling was broken when a 14-year-old hijab-wearing Muslim girl named Sabri N joined the course under the tutelage of the 86-year-old Gopi Asan.

“Under the guidance of our chancellor (Mallika Sarabhai) who encourages us to take decisions to further gender justice and gender equality, last year we even opened the Kathakali music courses for girls, breaking another tradition,” Kumar said.

“We now allow girls to join any course, whether it be Carnatic classical music, performing arts including Kathakali, and even Chenda (a traditional Kerala percussion),” he said.