HC seeks Centre's response to GST on sanitary napkins

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre seeking a reply on a plea against imposition of 12 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary napkins.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar was of the view that the issue needs to be examined. It sought a response from both the Finance Ministry and GST Council directing them to file their replies in the matter.

The next date of hearing is November 15.

The action comes after a petition has been filed by Zarmina Israr Khan, a PhD scholar at the Jawaharlal Nehru University who challenged the levying of 12 per cent GST on sanitary napkins, terming it "illegal" and "unconstitutional."

The petition said that the government had exempted goods like kajal, kumkum, bindis, sindur, alta, plastic and glass bangles, hearing aids, passenger baggage, puja samagri of all kinds, and all types of contraceptives, including condoms, from the purview of taxation, but it has not extended the exemption to sanitary napkins, which is essential for the health of women.