Outrage at India menstrual form

By Monica Chadha  |  BBC News, Mumbai

Women civil servants in India have expressed shock at new appraisal rules which require them to reveal details of their menstrual cycles

The form asks for a "detailed menstrual history"

Under the new nationwide requirements, female officials also have to say when they last sought maternity leave. Women civil servants say the questions are a gross invasion of privacy. One told the BBC she was "gobsmacked". Annual appraisals and health checks are mandatory in India's civil service. The ministry was unavailable for comment. But one of its most senior bureaucrats was quoted in the press as saying the new questions had been based on advice from health officials. more....