Poor menstrual hygiene, lack of life skills have affected their education Only 30 per cent of the girl students in hostels wash their hands before eating after defecation, while only 40 per cent take bath everyday. While about 60 per cent of the girls cut their nails regularly, open defecation is still being practiced in hostels, especially in North Karnataka districts like Raichur and Gulbarga. These are some of the stark findings of field studies recently conducted in girls hostels in Karnataka, by Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and IL&FS Education and Technology Services Ltd. The study indicates that sanitation and hygiene are a critical area of concern in the hostels, where issues like menstrual hygiene, sanitation, hygiene practices, cleanliness in the surroundings, lack of life skills, have in fact hindered the educational prospects of the girls residing in these hostels, run by the department of Social Welfare. The agencies visited three hostels located in Shidlaghatta in South Karnataka, Baad in Coastal Karnataka and Shahpur in North Karnataka. It was also observed that the students lacked confidence, they were unable to follow instructions properly, their presentation skills were below average, and their element of life skills to supplement their formal education was missing. To improve living conditions, and their educational prospects, the department along with UNICEF, launched a joint programme