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A proposal was made by the ministry of women and child development (WCD) to increase maternity leave for working women to eight months from three months. The proposed leave of eight months will include leave for on-month before expected delivery date and seven more months after the delivery.

The extension was proposed by Maneka Gandhi, the Women and Child Development Minister, who discussed about the proposal with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for working and expected women.

The labor ministry was also urged by the WCD ministry for the extension of the maternity benefit provisions to working women in organised and unorganised sectors as well.

Nutan Guha Biswas WCD additional secretary said, “We have mooted a proposal for extending the maternity leave for working women from the present three months to eight months to the Cabinet Secretariat for a discussion in the Committee of Secretaries. This matter was taken up by our minister with the Prime Minister and he is also very interested, so we are sending a copy to him.”

By changing incumbent employment rules of Maternity Benefits Act of 1961, these benefits will be brought.

-Sumana