Opinion | India’s maternity laws need serious tweaking
6 years, 3 months ago

Opinion | India’s maternity laws need serious tweaking

Live Mint  

India will never put poverty in the museum unless we raise women’s labour force participation. A few remedial measures suggested in the TeamLease study for addressing and mitigating this issue include cost sharing between employer and government by way of reimbursement once the employer furnishes the proof of payment of maternity leave wage, slab-based tax rebates offered by the government on actual maternity wages paid, setting up a government insurance scheme to pay for maternity wages, and leave sharing in the form of 13 months maternity and 13 months paternity to negate any possibility of gender bias. First, wages equivalent to only seven weeks shall be reimbursed by the government of India to employers who employ female workers and provide maternity benefits of 26 weeks’ paid leave. The Employees’ State Insurance Act mandates that all employees earning wages of ₹ 21,000 or less shall be covered under the Act. Further, the government must set up crèches with all the attendant facilities proposed in the Maternity Benefit Act, 2017, and allow employees eligible for such benefits to use these crèches at a very nominal cost.

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History of this topic

TDP MP Offers Rs 50000 Or Cow for Women Having Third Child Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu Changes Maternity Leave Policy
Trending News
2 weeks ago

TDP MP Offers Rs 50000 Or Cow for Women Having Third Child Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu Changes Maternity Leave Policy

ABP News  

Telugu Desam Party MP from Vizianagaram, Kalisetty Appalanaidu, has announced incentives for women giving birth to a third child, a move that has sparked widespread discussion in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu Modifies State's Maternity Leave Policy Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has also announced a significant measure to support more childbirths. At a programme organised in Markapur, Prakasam district, …

A leap backward for maternity entitlements
3 weeks, 4 days ago

A leap backward for maternity entitlements

The Hindu  

Even as State after State is splurging on cash transfers for women, the most vulnerable among them, pregnant women, continue to be deprived of their legal right to maternity benefits. Under the National Food Security Act 2013, all pregnant women are entitled to maternity benefits of ₹6,000 a child. Based on this information, we have estimated the PMMVY’s effective coverage, …

Unlocking women’s workforce potential in India
1 month, 1 week ago

Unlocking women’s workforce potential in India

The Hindu  

India’s quest for high economic growth and social equity hinges on an obvious but underrated lever — its women’s workforce. A new study by the writers, titled “Unlocking Women’s Workforce Potential in India: Quantifying the Labour Market Impact of Formalising Part-time Employment and Gender Equality in Unpaid Care Work”, published by the National Council of Applied Economic Research, delves into …

Did better maternity leave disadvantage Indian women in jobs? Study says…
1 month, 1 week ago

Did better maternity leave disadvantage Indian women in jobs? Study says…

India Today  

Women-centric benefits, such as extended paid maternity leave, may be introduced with the right intentions—to boost women’s presence in the workforce—but new research finds these may have unintended consequences. The findings of a study funded by a US government agency reveal that after the legislation on longer maternity leave in India was implemented, women were approximately 22 per cent less …

Odisha Govt Announces 10-day Extra Leave For Women Govt Employees
1 year ago

Odisha Govt Announces 10-day Extra Leave For Women Govt Employees

Deccan Chronicle  

The Odisha government on Tuesday announced extra benefits to the women employees working in various government departments in the state. Following the announcement, women government employees will now be entitled to get 25 days of casual leave after the addition of 10 extra leaves per year. The announcement was made by the state government in view of the domestic responsibilities …

Centre’s share in maternity benefit scheme is pending for nearly 2 lakh women, says Health Minister
1 year, 4 months ago

Centre’s share in maternity benefit scheme is pending for nearly 2 lakh women, says Health Minister

The Hindu  

The Centre’s share of ₹3,000 for the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana -Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme is pending for nearly 2 lakh beneficiaries in the State, and the issue is likely to be resolved in a month, Health Minister Ma. Mr. Subramanian reiterated that only ₹3,000 alone was pending, and the State Government’s amount was being granted, and …

Pregnant Working Women Entitled To Maternity Benefits, Can’t Be Barred Solely Due To Nature Of Employment: Delhi High Court
1 year, 7 months ago

Pregnant Working Women Entitled To Maternity Benefits, Can’t Be Barred Solely Due To Nature Of Employment: Delhi High Court

Live Law  

The Delhi High Court has observed that pregnant working women are entitled to maternity benefits and cannot be denied reliefs under the Maternity Benefit Act, 2017, solely due to the nature of their employment. “There is nothing in the language of the Act or in its provisions which suggests that a working expecting woman would be barred from getting the …

Maternity Leave Is A Fundamental Human Right; Its Denial Violate Articles 29, 39 Of Constitution : Himachal Pradesh High Court
1 year, 9 months ago

Maternity Leave Is A Fundamental Human Right; Its Denial Violate Articles 29, 39 Of Constitution : Himachal Pradesh High Court

Live Law  

Maternity leave aims to protect the dignity of motherhood and ensure the well-being of both the woman and her child, a bench of Justices Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Virender Singh remarked. The Himachal Pradesh High Court has reiterated that every woman, irrespective of her employment status, is entitled to maternity leave. Administrative Tribunal whereby the respondent had been granted the …

Address labour code gaps to help women
1 year, 9 months ago

Address labour code gaps to help women

New Indian Express  

Though the legislation intends to positively impact women’s health and well-being, thereby boosting female labour force participation, implementing the legislation in the informal sector has been challenging. Also, the legislation does not include a provision for parental or shared parental leave, something which is extremely important to address gender inequalities in households to encourage women to sustain themselves in the …

Can’t deny maternity benefits on technicality, Madras High Court tells govt. officials
2 years, 2 months ago

Can’t deny maternity benefits on technicality, Madras High Court tells govt. officials

The Hindu  

The maternity benefit should not be denied to women by standing on mere technicalities and rigid interpretation of the rules, the Madras High Court has said. “In Hindu mythology, women, who respect elders and sacrifice their life for the welfare of the husband’s family, are portrayed as equal or even greater than men and are regarded as equivalent to God,” …

Make workplaces women-friendly, says Tharoor
2 years, 4 months ago

Make workplaces women-friendly, says Tharoor

The Hindu  

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has stressed the need for the government to contribute to the maternity benefits of women so that employers do not have to bear expenses completely. Delivering the Mother Veronica oration on ‘Women and education’ and inaugurating the bicentenary celebrations of Venerable Mother Veronica of the Passion at Providence Women’s College in Kozhikode on Tuesday, Mr. Tharoor …

Ad-Hoc Employee Entitled To Maternity Benefits Beyond The Term Of Contract For Pregnancy During Contractual Period : Delhi High Court
3 years ago

Ad-Hoc Employee Entitled To Maternity Benefits Beyond The Term Of Contract For Pregnancy During Contractual Period : Delhi High Court

Live Law  

In a significant judgment that can come to the aid of women who are employed on contractual basis, the Delhi High Court has held that an ad-hoc employee will be entitled to maternity benefits under the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, beyond the period of the contract, for a pregnancy occurring during the tenure of the employment.Since the object of the …

Maternity Benefits Act yet to have positive impact on women labour force participation: Report
4 years, 4 months ago

Maternity Benefits Act yet to have positive impact on women labour force participation: Report

Hindustan Times  

The Maternity Benefits Act 2017 is yet to have a positive impact on women labour force participation as out of the 10 sectors reviewed women participation has dropped in more than five sectors since the implementation of the act, says a report. According to a TeamLease Report, Maternity Benefits Act 2017 has not helped in improving women labour force participation. …

ESIC hikes confinement expenses paid to pregnant women for getting maternity services from other hospitals to Rs 7,500 from existing Rs 5,000
5 years, 1 month ago

ESIC hikes confinement expenses paid to pregnant women for getting maternity services from other hospitals to Rs 7,500 from existing Rs 5,000

Firstpost  

New Delhi: Employees State Insurance Corporation has decided to increase confinement expenses paid to pregnant women for getting maternity services from other hospitals, to Rs 7,500 from existing Rs 5,000 after factoring in higher cost of living. Confinement expenses are paid to those women beneficiaries who go for treatment in other hospitals due to inaccessibility of maternity services at ESIC …

The mother of non-issues: on maternity entitlements
5 years, 4 months ago

The mother of non-issues: on maternity entitlements

The Hindu  

Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like if men, not women, were bearing and delivering babies. Maternity benefits, of course, are reasonably generous for a small minority of Indian women employed in the formal sector and covered, in principle at least, under the Maternity Benefit Act. Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, all pregnant women are entitled …

Government reduces ESI contribution rate to 4 per cent, industry to save Rs 5K Cr annually
5 years, 9 months ago

Government reduces ESI contribution rate to 4 per cent, industry to save Rs 5K Cr annually

India TV News  

The government on Thursday announced a cut in contributions made by employers and employees toward the health insurance scheme of Employees' State Insurance Corporation to 4 per cent from the existing 6.5 per cent, a move which would lead to an estimated annual saving of around Rs 5,000 crore for firms. "The government has taken a historic decision to reduce …

Women employees of govt having child through surrogacy to get maternity leave
7 years, 1 month ago

Women employees of govt having child through surrogacy to get maternity leave

Firstpost  

Women employees of the central government who have a child through surrogacy will be entitled to maternity leave, according to an official order of the personnel ministry. New Delhi: Women employees of the central government who have a child through surrogacy will be entitled to maternity leave, according to an official order of the personnel ministry. Based on the material …

Tamil Nadu shows the way on women-centric government schemes
7 years, 6 months ago

Tamil Nadu shows the way on women-centric government schemes

Live Mint  

New Delhi/Chennai: In the end it was a small government It was an Rajeshwari, 48, received training in jewellery making from a non-governmental organisation based in Coimbatore. It is not the only successful women-centric scheme from the state government; it is one among many, making Tamil Nadu unique in state In 1987, the state government introduced financial assistance to pregnant …

Pan-India Implementation Of Maternity Benefit Program Approved By Cabinet
7 years, 10 months ago

Pan-India Implementation Of Maternity Benefit Program Approved By Cabinet

Live Law  

The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to pan-India implementation of Maternity Benefit Program which has been extended to all districts of the country w.e.f. 01.01.2017.The Program will provide compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentives so that the women can take adequate rest before and after delivery and not be deprived of proper nutrition.All pregnant …

Maternity benefit law gets President’s assent, woman employees now entitled to 26 weeks’ leave
7 years, 11 months ago

Maternity benefit law gets President’s assent, woman employees now entitled to 26 weeks’ leave

India TV News  

President Pranab Mukherjee today gave his nod to the Maternity Benefit Act, 2017, enabling women employees to get paid maternity leave of 26 weeks, up from 12 weeks. The law also allows maternity leave of 12 weeks for a woman who adopts a child below the age of three months, and for commissioning mother. A woman with two or more …

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2016 Notified [Read The Text]
7 years, 11 months ago

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2016 Notified [Read The Text]

Live Law  

The Government of India has notified The Maternity Benefit Act, 2016 Act on 28th March,2017. The Amendment Act received the assent of President of India on 27th March, 2017.Section 2 of the Amendment Act states as follows;". Section 2 of the Amendment Act states as follows; The Maternity Benefit Act protects the employment of women during the time of her …

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2016 Notified [Read The Text]
7 years, 11 months ago

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2016 Notified [Read The Text]

Live Law  

The Government of India has notified The Maternity Benefit Act, 2016 Act on 28th March,2017. The Amendment Act received the assent of President of India on 27th March, 2017.Section 2 of the Amendment Act states as follows;". Section 2 of the Amendment Act states as follows; The Maternity Benefit Act protects the employment of women during the time of her …

Maternity Bill pregnant with possibilities: Will women benefit?
8 years ago

Maternity Bill pregnant with possibilities: Will women benefit?

Deccan Chronicle  

Bengaluru: The landmark Maternity Benefit Bill 2016, passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, exactly a day after International Women’s Day has been widely welcomed by women activists as a historic moment in the country’s progress towards women’s rights. However, while the public sector will by and large follow the law of the land, will a subtle, unspoken discrimination against …

Highlights of Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill 2016
8 years ago

Highlights of Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill 2016

The Hindu  

The Maternity Benefit Bill, 2016 was passed by the Lok Sabha on February 9, months after the Rajya Sabha approved the measure that makes India third on the list of countries with most maternity leave, after Canada and Norway where it is 50 weeks and 44 weeks respectively. The Bill is an amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, which …

How India's new maternity benefits compare with global standard? Check out this table
8 years ago

How India's new maternity benefits compare with global standard? Check out this table

Firstpost  

UK and Australia offer one of the longest paid maternity benefit in the world, which stands at 52 weeks. Organized sector women employees will now get six months of paid maternity leave, as the Lok Sabha on Thursday amended the law on maternity benefits. As per the amended law, 26 weeks paid leave will be available to women for first …

Women’s Maternity Bill – Boon or Curse in the Career Ladder?
8 years, 6 months ago

Women’s Maternity Bill – Boon or Curse in the Career Ladder?

Op India  

Recently the Rajya Sabha passed the Women’s Maternity Bill in the Indian Parliament. The bill mandates that any private establishment with more than 10 employees will need to give six months maternity leave to women and every company with more than 50 employees must establish crèche facilities for children. Long maternity leave may be the best answer to hold talent …

Amendment to Maternity Benefit Act is historic, but more needs to be done for women in India
8 years, 7 months ago

Amendment to Maternity Benefit Act is historic, but more needs to be done for women in India

Firstpost  

The recent amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act providing 26 weeks of maternity leave can be described as historic. If India can increase its women participation in labour force by 10 percentage points by 2025, it could increase its GDP by16 percent. India is among the few countries to witness a drastic decline in participation of women in work force, …

Extending maternity leave to 26 weeks is good, but India Inc raises a few concerns
8 years, 7 months ago

Extending maternity leave to 26 weeks is good, but India Inc raises a few concerns

Firstpost  

The Cabinet note prepared by the Labour ministry to amend the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, increases maternity leaves from present 12 weeks to 26 weeks. Women who opt for a child through surrogacy or adopt a baby below three months will be entitled to only 12 weeks of maternity leave. Seema Rawat, Chairperson - MBA, HR, Narsee Monjee Institute of …

India Inc on Maternity Benefit Bill: Good step, will help retain female workforce
8 years, 7 months ago

India Inc on Maternity Benefit Bill: Good step, will help retain female workforce

Firstpost  

The move is expected to benefit about 1.8 million women in the organised sector and increase the strength of the working women force New Delhi - India Inc on Tursday welcomed the passage of Maternity Benefit Bill, 2016 in Rajya Sabha that provides for 26 weeks maternity leave. “This initiative would be a good step towards finding solutions to retain …

Women to get 6 months maternity leave, Cabinet clears changes to Act
8 years, 7 months ago

Women to get 6 months maternity leave, Cabinet clears changes to Act

Firstpost  

It is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons and the amendments will help around 1.8 million women workforce in the organised sector. New Delhi: Cabinet on Wednesday gave ex-post facto approval to the amendments made to the Maternity Benefits Act, that aims to raise maternity leave for women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. “The Union Cabinet, …

Great news for women employees! Bill that seeks to double maternity leave to be tabled in parliament today
8 years, 7 months ago

Great news for women employees! Bill that seeks to double maternity leave to be tabled in parliament today

India TV News  

A bill which seeks to increase maternity leave from current 12 weeks to 26 weeks in all establishments, including private sector is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. It will allow fathers to take their children to creche, if its far off from the mother’s workplace At present, the women in private sector are entitled to …

Companies get baby scare
8 years, 8 months ago

Companies get baby scare

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: The proposal of enhancing maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks in the private sector by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare has the companies worried. As per the proposals of the Bill, all establishments, including those in private sector, MNCs and others, will have to provide maternity leave for 26 weeks to their women employees. At present …

Deutsche Bank extends maternity leave for women employees from 16 weeks to 26 weeks
8 years, 8 months ago

Deutsche Bank extends maternity leave for women employees from 16 weeks to 26 weeks

India TV News  

New Delhi: Women employees at Deutsche Bank India will now have a reason to feel good as they will now get paid maternity leave of 26 weeks similar to that of Tata Group which offers maternity leave of up to 27 weeks. According to a report in Times of India, woman employees at Deutsche Bank can avail of the 26 …

Govt may increase maternity leave in private sector from 12 to 26 weeks
9 years, 2 months ago

Govt may increase maternity leave in private sector from 12 to 26 weeks

India TV News  

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is all set to increase the duration of maternity leaves in the private sector from the existing 12 weeks to 26 weeks, reports say. Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday said the Ministry of Labour has agreed to increase maternity leave to six-and-a-half months. According to an Indian Express report, the …

Indian companies with excellent maternity policies | IndiaTV News
9 years, 8 months ago

Indian companies with excellent maternity policies | IndiaTV News

India TV News  

While globally, the companies have started enduring their female staff more by proffering ‘female-friendly' policies; lately India Inc. has also joined the bandwagon. Here's the list – 1) Flipkart As per the newly rolled-out maternity policy of Flipkart, it will give six months paid leave to new mothers and four months of flexi hours after rejoining with full pay. Apart …

Indian company which gives child care allowance to female employees | IndiaTV News
9 years, 9 months ago

Indian company which gives child care allowance to female employees | IndiaTV News

India TV News  

There's one Indian company which has not only won the hearts of its female staff but has strongly conveyed its employee-oriented attitude to others as well. This Indian Company is offering a child-care allowance of INR 1.32 Lakh per annum to its female employees who have retreated the career path because of child birth. The name of this company is …

Mothers who work: It’s time for India Inc to let go off its gender double standard
9 years, 10 months ago

Mothers who work: It’s time for India Inc to let go off its gender double standard

Firstpost  

One of the major reasons that organizations do not pay much heed to continuity plan is their `insensitivity’ towards issues relating to women, opine HR experts. “India Inc needs to be sensitive to working women with responsibilities,” says Rahul Kulkarni, HR head, Accelya Kale Solutions, recognizing the issue. “A government policy would make it effective to have more women at …

Women in unorganised sector should get maternity benefit: Tirath
11 years, 8 months ago

Women in unorganised sector should get maternity benefit: Tirath

Firstpost  

The Maternity Benefit Act regulates the employment of women for certain period before and after child-birth and is aimed at protection of their rights. New Delhi: Union Minister Krishna Tirath today pitched for extending maternity benefits under law to those working in the unorganised sector, comprising half of the women population, saying “discrimination” against them must be eliminated. “Almost half …

Proposal to financially support pregnant women
14 years, 6 months ago

Proposal to financially support pregnant women

Hindustan Times  

The Planning Commission of India is considering a proposal to enable the government to pay Rs 4,000 each to 13.8 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers if the women are willing to go for regular health check-ups during their pregnancies and ensure timely vaccinations for the new born child. HT Image The women and child development ministry that wants to …

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