- Tamil Nadu extends maternity leave for third child to 365 days for women employees
- Previously, women with two or more children received only 12 weeks of maternity leave
- The extension aligns third child's leave duration with that of first two children
Tamil Nadu's administrative authorities stated that it would be extending its women employees' maternity leaves for the birth of their third child, which will now be the same duration as that of the first two children, as per an announcement on Tuesday.
The maternity leave for the third child's birth will now be spannning 365 days, compared to the previous allotted time period of 12 weeks.
ALSO READ: CM Vijay Demands 'Honest' Probe Over Killing Of Three Tamil Nadu Men By Karnataka Forest Department
Under the previous setup, married women government employees with less than two surviving children were granted 365 days of maternity leave, while those with two or more surviving children receive up to 12 weeks of maternity leave.
During the demand for grants to his department, Minister for Human Resources Management, D Sarathkumar told the state Assembly, "Under these circumstances, as the Tamil Nadu government is a welfare-oriented administration prioritising social welfare and women's empowerment, the maternity leave currently provided for the third child of female government employees will be enhanced from 12 weeks to 365 days".
The original 90 days of maternity leave was raised to six months in 2011, nine months in 2016, and extended to one year (365 days) in July 2021 by the respective state governments of the day, led by the AIADMK and the DMK.
Under the standard eligibility framework, the 365-day benefit applies to regular female employees with fewer than two surviving children, a government source said.
ALSO READ: Hinduja Group To Invest Rs 2,500 Crore In Tamil Nadu In Renewable Energy, Electric Mobility And More
However, in line with directives from the Apex Court and subsequent state amendments, state government women employees with two or more surviving children remain entitled to 12 weeks (84 days) of maternity leave with full pay.
A senior official also said that soon a detailed government order will be issued to give effect to the announcement in the Assembly.
(With PTI Inputs.)
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.