Maternity leave is an essential need for every woman.The pregnant lady needs rest and special care at least for the last two months of her 9-month pregnancy period, as well as during post-delivery of the baby at least for next six months when the baby needs the mother to stay and feel safe physically, emotionally, and psychologically. But the provision of maternity leave was insufficient in India, even in some places the provision of maternity leave was completely under the consideration of authority.
New maternity benefit bill: How it is significant?
The latest bill sanctioned in Rajya Sabha has brought some fresh air of relief for Indian carrying mothers. Under this bill pregnant mothers are entitled now to 26 weeks of maternity leave; further more, commissioning mothers will get 12 weeks leave and if available and possible lactating mothers can work from home after 26-weeks maternity leave so that she can take care of her baby properly.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his sanction on the bill and this new amendment will be applicable to all Indian business organizations with 10 or more employee strength. Union Cabinet has expressed their satisfaction over this bill’s huge applause and has stated that due to this maternity bill modification at least 1.8 lakh women working in organized Indian working sector will be benefitted during their maternity period and will be able to take better care of their newborns.
The facility offered by the amendment
A healthy and developed baby is the asset for every nation and therefore Indian government is going to ensure best possible provisions for mothers so that their childbearing period and baby care necessity can be a delightful phase of their life. Now the new amendment will bring some fresh benefits for mothers like
- Maternity leave facility will be introduced in both public sector and private sector,
- Instead of 12 weeks, it will be extended up to 26 weeks,
- Mother already having 1or 2 kids will get leave for 12 weeks only.
- Maternity leave facility will be provided for commissioning mothers as well as for the mothers who have adopted a baby for 12 weeks, respectively.
- After 26 weeks, the lactating mother can work from home, if her employer can provide her home based jobs with all benefits on.
- Organizations with 50 employees’ strength have to keep the provision of a crèche: In case there are other organizations on the same premise, they can open a common facility for use of all mothers working under one roof.
- Lactating mothers will have rights to visit the crèche 4 times within their office hours including an interval of work or women employees.
Union Cabinet has strongly recommended that maternity leave and women friendly baby care facility should be considered as mother’s essential right as right baby care can make the nation safe and healthy.
Trivia
Along with these proposals and propositions, the 44th, 45th, and 46th Indian Labor Conference had recommended extension of maternity benefits up to 24 weeks while the Ministry of Women & Child Development proposed to increase maternity benefit up to 8 months (32 weeks) for Indian working women.
This improved maternity bill will now go to Lok Sabha, and after it gets through in the lower house, the changes will be notified by the labor ministry. Now let’s see how fast it will be implemented in the system!
