The chief minister Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced that it would extend the maternity leave window from 12 weeks to 365 days for its women employees having their third child.
Tamil Nadu’s minister for human resources management, D Sarathkumar, made the announcement in the state Assembly during the demand for grants to his department. Recently, Pallavi also took her newborn to meet TVK founder and chief minister C Joseph Vijay in the Assembly, where he blessed the baby. At present, married women in government employment with less than two children are granted 365 days or one year of maternity leave, while those with two or more children get up to 12 weeks of such leave. The 365-day benefit is applicable to regular women employees with less than two surviving children as per the standard eligibility framework, news agency PTI reported, citing a government source. However, as per the directives of the Supreme Court and subsequent state amendments, women employed by the state government with two or more surviving children are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave with full pay.
He said, “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”. Following minister Sarathkumar’s announcement in the state Assembly, a senior official reportedly said that a detailed government order to this effect will be issued soon.
