Post controversy, Indian Bank pulls back 'discriminatory' med certificate format

New Delhi: The Indian Bank on Tuesday said it has removed questions inquiring about a woman's pregnancy from its medical certificate format, a day after the Delhi Commission For Women called the guidelines "discriminatory".

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had summoned the financial institution for allegedly refusing to withdraw its "discriminatory" guidelines against the recruitment of women.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal had also written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), seeking its urgent intervention into the matter.

In June-end, the panel took suo-moto cognisance of media reports that highlighted the guidelines framed by the bank that prevented women, who were more than three months pregnant, as "temporarily unfit" and would not be given immediate joining upon her selection.

Meanwhile, the bank on Tuesday said the medical fitness certificate is taken from all candidates, including women, to ensure that they can be provided suitable postings.

It asserted that it has always been a "progressive" bank with a proactive approach towards the care and empowerment of women employees who are around 29 per cent of its workforce.