8 month maternity leave set to get government nod

Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi’s demand to extend maternity leave from existing three months to eight months is expected to be cleared by a committee of 

Secretaries soon. 

“The Cabinet Secretariat has asked the Union Women and Child Development Ministry to invite comments of various concerned Ministries, after that it will be sent to a committee of Secretaries,” sources in the Ministry told Millennium Post.

Union Women and Child Development Ministry’s eight-month proposal for maternity leave as explained by Maneka, clearly suggests that one month leave is mandatory before delivery and seven months post delivery – the time required to breastfeed the child. 

Explaining the concept, the Minister told Millennium Post, “Eight months of maternity leave is a necessity because in one month the woman goes into the stage where the she has to prepare for the baby’s needs which include taking care of his/her clothes, food, and other essentials. Also, the ideal minimum duration for breastfeeding a baby is seven months. All the best doctors and gynaecologists have suggested that seven months are required for breastfeeding a child. Only after this period can one go ahead and give the child home cooked food. That sums up the significance of the eight-month time line.”

She had termed the move made by Union Ministry of Labour to extend maternity leave from three to six months as “meaningless” and stressed the importance of  “eight months for this leave being 

a necessity.”