Parliament passes Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016, paving the way for more than doubling maternity leave for working women to 26 weeks. The Rajya Sabha had passed the bill in August last year during the monsoon session.
The bill, which was strongly pushed by the women and child development ministry, provides for increasing maternity benefit from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children and is aimed at benefiting about 1.8 million women in the organised sector.
The amended law will be applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more people. Once the amendments to the Act are passed and notified, India will jump to the third position in terms of the number of weeks for maternity leave, after Canada (50) and Norway (44).
The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 protects the employment of women during the time of maternity and entitles them to fully paid absence from work to take care of the child.
In August last year, when the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed in the upper house, some members had sought norms for paternity leave as well so that parents can share the responsibility of raising children.
Labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya had said in the Rajya Sabha that the purpose of the bill was to increase participation of women, which was decreasing day by day.
The central government has already amended its service rules and is providing 26 weeks maternity leave to its employees.
The bill, which was strongly pushed by the women and child development ministry, provides for increasing maternity benefit from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children and is aimed at benefiting about 1.8 million women in the organised sector.
The amended law will be applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more people. Once the amendments to the Act are passed and notified, India will jump to the third position in terms of the number of weeks for maternity leave, after Canada (50) and Norway (44).
The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 protects the employment of women during the time of maternity and entitles them to fully paid absence from work to take care of the child.
In August last year, when the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed in the upper house, some members had sought norms for paternity leave as well so that parents can share the responsibility of raising children.
Labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya had said in the Rajya Sabha that the purpose of the bill was to increase participation of women, which was decreasing day by day.
The central government has already amended its service rules and is providing 26 weeks maternity leave to its employees.
