{"id":94202,"date":"2026-03-22T10:47:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T05:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=94202"},"modified":"2026-03-23T15:11:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T09:41:04","slug":"paid-maternity-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/paid-maternity-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court on Paid Maternity Leave for Adoptive Mothers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Maternity Leave Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court has expanded paid maternity leave for adoptive mothers, striking down restrictive provisions in the Social Security Code, 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Maternity Leave Framework in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s maternity benefit framework has evolved over time to support working women and child welfare.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Maternity Benefit Act, 1961,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provided 12 weeks of paid leave.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>2017 Amendment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> increased leave for biological mothers to <\/span><b>26 weeks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also introduced maternity leave for adoptive and surrogate mothers, but with conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under Section 5(4) of the Act (later Section 60(4) of the Social Security Code, 2020), adoptive mothers were entitled to <\/span><b>12 weeks of leave only if the child was below three months of age<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This created a distinction between biological and adoptive motherhood in law.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Supreme Court Judgment and Legal Changes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court struck down the restrictive provision limiting maternity leave for adoptive mothers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adoptive mothers are now entitled to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave regardless of the child\u2019s age at adoption.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court held that such restrictions violate principles of equality and child welfare.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgment recognises adoptive mothers as having the same rights and responsibilities as biological mothers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Rationale Behind the Judgment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court\u2019s reasoning reflects a broader and more inclusive understanding of motherhood.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Beyond Biological Definitions<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court stated that motherhood cannot be viewed through a <\/span><b>\u201cnarrow lens of biology\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and must include adoptive relationships.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Child-Centric Approach<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adopted children often face emotional and psychological challenges.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The initial bonding period is critical for their development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court noted that children raised in institutional settings may have higher stress levels, requiring greater parental care after adoption.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Right to Reproductive Autonomy<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adoption was recognised as part of an individual\u2019s reproductive choices, linking the judgment to broader constitutional rights.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Limitations of the Earlier Law<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The earlier provision was considered inadequate for several reasons:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three-month age limit excluded most adoptive parents\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adoption procedures in India often take longer than three months\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data showed that less than 5% of adopted children were below three months of age\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, many adoptive mothers were effectively denied maternity benefits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Impact of the Judgment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Greater Inclusivity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgment ensures equal treatment of adoptive and biological mothers under labour laws.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Improved Child Welfare: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adequate maternity leave allows adoptive parents to:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build emotional bonds\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support child development\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide a stable home environment\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Support for Working Women: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decision reduces the conflict between career and caregiving responsibilities for adoptive mothers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Court\u2019s Observations on Parenthood<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court emphasised that parenting responsibilities should not be viewed as solely maternal.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It highlighted the importance of shared parenting\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognised the role of fathers in childcare\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court recommended that the Union government consider a formal legal framework for paternity leave.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Status of Paternity Leave in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, male government employees are entitled to 15 days of paternity leave.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the private sector, policies vary across organisations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no comprehensive national law governing paternity leave, leading to uneven benefits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Significance of the Judgment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Constitutional Values: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgment strengthens principles of Equality (Article 14) and Dignity &amp; autonomy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Gender Justice: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By recognising shared parenting, it moves toward a more gender-balanced framework.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Labour Law Reform: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It highlights gaps in India\u2019s labour laws and the need for modern, inclusive policies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/what-did-the-supreme-court-say-about-paid-maternity-leave\/article70770019.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court maternity leave judgment expands paid leave rights for adoptive mothers and calls for recognition of shared parenting in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":94317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,6279,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-94202","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-maternity-leave","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94202"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94439,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94202\/revisions\/94439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}