New Delhi/Nagpur: Rajya Sabha passes the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016. It provides six-month maternity leave benefit to working women.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yesterday gave its ex-post facto approval for amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 by introducing the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill 2016.
The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the time of maternity and entitles them of a full paid absence from work to take care for the child. The amendment bill seeks to increase maternity leave to 26 weeks in all establishments, including private sector. The act is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons.
The bill also provides 12 weeks leave for commissioning and adopting mothers and makes it mandatory to provide creche facility for establishment where the number of workers is 50 and above.
At present, the Maternity Benefit Act does not provide any maternity leave for commissioning or adopting mothers.
