Lok Sabha passes bill to increase maternity leave for women to 26 weeks

A bill that seeks to increase maternity leave for women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Maternity Benefit Amendment Bill aimed at benefiting women and children will ensure maternity benefit from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children and 12 weeks for more than two children.

The Rajya Sabha had passed the bill in August last year during the monsoon session. “Maternity leave of 26 weeks will ensure good health to both mother and child,” tweeted  Women and Child Development (WCD) minister



Maneka Gandhi, who strongly pushed for the amendments that is expected to benefit 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.