The Maternity Benefit Bill being taken up for discussion and voting in Lok Sabha. Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya making opening remarks.

The Maternity Benefit Bill raises period of paid leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for pregnant women. It also requires organisations with more than 50 employees to provide creche facilities.


The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha in August last year, provides for increasing maternity benefit from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two children and is aimed at benefiting about 1.8 million women in the organised sector.

What is being done now is that Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will be moving the Bill to amend the Maternity Benefit Act. The amended Act 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 Benefit Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her full paid absence from work, to take care for her child.

In August last year, when the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed in the upper house, some members had sought norms for paternity leave also so that parents can share the responsibility of raising children. Dattatreya had said in the Rajya Sabha that the very purpose of the bill was to increase participation of women, which was decreasing day by day.

The central government has already amended its service rule and is providing 26 weeks maternity leave to its employees.


Representational pic. A file picture of actress Kareena Kappor when she was pregnant.