Maternity Benefit Bill
SC to hear plea challenging validity of Maternity Benefit Act on Apr 28
The Supreme Court agreed to hear on April 28 a plea challenging the Constitutional validity of a provision of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 which states that a woman who legally adopts a child below the age of three months would be entitled to maternity leave. The petition submitted that the purported 12 weeks of maternity benefit to adoptive mothers is not only a "mere lip service but when juxtaposed with the maternity benefit of 26 weeks provided to biological mothers, fails to stand even the basic scrutiny of Part III of the Constitution which is wedded to the concept of non-arbitrariness." A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala took note of the submissions of a lawyer who mentioned the matter seeking urgent hearing. The top court on October 1, 2021 had issued notices to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Women & Child Development while seeking their responses on the PIL, which said Section 5(4) of the Maternity Benefit ...
 "SC to hear plea challenging validity of Maternity Benefit Act on Apr 28")
MPs in RS demand hike in tea workers' wages, universal maternity benefits
Demanding the government protect goldsmiths, BJP leader Kailash Soni said traders of gold and silver are in distress due to "police harassment".
 "MPs in RS demand hike in tea workers' wages, universal maternity benefits")
IT firms to engage with women employees on longer maternity leave
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this month
 "IT firms to engage with women employees on longer maternity leave")
More sophisticated bill in future for paternity leave: Maneka Gandhi
She denied having said that paternity leave will be just a holiday, in an interview to a national daily
