Patna:

A government teacher in Bihar applied for maternity leave, despite being a male, and after it got sanctioned, enjoyed a week-long holiday.

The bizarre anomaly came to light when users of a portal, set up for government teachers applying for leave online, saved a screenshot and posted it on social media.

However, authorities claim it was a “technical error” which would be set right and there was nothing to smell a rat.

“It is a case of wrongful entry in the leave application format. The error is technical and will be rectified,” said Archana Kumari, the education officer in charge of Mahua block in Vaishali district, where the teacher, Jitendra Kumar Singh, is posted.

She agreed that maternity leaves were granted only to women, but pointed out that “even males get ‘pitritva avakash’ (paternity leave) to look after their newborns”.

“We will find out the details of this instance which has been brought to our notice,” she said.

“Some teachers have complained of their earned leaves being deducted even though they had applied for casual leaves,” she added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla:

Women Home Guards would be provided 180 days of maternity leave while the daily allowance for Home Guards during deployment outside the State would be increased from Rs 60 to Rs 500, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday.

Presiding over the 62nd State-Level Raising Day celebrations of the Himachal Pradesh Home Guards and Civil Defence here, he said that the government would fill 700 vacant Home Guard posts to strengthen the force.

He also announced establishment of drone stations at all district headquarters to enhance disaster management capabilities and sanctioned a new landline number at the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Control Room to facilitate the people, a statement issued here said.

Emphasizing the commitment to modernizing the SDRF with advanced equipment and allocating sufficient funds for this purpose, he said that presently, SDRF was equipped with drones capable of lifting up to 5 kg and this force would soon receive drones with higher payload capacities to meet operational demands.

Additionally, funds would be allocated for the construction of the SDRF headquarters in Palampur and the Kangra Unit campus and to enhance communication, he added.

The event witnessed a splendid parade, led by Parade Commander Vinay Kumar, comprising 17 contingents. Platoon commander Lata Rahi led the women contingents, while various contingents from districts of the State displayed their skills under the leadership of their respective commanders.

Demonstrations of disaster management techniques on the theme “Surakshit Himachal” was a highlight. A Battle March Past by the Home Guard Jawans and a musical performance by the Home Guard band added grandeur to the event.

Extending his greetings on Home Guards Raising Day, Sukhu lauded the exemplary efforts of Home Guards, Fire Department personnel and SDRF during last year’s monsoon disaster in which over 500 people were killed and over 15,000 became homeless. “It was one of the most devastating disasters in our lifetime, resulting in significant loss of life and property, ” he said .

He said that to enhance disaster preparedness the State plans to train one percent of its population as Civil Defence volunteers over the next five years. The Home Guards have already conducted approximately 31,000 rescue and relief operations during the last decade, saving 3,600 lives and protecting properties worth over Rs. 10,000 crore, he informed.

The CM said that the government was improving the SDRF’s infrastructure, designating the Home Guards as First Responders during natural disasters and integrating them under the SDRF for faster response. He said that the 74 company offices and 12 training centres of the Home Guards across the State have been designated as Disaster Response Centers to bolster disaster readiness.

The state government has established four new fire stations in Nadaun, Deha, Indora and Kotkhai during the last two years and 240 posts of various categories have been created in the Fire Services Department and approval has been granted to procure eight fire vehicles to strengthen the working of the department, the statement added.

The CM also inaugurated Home Guards Department buildings worth Rs. 15.05 crore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to explain the rationale behind a provision which entitles only those women, who adopt a child below the age of three months, to seek maternity leave benefits.

The apex court was hearing a plea challenging the constitutional validity of a provision of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 which entitles only those women who are adopting a child below the age of three months to seek benefits of maternity leave for a period of 12 weeks.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Pankaj Mithal said the case put up by the petitioner in public interest prima facie was that the provision was a social welfare legislation and there was no reasonable classification when it restricted the age of infant up to three months.

“In other words, if a woman adopts a child above the age of three months, she will not be entitled to any such maternity leave benefit as provided under the Amendment Act,” the bench noted in its November 12 order.

It said the Centre has filed its reply justifying the prescription of the age of three months but during the course of the hearing, many issues have cropped up which require consideration.

“In such circumstances, we expect the Union of India to file a further reply on the issue discussed today, more particularly, as to what is the rationale in saying that it is only that woman who adopts a child below the age of three months would be entitled to seek maternity leave benefits otherwise not,” the bench said.

It said the reply be filed within three weeks.

The bench said a copy of the reply to be filed be served to the counsel for the petitioner well in advance and a rejoinder, if any, be filed within a week thereafter.

It posted the matter for final disposal on December 17.

In October 2021, the apex court sought a response from the Centre on the plea which claimed section 5(4) of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 was discriminatory and arbitrary. “Section 5(4) apart from being discriminatory and arbitrary towards the adoptive mothers, also arbitrarily discriminates against orphaned, abandoned or surrendered children above the age of three months, which is completely incompatible to the object of the Maternity Benefit Act as well as the Juvenile Justice Act,” the plea said.

The petition stated the purported 12 weeks of maternity benefit to adoptive mothers was 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”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

Women guest teachers across government schools in Madhya Pradesh are seeking provisions for paid maternity leaves, similar to those provided to their permanent counterparts, amid fears of facing termination or being forced to resign, even as the administration recently held a meeting to review the issue.

Permanent teachers at state government-run schools are entitled to 180 days of paid maternity leaves. Guest teachers, however, are not provided such benefits and face the risk of salary deduction in case they go on maternity leave.

“When I got pregnant, they (school administration) encouraged me to keep working, saying they would look into it if a rule (not being entitled to paid maternity leaves) existed. After my delivery, I was forced to quit my job. I never wanted to quit; the school administration ) had promised me that I would be informed of any changes. I received no updates and I wasn’t informed before my name was removed (from the guest teachers’ list). I belong to a middle class family and losing this job has been very challenging. It’s been two years, and I still have no work,” Priya Nema, who worked as a guest teacher at a Government school in Kalapeepal, Shajapur district, said. She joined on July 22, 2019 and was removed on November 1, 2022.

Similarly, Jagdish Parmar said his daughter-in-law (who is a guest teacher at a school) is pregnant and has been advised bed rest, but is unable to go on leave.

“She had suffered a miscarriage once earlier. Now, doctors have advised her bed rest but she is unable to do so because of her job,” Parmar said.

In 2018, the government of Madhya Pradesh had issued an order, allowing unpaid maternity leaves to women guest teachers in government Colleges. But the guest teachers in schools, however, claimed they are still not allowed to opt for maternity leaves.

Guest Teachers Association state secretary, Ravikant Gupta, said: “We are not granted any leaves. Even when we are unwell. In February 2014, it was proposed to offer 13 days of leave and six months of maternity leave for women, but no official order has been issued. We’ve approached ministers and state officials with our request but in vain.”

Officials in the state education department acknowledged the problem faced by pregnant women guest teachers at government institutes, saying it has prompted several of them to either quit or face termination without notice.

“We have reviewed the rules extensively and there are no such provisions for guest teachers. We haven’t received any formal complaints so far but we have sought the guidance of higher authorities and are awaiting further instructions,” Bhopal district education officer Narendra Ahirwar said.

Social worker Meeta Wadhwa expressed concerns over the absence of such provisions for pregnant women employees. “The government has good provisions for regular employees but the guest teachers are left out. It is troubling that women are either forced to resign or denied leaves. This affects both their mental and physical health. This issue should be reconsidered,” Wadhwa said.