Maternity Leave is Part of Reproductive Rights: Supreme Court
On 22nd May 2025, in landmark verdict, the Supreme Court (SC) of India, clarified that maternity benefits form an essential part of a woman’s reproductive rights, and cannot be restricted by arbitrary or discriminatory norms.
Background
- The case arose when Uma Devi, a government school teacher in Tamil Nadu, was denied maternity leave for her 2021–22 pregnancy on the ground that Rule 101(a) of the Tamil Nadu Fundamental Rules (“FR 101(a)”) restricts the benefit to women with “less than two surviving children.”
- A Single Judge of the Madras High Court granted relief; a Division Bench reversed.
SC’s Ruling
Do You Want to Read More?
Subscribe Now
To get access to detailed content
Already a Member? Login here
Take Annual Subscription and get the following Advantage
The annual members of the Civil Services Chronicle can read the monthly content of the magazine as well as the Chronicle magazine archives.
Readers can study all the material since 2018 of the Civil Services Chronicle monthly issue in the form of Chronicle magazine archives.
Society Watch
- 1 TribeX: Digital Learning Platform for Tribal Arts, Culture and Traditional Knowledge
- 2 Viksit Bharat Yuva Connect Programme (VBYCP)
- 3 Concessional Credit Schemes: Promoting Socio-Economic Empowerment of SCs
- 4 Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs)
- 5 Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: India's Digital Health Backbone
- 6 Korku Community
- 7 Strengthening Rural Credit for Inclusive Growth in India
- 8 Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Operational Guidelines
- 9 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report 2026
- 10 SMILE Scheme
