The amendment in Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 aiming to double the maternity leave for women employees gets sanctioned by cabinet on Wednesday. This pro-women proposal raises the maternity leave timeframe from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. 

Also, Commissioning mothers who use surrogates to bear their child and adopting mothers get entitlement for 12-weeks of maternity leave.

Though, Ministry of Women and Child Development proposed eight months maternity leave but it was accorded only for six months by the consulting team including government departments, employees and employer representatives. 

As per Labour Minister, Bandaru Dattatreya - only certain establishments allow pregnant women to work from home.  But majority of others don’t provide this facility. 

This extended maternity leave will be provided to women working in both private and public sector. However, it will not be available to women employees who have two or more children.

Another initiative taken by government is to open crèches individually or by few firms together at a common facility in neighboring vicinity. This will be mandatory for firms with 50 employees once it gets ratified. 

The cabinet was chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi which passed a statement that maternal care to the Child during early childhood (is) crucial for growth and development of the child.