Centre approves 60-day special maternity leave in case of infant death
India Today
The Centre has decided to grant a 60-day special maternity leave to female central government employees in the event of a stillbirth or the death of an infant within a few days of birth.
The Union government has approved a 60-day special maternity leave for female central government employees in case of stillbirth or death of an infant within a few days of birth.
"Keeping in view the potential emotional trauma caused due to stillbirth or death of a child soon after birth, which has a far-reaching impact on the mother's life, it has now been decided to grant a special maternity leave of 60 days to a female central government servant," the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions said in a release.
The order said that in case an employee has already taken maternity leave till the death of the child, it may be converted into any other kind of leave available in her leave account without insisting on a medical certificate, and a special maternity leave of 60 days may be granted.
"The condition for the death of a child soon after birth may be defined as occurring up to 28 days after birth. A baby born with no signs of life at or after 28 weeks of gestation may be defined as a stillbirth," the ministry said.
However, the benefit of 60-day special maternity leave shall be admissible only to a female Central Government employee with less than two surviving children and for a child born only in a government hospital or a private hospital empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).
"In cases of emergency delivery in a non-empanelled private hospital, production of an emergency certificate is mandatory," the order said.
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