
Goa gives terminally ill teachers a year of paid leave. Should India follow?
India Today
Goa allowed government school teachers with terminal illness to take up to one year of paid leave without losing salary, seniority or pension. The move recognised serious disease as a public-service concern, not just a personal crisis, but raises a larger question: should the rest of India adopt similar protection?
For many teachers in India, a serious illness does not just mean hospital visits and emotional strain, it also brings a difficult decision: continue working while unwell or risk losing salary and service benefits.
Goa has attempted to remove that dilemma.
The state government has granted up to one year of paid medical leave to regular teachers in government and government-aided schools diagnosed with terminal illnesses.
The Directorate of Education instructed schools to process such applications quickly and without discrimination.
The order, signed by Director of Education Shailesh Zingde, operates under the Goa, Daman & Diu School Education Act, 1984 and related service rules. Teachers must submit a medical certificate from Goa Medical College, Bambolim, along with supporting documents.
In simple terms: a teacher can now focus on treatment without worrying about losing a livelihood.













