The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (MB Act) was amended in 2017 (Amendment), to enhance/ increase the maternity leave period to 26 weeks from the previous 12, for a woman employee, for the first two children. This blog follows on from our previous posts wherein we discussed the obligations under the Amendment that were solely applicable to an employer. Read our previous post here.

Since the Amendment was aimed to ensure the health of women employees pursuant to giving birth, and to also ensure safety of the new born child, it appeared to be a positive development for women employees in the private sector. However, the implementation of the Amendment has been inadequate and ineffective.
Continue Reading The Maternity Leave Incentive Scheme, 2018: Blessing in the Pipeline for Working Women in India