New Delhi:After facing criticism from various quarters, the country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Saturday decided to suspend its circular on recruitment of pregnant women. SBI recently reviewed its 'Fitness Standards for Recruitment in the Bank', including norms for pregnant Women candidates. Under the new rules, a woman candidate with more than three months pregnancy will be considered "temporarily unfit" and can join the bank within four months after delivery.
The move elicited criticism from various quarters, including labour unions and the Delhi Commission for Women, which called the move "illegal and discriminatory". DCW had issued a notice to the State Bank of India (SBI) seeking withdrawal of the guideline, that prevents women, who are over three months pregnant, from joining service, terming them as "temporarily unfit".
DCW Chief Swati Maliwal said that this is both "discriminatory" and "illegal". The notice states that the Commission has taken suo-moto cognizance on media reports on framing of "new guidelines" by the State Bank of India for "new recruitments and promotions".