Jabalpur:The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that a woman employee is entitled to maternity leave for the third time if she divorces her first husband, remarries and conceives.
A bench of Chief Justice Ravi Vijay Kumar Malimath and Justice PK Kaurav was recently hearing a petition by a pregnant teacher seeking maternity leave. In normal circumstances, maternity leave is only allowed twice for government employees. In her petition, Priyanka Tiwari, a primary school teacher in Pauri Kalan village of Jabalpur district, said she had married in 2022 and was divorced in 2018. In 2021 she remarried and was pregnant now.
Since, as per the Civil Services Rules, a female employee is entitled to maternity leave only twice, the teacher moved the High Court for the third time. In the court, she petitioned the School Education Department to allow her to go on maternity leave. She also presented a copy of the Haryana High Court order in a similar situation along with her petition.
In view of the urgency of the situation, the High Court in its interim order asked the School Education Department to give maternity leave to Priyanka Tiwari for the third time.
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