Ranchi: The Jharkhand government on Wednesday decided to sanction 180 days of maternity leave for women contractual employees engaged by the state administration.
Earlier, there was no provision to extend such a benefit to women employees appointed on contract. "Chief Minister Hemant Soren has approved a proposal to allow maternity leave to women workers appointed on a contract basis. Eligible women employees will get 180 days of maternity leave," a statement from the state secretariat said.
The proposal approved by the chief minister will be applicable to such women employees who have worked on contract for 80 days in the last 12 months, the statement added.
Earlier in January this year, Kerala announced that girl students above the age of 18 years would get maternity leave of 60 days. "Girl students above 18 years of age can get a maximum of 60 days of maternity leave. The required attendance percentage for female students will be 73 per cent, including the menstrual leave, as against 75 per cent earlier. The order has been issued in this regard," Higher Education Minister R Bindu said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Bindu said that the government is considering granting menstrual leaves in all the state varsities as recently announced by the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). The CUSAT on Saturday (January 14) announced to grant the of menstrual leaves to its female students. (With agency Inputs)
