SRINAGAR: The Government today informed Parliament that women Central Government employees are entitled to 60 days of special maternity leave in cases of stillbirth or the death of a child soon after birth, while all Central staff donating organs are eligible for up to 42 days of special casual leave.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had issued orders on September 2, 2022, introducing the special maternity leave to help mothers cope with the “emotional trauma” of stillbirth or neonatal loss.
Singh said the measure was intended to provide relief in “situations that have a far-reaching impact on the life of the mother.”
The minister also told the House that the Government, recognising the “noble and selfless act” of organ donation, issued orders on April 25, 2023, allowing Central employees who donate an organ to avail up to 42 days of special casual leave. The step, he said, was taken as a welfare measure “in the larger public interest” to encourage organ donation.
The provisions apply to all Central Government employees and are part of a broader effort to strengthen welfare measures in the workplace, Singh added.
