Centre declares 60-day special maternity leave if child dies soon after birth

New Delhi: In the latest development, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday issued a new order saying that all female central government employees will be entitled to 60 days of special maternity leave if the child dies soon after birth. The information released by the department said the decision was taken in view of the emotional trauma caused to the mother after the death of a child.

The government also released a few conditions under which maternity leave can be availed. The conditions are as follows:

1. In case a Maternity Leave has already been availed by a female Central Government servant and her leave continues till the date of expiry of child soon after birth / stillbirth, the maternity leave already availed till death of the child may be converted into any other kind of leave available in her leave account without insisting for a medical certificate and a Special Maternity Leave of 60 days may be granted from the date of expiry of child soon after birth / Stillbirth.

2. In case the maternity leave has not been availed by a female Central
Government servant, 60 days of Special Maternity Leave may be granted from the date of expiry of a child soon after birth/ stillbirth

3. The condition for death of a child soon after birth may be defined as up to 28 days after birth.

4. A baby born with no signs of life at or after 28 weeks of gestation may be defined as Stillbirth.

5. The benefit of Special Maternity Leave shall be admissible only to a
female Central Government servant with less than 2 surviving children and for child delivery only in an authorized hospital.

6. “Authorized Hospital” is defined as Government Hospital or Private Hospital empanelled under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). In case of emergency delivery in non-empanelled private hospital, production of emergency certificate is mandatory.