Tamil Nadu equalises maternity leave for third child to full year

Tamil Nadu's government has announced a policy shift that will grant women employees one full year of maternity leave upon the birth of their third child, eliminating a disparity in leave entitlements that previously existed based on family size.

The move, announced during budget discussions in the state Assembly, raises maternity leave for third children from the current 12 weeks to 365 days. This aligns the benefit with existing provisions for women government employees having their first or second child, creating uniform leave duration across all three births.

Under the existing framework, married women government employees with fewer than two surviving children received 365 days of maternity leave, while those with two or more children were limited to 12 weeks. The new policy standardises this disparity.

Tamil Nadu's maternity leave provisions have undergone significant expansion over the past decade. The state extended leave from the initial 90 days to six months in 2011, increased it to nine months in 2016, and raised it to a full year in 2021. The latest announcement reflects what the government termed its "welfare-oriented" approach to women's empowerment.

The change applies to all women employees in the Tamil Nadu government workforce and represents one of the more comprehensive maternity leave policies among Indian states.