The Centre has decided to grant a 60-day special maternity leave for women Central government employees in case of stillbirth or death of an infant within a few days of birth, an order by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday said.
The DOPT said it had received several queries seeking clarification on grant of leave in case of death of a child soon after birth.
“The matter has been considered in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Keeping in view the potential emotional trauma caused due to stillbirth or death of a child soon after birth, which has a far-reaching impact on the mother’s life, it has now been decided to grant a special maternity leave of 60 days to a female Central government servant,” the order said.
The order said that in case an employee has already availed maternity leave till the death of the child, it may be converted into any other kind of leave available in her leave account without insisting on a medical certificate and a special maternity leave of 60 days may be granted.
“The condition for death of a child soon after birth may be defined as up to 28 days after birth. A baby born with no signs of life at or after 28 weeks of gestation may be defined as stillbirth,” the order said.
The benefit of special maternity leave shall be admissible only to a woman Central government servant with less than two surviving children and for a child born only in an authorised hospital, which is defined as government hospital or private hospital empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). “In case of emergency delivery in non-empanelled private hospital, production of emergency certificate is mandatory,” the order said.
The order is applicable to government employees appointed to the civil services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union of India.
