Maternity Care

Reddit post on layoff during pregnancy: Know your rights and legal remedies

A viral Reddit post on job loss during pregnancy sparks debate in India. Experts explain what Indian law says about your maternity pay, protections, and the steps you can take if this happens to you.

Tanisha Bhise death: FIR for 'negligence' registered against doctor

A case of alleged criminal negligence was registered against a doctor on Saturday over the death of a 37-year-old woman who had been 'denied admission' at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital here for not paying an advance deposit, police said. Accused Dr Sushrut Ghaisas, attached to the hospital as a consulting gynecologist, had resigned a few days ago in the wake of the controversy. It was alleged that Tanisha Bhise, pregnant wife of the personal secretary of state BJP legislator Amit Gorkhe, was denied admission at the Mangeshkar hospital in the last week of March as her relatives could not pay a deposit of Rs 10 lakh. Bhise died two days later, on March 31, after giving birth to twins at another hospital. Her family accused Dr Ghaisas, who was treating her, of demanding the payment of deposit. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Dr Ghaisas at Alankar Police Station under section 106(1) (death caused by negligence) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, said an ...

39 mn women provided maternity benefits in last 8 years, says WCD ministry

About 3.9 crore women received maternity benefits, with the government spending nearly Rs 18,000 crore, during the last eight years, the Union women and child development ministry said on Wednesday. Its reaction came after Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said in the Rajya Sabha that the flagship Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana to provide maternity benefits to pregnant women was "severely underfunded", resulting in a drastic fall in entitlements for beneficiaries. The ministry said in a post on X that "between 2010 and 2014, around 16 lakh women received maternity benefits amounting to Rs 730 crore". Since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in 2017, "the government has given maternity benefit to 390 lakh women spending nearly Rs 18,000 crore", it added. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Gandhi said the number of beneficiaries under the scheme had drastically fallen and questioned the government on the ...

Maternity coverage a crucial part of health insurance for younger women

With each delivery costing Rs 50,000 - Rs 2.5 lakh, maternity coverage is key in such plans, besides reproductive health issues, menopause, and women-specific diseases

Does below-average intelligence mean no right to motherhood, asks Bombay HC

The court has acknowledged the woman's autonomy and her right to make life choices, including her decision to carry the pregnancy to term

Himachal CM Sukhu announces 180-day maternity leave for home guards

Women Home Guards would be provided 180 days of maternity leave while the daily allowance for Home Guards during deployment outside the State would be increased from Rs 60 to Rs 500, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday. Presiding over the 62nd State-Level Raising Day celebrations of the Himachal Pradesh Home Guards and Civil Defence here, he said that the government would fill 700 vacant Home Guard posts to strengthen the force. He also announced establishment of drone stations at all district headquarters to enhance disaster management capabilities and sanctioned a new landline number at the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Control Room to facilitate the people, a statement issued here said. Emphasizing the commitment to modernizing the SDRF with advanced equipment and allocating sufficient funds for this purpose, he said that presently, SDRF was equipped with drones capable of lifting up to 5 kg and this force would soon receive drones with higher payload ...

Now, pregnant women can get maternity cover with just 3-month wait period

Health Booster Maternity Cover rider can be added to a base health policy and offers a waiting period of just three months, making it accessible for expectant mothers

Surrogate mothers also have right to avail maternity leave, says Orissa HC

Orissa High Court has recently ruled that female employees who become mothers through surrogacy have the same right to maternity leave and other benefits as provided to natural and adoptive mothers. The single judge bench of Justice S K Panigrahi gave the ruling on June 25 while hearing a petition filed by Supriya Jena, a female Odisha Finance Service (OFS) officer, in 2020. Jena became a mother through surrogacy, but she was denied 180 days maternity leave by her higher authority in the Odisha government. So, she moved the high court against the government. The court observed that a leave of 180 days is granted to female government servants on the adoption of a child up to one year of age in line with maternity leave as admissible to natural mothers for proper care of the adopted child. However, there is no provision for maternity leave for the purpose of rearing a child blessed through surrogacy, it said. "If the government could provide maternity leave to an adoptive mother, it

Govt employees to get six-month maternity, child care leave for surrogacy

In cases of surrogacy involving government servants, both the surrogate and the commissioning mother (with less than two surviving children) may receive 180 days of maternity leave

Delhi govt fined for challenging order that gave health benefits to worker

The court noted that it was 'surprised' that a government that publicised schemes promoting the interest of women filed such a 'misconceived appeal'

Child care costs are skyrocketing around the world: ECA International

In Japan, some businesses provide subsidised child care and family-friendly housing as part of employee benefit packages

M&M extends maternity leave policy to cover adoption, surrogacy

The new maternity benefits policy gives 6 months of flexible work option and 24 months of hybrid work option to all new mothers

Global banks expand maternity benefits to retain women employees in India

India already mandates a minimum 26 weeks of maternity leave at full pay - among the most in the Group of 20 economies, according to the World Bank's Gender Data Portal

How to decide your maternity cover, which are the best ones in the market?

Maternity cover typically involves a waiting period clause, which mandates a specific waiting period after policy purchase before you can file a claim for maternity-related expenses.

Child, maternity products marketplace Nestery raises Rs 6 cr in funding

Start-up will use the funds to expand team, improve technology and generate original content

Maternity should not be barrier in women's career, says Supreme Court

Maternity shouldn't be a barrier in women's careers and providing access to quality childcare at workplace would ensure that motherhood doesn't become an obstacle to women's empowerment, said SC Judge

Tech firms translate heartbeats on phones, use AI to boost maternal health

Today one can monitor and blood glucose on smartphones, Using AI, one can address shortage of expertise in reading ultrasounds to allow for healthier pregnancies and better outcomes for moms & babies

Kejriwal launches online OPD registration for Delhi maternity hospital

Work is underway on the Delhi government's hospital management information system, and it will be completed within a year, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.

Number of babies born through C-section double globally since 2000: Study

In at least 15 countries C-section use exceeds 40 per cent, researchers said