Part-Time Contractual Employees Entitled to Maternity Benefits Despite Contrary Appointment Terms: Gauhati High Court

In a significant ruling, the Gauhati High Court has reaffirmed the rights of women employees to maternity benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. The case involved Mrs. Sangeeta Kormel Yadav, a contractual teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, who sought maternity leave and associated benefits after the birth of her child. Case Background Mrs. Sangeeta Kormel Yadav, aged 31, was employed as a part-time contractual teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, ONGC, Sivasagar,…