Provisions of Maternity Benefits Act Take Precedence Over Contractual Conditions and Apply to Contractual Employees: Madras High Court

In a landmark decision, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that contractual nurses working under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Tamil Nadu are entitled to maternity benefits, including 270 days of paid maternity leave, as per the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. Case Background The case, filed by the MRB Nurses Empowerment Association, represented by its President, sought a writ of mandamus to direct the…