Third Pregnancy Cannot Be a Ground for Reduced Maternity Leave; Rejection Order Set Aside: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has ruled that a pregnant government employee cannot be denied full maternity leave merely because she is carrying her third child. The Court held that restricting maternity leave for a third pregnancy to only 12 weeks is contrary to the law already settled by the Supreme Court. Accordingly, the Court quashed the rejection order passed against the petitioner and directed the authorities to reconsider her maternity…