Representative image NEW DELHI: Observing that the arrival of a child in a family – whether by birth, adoption or surrogacy – involves time, attention and rearing responsibilities to ensure their well-being, Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that maternity leave was the right of all women, irrespective of whether they gave birth biologically or had a child through surrogacy or adoption. It struck down a provision mandating that maternity leave could not be granted in case of adoption of a child above three months of age.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said maternity benefit was associated not just with the biological process of childbirth but also took into account a holistic understanding of attainment of motherhood and consequent fulfillment of the role. It held that the purpose of maternity protection did not vary with the manner in which the child was brought into the life of the beneficiary mother and parenthood was not confined to the biological act of giving birth.Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Iran calls Israeli bombing of fuel depots ‘ecocide’; Trump warns Nato over war fallout’We don’t need help!’ Trump explodes after Nato, other nations refuse to take part in Iran warAudio Details Iran Strike Aftermath: Mojtaba survives ‘Blue Sparrow’ hit; family and commanders killedFinding a flaw in Section 60(4) of Code on Social Security, which says only women adopting children younger than three months are entitled to maternity benefit for a period of 12 weeks, the court said the approach adopted by the legislature while enacting the impugned provision did not reflect real-world requirements.It said women who adopt a child aged three months or above are similarly placed as women who adopt a child below the age of three months, and the present provision was discriminatory.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Will Maintain Exports Again’: Piyush Goyal Highlights India’s ‘Stable’ Trade Amid West Asia WarSupreme Court Strikes Down Three-Month Rule, Grants Equal Maternity Leave To Adoptive Mothers Too‘Culture Erased’ Claim Sparks Row Over Hindu Temple In Dallas Fort, Targets Indian Community OnlineIndia Urges UN Reform Amid Iran War, Seeks BRICS Unity As Conflict Divides Members’Bapu Wanted To…’: Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launches Scathing Attack On Congress Over VB-G RAM G BillNo Petrol Or Diesel Price Hike For Now Says Centre Amid West Asia Oil Market Volatility Crisis’Bundled Up And Thrown Into Jail’: Sonam Wangchuk In First Remarks After Release From NSA DetentionLok Sabha Revokes Suspension Of 8 Oppn MPs, Warns Against Placards, AI PicturesCentre Confirms All Indian Sailors, Ships Are Safe As LPG Vessels Shivalik, Nanda Devi Dock In IndiaDial PM Modi For Peace: Finland Backs India To Broker Ceasefire, Urges Trump To Call Delhi123Photostories15 die after drinking milk contaminated with ethylene glycol: How to do milk purity test and 5 other calcium-rich foods to consumeThe Great Indian Kapil Show 4 Finale: David Dhawan on Salman Khan asking him to tell Akshay Kumar not to touch him during ‘MSK’ Shoot; Kapil Sharma recalls doing Hans Baliye with wife GinniChaitra Navratri 2026: How to make Makhana Dosa for breakfast at home11 iconic Maharashtrian street foods that define regional flavours5 signs your workout routine is stressing you out instead of helping youWaiting for ‘Dhurandhar 2’? Watch these 5 English spy thrillers ahead of the sequel releaseWhy your brain struggles to switch off at night: Neurologist explains the ‘wired-tired’ cycle9 strange objects floating in space that still exist5 weird and silly things people in love do, according to psychologyFrom B-2 bombers to F-35 stealth jets: US air force assets deployed near Iran – in pics123Hot PicksDoha travel alertLadakh statehood ralliesRasgulla choking deathGold rate todayIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays March 2026Bank Holidays MarchTop TrendingMagic JohnsonIndia LPG TankerGreen Card HoldersTaylor SwiftTeam VenezuelaGreen Card HoldersAssembly election dateWWE Raw NewsCarlos Correa WifeEid ul fitr 2026
NEW DELHI: Observing that the arrival of a child in a family – whether by birth, adoption or surrogacy – involves time, attention and rearing responsibilities to ensure their well-being, Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that maternity leave was the right of all women, irrespective of whether they gave birth biologically or had a child through surrogacy or adoption. It struck down a provision mandating that maternity leave could not be granted in case of adoption of a child above three months of age.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said maternity benefit was associated not just with the biological process of childbirth but also took into account a holistic understanding of attainment of motherhood and consequent fulfillment of the role. It held that the purpose of maternity protection did not vary with the manner in which the child was brought into the life of the beneficiary mother and parenthood was not confined to the biological act of giving birth.Finding a flaw in Section 60(4) of Code on Social Security, which says only women adopting children younger than three months are entitled to maternity benefit for a period of 12 weeks, the court said the approach adopted by the legislature while enacting the impugned provision did not reflect real-world requirements.It said women who adopt a child aged three months or above are similarly placed as women who adopt a child below the age of three months, and the present provision was discriminatory.
