Rajnath Singh Approves Extended Maternity Leave For Women In Armed Forces On Par With Officers

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to extend the rules for Maternity, Child Care and Child Adoption Leaves for women soldiers, sailors and air warriors in the Armed Forces on par with their officer counterparts, said the Ministry of Defence on Sunday.

The grant of such leaves will be equally applicable to all the women in the military, officers and non-officers, with the issuing of these rules, the ministry said.

“The decision is in line with the Raksha Mantri’s vision of inclusive participation of all women in the Armed Forces, irrespective of their ranks. The extension of leave rules will go a long way in dealing with women-specific family and social issues relevant to the Armed Forces” said the ministry in a statement on Sunday.

The measure would improve the work conditions of women in the military and “aid them to balance” the spheres of professional and family life in a better manner, it added.