Maternity Benefit Act

The Maternity Benefit Act was enacted in 1961 to protect the employment of women during maternity. Under the Act, women working in any establishment or sector are entitled to a ‘maternity benefit’: fully paid leave from work for a set period before and after childbirth, originally up to a maximum of 12 weeks, or 84 days.

The Act was later amended by the Maternity (Amendment) Bill 2017, passed by the Rajya Sabha.