Defence Minister approves Maternity & Childcare leaves for Women in Defence

By: WE Staff | Monday, 6 November 2023

Women in the armed forces including the navy, army and air forces will be provided maternity, child care and child adoption leave as their office counterparts, says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

According to the Defence Ministry, the vision of ensuring "inclusive participation" for all women in the armed forces needs to be taken care of regardless of their rank.

This initiative aims to enhance work conditions for women in the military, enabling them to better balance their professional and family lives.

The Defence Minister has approved the extension of maternity, child care, and adoption leave rules for women soldiers, sailors, and air warriors in the armed forces, ensuring equal application to all ranks.

Female officers currently receive 180 days of maternity leave with full pay for each child for a maximum of 2 children, and 360 days of childcare leave throughout their service career till the child is below 18 years.

The ministry has extended child adoption leave for 180 days after the valid date of adoption aiming to address women-specific family and social issues in the armed forces, improving work conditions and enabling a better balance between professional and family lives.

According to the ministry, the three services have brought a paradigm shift with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to 'Nari Shakti.' The recruitment of Female Agniveers will provide the armed forces with bravery, dedication, and patriotism of female soldiers, sailors and air warriors for the country, he continued.

Indian women are breaking barriers in various fields in the armed forces, including operational deployment in Siachen, warship posting, and dominating the skies. In 2019, a significant milestone was achieved through recruitment in the Corps of Military Police.