The Centre has announced amendments to a 50-year-old rule, allowing women government employees to take 180 days of maternity leave if they have children through surrogacy.
According to amendments made to the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, the Centre has granted the "commissioning mother" (the intending mother of a child born through surrogacy) child care leave. Additionally, it has introduced a 15-day paternity leave for the "commissioning father".
"In case of surrogacy, the surrogate, as well as the commissioning mother with less than two surviving children, may be granted maternity leave of 180 days, in case either or both of them are government servants," read the amended rules notified by the Personnel Ministry.
Previously, there were no provisions for granting maternity leave to women government employees in the case of a child born through surrogacy. The new rules now state, "In the case of a child conceived through surrogacy, a male government servant who is the commissioning father and has less than two surviving children may be eligible for 15 days of paternity leave within six months from the child's delivery date."
In case of surrogacy, the commissioning mother with less than two surviving children, may be granted child care leave, reads the Central Civil Services (Leave) (Amendment) Rules, 2024, notified on June 18.