The Allahabad High Court has delivered a significant judgment regarding maternity leave, expressing its displeasure over the arbitrary actions of officials. The court has ruled that a two-year gap between the birth of two children is not mandatory for maternity leave.
In a case filed by Sushila Patel, the court was challenged to reconsider the rejection of her application for maternity leave due to the absence of a two-year gap between the previous and the current leave. The court, during the hearing, termed the rejection of the application as unfortunate.
The court has deemed the rule of a two-year gap between the birth of two children as non-binding. However, officials have been found to be acting arbitrarily, rejecting applications for maternity leave even when the gap between the two children is less than two years.
The court has summoned the Director of Horticulture and Food Processing, UP, Lucknow, and has directed him to appear in court on September 1 with a clear explanation. The court has also asked why no action should be taken against him for violating court orders, and has suggested that he could be charged with contempt of court.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for September 1. The judgment was delivered by a single bench of Justice Ajit Kumar.
