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

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the rules for extended Maternity, Child Care and Child Adoption Leaves for women personnel in Armed Forces on par with officer counterparts.

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. 

“Furthering Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government’s commitment towards utilising Nari Shakti, the three Services have spearheaded a paradigm shift with the inclusion of women as soldiers, sailors and air warriors,” said the ministry. 

Noting the recruitment of women Agniveers, the ministry said that the Armed Forces will be empowered with the bravery, dedication and patriotism of women soldiers, sailors and air warriors to defend the land, sea and air frontiers of the country.

Listing the contributions of women in the Armed Forces from being operationally deployed in Siachen to being posted on warships, the ministry noted that Indian women are now “breaking barriers in almost every field in the Armed Forces.” 

It also underlined the decision to recruit women in the Indian Army as soldiers in the Corps of Military Police as one of the “significant” milestones in the Armed Forces. “ Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has always been of the view that women should be at par with their male counterparts in every field,” the statement read.