CPI MP Writes To FM Sitharaman. Demands Withdrawal Of SBI Norms For Recruitment Of Pregnant Women

The Rajya Sabha MP wrote a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking her immediate intervention and asked for the withdrawal of the rules related to the recruitment of pregnant women

CPI MP Binoy Viswam. (Image: ANI)

New Delhi: Terming the new recruitment guidelines for pregnant women to State Bank of India (SBI) as ‘shocking’, Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Binoy Viswam demanded immediate withdrawal of the same.

The Rajya Sabha MP wrote a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking her immediate intervention into the matter and asked for the withdrawal of the new rules related to the recruitment of pregnant women to SBI.

Insulting Pregnancy is a crime towards mother https://t.co/f8T0mLLVpC is a discrimination against https://t.co/inBMuXH5PB guidelines in this regard is anti-constitutional. Finance Minister should intervene and withdraw the discriminatory circular with immediate effect.

— Binoy Viswam (@BinoyViswam1) January 28, 2022

"It appears that under the garb of empowering women, the new guidelines which consider pregnant women who are 3 months and above as being temporarily unfit for appointment, are in fact arbitrarily discriminating against them. This policy fails to consider the interests of working women and will cause further discrimination in the workspace," the letter, as quoted by news agency ANI, read.

"Women are constantly subjected to arbitrary policies that are rooted in patriarchal mindsets. It is appalling that a Government-run back is not only reinforcing such stereotypes but actively contributing to their creation," the letter to the Finance Minister further added.

Pointing out that the new guidelines issued by the public sector bank completely undermines the rights of women, the CPI MP wrote that any policy that concerns women in the workplace must ensure that it does not become a tool of discrimination and oppression.

The State Bank of India issued its revised guidelines on January 12, according to which a woman candidate who was more than three months pregnant will not be considered for a job in the bank. In its circular, SBI stated that a pregnant woman would be allowed to join within four months after the delivery of her child.

"In case of pregnancy which is less than 3 months, the candidate will be considered fit. However, if pregnancy is more than 3 months, she will be considered temporarily unfit and she may be allowed to join within 4 months after delivery of the child," the revised SBI guidelines read.