Special Maternity Leave in Case of Death of a Child

 

SPECIAL MATERNITY LEAVE IN CASE OF DEATH OF A CHILD

       Ref:  Railway Board’s Letter No.E(P&A)I-2022/CPC/LE-4 dated 07-11-2022, 

               RBE NO.144/2022.

 

1.   DOPT&T vide their OM No. 13018/1/2021-Estt.(L) dated 02-09-2022 has introduced 60 days Special Maternity Leave for female Central Government servant in case of death of a child soon after birth or in case the child is stillborn. These provisions are being adopted for railway employees.

 

2.    Keeping in view the emotional trauma suffered by a mother when her child is stillborn or in the event of death of a child soon after birth which has a far-reaching impact on her life,  it has now been decided to grant Special Maternity of 60 days to a female railway servant in the case of death of a child soon after birth/in case the child is stillborn subject to the following conditions:

 

(i)    In case Maternity Leave has already been availed by a railway servant and her leave continues till the date of expiry of child soon after birth/ stillbirth, the maternity leave already availed till death of the child may be converted into any other kind of leave available in her leave account without insisting for a medical certificate and a Special Maternity Leave of 60 days may be granted from the date of expiry of child soon after birth/ stillbirth.

 

(ii)  In case the maternity leave has not been availed by a female railway servant, 60 days of Special Maternity Leave may be granted from the date of expiry of child soon after birth/ stillbirth.

 

(iii)   The condition for death of a child soon after birth may be defined as up to 28 days after             birth.

 

(iv)   A baby born with no signs of life at or after 28 weeks of gestation may be defined as                 Stillbirth.

 

(v) The benefits of Special Maternity Leave shall be admissible only to a female railway servant with less than 2 surviving children and for child delivery only in an authorized hospital.

 

(vi) “Authorized Hospital” is defined as Government Hospital/ Railway Hospital or Private Hospital empanelled under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)/Railway empanelled Hospital. In case of emergency delivery in non-empanelled private hospital, production of emergency certificate is mandatory.

 

3.  These provisions shall be effective from the date of issue of these orders. Past cases wherever settled need not be reopened.