CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government announced on Monday that government employees will get one-year maternity leave for the third childbirth, just like they got for the first two deliveries.

Currently, government employees with fewer than two surviving children are granted 365 days of maternity leave, while those with two or more children receive only up to 12 weeks of maternity leave.

Making the announcement during the demands for grants for the Human Resources Management Department, minister D Sarath Kumar said as the Tamil Nadu government is a welfare-oriented administration prioritising social welfare and women’s empowerment, the maternity leave currently provided for the third child of government employees will be enhanced from 12 weeks to 365 days.”

The original 90 days of maternity leave was raised to six months in 2011, nine months in 2016, and extended to one year (365 days) in July 2021 by the respective state governments of the day.

Under the standard eligibility framework, the 365-day benefit applies to regular women state employees with fewer than two surviving children, a government source said.

However, in line with directives from the Supreme Court and subsequent state amendments, state government employees with two or more surviving children remain entitled to 12 weeks (84 days) of maternity leave with full pay. A senior official also said that soon a detailed government order will be issued to give effect to the announcement in the Assembly.