In a recent circular, University Grants Commission (UGC) requests all the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to grant maternity leave to the women students pursuing Under Graduate and Post Graduate programs and provide all the relaxations relating to attendance, submissions, or any other facility.
This provision is an addition to a provision made in 2016 stating, “The women candidate may be provided Maternity Leave/Child Care Leave once in the entire duration of M.Phil/Ph.D. for up to 240 days.”
The recent provision made in a circular dated December 14, 2021, stated, “In addition to above, all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are requested to frame appropriate rules/norms with regard to granting Maternity Leave to the women students enrolled in their respective institution / affiliated Colleges and also provide all relaxations/exemptions relating to attendance, extension in date for submitting examination forms or any other facility deemed necessary for women students pursuing Under Graduate and Post Graduate programmes.”
The circular is signed by the Secretary of UGC, Prof. Rajnish Jain.
An authority at Mumbai University said, "Mumbai University provides leave up to six years for any kind of emergency including maternity, to Ph.D. students. The only condition is that students should submit extensions every year to extend the leave. The new circular about granting maternity leaves and providing relaxation when it comes to exams, attendance, and other necessary facilities, is yet to be discussed by the authorities of the university. We will soon come to a conclusion regarding it.”
Few universities found this to be a contradictory provision. The Assistant Professor at MGM University, Prof. Kavita Soni said, “The legal age of marriage for women is now 21, and generally undergrad students are below 21 or are 21. So, according to me, this provision is contradictory.”
