India, March 17 -- Supreme Court rules age limit in maternity benefits for adoptive mothers unconstitutional

Section 60(4) of the Social Security Code, 2020 restricted leave to adoptions of children under 3 months

Court says restriction violates equality and denies adoptive families adequate caregiving time

Urges Centre to recognise paternity leave as part of social security benefits

The Supreme Court has struck down a provision in India's social security law that restricted maternity benefits for adoptive mothers to cases where the child was below three months of age, holding the classification unconstitutional.

In a judgment delivered on March 17, 2026 in the case Hamsaanandini Nanduri v. Union of India, a bench of Justices J B Par...