India, March 17 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared as unconstitutional a provision in the Code on Social Security, 2020, that limited maternity leave for adoptive mothers to only those who adopt children below three months of age.

The court held that all adoptive mothers will be entitled to 12 weeks of leave from the date of adoption, irrespective of the child's age.

The SC also urged the Union government to consider introducing paternity leave as a social welfare measure.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times....