New Delhi, March 17 -- The Supreme Court has struck down a law that allowed maternity leave to only those mothers who legally adopt a child below three-months of age, terming it as "unconstitutional" and "violative of the Right to Equality". The court also ruled that adoption is part of the right to reproductive autonomy.

The bench also held that an adoptive mother should be entitled to maternity leave of 12 weeks, irrespective of the age of the adopted child.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan observed that the object of maternity benefits is intrinsically linked to motherhood, ANI reported.

"A woman who legally adopts a child, or a commissioning mother, shall be entitled to maternity benefit for a period of 12 weeks fro...