Supreme Court Emphasises On Granting Child Care Leave

In a Special Leave to Appeal (C) No. 16864/2021, the Supreme Court directed the Himachal Pradesh government to review its policies on Child Care Leaves (CCL) by constituting a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, State of Himachal Pradesh, and to reconsider the entire aspect of grant of CCL to mothers who are bringing up children with special needs. The court observed that the participation of women in the work force is not a matter of privilege, but a constitutional entitlement protected by Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution; besides Article 19(1)(g). The State as a model employer cannot be oblivious to the special concerns which arise in the case of women who are part of the work force. The provision of CCL to women subserves the significant constitutional object of ensuring that women are not deprived of their due participation as members of the work force.