Question map
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017? 1. Pregnant women are entitled for three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave. 2. Enterprises with crèches must allow the mother minimum six crèche visits daily. 3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
The correct answer is option C because only statement 3 is correct.
**Statement 1 is incorrect**: The maximum period of maternity leave is 26 weeks, of which up to 8 weeks may be taken before the expected date of delivery[1], not three months (12 weeks) pre-delivery and three months post-delivery as stated.
**Statement 2 is incorrect**: The employer must allow four visits a day by the woman to the crèche which includes the rest intervals[2], not six visits as claimed in the statement.
**Statement 3 is correct**: The policy ensures that eligible women are entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for their first two children, and 12 weeks for subsequent deliveries[3]. This means women with two or more surviving children receive reduced entitlements of only 12 weeks instead of the standard 26 weeks.
Sources- [1] https://www.pib.gov.in/FactsheetDetails.aspx?Id=150499®=3&lang=1
- [2] https://www.pib.gov.in/FactsheetDetails.aspx?Id=150499®=3&lang=1
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Fine Print' question. UPSC knows every aspirant memorized the headline '26 weeks', so they attacked the operational details: the pre-delivery split, the exact number of crèche visits, and the multi-child exception. Strategy: For major social acts, do not stop at the 'Key Highlight'; you must read the 'Salient Features' on PRS or PIB to catch the numeric thresholds.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 (India), are pregnant women entitled to three months (approximately 12 weeks) paid leave before delivery and three months paid leave after delivery?
- Statement 2: Under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 (India), must establishments that provide crèche facilities allow the mother a minimum of six visits to the crèche each working day?
- Statement 3: Under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 (India), are women with two or more surviving children entitled only to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave (i.e., reduced from 26 weeks)?
- States the total leave under the 2017 amendment is 26 weeks (not simply two 12-week periods).
- Specifies that only up to 8 weeks may be taken before the expected date of delivery, contradicting the claim of 12 weeks pre-delivery.
- Confirms the 2017 amendment increased paid maternity leave to 26 weeks (total).
- Specifically notes pre-natal leave was increased from 6 weeks to 8 weeks — not 12 weeks before delivery.
- Official labour ministry material stating paid maternity leave increased to 26 weeks under the 2017 amendment.
- Supports the overall correction that leave is 26 weeks in total rather than two separate 12-week periods around delivery.
Lists specific maternal benefits tied to 'during pregnancy and up to six months after childbirth', showing legislation/government schemes treat pregnancy and a defined post‑natal period as a combined entitlement window.
A student could infer that statutory maternity provisions often specify durations spanning pre‑ and post‑delivery and therefore check the Act's text for the exact split (pre‑ vs post‑delivery weeks).
Explains that organised‑sector workers are 'supposed to get paid leave' under labour laws, indicating maternity leave is typically a statutory paid‑leave benefit for employees in the organised sector.
Combine this with knowledge that the Maternity Benefit Act governs organised sector leave to look up the Act/Rule provisions on number and timing of paid leave weeks.
Describes a 2016 maternal programme providing antenatal care throughout pregnancy on a monthly schedule, highlighting policy attention to prenatal care as a distinct period before delivery.
Use this pattern (distinct prenatal services/timeframes) to expect maternity legislation may also distinguish 'before delivery' weeks from 'after delivery' weeks and then verify the exact allotment in the Act.
- This passage explicitly states the statutory number of allowed visits per day to the crèche.
- It specifies four visits a day, which contradicts the claim of a six-visit minimum.
Describes that labour law/code requires employer-provided welfare facilities and 'adequate safeguards' for women at workplace, showing workplace welfare (like crèches) is regulated under labour legislation.
A student could infer that if crèche rules are set in labour laws, the Act might specify operational details (e.g., number/frequency of visits) and so should be checked in the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) text.
Lists statutory benefits specifically for pregnant and lactating mothers (meals, cash benefits), indicating the law addresses detailed entitlements for mothers.
From this pattern of specific, quantifiable entitlements, a student could suspect similar numeric provisions (like 'six visits') might exist for crèche access and look for that exact phrasing in the amendment.
Identifies the Maternity Benefits Act (1961) among enacted labour/women's welfare laws, showing there is a legislative history and likely later amendments dealing with workplace maternity provisions.
Knowing the Act has been in statutory lists, a student could reasonably check the 2017 amendment text for added crèche-related clauses derived from this legislative tradition.
Discusses early factory legislation that regulated women's working hours and child-related protections, illustrating a long-standing pattern of specifying workplace welfare measures for women and children.
Using this pattern, a student might expect modern amendments to similarly include operational details (e.g., number of allowed visits) and therefore verify the specific provision in the 2017 amendment.
Describes government maternal-care programmes and scheduled services, showing policy emphasis on maternal and infant care across schemes.
This broader policy focus supports the plausibility that statutory instruments (like the Maternity Benefit amendment) could set concrete entitlements for mothers' access to childcare facilities at work; a student could use this to justify checking the amendment text.
- Explicitly states the leave entitlement split between first two children and subsequent deliveries.
- Directly says 26 weeks for first two children and 12 weeks for subsequent deliveries, matching the claim about reduced leave for women with two or more surviving children.
- Notes that the increased benefit applies only to the first two children.
- Specifically refers to women having two or more surviving children receiving a lesser benefit.
- Tabulates the amended leave durations, distinguishing first two children versus subsequent children.
- Clearly shows 26 weeks for first two children and 12 weeks for subsequent children, directly supporting the statement.
This snippet shows that some legislative proposals in India (Population Regulation Bill, 2019) explicitly link government benefits to a 'two living children' norm.
A student could check whether other social/benefit laws (like maternity leave amendments) have adopted similar eligibility restrictions tying benefits to number of surviving children.
Lists the Maternity Benefits Act (1961) among major labour/women-related laws, indicating maternity benefits are governed by specific legislation that can be amended over time.
One could infer amendments (such as in 2017) are plausible and then inspect the 2017 amendment text to see if it changes eligibility based on number of children.
Reiterates the existence of a distinct Maternity Benefits Act in the corpus of Indian social legislation, supporting the pattern that maternity entitlements are statutory and subject to legislative detail.
Use this to justify consulting the exact amendment language (2017) to verify any conditional clauses about 'surviving children'.
Describes targeted benefits for pregnant women and lactating mothers (Aanganwadi meals and cash) showing that maternal benefits are often tiered and specifically defined in policy texts.
A student could treat maternity leave similarly—as a specific, possibly conditional statutory benefit—and therefore look for eligibility criteria (like child-count limits) in the amendment.
Explains that organised and unorganised sectors have different legal protections (paid leave etc.), indicating that applicability of statutory benefits can depend on worker category or specific provisions.
One might check whether the 2017 amendment distinguishes categories of employees or sets eligibility exceptions (e.g., based on number of children or sector).
- [THE VERDICT]: Trap / Detail-Heavy. Source: PRS Legislative Research or PIB 'Salient Features' of the Amendment.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Social Justice & Labour Reforms (GS-2/GS-3) – specifically 'Women in the Workforce'.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Numbers of the Act': (1) Total Leave: 26 weeks (Max 8 weeks pre-delivery). (2) For 3rd Child/Adopting/Commissioning Mother: 12 weeks. (3) Crèche Trigger: Establishments with 50+ employees. (4) Crèche Visits: 4 per day. (5) Work from Home: Allowed if nature of work permits.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Beware of 'Symmetry Traps'. Statement 1 suggested a perfect 3-month/3-month split. Real policy is rarely perfectly symmetrical; it usually prioritizes the post-natal period for breastfeeding and recovery. Always verify the 'split' in timeline-based laws.
Covers programmes and benefits targeted at pregnant women and lactating mothers such as nutritional support and cash assistance.
High-yield for UPSC because questions often probe government interventions for maternal and child welfare; links social policy to health outcomes and budgetary priorities. Mastery helps answer questions on scheme design, overlaps, and state versus central roles.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 9: Subsidies > Subsidies > p. 296
- Economics, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Poverty as a Challenge > Anti-Poverty Measures > p. 40
Distinguishes where statutory paid leave and other benefits are available versus sectors lacking regular entitlements.
Important for labour law and social justice questions; helps frame answers on implementation gaps, policy reach, and reforms needed for informal workers. Enables comparison-type questions between sectors.
- Understanding Economic Development. Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: SECTORS OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY > p. 30
Focuses on in-kind food provision and specific cash instalments as components of maternal support.
Useful for answering questions on targeted welfare measures, program effectiveness, and maternal-child health indicators; connects to schemes under ICDS and broader anti-poverty strategies.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 9: Subsidies > Subsidies > p. 296
Provides the legal foundation for maternity protections in India, rooted in the Maternity Benefits Act (1961) which is the origin point for later amendments.
High-yield for UPSC because questions often probe the evolution of social legislation and gender welfare; mastering this helps answer queries on legal safeguards for women, amendments, and how old Acts inform current policy debates.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 8: Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features > Direction of Social Reform > p. 199
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 8: Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features > Summary > p. 205
Covers employer responsibilities for health, safety and welfare facilities at workplaces as set out in modern labour legislation.
Important for linking labour law reform to service delivery and workplace rights; helps tackle questions on labour codes, employer obligations, and comparative analysis of sectoral protections.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 2. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 > p. 263
Focuses on specific maternal welfare measures such as nutritional support and cash benefits aimed at pregnant and lactating women.
Useful for answering policy and scheme-based questions in UPSC mains and prelims; connects public health, social safety nets, and implementation challenges across schemes.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 9: Subsidies > Subsidies > p. 296
- Economics, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Poverty as a Challenge > Anti-Poverty Measures > p. 40
Two‑child policy proposals tie eligibility for certain employment benefits to having no more than two living children, which is conceptually close to restricting maternity benefits by number of surviving children.
High-yield for UPSC because questions often contrast population policy proposals with labour/welfare entitlements; connects to public policy, constitutional rights and administrative eligibility criteria. Understanding this helps answer questions on policy tradeoffs and implications for gender and employment law.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 19: Population and Demographic Dividend > THE POPULATION REGULATION BILL, 2019 > p. 568
The 'Commissioning Mother' (Surrogacy) Rule: A commissioning mother is entitled to 12 weeks of leave, calculated *from the date the child is handed over to her*, not from the birth date itself. This timeline nuance is a potential future trap.
Use 'Operational Practicality' logic. Statement 2 claims 'minimum six visits daily'. In a standard 8-9 hour workday, 6 visits would mean leaving work every ~80 minutes. This is operationally impractical for any employer. The standard industrial norm is usually 4 (Arrival + Departure + 2 Rest Intervals). Extreme administrative burdens in options are often incorrect.
Link this to the 'Motherhood Penalty' in GS-3 (Economy). While the Act extends benefits, the economic critique is that it may discourage small firms from hiring women due to the full cost burden falling on the employer (unlike some countries where the State shares the cost). This connects to India's low Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR).