#maternity benefit

Demotion after maternity leave violates Section 12 of the Maternity Benefit Act, the Delhi High Court found. It reinstated the employee as senior manager, awarded Rs 10 lakh for mental harassment, and directed the Union to issue guidelines for private employers. The ruling expands maternity protection to post-leave career progression for women workers.

The Supreme Court ruled that denying maternity benefits to adoptive mothers based on an arbitrary age limit violates constitutional guarantees of equality and reproductive autonomy. The judgment reinforces that motherhood is defined by care, not biology, and adoption is a protected form of family under Articles 14 and 21, impacting workplace policies and social security frameworks.