Topic
Tripura High Court rules that Anganwadi workers and helpers are statutory employees under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, rejecting the State’s argument that they are honorary workers. The judgment entitles them to gratuity upon retirement, reinforcing social security protections for scheme-based workers.
Uttarakhand High Court rules that dependents of deceased construction workers must file a formal offline application within ten days to claim Rs. 3 lakh death benefit under the 1996 Act. The Welfare Board is mandated to decide the claim within three months, failing which legal recourse is available.
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.