Bihar: Childcare Leave Policy Yet to Be Implemented for Women University Teachers

Patna: Despite the NDA government in Bihar, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, being popular for its women-centric policies, hundreds of female professors in colleges and universities across the state have been struggling for the past 10 years to have the Childcare Leave (CCL) policy implemented.

Central Government Provision
The childcare leave policy, notified in the Central Government Gazette in 2015, provides female government employees, including school teachers, up to 730 days (two years) of leave to care for children under 18 years of age. At the same time, maternity leave was extended to 180 days for female employees. Women can avail both maternity leave and childcare leave for up to two children during their service.

UGC Guidelines for Higher Education
The University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines also allow women faculty members to take up to two years of CCL, applicable for minor children under 18. This leave is intended for childcare, children’s examinations, or medical needs and is granted for a maximum of two children during the faculty member’s tenure.

According to Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha, Executive President of the Federation of Bihar University Teachers’ Associations, a draft law formalizing CCL was prepared in 2019 and sent to the state government for approval, in line with state government and UGC regulations.

Pending Approval
The draft was forwarded to the Bihar State Higher Education Council, which approved it in December 2023 and returned it to the State Education Department for final notification. However, the law has not yet been notified and remains pending in the secretariat. Until its implementation, female faculty members in higher education institutions are forced to exhaust all other leaves, often resulting in salary deductions.

Government Response
N.K. Agrawal, Director of Higher Education, informed this newspaper that the matter is under government consideration and a final decision will be taken soon by the competent authority.

This delay highlights the gap between policy and implementation, leaving women educators in Bihar still fighting for rights that have long been recognized at the national level.