Jharkhand: Palamu child care leave case raises questions after teacher opts against maternity leave
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, July 27: An unusual leave application by a government school teacher in Jharkhand’s Palamu district has triggered…
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THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, July 27: An unusual leave application by a government school teacher in Jharkhand’s Palamu district has triggered administrative action and sparked debate over the use of child care leave instead of maternity leave.
Bharti Pandey, a Political Science teacher at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Chainpur, applied for child care leave during an advanced stage of pregnancy instead of availing maternity leave, despite being eligible for 26 weeks of paid maternity leave under government rules for women with up to two children.
The decision has drawn attention because maternity leave is generally processed through a simpler mechanism, while child care leave requires a more elaborate approval process.
Difference between maternity leave and child care leave
Under existing government provisions, a woman employee is entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave for the birth of up to two children. For a third child, the entitlement is 12 weeks.
Child care leave, on the other hand, can be granted for up to 730 days during the service period to care for a child, including for education or medical needs, subject to prescribed conditions. In the case of children with special needs, the age limit does not apply.
Officials said the teacher sought child care leave despite being eligible for maternity leave. The reasons for choosing that option have not been officially disclosed by the family.
Teacher suffered stillbirth, says Civil Surgeon
The case took a tragic turn when Bharti Pandey delivered a stillborn child. Civil Surgeon Dr. Anil Kumar Srivastava said the case involved intrauterine fetal death.
Following the incident, questions were raised over whether delays in processing the leave application had contributed to the outcome, prompting the district administration to order an inquiry.
Palamu administration orders probe
Palamu Deputy Commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat constituted an inquiry committee headed by Additional Collector Kundan Kumar. IAS probationer Ritwik Mehta and Civil Surgeon Dr. Anil Kumar Srivastava were also part of the probe.
The inquiry was tasked with examining the leave approval process, the alleged delay in granting leave and the circumstances surrounding the stillbirth.
The district administration subsequently suspended a clerk and cancelled the deputation of another employee. Both were attached to education offices in separate districts as part of the administrative action.
Probe rejects bribery allegation
The controversy also involved allegations that ₹50,000 was demanded for sanctioning the child care leave.
However, according to sources familiar with the inquiry, the committee found no evidence to substantiate the allegation. The claim was based on the statement of the teacher’s husband, who told the probe team that he was allegedly asked for the money but did not pay it.
Medical records part of inquiry
The inquiry also examined the teacher’s medical history. According to officials, medical records indicated that she had undergone regular antenatal check-ups during her pregnancy.
The probe further noted that her treating gynaecologist had advised hospital admission for continuous observation after a per vaginum (PV) fluid leakage was detected. According to the inquiry findings, she did not accept that advice on two occasions and returned home instead. Officials said these medical aspects also formed part of the inquiry.
Bharti Pandey was eventually granted 185 days of child care leave shortly before the delivery. The timing of the approval led to criticism of the district education office on social media and renewed scrutiny of the handling of the case.
The incident has drawn attention to the implementation of leave policies for government employees and the administrative procedures governing maternity and child care leave in Jharkhand.
