Tamil Nadu extends 365-day maternity leave for third child to govt employees

Tamil Nadu has extended its maternity leave policy for state government employees, granting 365 days of leave for a third child, a significant increase from the previous allowance of 12 weeks. The announcement was made on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, by Human Resources Management Minister D. Sarathkumar in the state Assembly.

The decision aligns the leave entitlement for a third child with the existing one-year provision for the first two children. Previously, married women government employees with fewer than two surviving children were entitled to 365 days of leave. Those with two or more children received only 12 weeks, or 84 days. The minister stated that this enhancement was made as part of the government's welfare-oriented administration and commitment to women's empowerment.

The policy change follows a shift in the state's family planning strategy from population control to family wellbeing, which was announced by the government the day before the leave extension was declared. According to the state's official history of the benefit, maternity leave for government employees was originally set at 90 days. It was extended to six months in 2011, to nine months in 2016, and...