Vijay government to give women employees year-long maternity leave for third child

19-Aug-2026

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The Tamil Nadu government extended maternity leave for women government employees from 12 weeks to 365 days for the birth of their third child, aligning it with the leave for the first two children. 

Announced by HR Minister Sarathkumar, this move supports women's empowerment amid the state's declining fertility rate of below 1.4, posing demographic challenges. 

The announcement followed MLA R Pallavi bringing her newborn to Assembly, highlighting work-life balance issues for mothers in government service.