On May 30, 2025, the Calcutta High Court ruled that denying childcare leave (CCL) to a female employee violates the law. The case involved an assistant professor at Calcutta Girls’ College who had applied for 189 days of CCL to care for her 13-month-old twin daughters. The college had rejected her request and demanded repayment of the salary paid during that period. Justice Jay Sengupta emphasized that denying such leave disregards the essential needs of a mother and her young children, and ordered the college to approve the leave and pay the pending salary within six weeks .

This decision aligns with recent judgments affirming women’s rights to maternity and childcare leave. For instance, the Supreme Court ruled that maternity leave is a constitutional right, even for a third child, emphasizing that such leave is integral to a woman’s reproductive rights and cannot be denied based on the number of children .

These rulings underscore the judiciary’s commitment to upholding women’s rights in the workplace, particularly concerning maternity and childcare leave.

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