HYDERABAD: A woman govt employee cannot be denied maternity leave for her second pregnancy merely because she gave birth to twins in her first pregnancy, the Telangana high court has held.The ruling by justice K Sarath came on Wednesday on a petition filed by Jadi Swarupa Rani, a 35-year-old junior English lecturer at a Telangana govt college for girls in Mancherial district.The petitioner gave birth to twins in 2023 during her first pregnancy. However, when she gave birth to her third child from a second pregnancy in April 2026, college authorities rejected her maternity leave application.The administration argued that because her first pregnancy resulted in the birth of twins, she already had two surviving children, which they claimed disqualified her for maternity leave under the state’s “two-child norm”.Challenging this decision, the petitioner’s counsel Gattu Vinay Kumar argued that the birth of twins was a biological event entirely beyond her control. “Denying maternity benefits for a subsequent pregnancy violates her fundamental rights,” he contended.The society governing the school opposed the petition, citing service rules from 2010 and 2014 and arguing that as per them, maternity leave is strictly limited only to married women employees with fewer than two surviving children.
Grants 180 days of leave with pay
“Since the petitioner already had two surviving children from her first delivery, she was not eligible for maternity leave for her second delivery,” standing counsel Bhanothu Hussain contended, adding that such benefits, if sanctioned beyond eligibility, would result in undue financial burden on the govt.Rejecting the state’s “rigid” stance, the HC held that the dispute was not about the existence of the rule itself, but rather its humane and sensible interpretation when a first pregnancy results in twins.“A literal interpretation would defeat the very objective of maternity leave, which is intended to protect the health of women and enable them to continue in employment,” the judge said.The judge further cited a precedent from the Madras high court, noting that Tamil Nadu had amended its rules to specifically grant maternity leave for an additional delivery in such unique cases, while Andhra Pradesh subsequently removed the restriction on the number of surviving children altogether for availing maternity leave.Upholding the petitioner’s rights, the judge concluded that the petitioner was fully entitled to maternity leave for her second pregnancy from April 14, 2026, to Oct 11, 2026 (180-day period), and directed the authorities to pay her full salary and allowances for the entire leave period.
