Pvt schools asked to provide paternity leave

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked private schools in New Delhi to grant paternity leave to their employees just as the state-run institutions do.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked private schools in New Delhi to grant paternity leave to their employees just as the state-run institutions do.

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Justice Sunil Gaur accepted the state government's contention that all private schools should give paternity leave to their employees as per the Delhi Education Act and Rules.

The ruling came as a relief to Chandramohan Jain, who had contested his salary cut by the Bagrodia Public School when he was on paternity leave after his wife had given birth through a caesarean operation in December 2008.

After the delivery, the mother and the child remained hospitalised for a few days.

The school deducted his salary on the ground that it had no provision for paternity leave.

In his petition, Jain said that every unaided school in the capital was bound to provide paternity leave for a fortnight within 60 days before or after delivery under the Delhi Education Act and Rules.

The acts says unaided public schools shall give salary, allowances, leave and other benefits equivalent to their counterparts in government schools.

The central government had in 1999 notified that all its employees would get paternity leave for a fortnight. Following this, the Delhi government also notified that its employees will also be entitled for this.