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‘Discriminatory, illegal’: SBI rebuked for calling pregnant women ‘unfit’ in new rules
Notably, the SBI has said in its new rules that woman candidates with more than three months of pregnancy, who the bank considers “temporarily unfit”, can join service within four months after delivery.
After the State Bank of India (SBI) tweaked its recruitment rules wherein it said that women candidates with more than three months of pregnancy will be considered “temporarily unfit” to join, a barrage of criticisms has been pilloried against the public sector bank. The internet exploded with outrage on what it called “discriminatory” rules on part of the SBI, as netizens – ranging from politicians to corporate professionals – and human rights bodies took to their respective social media handles to request the country's largest lender to revoke its revised guidelines.
Also Read | SBI tweaks recruitment rules for pregnant women candidates
Referring to the new rules as “discriminatory in nature”, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi urged Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the chairman of the bank to immediately revoke the guidelines.
She posted from her official handle on Twitter, “SBI in its revised guidelines says candidates who are 3 months pregnant will be considered temporarily unfit&will be allowed to join 4 months after delivery of child. This is discriminatory in nature. I urge Hon @nsitharaman ji & CMD @TheOfficialSBI to revoke this immediately.”
Su Venkatesan, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) MP from Madurai, also criticised the SBI guidelines and said “this is in clear violation of gender equality enshrined in our Constitution.”
Notably, the SBI has said in its new rules that woman candidates with more than three months of pregnancy, who the bank considers “temporarily unfit”, can join service within four months after delivery.
“However, if pregnancy is of more than 3 months, she will be considered temporarily unfit and she may be allowed to join within 4 months after delivery of child,” as per the medical fitness and ophthalmological standards for new recruits and promotees dated December 31, 2021.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Saturday also issued a notice to the SBI seeking withdrawal of the guideline that prevents women, who are over three months pregnant, from joining service.
DCW chief Swati Maliwal said that this is both “discriminatory” and “illegal” as it is contrary to the maternity benefits provided under ‘The Code of Social Security, 2020’.
The notice states that the commission has taken suo motu cognizance on media reports of SBI framing “new guidelines” for “new recruitments and promotions”.
“It discriminates on the basis of sex which is against the fundamental rights provided under the Constitution of India,” the commission said.
The DCW has asked the bank to provide a copy of the said rules/guidelines issued by it and a copy of similar rules/guidelines operational before issuing the new rules.
It also asked the bank to provide information on the steps taken by the bank to ensure that the said guidelines are non-discriminatory to women and to amend/withdraw the said rules/guidelines and a detailed process through which these guidelines were formed along with the names and designations of the approval authority.
The commission has also sought a detailed action taken report in the matter and the aforementioned information latest by February 2.
The move has also elicited criticism from other quarters, including from the All India State Bank Of India Employees' Association.
