NCW suggests gender neutral child care leave in private sector, 5 lakh new creches
New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Extending gender neutral child care leave to the private sector, mandatory paid paternity leave and creation of 5 lakh creches by 2030 are some of the key recommendations made by the NCW to the Central government, an official said on Friday.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) submitted the recommendations to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Women and Child Development, and Ministry of Labour and Employment, with a focus on strengthening the country’s maternity and childcare framework through shared parenting, universal maternity protection and family-friendly workplaces.
The Commission’s Recommendatory Report on Laws Relating to Maternity and Child Care presents 37 recommendations across nine key areas, aimed at establishing a more inclusive, gender-neutral and comprehensive framework for maternity and childcare protection, said the statement.
The NCW also proposed a National Childcare Infrastructure Mission to create 5 lakh crèche seats by 2030 through Union–State cooperation.
The Commission recommended introducing mandatory paid paternity leave in the private and unorganised sectors, recognising the role of fathers in childcare.
The report calls for paternity leave to be recognised as an essential right enabling fathers to participate meaningfully in childcare, with statutory frameworks applicable uniformly across sectors.
The recommendations are based on deliberations held during the National Consultation on Laws Relating to Maternity and Child Care, organised on May 5, 2026, at the Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi, it said.
In accordance with Section 10 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, which empowers the Commission to review existing laws affecting women and recommend amendments to address legislative gaps and inadequacies, the report proposes significant reforms.
Its suggestions span across maternity benefits, Child Care Leave (CCL), paternity leave, childcare infrastructure, nursing and lactation support, private-sector coverage, legal harmonisation, enforcement mechanisms and the prevention of workplace discrimination, the statement said.
Calling for maternity protection to reach women beyond the formal workforce, NCW has recommended extending maternity and childcare benefits to informal, gig and platform workers, noting that over 90% of women workers remain outside effective coverage.
The Commission has recommended operationalising Section 109 of the Code on Social Security, 2020 through a dedicated Maternity and Childcare Fund, supported by the State and employers.
It has also proposed making the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) a universal and legally enforceable entitlement.
The report recommended parity in maternity benefits for biological, adoptive and commissioning mothers, including increasing leave for adoptive and commissioning mothers from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
It also called for amending Section 60(4) of the Social Security Code, 2020 in light of the Supreme Court ruling concerning adoptive mothers, while advocating a child-centric caregiving framework rather than distinctions based solely on biological motherhood.
In a major shift towards shared caregiving, the NCW recommended transforming the existing women-centric CCL framework into gender-neutral Child Care Leave, available to either parent.
The report proposed dividing the existing 730-day CCL structure equally between both working parents, with 365 days each, or allowing a common pool where both parents work in the same organisation.
For children aged 0–2 years, it further proposed a 60:40 shared-care model between primary and secondary caregivers.
–IANS
rch/dan
