Calicut University becomes the first to grant long-term maternity leave for women students

Updated on: Saturday, July 20, 2013

Calicut University recently became the first Indian varsity to grant long-term maternity leave for women students in an effort to facilitate woman students successfully complete academic year without 'year out' due to pregranncy.

Hence, woman student after maternity leave will be allowed considering their first chance and not as supplementary as in the past.

As per the new amendment, "female students will be permitted to avail long leave of absence from attending the course in connection with maternity reasons and to join the subsequent batch. Such appearances in the semester-end examination will be considered as first chance and not as supplementary chance".

The university is in the process of extending the facility to students studying for MBBS, BHMS, BDS and other degrees.

University student welfare dean P V Valsaraj said the decision was the culmination of two-year efforts initiated by the student grievance redressal cell to bring in gender equality and provide equal educational opportunity to women students.

"Many married students, especially those pursuing professional courses like MBBS, have been approaching us saying they were having a tough time balancing the mandatory attendance requirements and their maternity-related responsibilities in family life. We feel that it is the duty of society to ensure that maternity related issues not come in the way of a girl student in achieving her career and academic aspirations," he said.

Earlier, a woman student who took a break for childbirth faced the disadvantage of a 'year out' and had to write her supplementary examination.

"As students who took the supplementary examination are not considered for ranks, many bright students were left out from achieving top honours. Also, they face difficulty in gaining PG admissions as a certain percent of marks are discounted while making the PG admission rank list," Valsaraj said.

Calicut University becomes the first to grant long-term maternity leave for women students

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