MATERNITY BENEFIT
†
An Act to regulate the employment of women in certain establishments for certain period before and after child-birth and to provide for maternity benefit and certain other benefits.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Twelfth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
Short title, extent and commencement.
1. (1) This Act may be called the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
(2)It extends to the whole of India 1[***].
(3)It shall come into force on such date as may be notified in this behalf in the Official Gazette,—
2[(a) in relation to mines and to any other establishment wherein persons are employed for the exhibition of equestrian, acrobatic and other performances, by the Central Government; and]
(b) in relation to other establishments in a State, by the State Government.
COMMENTS
SECTION
NOTES
1.1 Short Title [Section 1(1)]
The Act is officially designated as the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
1.2 Extent of Applicability [Section 1(2)]
The Act extends across India.
1.3 Date of Enforcement [Section 1(3)]
The commencement of the Act is dependent on notifications issued through the Official Gazette.
*Dated 12-12-1961.
† Repealed by the Code on Social Security, 2020, with effect from a date yet to be notified.
1. Words “except the State of Jammu and Kashmir” omitted by the Central Labour Laws (Extension to Jammu and Kashmir ) Act, 1970, w.e.f. 1-9-1971.
2. Substituted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1973, w.e.f. 1-3-1975.
2. 3[(1) It applies, in the first instance,—
(
a) to every establishment being a factory, mine or plantation including any such establishment belonging to Government and to every establishment wherein persons are employed for the exhibition of equestrian, acrobatic and other performances;
(
b) to every shop or establishment with the meaning of any law for the time being in force in relation to shops and establishments in a State, in which ten or more persons are employed, or were employed, on any day of the preceding twelve months:]
Provided that the State Government may, with the approval of the Central Government, after giving not less than two months’ notice of its intention of so doing, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that all or any of the provisions of this Act shall apply also to any other establishment or class of establishments, industrial, commercial, agricultural or otherwise.
(2) 4[Save as otherwise provided in 5[sections 5A and 5B], nothing contained in this Act] shall apply to any factory or other establishment to which the provisions of the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 (34 of 1948), apply for the time being.
COMMENTS
CASE LAWS
Applicability to Educational Institutions Requires Notification - The Madras High Court ruled that the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, is not automatically applicable to educational institutions unless a notification is issued under its proviso by the State Government with Central Government approval. The appellant, a student of film direction, sought condonation of attendance shortage due to maternity, citing international conventions and the Act. The Court emphasized that while maternity benefits for working women are essential, extending such benefits to students in educational institutions is a policy decision for the legislature and cannot be enforced in the absence of a statutory provision. – A. Arulin Ajitha Rani v. Principal, Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu AIR 2009 Madras 7.
STATE AMENDMENTS
GUJARAT
In section 2 after sub-section (2), insert—
“(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), in the case of a factory or other establishment to which the provisions of the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 apply for the time being, the provisions of this Act shall apply to a woman employed in
3. Substituted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1988, w.e.f. 10-1-1989. Earlier, sub-section (1) was amended by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1973, w.e.f. 1-3-1975.
4. Substituted for “Nothing contained in this Act” by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1972, w.e.f. 1-6-1972.
5. Substituted for “section 5A” by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1976, w.e.f. 1-5-1976.
such factory or establishment so long as she is not qualified to claim maternity benefit under section 50 of the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948." - [Vide the Maternity Benefit (Gujarat Amendment) Act, 1965, w.e.f. 6-12-1965]
Definitions.
3. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “appropriate Government” means, in relation to an establishment being a mine, 6[or an establishment wherein persons are employed for the exhibition of equestrian, acrobatic and other performances,] the Central Government and in relation to any other establishment, the State Government;
(
b) “child” includes a still-born child;
6a[(ba) “commissioning mother” means a biological mother who uses her egg to create an embryo implanted in any other woman;]
(
c) “delivery” means the birth of a child;
(d) “employer” means—
(i) in relation to an establishment which is under the control of the Government, a person or authority appointed by the Government for the supervision and control of employees or where no person or authority is so appointed, the head of the department;
(ii) in relation to an establishment under any local authority, the person appointed by such authority for the supervision and control of employees or where no person is so appointed, the chief executive officer of the local authority;
(iii) in any other case, the person who, or the authority which, has the ultimate control over the affairs of the establishment and where the said affairs are entrusted to any other person whether called a manager, managing director, managing agent, or by any other name, such person;
7[(e) “establishment” means—
(i) a factory;
(ii) a mine;
(iii) a plantation;
(iv) an establishment wherein persons are employed for the exhibition of equestrian, acrobatic and other performances; 8[***]
9[(iva) a shop or establishment; or]
(v) an establishment to which the provisions of this Act have been declared under sub-section (1) of section 2 to be applicable;]
6. Inserted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1973, w.e.f. 1-3-1975.
6a. Inserted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, w.e.f. 1-4-2017.
7. Substituted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1973, w.e.f. 1-3-1975.
8. Word “or” omitted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1988, w.e.f. 10-1-1989.
9. Inserted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1988, w.e.f. 10-1-1989.
(f) “factory” means a factory as defined in clause (m) of section 2 of the Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948);
(g) “Inspector” means an Inspector appointed under section 14;
(h) “maternity benefit” means the payment referred to in sub-section (1) of section 5;
9a[(ha) “medical termination of pregnancy” means the termination of pregnancy permissible under the provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 (34 of 1971);]
(i) “mine” means a mine as defined in clause (j) of section 2 of the Mines Act, 1952 (35 of 1952);
(
j) “miscarriage” means expulsion of the contents of a pregnant uterus at any period prior to or during the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy but does not include any miscarriage, the causing of which is punishable under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860);
(k) “plantation” means a plantation as defined in clause (f) of section 2 of the Plantations Labour Act, 1951 (69 of 1951);
(
l) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(m) “State Government”, in relation to a Union territory, means the Administrator thereof;
(n) “wages” means all remuneration paid or payable in cash to a woman, if the terms of the contract of employment, express or implied, were fulfilled and includes—
(1) such cash allowances (including dearness allowance and house rent allowance) as a woman is for the time being entitled to;
(2) incentive bonus; and
(3) the money value of the concessional supply of food grains and other articles, but does not include—
(i) any bonus other than incentive bonus;
(ii) over-time earnings and any deduction or payment made on account of fines;
(iii) any contribution paid or payable by the employer to any pension fund or provident fund or for the benefit of the woman under any law for the time being in force; and
(iv) any gratuity payable on the termination of service;
(o) “woman” means a woman employed, whether directly or through any agency, for wages in any establishment.
9a. Inserted by the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 1995, w.e.f. 1-2-1996.
AUTHOR : TAXMANN’S EDITORIAL BOARD
PUBLISHER : TAXMANN
DATE OF PUBLICATION : MAY 2025
EDITION : 2025 EDITION
ISBN NO : 9789364556538
NO. OF PAGES : 56
BINDING TYPE : PAPERBACK
DESCRIPTION
Maternity Benefit Act 1961 with Maternity Benefit (Mines and Circus) Rules 1963 [Bare Act with Section Notes] by Taxmann concisely covers the legal framework protecting women before and after childbirth. It collates the principal Act, related amendments, and Rules for mines and circuses. Each section is accompanied by practical notes, making it an insightful reference to understand maternity entitlements and employer obligations under Indian law.
This book is intended for the following audience:
• Legal Practitioners & Advocates
• HR & Compliance Professionals
• Academics & Law Students
• Employers & Business Owners
• Government & Enforcement Agencies
The Present Publication is the 2025 Edition, covering the amended and updated text of the Maternity Benefit Act [Act No. 53 of 1961] and Rules, with the following noteworthy features:
• [Bare Act & Section Notes] Presents the legislation with concise clarifications for each section
• [Complete Coverage] Includes the most recent amendments (e.g., extended leave, work-from-home options)
• [Updates and Amendments] Reflects changes up to 2025, including commissioning and adoptive mother provisions
• [Pre-amendment Provisions] Shows earlier legal texts in amendment footnotes for context and historical applicability
• [Mines & Circus Rules 1963] Industry-specific directives relevant to mining and circus establishments
• [Forms & Formats] Contains official forms (notices, certificates, returns) mandated under these Rules
• [Easy Reference Subject Index] Speeds up lookups for sections, definitions, and topics
• [User-friendly Presentation] Clear formatting, logical structure, and cross-references
• [Practical Perspective] Employer-focused checklists, compliance prompts, and practical scenarios BUY NOW