Karnataka extends paid menstrual leave to govt employees
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka government has extended one day of paid menstrual leave per month to employees in the government sector as well.
The government had last month issued an order mandating one day of paid menstrual leave per month to women aged 18-52, working in permanent, contractual and outsourced jobs.
It is applicable to women working in all industries and establishments registered under the Factories Act, 1948; Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961; Plantation Workers Act, 1951; Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966; and Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961, it had said.
Now, on December 2, the government has ordered the granting of one day of menstrual leave every month to female government employees of the state with immediate effect.
Women government employees between the age group 18 and 52, who undergo menstruation, are eligible to avail this leave.
The authority competent to grant casual leave may grant menstrual leave, and no medical certificate is required to avail this leave, the order said.
This leave should be entered separately in the leave/attendance book, and the menstrual leave should not be combined with any other leave, it added.
The Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA) had recently approached the Karnataka High Court challenging the state government's directive in November making menstrual leave compulsory for women employees across various sectors.
The association has questioned the very basis of the order, highlighting that the state itself has not extended such leave to women working in government departments.
It termed the order discriminatory, pointing out that the state, despite being one of the largest employers of women, has not implemented a similar provision for its own workforce.
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Hypocrisy-laden message to nation: Cong slams PM's remarks head of Budget session
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on the Budget session, saying he delivers his "usual hypocrisy-laden message to the nation" before the beginning of each session and "today's performance is part of this series".
Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh said, "He (PM) will not convene and chair all-party meetings to take the opposition into confidence on national issues."
He will suddenly have Bills introduced at the last minute and bulldozed through Parliament without the necessary legislative scrutiny, Ramesh claimed, adding that Modi would not sit in Parliament and respond to the concerns of opposition leaders, and will instead make election rally speeches in both Houses.
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"Before the beginning of each session, he will give his usual hypocrisy-laden 'desh ke naam sandesh' with Parliament as his backdrop. Today's performance is part of this series," the senior Congress leader said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the free trade pact with the European Union is for an ambitious India and urged manufacturers to benefit from new markets opening for them.
Modi also said that the nation is coming out of long-term pending problems and working towards long-term solutions.
The time has come to find solutions and not create hurdles, he said, adding his government is not confined to just files but ensuring the last-mile delivery of welfare schemes to the people.
"Our priority is always human-centric while taking steps for all-round development of the country," he told reporters in Parliament House complex in his customary briefing at the beginning of the Budget session.
An India full of confidence has emerged as a ray of hope for the world, he added.
