<p>Bengaluru: Mothers in the city have welcomed the Supreme Court verdict quashing the provision denying <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/maternity">maternity</a> benefits to adoptive mothers of children over three months.</p>.<p>Delivering the verdict in the Hamsaanandini Nanduri Vs Union of India on March 17, 2026, the Apex Court said motherhood is not merely a biological function, but a deeply personal and emotional experience, and that maternity leave should be granted irrespective of the child’s age.</p>.<p>Working mothers in the city, especially those who have adopted children, welcomed the move. They said extending maternity leave to adoptive parents will help strengthen the emotional bond between the child and the parent.</p>.Supreme Court strikes down provision denying maternity leave for mother of adoptive child of above 3 months.<p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, Poornima Dhalla, an IT employee who adopted a four-month-old baby 20 years ago, said, “I was working in a big IT company when I decided to adopt. I was not given maternity leave. I went on Loss of Pay (LoP) for more than three months, but I made sure the company’s policy adapted the changes and offered leave to adoptive mothers.”</p>.<p>“There is extraordinarily little chance that you can adopt a three-month-old baby. As the parents grow older, the older are the children we get. Any law and benefits applicable to biological parents should be available to adoptive parents as well,” she further said.</p>.<p>Another parent who adopted a six-month-old baby, requesting anonymity, said, “When I adopted the baby, I was not given maternity leave. I went on loss of pay for three months. But I felt it was not enough and so, I decided to quit my job.”</p>.Supreme Court strikes down law denying maternity leave to women with adopted child over 3 months old.<p>Prof Dr N Karthik Nagesh, senior paediatrician at a private hospital, said, “Continuous parental presence in the initial months after adoption is especially important because it helps the child feel safe, secure, and loved. Many adopted children may feel confused or anxious due to the sudden change in environment, so staying close helps build trust. Bonding time is important for children adopted at older ages (two to six years) as it is for infants because they may have stronger memories from the past.”</p>.<p><strong>Adoption process</strong></p>.<p>Malathi Mohan, Welfare Officer at Mathru Chaya Trust, said, “Adoption before three months is ideally not possible. Even if a mother places her baby for adoption immediately after birth, the baby must be kept for 60 days to allow time for the mother to change her mind. After this period, the Child Welfare Committee is informed, and only then can the child be placed for adoption.”</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Mothers in the city have welcomed the Supreme Court verdict quashing the provision denying <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/maternity">maternity</a> benefits to adoptive mothers of children over three months.</p>.<p>Delivering the verdict in the Hamsaanandini Nanduri Vs Union of India on March 17, 2026, the Apex Court said motherhood is not merely a biological function, but a deeply personal and emotional experience, and that maternity leave should be granted irrespective of the child’s age.</p>.<p>Working mothers in the city, especially those who have adopted children, welcomed the move. They said extending maternity leave to adoptive parents will help strengthen the emotional bond between the child and the parent.</p>.Supreme Court strikes down provision denying maternity leave for mother of adoptive child of above 3 months.<p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, Poornima Dhalla, an IT employee who adopted a four-month-old baby 20 years ago, said, “I was working in a big IT company when I decided to adopt. I was not given maternity leave. I went on Loss of Pay (LoP) for more than three months, but I made sure the company’s policy adapted the changes and offered leave to adoptive mothers.”</p>.<p>“There is extraordinarily little chance that you can adopt a three-month-old baby. As the parents grow older, the older are the children we get. Any law and benefits applicable to biological parents should be available to adoptive parents as well,” she further said.</p>.<p>Another parent who adopted a six-month-old baby, requesting anonymity, said, “When I adopted the baby, I was not given maternity leave. I went on loss of pay for three months. But I felt it was not enough and so, I decided to quit my job.”</p>.Supreme Court strikes down law denying maternity leave to women with adopted child over 3 months old.<p>Prof Dr N Karthik Nagesh, senior paediatrician at a private hospital, said, “Continuous parental presence in the initial months after adoption is especially important because it helps the child feel safe, secure, and loved. Many adopted children may feel confused or anxious due to the sudden change in environment, so staying close helps build trust. Bonding time is important for children adopted at older ages (two to six years) as it is for infants because they may have stronger memories from the past.”</p>.<p><strong>Adoption process</strong></p>.<p>Malathi Mohan, Welfare Officer at Mathru Chaya Trust, said, “Adoption before three months is ideally not possible. Even if a mother places her baby for adoption immediately after birth, the baby must be kept for 60 days to allow time for the mother to change her mind. After this period, the Child Welfare Committee is informed, and only then can the child be placed for adoption.”</p>