NEW DELHI – On March 31, 2026, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha (AAP) called for a legal right to paternity leave in India, arguing that caregiving should be a shared responsibility. He emphasized that a father’s presence is essential for both the newborn's development and the mother's recovery.

Key Points of the Proposal:

• Legal Gap: While the Maternity Benefit Act protects women, private-sector fathers currently have no legal right to leave, relying solely on company discretion.
• Judicial Support: The demand aligns with recent Supreme Court observations stating that a father's role in early childhood is "equally important" and cannot be ignored.
• Global Standards: Chadha cited Nordic models, like Sweden (480 days) and Finland (164 days), as benchmarks for inclusive parental leave.

Current Status in India:

• Government Employees: Entitled to 15 days of paid leave.
• Private Sector: No statutory mandate; depends on individual employer policies.

Chadha’s intervention reignites a long-standing debate to modernize India's labor laws, aiming to balance gender roles in parenting and prevent fathers from having to choose between their careers and their families.