Delhi Women's panel calls SBI circular on pregnancy discriminatory, illegal

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women has taken suo-moto cognizance on media reports of the State Bank of India's new guidelines for its new recruitments and promotions. As per reports, the recent circular issued by the bank on December 31 prevents women who are more than three-month pregnant from joining service, despite having been selected through due process.

Noting the bank's action as discriminatory and illegal, commission Chairperson Swati Maliwal tweeted that it could affect maternity benefits provided under 'The Code of Social Security, 2020 law.

Further, it noted that the guidelines discriminate on the basis of sex, which is against the fundamental rights provided under the Constitution of India.

"State Bank of India seems to have issued guidelines preventing women who are over 3 months pregnant from joining service and have termed them as 'temporarily unfit'. This is both discriminatory and illegal. We have issued a notice to them seeking withdrawal of this anti-women rule," Ms Maliwal said.

In the notice tweeted by Ms Maliwal, the Delhi Commission for Women, or DCW, said SBI in its circular on December 31 stated that the pregnant women may be allowed to join within four months after delivery of child.

The DCW, in its notice, asked SBI to explain the process behind how these guidelines were formed and provide a copy of similar rules/guidelines operational before issuing the new rules.

It further asked the bank to give the names and designations of the officials who approved them.

State Bank of India is yet to respond on the matter. The DCW has asked SBI to reply to the notice by Tuesday.