BIZARRE! Bihar male teacher gets maternity leave, enjoys week-long holidays due to 'technical error'
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Dec 25, 2024, 3:10 PM ISTA male government teacher in Vaishali district of Patna was granted maternity leave after applying for it, leading to confusion when the application was shared on social media. The leave was approved through a portal for government teachers.
Patna: A male government teacher in Vaishali district applied for maternity leave and, despite the unusual request, had it approved, leading to a week-long leave. The oddity was exposed when social media users shared a screenshot from a portal designed for government teachers to apply for leave online. Authorities have dismissed the incident as a "technical glitch" and assured that the issue will be corrected, adding that there is no cause for suspicion.
"It is a case of wrongful entry in the leave application format. The error is technical and will be rectified," said Archana Kumari, the education officer incharge of Mahua block in Vaishali district, where the teacher, Jitendra Kumar Singh, is posted.
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She acknowledged that maternity leave is typically reserved for women but clarified that "men are also entitled to 'pitritva avakash' (paternity leave) to care for their newborns."
"We will find out the details of this instance which has been brought to our notice," she said.
"Some teachers have complained of their earned leaves being deducted even though they had applied for casual leaves," she added.
Male teachers are eligible for 15 days of Casual Leave (CL) annually. In contrast, pregnant female teachers can apply for up to 180 days of maternity leave, which is granted by the department. Additionally, women teachers are entitled to a two-day special leave. However, maternity leave of 180 days is available exclusively to female teachers and is limited to a maximum of two children.
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