The Delhi High Court recently held that Child Care Leave (CCL) cannot be denied arbitrarily and must be granted with due regard to the welfare of the child and the needs of the mother.

A Bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain observed, “While CCL is not an entitlement as of right, the discretion to deny cannot be exercised arbitrarily or mechanically. It must be guided by the object and spirit of the rule, which is to support the welfare of the child and the legitimate needs of the mother."

The Court emphasised that CCL was introduced as a welfare measure to help working women balance professional duties with parental responsibilities.

“Recognising that working mothers often face practical difficulties in attending to their children’s needs due to official constraints, CCL

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