By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, OCT 27, 2020: WHILE briefing about some of the major reforms brought by Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) under the Modi government, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, said yesterday that the male employees of the government are also now entitled to Child Care Leave.

However, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the provision and privilege of Child Care Leave (CCL) will be available only for those male employees who happen to be “single male parent”, which may include male employees who are widowers or divorcees or even unmarried and may therefore, be expected to take up the responsibility of child care as a single - handed parent.

Describing it as a path-breaking and progressive reform to bring ease of living for government servants, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the orders regarding this had been issued quite some time back but somehow did not receive enough circulation in the public.

In a further relaxation to this provision, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that an employee on Child Care Leave may now leave the head quarter with the prior approval of Competent Authority. In addition, the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) may be availed by the employee even if he is on Child Care Leave. Elaborating further, he informed that Child Care Leave can be granted at 100% of leave salary for the first 365 days and 80% of leave salary for the next 365 days.

Based on the inputs over a period of time, Dr Jitendra Singh said, another welfare measure introduced in this regard is that in case of a disabled child, the condition of availing Child Care Leave up to the age of 22 years of the child has been removed and now Child Care Leave can be availed by a government servant for a disabled child of any age.

With the personal intervention and indulgence of Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi and his special emphasis on governance reforms, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it has been possible to make several out-of-box decisions in the DoPT over the last six years. Basic purpose behind all these decisions has always been to enable a government employee to contribute to the maximum of his potential, although at the same time there will be no leniency or tolerance toward corruption or non-performance, he said.