Today, Delhi High Court held that pregnant working women are entitled to maternity benefits, and denial of maternity benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act, 2017, can only be based on the nature of their employment.

''There is nothing in the provisions of the Act that suggests that any working woman should be prevented from obtaining relief '', the Court said.

Today, High Court made comments while providing relief to a pregnant woman employed on a contractual basis with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority. Like regular female employees, the woman has demanded maternity benefits, but request for maternity benefits had been denied.

It was stated that there was no provision in the legal service authorities to provide maternity benefits to such employees.