Bhubaneshwar: The State Government has announced the extension of maternity and paternity leave benefits to its employees who attain parenthood through surrogacy, in line with a recent Central Government decision.

Under this new policy, female State Government employees with fewer than two surviving children will be eligible for 180 days of maternity leave if they become a Surrogate Mother or Commissioning Mother. A Surrogate Mother is defined as a woman who carries a child genetically related to the intending couple, while a Commissioning Mother uses her own egg to create an embryo implanted in another woman. Male employees, identified as Commissioning Fathers, will be eligible for 15 days of paternity leave within six months of the child’s birth.

The policy includes a provision allowing both the Surrogate Mother and the Commissioning Mother, if employed by the State Government, to claim 180 days of maternity leave each. To claim the benefits, employees must provide supporting medical documents and surrogacy agreements.

This decision comes after the Central Government issued a similar notification in June 2024. The new leave benefits are effective immediately.