Calicut univ lends hand to moms-to-be

Students To Get Maternity Leave Without Year-Out

K R Rajeev TNN 

Kozhikode: Calicut university on Wednesday became the first Indian varsity to grant long-term maternity leave for women students, enabling them to continue a course without facing a ‘year-out’ due to pregnancy. 
    The university will allow new and expectant mothers to re-join their courses after maternity leave and appear for examinations, which will be considered as their first chance and not supplementary as in the past. 
    In a move towards implementating an earlier academic council decision, the university senate on Wednesday amended the MCA course regulations, 2010, to help students avail the benefits. 
    The university is in the process of extending the facility to students studying for MBBS, BHMS, BDS and other degrees. University student welfare dean P V Valsaraj said the decision was the culmination of the two-year efforts of the student grievance redressal cell. 
    “Many married students, especially those pursuing professional courses like MBBS, have been approaching us saying they were having a tough time balancing the mandatory attendance requirements and their maternity-related responsibilities in family life. We feel that it is the duty of the society to ensure that maternity related issues not come in the way of a girl student in achieving her career and academic aspirations,” he said. 
    Earlier, a woman student who took a break for childbirth faced the disadvantage of a ‘year out’ and had to write her supplementary examination. “As students who took the supplementary examination are not considered for ranks, many bright students were left out from achieving top honours,” Valsaraj said.

Source:::: The Times of India, 18-07-2013, p.09. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW