Puducherry: In a progressive move aimed at supporting women doctors and ensuring their financial stability post-maternity leave, the Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has announced that academic junior and senior resident doctors will now receive their salary for the extended course duration corresponding to their maternity leave period.
An official order issued by the Dean (Academics) on October 18, 2025, stated that the competent authority has approved the payment of salary for the course extension period granted in lieu of maternity leave. This payment will be in addition to the salary already received during the maternity leave itself.
“Sanction of the competent authority is hereby accorded for the grant of salary to the academic junior residents and academic senior residents for the period of the course extension in lieu of the availed maternity leave period. This is in addition to the salary paid during the maternity leave period,” the order reads.
This decision means that female resident doctors at JIPMER will no longer face financial loss when their training is extended due to maternity leave. Previously, residents were required to complete the missed training period after maternity leave without pay, leading to financial and emotional challenges.
The new directive ensures continuous salary during both — the maternity leave period and the course extension period — marking a significant step toward gender-sensitive academic and employment policies in medical education.
Medical Dialogues had earlier highlighted that maternity leave was a pressing concern among medicos, with many women avoiding pregnancy during their training years due to the absence of financial and institutional support.
In 2024, the National Medical Commission (NMC) clarified in its PGMER FAQs that postgraduate medical students are entitled to one weekly off, 20 days of paid casual leave, and five academic leave days per year. Additionally, female PG students are eligible for maternity leave as per existing government rules, while male PG students can avail of paternity leave. However, the training period must be extended by the same number of days for which leave was taken.
With JIPMER’s latest decision, the institute becomes one of the few premier medical colleges in India to ensure salary continuity during course extension for maternity leave, setting a precedent for other institutions across the country.
