Agartala: In a significant order concerning child care leave for women government employees, the Tripura High Court has directed the state government to immediately grant one year of child care leave to Tapasi Roy, a postgraduate teacher at Shankaracharya Vidyaniketan, whose application had remained pending with the Education Department for nearly a year.
Roy had submitted her application on September 2, 2025, seeking child care leave under the Tripura State Civil Service Leave Rules. She sought the benefit to take care of her child, claiming entitlement under provisions that allow eligible female government employees up to 730 days of child care leave for children below 18 years of age.
With no decision taken on her application for an extended period, Roy approached the High Court seeking relief.
During the hearing, the Education Department referred to a 2020 notification that restricted child care leave to a maximum of 30 days at a stretch. The petitioner, however, challenged the department’s reliance on the notification.
Senior Advocate Purushottam Roy Barman, appearing for Roy along with advocates Samarjit Bhattacharjee and Kaushik Nath, submitted before the court that the notification had already been struck down by the Tripura High Court in 2024. He argued that an executive notification could not override or curtail benefits granted to employees under statutory leave rules.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Biswajit Palit directed the state government to grant Roy one year of child care leave immediately.
The order has drawn attention because of its implications for other eligible women employees seeking child care leave under the state government’s existing service rules. It also underlines the need for government departments to process such applications in accordance with applicable statutory provisions and judicial orders.
The ruling could have particular significance for women working in the state’s education sector and other government departments who may require extended leave to care for their children.
The case also highlights concerns over delays in processing leave applications and the use of departmental notifications to determine the duration of child care leave.
With the latest direction, the High Court has provided immediate relief to the petitioner while reinforcing the applicability of the statutory leave provisions governing eligible female government employees in Tripura.
