UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Should men get paternity leave in India?
Q1. Which of the following is the first private member's Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2025 that proposes statutory paid paternity leave for all fathers, including adoptive and commissioning fathers?
- A. The Paternity and Parental Benefit Bill, 2025
- B. The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025
- C. The Code on Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- D. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Q2. With reference to paternity leave entitlements in India, consider the following statements:
1. Central government male employees are entitled to 15 days of paternity leave under the CCS (Leave) Rules, whereas the Paternity and Parental Benefit Bill, 2025 proposes up to 8 weeks of paid paternity leave.
2. The 2025 Bill caps paternity leave at 5 weeks for a father with two or more surviving children.
3. Unlike the CCS (Leave) Rules, which apply only to central government servants, the 2025 Bill seeks to extend the benefit to private-sector fathers as well.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Central government male employees are entitled to 15 days of paternity leave under the CCS (Leave) Rules, whereas the Paternity and Parental Benefit Bill, 2025 proposes up to 8 weeks of paid paternity leave.
- The 2025 Bill caps paternity leave at 5 weeks for a father with two or more surviving children.
- Unlike the CCS (Leave) Rules, which apply only to central government servants, the 2025 Bill seeks to extend the benefit to private-sector fathers as well.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. With reference to paternity leave for central government employees under the CCS (Leave) Rules as amended up to 2024, consider the following features:
1. The leave is available only to male servants with fewer than two surviving children.
2. The leave must be availed within six months from the date of delivery of the child.
3. Commissioning fathers in surrogacy cases became eligible following the 2024 amendment.
4. The 15 days of paternity leave is debited against the employee's regular leave account.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The leave is available only to male servants with fewer than two surviving children.
- The leave must be availed within six months from the date of delivery of the child.
- Commissioning fathers in surrogacy cases became eligible following the 2024 amendment.
- The 15 days of paternity leave is debited against the employee's regular leave account.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. According to the EAC-PM's 2026 working paper on the care economy, which Union ministry is identified as the nodal body that would operationalise a phased rollout of statutory paternity leave to private-sector employees?
- A. Ministry of Labour and Employment
- B. Ministry of Women and Child Development
- C. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- D. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Q5. Consider the following Bills said to have been introduced in the Lok Sabha by MP Supriya Sule in December 2025 alongside the Paternity and Parental Benefit Bill, 2025:
1. The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025
2. The Code on Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2025
3. The Paternity and Parental Benefit Bill, 2025
4. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as part of this set?
- The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025
- The Code on Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- The Paternity and Parental Benefit Bill, 2025
- The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- A. 4 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 2 only