SBI withdraws ‘discriminatory’ rule on recruitment of pregnant candidates
The State Bank of India (SBI) on Saturday decided to keep its new guidelines for recruitment of pregnant candidates “in abeyance” following a controversy.
The decision came after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the bank for preventing pregnant candidates from joining work, on the basis that they are “temporarily unfit”.
Press release relating to news items about required fitness standards for recruitment in Bank. Revised instructions about recruitment of Pregnant Women candidates stands withdrawn.@DFS_India pic.twitter.com/QXqn3XSzKF
— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) January 29, 2022
DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal called the rule “discriminatory”, “illegal” and “anti-women”, and called on the bank to withdraw it.
The commission said the SBI had, in a circular on December 31, successful candidates who are more than three months pregnant from joining work, despite having been selected through due process.
“The circular states that she will be considered temporarily unfit and she may be allowed to join within four months after delivery of child,” it said.
State Bank of India seems to have issued guidelines preventing women who are over 3 months pregnant from joining service & have termed them as ‘temporarily unfit’. This is both discriminatory and illegal. We have issued a Notice to them seeking withdrawal of this anti women rule. pic.twitter.com/mUtpoCHCWq
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) January 29, 2022
“The bank seems to have framed rules which state that if a woman candidate is three months pregnant, then she would be considered as temporarily unfit and would not be given immediate joining upon her selection. This is a very serious matter. This action of the bank appears to be discriminatory and illegal as it’s contrary to maternity benefits provided under the Code of Social Security, 2020,” the commission said.
The DCW asked the bank to explain the process behind formation of the guidelines, and the names of officials who approved them.
The bank later tweeted its decision to withdraw the guidelines.
