Women's Panel issues Notice To SBI Over "Unfit" Pregnant Women Guidelines

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Saturday issued a notice to the State Bank of India (SBI) over its new recruitment guidelines for pregnant applicants.

DCW chiarperson Swati Maliwal has posted a copy of the notice on Twitter.

In a fresh rule, the SBI has reportedly barred women who are over three-month pregnant from immediately joining service.

"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' (sic)," Maliwal wrote in her tweet.

"This is both discriminatory and illegal. We have issued a Notice to them seeking withdrawal of this anti women rule (sic)," she added.

SBI's new rule has drawn criticism from some sections, including from the All India State Bank of India Employees' Association.

The guideline has been termed discriminatory against women.

As per earlier rules, women candidates up to six-month pregnant were allowed to join the bank subject to some conditions such as a medical clearance from a gynaecologist.

SBI has yet to respond on the matter.