New Delhi, Sept. 10: Maneka Gandhi's proposal for extending the maternity benefit leave to eight months from the existing three months has been approved by a committee of secretaries.

The approval - which effectively clears the decks for amendments to the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 - came within weeks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "in-principle nod".

It also means the proposal is unlikely to run into technical hurdles later.

If the amendments eventually come through, India will be among countries that offer the best benefits for mothers across the world, irrespective of whether they work in organised or unorganised sectors.

According to the proposal that was cleared yesterday by the group of secretaries, working mothers would be eligible for eight months - or 32 weeks - of paid maternity leave - from one month before the expected date of delivery till seven months after the baby is born.

Sources in the women and child development (WCD) ministry told The Telegraph that Maneka's ministry had urged the labour ministry that maternity benefit provisions should be extended to all working women, in both organised and unorganised sectors.

Any amendment to the act has to be moved by the labour ministry.

The proposal has now been forwarded to 17 ministries concerned for their feedback, part of the process before the changes are formally placed before the cabinet.

Modi's in-principle nod had come late last month when Maneka met the Prime Minister and discussed the proposal with him, WCD ministry sources had said earlier.

A comparison with what some developed countries now offer shows Maneka's proposed structure is either nearly on a par or better than most. While the US has no national programme for maternity leave, Germany and New Zealand offer 14 weeks of paid leave.

Japan too offers 14 weeks of leave but pays 67 per cent of wages. Switzerland also has a 14-week structure but docks the mother 20 per cent of her pay.

Most of Europe and many Scandinavian countries, however, offer better benefits, ranging from nine months of leave to a year.

Dipa Sinha, an economist at the Centre for Equity Studies in New Delhi and a right to food campaigner, said it was a "positive" move. "Under international norms," she added, "at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for an infant."

Sources said Maneka's proposal was aimed at promoting breastfeeding among new mothers by giving them more time with their newborn.

According to a report released earlier this week, India ranks lowest among South Asian countries in breastfeeding practices. Of the 26 million children born in India every year, around 14.5 million are deprived of optimal feeding practices during the first year of their life, the report said.

Activists also welcomed the move but pointed out that 75 per cent of women in India were employed in the unorganised sector and worked without any benefits.

"This legislation would only make an impact if the 75 per cent working women, who are in the unorganised sector, can benefit from it," said Sudha Sundararaman, vice-president of the Left-backed All India Democratic Women's Association.

"While I don't deny the fact that women in the organised sector deserve it, the benefit should be extended to encompass everyone. Countries across the world have done so."