The Madras High Court has held that the Tamil Nadu government cannot cut maternity leave to 12 weeks for a woman employee's third pregnancy. It set aside a Government Order dated March 13, 2026, which had limited such leave to three months, and ruled that women staff are entitled to 365 days of leave even for a third pregnancy. The court observed that the pain and care involved are the same in every pregnancy, so discrimination is not permissible. Relying on Supreme Court rulings, it added that the State's power under Article 162 cannot override maternity rights.