Women during pregnancy need the utmost care and rest but if you're a working woman, chances are less as the number of maternity leave given in India is just six months.

However, Sikkim Govt has been kind enough and took a bold welcoming, appreciable step towards new parents.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Wednesday announced to give 12-month maternity leave to the government employees.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Sikkim State Civil Service Officers' Association (SSCSOA) the CM said the details of the same will be updated soon.

Currently, maternity leave is given according to the Maternity Benefit Act 1961, which allows a working woman to 6 months, or 26 weeks, of paid maternity leave.

The move was appreciated and received warmly by everyone.

And not just the mothers but even the father has been allowed to take leave for a month to take care and help their significant other raising the newborn.

According to a report by CNBCTV18, earlier provisions of the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rule 551 (A), 1972, allowed male employees with less than two children to take paternity leave of only 15 days, within a period of 15 days before the child's birth and up to 6 months after the delivery.

“The officers are the backbone of the state administration, contributing significantly to the growth and development of Sikkim and its people,” CM Tamang said, reported news agency PTI.