Mohsin Dar

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh recently ruled that the maternity leave cannot be reduced to a matter of charity and that it is an unassailable constitutional right anchored in the dignity of women [Dr. Sonakshi Gupta & Ors. v. UT of J&K]. Justice Rajnesh Oswal made the observation while dealing with a petition filed by several doctors engaged in government medical colleges, challenging a communication that stopped payment of their salaries during maternity leave.

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has sought a report on the progress made in a 2002 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition concerning the preservation and conservation of Dal Lake [Syed Iqbal Tahir Geelani V/s State of J&K] A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Mohd Yousuf Wani observed that the PIL was pending for the last 24 years, during which multiple orders were passed to improve the condition of the lake.