Shashi Tharoor calls for maternity leave amid falling breastfeeding rates

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called for paid maternity leave and enhanced employment protections for women in India's informal sector. He cited National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) data showing a significant decline in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates for infants under six months, which fell from 63.7% to 55.8%.

Tharoor noted that while institutional deliveries have risen to 90.6%, the drop in breastfeeding is most pronounced in rural areas and states such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. He argued that the decline reflects a disconnect between public policy and the economic realities of the 16 crore women working in the unorganised sector. Many of these women must return to work within weeks of childbirth to maintain financial stability, making the recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding an “economic impossibility.”