In Brief
An adoptive mother challenged a law limiting maternity benefit to adoptive mothers of children under three months old. The Supreme Court held that the age-based restriction violates constitutional rights to equality (Article 14) and dignified life (Article 21). The Court reasoned that motherhood extends beyond biology, requiring parental presence for child integration and bonding regardless of the child's age at adoption. The Court also noted the law was impractical—adoption procedures typically exceed three months, making the benefit largely inaccessible. The Court struck down the age limit, entitling all adoptive mothers to twelve weeks' maternity benefit.
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