Motherhood Penalty? PG Doctors Face ₹15,000 Rejoining Fee After Maternity Leave

Updated: December 16, 2025 05:45

Image Source: Medical Dalogues

Female postgraduate doctors in Telangana are being asked to pay a ₹15,000 rejoining fee after availing maternity leave. The Telangana Senior Residents Doctors Association (TSRDA) has condemned the rule as discriminatory, urging authorities to waive the fee and establish clear, uniform maternity leave guidelines across medical colleges and universities.

Maternity leave, meant to support women doctors during childbirth, has turned into a financial burden for postgraduate (PG) medical students in Telangana. Reports reveal that female PG doctors are required to pay a ₹15,000 rejoining fee to resume their courses after completing the mandatory three-month maternity leave.

The Telangana Senior Residents Doctors Association (TSRDA) has strongly opposed the practice, calling it unjustified and symptomatic of deeper systemic gaps in how maternity leave is handled in government medical colleges. According to TSRDA, even after paying the fee, students often face delays of 15–20 days in obtaining university permission, leaving them unable to access departmental facilities or continue their duties.

Doctors argue that the absence of uniform maternity leave guidelines from the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) has led to inconsistent practices across institutions. Legal experts and senior doctors have also questioned the ethics of the rule, noting that Telangana appears to be the only state in India enforcing such a fee.

Major Takeaways

Rejoining Fee: ₹15,000 charged to female PG doctors after maternity leave.

Systemic Gaps: No clear or uniform maternity leave protocols across medical colleges.

Delays: Students face 15–20 days of waiting even after paying the fee.

Discrimination Concerns: Doctors’ bodies and legal experts call the rule unethical and unfair.

TSRDA Action: Association has submitted memoranda to KNRUHS and the Director of Medical Education seeking waiver.

Notable Updates

Over 50 PG doctors have reportedly been denied duties despite paying the fee.

The rule, in place for over a decade, is now facing widespread backlash.

Calls for reform emphasize the need for supportive policies that balance medical training with motherhood.

Conclusion

The controversy highlights the urgent need for clear, compassionate, and standardized maternity leave policies in medical education. As TSRDA pushes for reform, the debate underscores a larger question: should motherhood ever come at the cost of professional progress?

Sources: The Hindu, Times of India, Telangana Today.

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