Gauhati HC Chief Justice inaugurates crèche at Mizoram Bench to support working mothers

Guwahati, Sept 8: The Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Vijay Bishnoi, recently inaugurated a new crèche at the Mizoram Bench. The facility supports women’s development and aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8, which promotes decent work and economic growth.

The inauguration, held in the presence of Justices Michael Zothankhuma and Kaushik Goswami, as well as officials from various departments, highlighted the crèche’s role in enhancing the work-life balance for working mothers.

The facility is designed to offer a safe, secure environment for children’s nutritional, health, and cognitive development.

It also aims to enable more mothers to participate in gainful employment and ensure compliance with the Maternity Benefit Act, which mandates crèche facilities at workplaces.

Available to all mothers, the crèche will cater to children aged six months to six years.

The facility is linked with local Anganwadi centres, providing meals throughout the day to meet nutritional guidelines.

Additional services will include growth monitoring, immunisations, health check-ups, and early childhood education.

The Women and Child Department of Mizoram highlighted that the crèche addresses childcare responsibilities faced by the women workforce and supports the government’s Palna initiative, which offers day-care crèche facilities through Anganwadi-cum-creches.

This initiative is part of broader efforts to increase women’s education and employment opportunities, contributing to a rise in female workforce participation.

The inauguration was also attended by the Secretaries of the Law Department and the Women and Child Development Department, along with the Director of the Women and Child Development Department, other officials, and members of the High Court Bar.