Delhi University has completed three regular rounds of undergraduate admissions, but 13,433 UG seats are still vacant. According to the university’s latest spot-round vacancy list, the unfilled seats are spread across 1,160 college-course combinations
“We have a history of renowned political leaders; we hail from the lands of intellect. This university has nurtured multiple leaders, including Gulzarilal Nanda, Madan Lal Khurana, Mahadevi Varma, and many Chief Justices,” 23-year-old Priyanshu Vidrohi said
In Bihar’s Gaya district lies Patwa Toli, a village popularly known as the “Village of IITians." What makes it remarkable is the presence of IIT-educated engineers in almost every household. Every year, more than a dozen students from the village qualify for the IIT-JEE examinations
Jammu-born entrepreneur Onkar Singh Batra has added another remarkable achievement to an already extraordinary journey. From creating a website at the age of seven to developing a satellite at 16, Batra has spent much of his childhood exploring technology, entrepreneurship, and space
I have passed Class 12 (PCMB) with a state rank of 10 and have taken NEET 2026 and KCET. I want to pursue B.Sc. Chemistry but people say I should not do so because I have such good marks. I am also considering BDS or a B.Sc. Paramedical course
Beyond maternity leave: Reintegration is the real test of inclusion for mothers
Beyond maternity leave: Reintegration is the real test of inclusion for mothers Premium
When conversations about women representation in the workforce come up, maternity leave and related challenges is always a point of contention. However, the real challenge is not the leave itself, but the noise and clutter around it. Streamlining the entire journey and experience, from pregnancy to reintegration into the workplace, determines whether women remain, prosper, or quietly depart.
According to the Marching Sheep Inclusion Index 2025, 63% of listed Indian companies do not have women in Key Managerial Positions (KMP). Representation thins out as roles become senior. Another stark reality: multiple studies show that nearly 46% of women in India drop out of the workforce within two years of maternity. Motherhood is still among the largest reasons why women drop off the corporate ladder. These statistics are important because they identify where the talent pipeline starts thinning.
To really understand why so many women step away from work after motherhood, we have to peel back the layers of pressure they carry every single day.
Family expectations: In most households, it's still presumed that caregiving is a woman's natural responsibility. Even if both parents are employed, majority of the household chores and caregiving usually fall on the mother. Extended families, though supportive in many ways, can sometimes perpetuate the gender norms: “The child needs the mother more.”
Societal norms: The stereotype of a good mother is too often defined as one who is always available for the child and takes care of nutrition, academics, hobbies, and everything. Anything less leads to guilt, feeling inadequate.
Pursuing professional goals with full focus after childbirth seems like an uphill task. Whether or not openly criticised, new mothers find themselves constantly defending their choices, to neighbours, relatives, even friends.
Struggles within: In addition to what others may want, there is also the inner struggle. Long sleepless nights, physical fatigue, and the bouts of emotions that accompany motherhood make new mothers question themselves. Most question: “Am I selfish in prioritising my career? Will my child suffer?” Guilt and self-doubt becomes a constant companions.
Organisational systems: Then there's the workplace. Coming back to work after maternity leave is supposed to be like homecoming, but it feels more like entering a war zone. Inflexible policies, no work flexibility, no access to childcare and sometimes even apathy from managers and team seems like being alone.
True, the mother has been away for six months or more, and the team would have shared the extra workload and they would have waited for her to return, but now that she is back, what next? The truth is, women don't drop out because they can't cope. They drop out because the world around them makes it far harder than it should be.
The impact of working women exiting workplaces is not invisible.
• For organisations: Trained talent is lost, business continuity suffers, and replacement costs add up. A Deloitte report estimated that replacing a mid-level employee costs anywhere between 150–200% of their annual salary. Culture also takes a hit when women disappear from leadership pipelines.
• For the economy: India's female labour force participation rate is about 37% in 2024 (PLFS data), one of the lowest among emerging economies. If women participated at the same rate as men, India's GDP could rise by nearly 27% (McKinsey Global Institute). Dropouts stall this growth.
• For society: Every time a mother leaves the workforce, stereotypes about women not lasting long in careers get reinforced. This slows down progress on gender parity.
Even international research points to the same trends. It is estimated that by 2023, 40% women will either be single or choose not to have children. In India, with increasing number of women delaying to get married or even putting off marriage or having children at an older age, the demand for greater workplace support becomes even more pressing.
It is true that companies cannot rewrite family dynamics or erase social expectations overnight. But they do have a circle of control and that is where the biggest difference can be made.
Organisations can:
• Shape policies and practices that go beyond statutory maternity leave.
• Train and sensitise managers to respond with empathy when a woman announces her pregnancy and returns from maternity leave.
• Create systems that enable women to transition back without penalty on role, increments or bonuses.
When companies proactively manage this integration, the impact does not remain confined to the office. It sends a signal to families, to society, and to young women entering the workforce that careers and motherhood can co-exist.
The return to work is not a single event. It is a journey that begins the day a woman shares her pregnancy news and continues until she feels fully integrated again.
• The moment of disclosure matters: If the manager reacts with worry or disappointment, women tend to hide or delay the news. This creates fear and uncertainty about the future role and career. A response rooted in curiosity, empathy and reassurance sets a different tone.
• Policy support is critical: Flexible hours, phased return options, childcare facilities, and support for remote work help women transition at their own pace without impacting role, deliverables and accountability.
• Addressing the emotional layer: Many women experience imposter syndrome “Am I good enough anymore?” Coaching, counselling, and peer support groups can help deal with this emotional turmoil.
• Active listening: HR and managers must tune in to subtle signals of distress. Withdrawal, hesitation, or declining participation in meetings are clear signals of waning engagement and need to be addressed.
• Role models matter: Women who see seniors balancing motherhood and leadership are more likely to believe that their own careers are sustainable.
When organisations view maternity as a complete journey from pregnancy to reintegration they retain not just employees, but also their trust.
Reintegration is not just a good-to-have. It directly impacts:
Retention: When women feel seen and supported, and set up for success after maternity, they stay. They grow professionally and climb ladders instead of stepping away from them.
Productivity: A mother who returns to a workplace that offers flexibility and trust brings with her an incredible sense of focus and resilience. With the appropriate systems in place, a mother doesn't merely come back, she flourishes.
Profitability: According to Marching Sheep Inclusion Index 2025 firms with higher women representation in senior positions don't merely look good on paper, but they actually perform better.
Reputation: How an organisation treats a returning mother during this critical stage becomes part of its brand's identity. Therefore, the message is clear: A company shouldn't just hire talent, but must stand by it. That reputation draws in not only women but talent of every gender who value fairness and humanity at work.
Ultimately, the question is simple: Do we want maternity to be the point where careers stagger, or do we want it to be just another phase in a thriving professional journey? India's workforce cannot afford the loss of talent that happens when mothers leave. Reintegration is not charity, nor is it policy on paper. It is about building a workplace where women do not feel like they are returning after a break because they never truly left.
Published - September 26, 2025 05:50 pm IST
Women's Representation / education / careers
Source: The Hindu
Related Posts: Education
Me: Lalitha, you’ve been colouring all this time. Do you enjoy colouring? This was an informal conversation I had with two young British-Indian children — a seven-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister, Lalitha — during a train journey from Coimbatore to Chennai.Me: Lalitha
12 hours ago
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has been grounded in controversy since the NEET UG paper leak row. The central agency, which was envisaged in November 2017 as a single agency for conducting all higher education entrance exams, is under scanner after cancellation of UGC NET exam for three subjects
15 hours ago
An estimated 8.7 crore Indians aged 15 to 29 are not studying, working or undergoing training, said a report by the NITI Aayog, the main public policy think tank of the Union government. The report, titled Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047
15 hours ago
Over the past decade, India’s finance talent pool has expanded rapidly. Access to education has improved, certifications are more widely pursued, and exposure to financial concepts has increased. But the biggest concern in finance education today is the shift towards attention-driven learning
1 days ago
Eligibility: Indian nationals in school (Class 9 to 12), UG or PG courses with at least 75% or 7.9 CGPA (10% relaxation for SC/ST students) and an annual family income not exceeding ₹300,000 (School students) and ₹600,000 (other categories). Eligibility: Indian nationals in school (Class 1 to
1 days ago
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to M/s Eduquity Career Technologies Pvt. Ltd. over lapses in the conduct of the All India AYUSH Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) at an examination centre in Jaipur
1 days ago
For several decades, AutoCAD has remained the foundational tool in Civil Engineering practice. It has shaped how design documentation is produced, reviewed, and executed across projects of varying scales. However, in the current trajectory of the Architecture, Engineering
1 days ago
Having read several of Saikat Majumdar’s novels and a couple of his non-fiction books, I consider him one of those rare contemporary writers who move seamlessly across fiction, nonfiction, and academia – embodying the spirit of a true literary polymath
1 days ago
Ausa police in Maharashtra’s Latur district have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, associate Ajinkya Shinde, and three to four unidentified individuals following allegations of unorganised intrusion, filming
1 days ago
For generations, the pursuit of grades or marks has ruled Indian academia. Teachers quite often lament that this socially constructed obsession with high scores impedes authentic contextual learning. Yet the contemporary learner is moving away from a test-oriented approach to ask: What will I get
2 days ago
A moving note reading “I will become a doctor in my next life" was recovered after a 19-year-old NEET aspirant died by suicide at his residence in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. The deceased, identified as Krishna Subhash Sonawane
2 days ago
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday night defended its Rs 200 fee for challenging an answer key, saying the system is “designed to be fair" to all students. The agency also rejected concerns that the charge is “too expensive". The NTA’s answer key challenge process allows candidates
2 days ago
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, will confer the National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, in New Delhi, on September 5, 2026. The purpose of the National Teachers Award is to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honour
2 days ago
The COVID-19 pandemic permanently reshaped how colleges and universities deliver coursework, conduct exams, and share resources. The shift toward hybrid and blended learning that it accelerated has become the new standard. For many students, this transformation has unlocked greater flexibility and
2 days ago
AP ICET Counselling 2026 : The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) has officially announced the schedule for the AP ICET 2026 centralised web counselling. Candidates seeking admission to MBA and MCA programmes at universities and affiliated colleges in the state can commence
2 days ago
The Centre on Thursday (August 20, 2026) told the Supreme Court that the 2026 University Grants Commission equity regulations on preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses is under reconsideration. On January 29, the apex court had directed that the University Grants Commission (Promotion of
4 days ago
In June 2026, thousands of students gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar after the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) was cancelled following a paper leak, demanding accountability from the government. The protests, which culminated in the resignation of Union Education Minister
4 days ago
Following NEET UG, irregularities have also come to light in the UGC NET June 2026 examination. However, the Central Government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the system used to conduct NEET UG is foolproof and difficult to breach. The government explained that several moderators are
4 days ago
The NCERT has reconstituted the textbook development team for classes 11 and 12 political science with a mandate to integrate cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion, with at least four of the members having direct or indirect links with the RSS
4 days ago
The Delhi High Court has put JNU’s postgraduate admissions on hold. The court has stopped the university from finalising any admissions that use extra “deprivation points." The court said adding bonus marks to scores from a big national exam like CUET is unfair
4 days ago
In many Maths classrooms, a student encounters a challenging question, pauses for a moment, and almost immediately looks towards the teacher for assistance. Within seconds, a method is demonstrated, the solution is revealed, and the class moves on. The problem is solved
5 days ago
A university convocation is traditionally a rite of passage—a solemn initiation where the next generation of legal minds are welcomed into the fold of justice. However, this month, the halls of NALSAR University of Law became the site of a regulatory tantrum that threatened to undermine the very
5 days ago
IIT Kharagpur will begin the registration process for the Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM) 2027 on September 5, 2026. The application window will remain open until October 12, 2026. The institute, which is organising the examination this year
6 days ago
Mumbai: The Karnataka High Court admitted a fresh plea by Qatar Holding LLC against debt-laden edtech firm Byju’s, seeking to enforce a SGD 7.2 million ( ₹53 crore) arbitration award against founder Byju Raveendran and his company Byju’s Investments Pvt. Ltd (BIPL) in July
6 days ago
The Jharkhand government, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, announced on August 17, 2026, that the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination held in 2024 has been cancelled. The government has also ordered a detailed investigation into alleged irregularities in government recruitment
6 days ago
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at 21 locations in Karnataka and Ahmedabad over alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s (KPSC) Veterinary Officers recruitment examination, ANI reported
6 days ago
For decades, India’s school education policy pursued a simple objective: to bring a school within reach of every child. The neighborhood school became an instrument of social justice, particularly for poor and rural families. However, many such schools have limited infrastructure and serve very
6 days ago
