SBI withdraws controversial circular on pregnant women candidates

New Delhi, Jan 29: State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest lender, on Saturday withdrew the controversial circular that barred women candidates who are pregnant above three months from taking up jobs in the bank.

"SBI recently reviewed various Fitness Standards for Recruitment in Bank, including norms for Pregnant Women candidates. Revised guidelines were intended to provide clarity on health parameters where instructions were not clear or were very old, Bank said in an official statement.

During the COVID period, as per govt instructions, pregnant women employees were exempted from attending office and allowed to Work From Home, the statement further reads.

However, in view of the public sentiments, SBI has decided to keep the revised instructions regarding recruitment of pregnant women candidates in abeyance and continue with the existing instructions in the matter, the State Bank of India added in the statement.

In its latest medical fitness guidelines for new recruits or promotees, the bank said a candidate would be considered fit in case of pregnancy which is less than 3 months.

"However, if pregnancy is of more than three months, she will be considered temporarily unfit and she may be allowed to join within four months after delivery of child," as per the medical fitness and ophthalmological standards for new recruits and promotees dated December 31, 2021.

Earlier, women candidates with up to six months of pregnancy were allowed to join the bank subject to various conditions.

The conditions include furnishing a certificate from a specialist gynaecologist that her taking up bank's employment at that stage is in no way likely to interfere with her pregnancy or the normal development of the foetus, or is not likely to cause her miscarriage or otherwise to adversely affect her health.