Towards a Universalist conception of adequate Maternity Entitlements in NFSA, 2013

While current schemes have failed to cater to the needs of pregnant and lactating women, there has been little change even after a year of the National Food Security Act coming into force, which served to recognise Maternity Cash Transfer as a juridical right via Section 6. This paper attempts to pave a roadmap for the realisation of Maternity Entitlements as a universal right and proposes a scheme for the attainment of just and equitable Maternity Entitlement to all women. The most vulnerable group of women are those who work in the informal or unorganised sector, which amount to 94% of all women, for whom maternity entitlements are especially difficult to receive.