Correct Option
Statement 3 is correct. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, stipulates that women expecting their first two children are entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. However, for women having a third or subsequent child, the entitlement is reduced to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. This provision differentiates entitlements based on the number of existing children.
Incorrect Options
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, provides for 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for women having up to two children. This leave can be availed for up to eight weeks before the expected date of delivery and the remaining period post-delivery. It does not specify a fixed three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery split.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Act mandates that every establishment having fifty or more employees shall provide a crèche facility. A mother is allowed to visit the crèche four times a day, which includes the interval for rest. The statement incorrectly mentions six crèche visits daily.