The Supreme Court of India on Friday (July 10, 2026) disposed of a petition filed by Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Urvashi Sengar on a 36-year-old policy of the Union Home Ministry, which requires new mothers like her to take a year’s postpartum break from training.
A Bench headed by Justice Manoj Misra told Ms.
Sengar to pursue her pending case on the same issue in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
It directed the tribunal to decide Ms.
Sengar’s case without being prejudiced by subsequent orders passed by the Delhi High Court against her.
In fact, the Centre undertook to withdraw its case against her in the High Court and protect her seniority in service.
Ms.
Sengar gave birth to her child on September 29 last year.
Though she had volunteered for the requisite police service training, which was to commence on June 22 this year, the department refused her permission, citing the Ministry’s Office Memorandum (OM) of August 23, 1993, which provided for “a year’s hiatus in training post delivery”.
HC stayed CAT order Ms.
Sengar had challenged the OM before the CAT, which permitted her to take part in the training programme.
However, the government had moved the Delhi High Court and got a stay of the CAT’s interim order.
Supreme Court to hear new mother’s plea against mandatory year-long postpartum break in IPS training Issuing notice, the top court on July 8 had asked the government lawyers to get clear instructions on whether Ms.
Sengar could participate in the training session.
On Friday (July 10, 2026), Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik reported back that substantial ground had already been covered in the past three weeks of the nine-week training programme.
It would be difficult for Ms.
Sengar to catch up, Mr.
Kaushik indicated.
Justice Misra agreed that one-third of the session was already over and it would be only to Ms.
Sengar’s own detriment to join training so late.
“It will be to your detriment if you miss all these [earlier classes] and join now,” Justice Misra said.
