SBI takes down its circular on recruitment of pregnant women

New Delhi: India's largest lender, State Bank of India face lots of criticism over its recently uploaded circular on the recruitment of pregnant women, in which according to the revised 'Fitness Standards for Recruitment' in the bank mentioned that woman candidate with more than three months pregnancy will be considered "temporarily unfit" and can join the bank within four months after delivery. After this SBI faced criticism and decided to take down the circular and suspended it.

A fresh press release on the same said, "SBI has recently reviewed the various Fitness Standards for Recruitment in the Bank, including norms for Pregnant Women candidates. The revised guidelines were intended to provide clarity on various health parameters where instructions were not clear or were very old. In some sections of the media, the revision in norms. in this regard has been interpreted as discriminatory against women."

It added SBI has always been proactive towards the care and empowerment of its women employees who now constitute around 25% of our workforce. During the COVID period, as per Government instructions, pregnant women employees were exempted from attending office and allowed to Work From Home.

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.