Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called for stronger financial maternity benefits and job security for women in the informal sector, linking the lack of workplace support to declining exclusive breastfeeding rates among infants under six months. Tharoor raised the issue in a post on X addressed to Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi.

Citing data attributed to the National Family Health Survey-6, Tharoor noted that institutional deliveries in India have risen to 90.6%, while the rate of exclusive breastfeeding among infants below six months has declined from 63.7% to 55.8%. He highlighted that the decline was particularly pronounced in rural areas and in states including Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, describing the trend as a gap between public policy and the circumstances faced by working mothers.

Tharoor pointed to the large number of women working in India's unorganised sector, noting that many return to work within weeks of giving birth because they lack paid maternity leave and employment security. According to the Congress leader, the economic pressure on these women can make it difficult to follow the recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life.

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The Congress MP also highlighted other factors that he believes are contributing to the decline, including an increase in Caesarean-section deliveries and the marketing of infant formula substitutes. He stressed the importance of breastfeeding in protecting children against malnutrition and infant mortality while calling for stronger support systems for mothers after childbirth.

Tharoor urged the government and employers to extend robust financial maternity benefits to women working in the informal sector. He also called for stricter enforcement of the Infant Milk Substitutes Act and stronger postnatal lactation counselling services at health centres across the country.

The remarks come amid broader concerns about the challenges faced by women balancing employment and childcare, particularly in India's informal workforce. Tharoor's intervention has placed the focus on maternity protection, workplace security and access to postnatal support as factors that can influence maternal and infant health outcomes.

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