Single male parents or nanny daddies working with the government of India and having up to two dependent children will be entitled to 730 days’ or two-year Child Care Leave (CCL) during their entire service period, a new government order said.

This brings the men at par with female employees.

The CCL can be availed by the single male parents for rearing or looking after any of their needs, such as education, sickness, etc.

The move is considered as a shift from the common belief that women can only be the principal care-givers for children, reported the English daily The Times of India.

Till now this provision applied to women employees only. The women employees were entitled to CCL in three spells in a year that could be availed for up to two children.

According to the government order, a single male parent government employee has been defined as “an unmarried, or widower, or divorcee government employee.”

The 730-day period has been divided into two halves. In the first half there would be no salary cut, but in the second half the male parents would be entitled to only 80 percent of their respective salaries.

The new government order also notified that female government employees can now avail CCL in six spells, instead of the three spells earlier. (NAN)