Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved extendingbenefits of child care leave to single male service personnel, the defenceministry said on Saturday.The decision is in sync with an order by theDepartment of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The minister has also given hisnod for giving certain relaxation in child care leave (CCL) provisions in caseof women officers in defence forces.

At present, CCL is granted only to women officers in defenceforces. Recently, DoPT has made certain amendments to allow CCL to civilianemployees, whereby the CCL granted to woman employees till now has beenextended to single male government servants also.

"The age limit of 22 years prescribed earlier in thecase of a child with 40 per cent disability has been removed for the purpose ofavailing CCL. Further, the minimum period of CCL that can be availed at a timehas been reduced to 05 days instead of 15 days," the defence ministrysaid.

It said a proposal to extend similar benefits to defencepersonnel has been approved by Singh. With this, single male service personnelwill be able to avail the benefit of CCL. Single male service personnel and woman officers of defence forces willalso be able to avail CCL in respect of child with 40 per cent disabilitywithout any restriction of age limit for the child. Further, the minimum periodof CCL that can be availed in each spell has been reduced to five days from theearlier limit of 15 days, officials said.