The seventh pay commission has recommended that single fathers among central government employees be also granted the two-year childcare leave that their women colleagues alone are now entitled to.However, to check fraudulent applications, the commission has suggested that both men and women employees be paid only 80 per cent of their salary during the second year of their childcare leave. Women employees are now paid in full throughout their childcare leave.Pay panel recommendations are usually accepted by the government, sometimes with minor tweaks.Childcare leave can be taken in a range of contingencies, such as one's child facing a board exam or prolonged illness, till the child attains 18 years. It can be taken up to three times a year till an employee completes her quota of two years for the entire period of her service."The commission notes that in the event a male employee is single, the onus of rearing and nurturing the children falls squarely on his shoulders," says the pay panel's report, handed in yesterday.Kumar Jahgirdar, a men's rights activist, welcomed the recommendation. "While we have a long way to go before gender laws are made gender-neutral, this is a step forward," he said."This shows the government is slowly coming round to recognising that Indian society has changed and men too can take on the multiple roles of child-rearing and maintaining a professional life."The commission has suggested a concession for single mothers too, recommending they be granted childcare leave up to six times a year if necessary."The commission recognises the additional responsibility on the shoulders of employees who are single mothers," its report says.Childcare leave was introduced in 2008 on a recommendation by the sixth pay commission. In a nod perhaps to family planning, an employee can seek the leave in the name of either of two children but not a third or fourth child.A slew of demands had reached the commission during the consultative stages. Most of these concerned gender parity and relaxation of the thrice-a-year ceiling for single mothers.Some wanted employees with differently abled children to be granted childcare leave even to look after their over-18 children. Some wanted the provision of childcare leave scrapped altogether, primarily on the grounds of gender discrimination and disruption of office work.The commission has treated the complaint of fraudulent childcare leave applications seriously."In the course of discussions with various stakeholders, the sense that has come across is that what was introduced as a welfare measure to help employees in times of need is seen as a benefit that has to be availed simply because it exists," its report says."There is, therefore, a palpable need to bring in some inhibiting feature so as to ensure that only genuinely affected employees avail of this scheme."The solution: "Childcare leave should be granted at 100 per cent of the salary for the first 365 days, but at 80 per cent of the salary for the next 365 days."Jahgirdar questioned this recommendation. "I think it's unfair to genuine applicants. The commission could have asked for proof of the child's illness or impending exam (such as a medical certificate or admit card)," he said.The commission has not recommended any changes to the 180-day maternity leave or child adoption leave for women, or the corresponding 15-day leave for the fathers. India's private sector has no provision for childcare leave.