Every pregnant employee of an establishment is entitled to Maternity Leave & benefits.
Educational institutions are also covered under State's Shops and Commercial Establishments Act. All service/employment laws applicable to establishments registered under State's Shops and Commercial Establishments Act are applicable to educational institutions as such Maternity Benefit Act 1961 is also applicable.
You may refer to the discussion in this regard had in this forum, pl.browse this link-
https://www.citehr.com/494787-applic...-download.html
There are other instances also in extending MB to women employees- Following judgments/case laws could be referred to clarify any doubts on extending Maternity benefits to women employees.
1) In Mrs. Neera Mathur v. Life Insurance Corporation of India, the petitioner’s employment with the LIC was terminated after she returned from maternity leave. The reason given was that she had withheld information about her pregnancy in a questionnaire she had filled out at the time of her appointment. After a perusal of the questionnaire, the Supreme Court found that it required female candidates to provide information about the dates of their menstrual cycles and past pregnancies. The Court held that the questionnaire was an invasion of privacy and directed the LIC to reinstate the petitioner and delete the offending columns from its future questionnaires.
2) Consider Sundays and unpaid holidays for computing period of work to qualify for maternity benefits:
In Ram Bahadur Thakur (P) Ltd. v Chief Inspector of Plantations, a female worker employed at the Pambanar Tea Estate was denied maternity benefits on the grounds that she had actually worked for 157 days instead of the 160 days required to qualify for them. The Supreme Court, however, held that for the purposes of computing maternity benefits, all days including Sundays and unpaid holidays must be taken into consideration.
3) Daily wagers must get benefits too:
In Municipal Corporation of Delhi v. Female Workers’ (Muster Rolls) and Another, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi stated that it granted maternity leave to its regular female workers but not to the daily wage ones, that is, the ones on the muster rolls. The respondents argued that the practice was unfair as there was hardly any difference in the work allotted to female workers who were regular and those who were on daily wage. Accepting the contention, the Supreme Court upheld the right of female construction workers to be granted maternity leave by extending the scope of the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 to daily wage workers.
4) Two years uninterrupted childcare leave
In a landmark case- Kakali Ghosh v. Chief Secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Administration and Others, the main question was whether a female employee of the Central Government could ask for 730 days of uninterrupted child care Leave under the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972. Justices S.J. Mukhopadhaya and V. Gopala Gowda of the Supreme Court held that a female employee of the Central Government is entitled to two years uninterrupted leave for childcare, which may also include illnesses and schoolwork. It held that the judgment of the Calcutta High Court, Circuit Bench at Port Blair was ignorant of the rules framed by the Central Government and directed the respondents to comply with the directions issued by the Central Administrative Tribunal, Calcutta, Circuit Bench at Port Blair.
In your case what I could suggest, since you are already in the 9th month, you should immediately file your application for grant of maternity leave in the prescribed form together with the medical certificate from a regd.medical practioner of a govt.hospital, preferably from a Gynaecologist and go on availing the leave, don't mention any period of leave, but mention only "under the Maternity Benefits Act". Make sure they approve the leave and obtain a copy of the approval. If they mention any period in it, say 3 months or some thing else, don't say anything, go on leave. After your safe delivery intimate your office with a medical certificate and mention there that you are going to avail 26 weeks Maternity leave in full. Don't forget, in addition to this you are eligible for child care leave also thereafter.
During the maternity leave you are free to resign but your employer has no right to terminate on frivolous reason like maternity leave, if they do so it's illegal.
Read the Maternity Benefit Act attached for your understanding and future use.