BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court defined that the word ‘homemaker’ is gender-neutral who can be male or female and also a working person, breadwinner or wage earner.
Justice Chillakur Sumalatha passed the order, allowing partly an appeal filed in 2018 by Pampalal from West Bengal.The judge also enhanced the compensation granted by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in 2018 to her by Rs 1.96 lakh.
On October 19, 2013, while travelling with her family, she suffered injuries when a rashly driven KSRTC bus caused the accident.
Pampalal’s counsel contended that if it is taken that the claimant was not working as a lecturer on the date on which the accident took place, taking her services as homemaker, compensation needs to be awarded.
The KSRTC counsel stated that as per the claimant’s version, she has done post-graduation and with such a high educational qualification, she cannot be regarded a homemaker.
The High Court noted that every woman who renders service to her family is liable to be regarded as a ‘homemaker’ irrespective of whether such a woman is holding a higher qualification.
It stated that to consider a woman a ‘homemaker’, it is not necessary to establish that she is illiterate or stays at home 24x7 or attends only to household work.
'Homemaker gender-neutral word'
The word homemaker is gender-neutral and can be male or female. The High Court is of the view that the claimant can be considered a homemaker,it added.
Taking the notional income of the claimant as Rs 8,000, the court said she could have taken bed rest at least for three months.The financial loss for those three months comes to Rs 24,000.
The total sum she is entitled to, in addition to the sum awarded by the Tribunal, is Rs 1.96 lakh, with the interest at the rate of 6% per annum.
