LEAVE RULES

By Jyotirmoy Taran, Audit Officer,

Directorate of Audit
General Principles
1. Leave cannot be claimed as a matter of right -Rule 7(1).
2. The leave sanctioning authority may refuse or revoke leave of
any kind, but cannot alter the kind of leave due and applied
for -Rule 7(2).
3. Leave of one kind taken earlier may be converted into leave of
a different kind at a later date at the request of the official and
at the discretion of the authority who granted the leave -Rule
10(1).
4. Conversion of one kind of leave into leave of a different kind
is permissible only when applied for by the official while in
service and not after quitting service -Rule 10(2).
5. No leave of any kind can be granted for a continuous period
exceeding five years except with the sanction of the Governor
- Rule [Link] .
6. An official on leave should not take up any service or
employment elsewhere without obtaining prior sanction of the
Competent Authority -Rule 13.
7. No leave shall be granted to a Government servant until a
report regarding its admissibility has been obtained from the
authority maintaining the leave account –Rule 16(1).
8. Leave shall not be granted to a Government servant whom a
competent punishing authority has decided to dismiss, remove
or compulsory retire from Government Servant – Rule 17.
9. An application for leave on Medical ground shall be
accompanied by a medical certificate in Form-3 given by an
Authorised Medical Attendant (AMA) or a Registered Medical
Practitioner (RMP), defining as clearly as possible the nature
and probable duration of the illness -Rule 18(1).
10. Leave sanctioning authority may secure second medical
opinion, if considered necessary -Rule 18(3).
11. The authority competent to grant leave may, at its discretion,
waive the production of a medical certificate in case of an
application for leave for a period not exceeding 3 days at a
time. Such leave shall not, however be treated as leave on
medical certificate -Rule 18(6).
12. A Government servant who is on leave on medical certificate
will be permitted to return to duty only on production of
M.C. of fitness from the AMA/RMP -Rule 23(3).
13. Willful absence from duty after the expiry of leave render a
Govt. servant liable to disciplinary action -Rule 24(2).
14. Absence without leave not in continuation of any authorised
leave will constitute an interruption of service unless it is
regularised -Note below Rule 24(2).
 Different Types of Leave :
1(a) Earned Leave for Govt. servant serving in Department other than
Vacation Department
1
 Admissible @ 2 days for each completed calendar month of
2
service (12 completed months x 2.5 days = 30 days/year).
 Credit will be afforded in advance at a uniform rate of 15 days
on the 1st of January and 1st of July every year.
 Earned leave can be accumulated upto a maximum of 300 days.
 The credit for the half-year in which a Government servant is
1
appointed will be afforded @ 2 days for each completed
2
calendar month of service which he is likely to render in the
calendar half-year in which he is appointed.
 While affording credit, fraction of a day should be rounded off
1
to the nearest day e.g. 7 days to be rounded as 8 days.
2
1
 The credit to be afforded will be reduced by th
of the
10
extraordinary leave availed and/or period of dies-non during
the previous half-year, subject to a maximum of 15 days and to
the extent of such credit only.
 1(b) Earned Leave for Govt. servant serving in Vacation Department
 A Government servant serving in a Vacation Department shall not
be entitled to any earned leave in respect of duty performed in any
year in which he avails himself of the vacation –Rule 27(1).
 In respect of any year in which a Government servant avails
himself of a portion of the vacation, he shall be entitled to earned
leave in such proportion of 30 days as the number of days of
vacation not taken bears to the full vacation.
 Provided that no such leave shall be admissible to a Government
servant not in permanent or quasi permanent employ in respect of
the first year of his service.
 If in any year the Government servant does not avail himself of
any vacation, earned leave shall be admissible to him in respect of
that year under Rule 25.
 Vacation may be taken in combination with or in continuation of
any kind of leave under these rules.
 Teaching and non-teaching staff of Government schools are
entitled to earn 20 days Earned Leave a year. The leave Account
shall be credited with Earned Leave in advance (in two instalments
of 10 days each in case of two full half year) on the first day of
January and July in every calendar year.
 2. Half Pay Leave
5
 Admissible @ days per completed month of service.
3
 A Government servant shall be entitled to half pay leave of 20
days in respect of each completed year of service.
 The leave due may be granted on medical certificate or on
private affairs.
 If a Government servant is on leave on the day on which he
completes a year of service, he shall be entitled to half pay leave
without having to return to duty.
 For the purpose of this rule, the following periods will not be
taken as service and in such case each completed year of service
shall be determined afresh:
a) A period of foreign service when no leave salary.
b) A period of absence treated as dies-non.
c) A period of suspension treated as dies-non.
d) A period of suspension which has not specifically been
allowed to count towards leave.
3. Commuted Leave
 Commuted leave not exceeding half the amount of half pay
leave due may be granted on medical certificate.
 Commuted leave can be taken without medical certificate
upto a maximum of 180 days half pay leave (i.e. 90 days full
pay leave) in the entire service where such leave is utilized
for an approved course of study certified to be in public
interest.
 If commuted leave is taken, twice the number of days
availed should be debited against the half pay leave due.
 Commuted leave may be granted at the request of the
Government servant even when earned leave is due to him.
4. Leave not Due
 Save in the case of leave preparatory to retirement, leave not due
may be granted to a Government servant in permanent employ or
quasi-permanent, subject to the following conditions:
a) The authority competent to grant leave is satisfied that there is
reasonable prospect of the Government servant returning to
duty on its expiry.
b) Leave not due shall be limited to the half pay leave he is likely
to earn thereafter.
c) Leave not due during the entire service shall be limited to a
maximum of 360 days, out of which not more than 90 days at a
time and 180 days in all may be otherwise than on medical
certificate.
d) Leave not due shall be debited against the half pay leave of the
Government servant may earn subsequently.
 It cannot be granted in the case of ‘Leave preparatory to
retirement’.
 It can be granted to an officer whose leave account shows a debit
balance in consequence of the grant of leave not due on a previous
occasion.
5. Extraordinary Leave
 Extraordinary leave is granted to a Government servant
(a) when no other leave is admissible.
(b) when other leave is admissible, but the Government servant
applies in writing for extraordinary leave.
 EOL shall be granted on any one occasion subject to the
following limits:
a) Upto 3 months.
b) Upto 6 months for officials having completed one year
continuous service – supported by medical certificate for
common ailments.
c) Upto 18 months for officials having completed one year
continuous service with medical certificate for cancer,
mental illness, pulmonary tuberculosis, tuberculosis of
any part of the body, leprosy.
Extraordinary Leave
d) Officials with three or more years continuous service - upto
24 months, where the leave is required for the purpose of
prosecuting studies certified to be in public interest.
e) Officials belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes
may be granted EOL by the Heads of Departments in excess
of three months for attending the pre-examination training
course at the centres notified by the Government from time
to time.
 Two spells of extraordinary leave, intervened by any other kind
of leave, should be treated as one continuous spell for the
purpose of applying the maximum limit.
 EOL may also be granted to regularize periods of absence
without leave retrospectively.
 6. Maternity Leave
 Admissible to female employees during
a) Pregnancy : 180 days - Admissible only to employees with
less than two surviving children.
b) Miscarriage/ Abortion : Total of 45 days in the entire service.
Application should be supported by a Medical Certificate.
 Not debited to the leave account & is granted on full pay i.e.
leave salary equal to pay drawn immediately before proceeding
on leave.
 It may be combined with leave of any other kind.
 Any leave (including commuted leave) upto 60 days may be
taken without medical certificate when applied for in
continuation of maternity leave.
 Not admissible for 'threatened abortion’.
 7. Leave to female Government servant on adoption of child
A female Government servant, with less than two surviving
children, on adoption of a child may be granted leave of the kind
due and admissible (including leave not due and commuted leave
not exceeding 60 days without production of medical certificate)
for a period up to one year or till such time the child is one year
old, whichever is earlier.

8. Child Care Leave

• Admissible to female Government servant having minor
children (upto 2 children) below the age of 18 years or 22 years
incase of disabled/ mentally challenged child.
• Maximum period of 2 years i.e. 730 days during entire service.
• CCL can be availed in more than one spell & not debited
against the leave account.
• CCL may be combined with leave of any other kind, due &
admissible.
9. Special Disability Leave
 Admissible to all employees when disabled by :
a) Injury intentionally or accidentally inflicted or caused in, or in
consequence of the due performance of official duties or in
consequence of official position.
b) Illness incurred on the performance of any particular duty, which
has the effect of increasing liability to illness or injury beyond the
ordinary risk attaching to the civil post held, under the same
conditions.
 The period of leave will be as certified by an AMA subject to
maximum of 24 months.
 It may be granted more than once if the disability is aggravated or
recurs in similar circumstances at a later date, but the maximum
leave in consequence of any one disability should not exceed 24
months.
 It may be combined with any other kind of leave.
 It will not be debited to the leave account.
 The leave salary for the first 120 days will be the pay last drawn and
for the remaining period it will be equal to leave salary during HPL.
 Appointing authorities are competent to sanction Special Disability
leave.
10. Quarantine Leave
 In consequence of the presence of an infectious disease in the
family or household of a Govt. servant at his place of duty or
residence, his attendance at the office is considered hazardous
to the health of other employees, such Govt. servant may be
granted quarantine leave.
 Small pox, Plague, Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) to be
considered as infectious disease.
 Quarantine leave may be granted by the Head of Office on the
certificate of a Medical Officer/ Public Health Officer.
 Normally allowed for a maximum period of 21 days (14 days for
COVID) & in exceptional circumstances upto 30 days.
 Any leave necessary in excess of this period shall be debitable
to the leave account of the employee.
11. Paternity Leave

 Paternity leave may be granted by an authority competent to

grant leave to a male govt. servant with less than two surviving
children for a period of 7 (seven) days at the time of delivery of
child.
 During the leave period, the govt. servant shall be paid leave
salary equal to the pay drawn immediately before proceeding on
leave.
 Paternity leave shall not be debited against the leave account &
may be combined with any other kind of leave.
 It shall not be refused under any circumstances
12. Study Leave

 Granted to Govt. servants with not less than 5 years service.

 Granted for undergoing a special course consisting of higher
studies or specialised training in a professional or technical
subject having a direct & close connection with the sphere of
his duties or being capable of widening his mind in a manner
likely to improve his ability as a civil servant.
 The proposed course of study or training should be certified to
be of definite advantage from the point of view of public
interest.
 The particular study or study tour should be approved by the
authority competent to grant leave.
 The official on his return should submit a full report on the
work done during study leave.
 Not granted :
(a) For studies out of India if facilities are available in the
India
(b) To an official due to retire within 3 years of return from
the study leave.
(c) To a Govt. servant with such frequency as to remove him
from contract with his regular work or cause cadre difficulties
owing to his absence on leave.
 Granted ordinarily for 12 months at any one time and for a
maximum period of 24 months during the entire service.
 Study leave will not be debited to the leave account and may be
combined with other kinds of leave.
 In no case shall the grant of study leave in combination with
other leave (including vacation if any) but excluding EOL
involve a total absence of more than 28 months.
13. Casual Leave
Casual Leave is not a recognized form of leave and is not subject to any
rules made by the Government of India. An official on Casual Leave is
not treated as absent from duty and pay is not intermitted.
 Casual leave can be combined with Special Casual leave/vacation but
not with any other kind of leave.
 It cannot be combined with joining time.
 Sundays and Holidays falling during a period of casual leave are not
counted as part of casual leave.
 Casual leave can be taken while on tour, but no daily allowance will
be admissible for the period.
 Casual leave can be taken for half-day also.
 Essentially intended for short periods. It should not normally be
granted for more than 5 days at any one time, except under special
circumstances.
 LTC can be availed during casual leave.
 Individuals appointed and joining duty during the middle of a year
may avail of casual leave proportionately or to the full extent at the
discretion of the competent authority.