Central government employees in India can take up to 30 days of leave every year for personal reasons, including looking after their elderly parents. This was confirmed by Union Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh, while answering a question in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament. He said that this rule is already part of the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972. Under these rules, a central government employee gets:
- 30 days of earned leave
- 20 days of half-pay leave
- 8 days of casual leave
- 2 restricted holidays
every year.
These leaves can be used for any personal reason, such as caring for sick or elderly parents, the minister explained in a written reply.
What are the CCS (Leave) rules, 1972?
The Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 came into effect on June 1, 1972, and they decide how leave is given to most Central government employees. However, these rules do not apply to everyone. For example, railway workers, casual or part-time staff, and members of the All India Services follow different leave rules. In total, 11 groups of employees are excluded from these rules.
What types of leave are available for central employees?
- Earned Leave (EL) – Leave earned over time for personal use.
- Half Pay Leave (HPL) – Leave taken with half the salary.
- Commuted Leave – Half pay leave converted into full pay leave in special cases.
- Leave Not Due – Advance leave, allowed when no other leave is left.
- Extraordinary Leave (EOL) – Leave without pay when other options are used up.
- Maternity and Paternity Leave – For new mothers and fathers.
- Child Care Leave (CCL) – Special leave for taking care of children.
- Study Leave – For employees wanting to pursue higher studies or training.
- Special Disability Leave – If an employee gets injured during duty.
- Seamen’s Sick Leave – For employees working on ships.
- Hospital Leave – For serious health conditions needing hospital care.
- Departmental Leave – Special leave granted in certain departments.
How earned leave works for Central employees
Earned Leave is added to your leave balance twice a year i.e. on January 1 and July 1. When you use it, it is deducted from your leave account. Some special kinds of leave, like maternity or child care leave, are not deducted from your regular leave balance.
Other holidays and offs for Central employees
Apart from the leaves listed above, there are also other types of time-off like:
- Casual Leave
- Restricted Holidays
- Compensatory Offs
- Special Casual Leave
These are managed through government instructions and can change from time to time.
