Central government employees can now avail upto 60 days of leave to take care of elderly parents, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

These leaves include 30 days of Earned Leave, 20 days of Half Pay Leave, eight days of Casual Leave and two days of Restricted Holiday per year, the government said. 

Union Minister of State for Ministry of Personnel, Public grievances and pensions Jitendra Singh, while replying to a question in the upper house by MP Sumitra Balmik, told the house that central government employees are allowed to take leave for "any personal reasons, including that of taking care of elderly parents" under 'Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972'. 

"The Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 provides for 30 days of earned leave, 20 days of half pay leave, eight days of casual leave and two days of restricted holiday per annum, apart from other eligible leaves to a Central government employee, which can be availed for any personal reasons, including that of taking care of elderly parents," Singh said in a written reply. 

MP Balmik had asked whether there is any provision for government employees to avail leave to take care of their elderly parents.

What Is Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972?

The Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules came into effect on June 1, 1972. It outlines various categories of leaves available to employees of the central government.

These include earned leave, half pay leave, maternity and paternity leave, child adoption leave, leave for work-related injuries or illness, seamen’s leave, departmental leave, and study leave, among others.

Each employee has a dedicated 'leave account' in which leave installments are credited twice annually — on January 1 and July 1. When an employee takes leave, the appropriate number of days is usually subtracted from this account. However, specific types of leave, such as maternity, paternity, and child care leave, are treated as 'special leave' and are not deducted from the standard leave balance. These are provided as and when required.

The regulations also permit the clubbing together of certain types of leave with public holidays or other leave categories. As per the provisions, employees accumulate earned leave at the rate of 2.5 days for each completed month of service.

Under these rules, female employees, including apprentices, with fewer than two children are eligible for more than 180 days of maternity leave. Male employees can take up to 15 days of paternity leave.