Now a single male belonging to All India Services such as Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) will also be eligible for paid childcare leave. Earlier, this was applicable to female officers only.

The new rule will come into effect from July 29, 2023.

Single male refers to an unmarried or widower or divorcee male member of the service, a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said. The government has amended All India Services (Leave) Rules, 1955. Some changes have been made in the salary payout and other conditions too.

“A female member of the Service and single male member of the Service may be granted child care leave by an authority competent to sanction leave for a maximum period of seven hundred and thirty days during entire service, for taking care of two eldest surviving children, up-to the age of eighteen years, on the grounds of rearing or for looking after any of their needs, such as education, sickness and the like,” the notification said.

The existing rule prescribes granting child care leave to a female member of the service who has minor children below the age of eighteen for a maximum of 730 days during her entire service for taking care of up to two children. Further, during child care leave, such members will be paid leave salary equal to the pay drawn immediately before proceeding on leave.

Now amendment says during the period of child care leave, members of the service will be paid 100 per cent of leave salary equal to pay drawn immediately before proceeding on leave for the first year and 80 per cent of the pay drawn immediately before proceeding on leave for the next three hundred and sixty-five days.

Change has also been made in leave conditions. The existing rule says childcare leave may be availed in more than one spell. Also, it will not be debited against the leave account of the service member. Now it has been said: “Child care leave shall not be granted for more than three spells in a calendar year and in case of a single female member of the Service, the child care leave may be granted for up-to six spells in a calendar year.” Child care leave may not be granted for less than five days in a spell, it added. Also, a separate leave account will be maintained for child care leave and shall not be debited against the other leave accounts.

A new sub-rule has been added to the rule, which makes it clear that childcare leave will not be granted during probation period, except in extreme situations. Also, leave will be minimal.

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