The Centre on Tuesday said that IAS, IPS and IFS officers will have to execute a bond agreeing to refund all expenses borne on them by the Government on their study leave in case they fail to return on duty after such a sabbatical. Under the existing rule, officers are supposed to sign a bond which requires putting in specified period of service after expiry of the study leave.
“It has come to the notice of this Department that the provisions of the aforesaid bond are being circumvented and officers who have availed study leave proceed on prolonged spells of leave due and admissible to them and thus do not put in active service for the requisite period as indicated in the bond executed by them,” the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said in a directive.
DopT has requested all the Ministries, departments, State Governments to ensure that the necessary bond in respect of grant of study leave under the All India Services (Study leave) Regulations, 1960 may henceforth be obtained in the revised formats and sent to Chief Secretary of all State Governments and Union Territories.
“There were instances where officers were either leaving the Government job after completion of study leave or extending the period of such courses. The bond will ensure that they return to their job and do some value addition in their work through their learning during the study leave,” a DoPT official said.