Central govt. study leave for online master degree course

Study Leave is granted to all government employees who have more than 5 years of service. The leave should be taken for pursuing further studies or undergoing a course that provides specialised training in the area of the individual's duty as a civil servant. The maximum duration of the leave is 24 months for all employees, except for Central Health Service (CHS) officers who can avail 36 months of study leave. There have been no demands regarding this leave.

in case the coure is useful for professional ecellence) in the opinion of deptt) of the employee (for the post for which he is employed), he can be granted styudy leaveup 24 months in whole career with the condition that after completion of last spell of study leave he has to serve atleast for three years and in cee he resigns or seeks VR the he has to refund the entire leave salary.

Thanks for reply sir ,

I am experiencing a difficulty in regards to pursuing an online degree course due to my office's refusal to grant permission. The office administration has articulated that study leave is only allowed for regular degree courses and that one must attend a university in-person to pursue the course. However, after consulting the study leave regulations outlined in the central civil services, I noticed that there is no stipulation regarding the course being regular or online. The regulations only mention a "special course of study consisting of higher studies or specialized training in a professional or technical subject having a direct and close connection with the sphere of his duty". Please refer to section 1 on page 43 of https://documents.doptcirculars.nic.in/D2/D02est/ConsolidatedCCSRulesiAmwP.pdf for the study leave regulations.

Can you please provide me with further clarification on this matter?

Best option is in approaching the Central Administrative Tribunal.

Study leave may also be granted-

(i) for a course of training or study tour in which a Government servant may not attend a regular academic or semi-academic course if the course of training or the study tour is certified to be of definite advantage to Government from the point of view of public interest and is related to sphere of duties of the Government servant; and

(ii) for the purpose of studies connected with the framework or background of public administration subject to the conditions that-

(a) the particular study or study tour should be approved by the authority competent to grant leave; and

(b) the Government servant should be required to submit, on his return, a full report on the work done by him while on study leave;

(iii) for the studies which may not be closely or directly connected with the work of a Government servant, but which are capable of widening his mind in a manner likely to improve his abilities as a civil servant and to equip him better to collaborate with those employed in other branches of the public service.

NOTE.- Application for study leave in cases falling under clause (iii) shall be considered on merits of each case in consultation with the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance.

(3) Study leave shall not be granted unless-

(i) it is certified by the authority competent to grant leave that the proposed course of study or training shall be of definite advantage from the point of view of public interests;

(ii) it is for prosecution of studies in subjects other than academic or literary subject: