Promptness, Courtesy, Government Policies and Sexual Harassment — Rules 3-A, 3-B and 3-C of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964

Rules 3-A, 3-B and 3-C were introduced after the original 1964 rules, as the Government recognised specific conduct failures that needed to be addressed explicitly. Rule 3-A (1995) tackles discourtesy and delay. Rule 3-B (1995) requires Government servants to embody key social policies in their own lives. Rule 3-C (1998, amended 2014) provides the service-specific framework for preventing and addressing sexual harassment — predating the POSH Act, 2013 but now read alongside it.

Rule 3-A: Promptness and Courtesy

Rule 3-A states that no Government servant shall:

• (a) In the performance of his official duties, act in a discourteous manner
• (b) In his official dealings with the public or otherwise, adopt dilatory tactics or wilfully cause delays in the disposal of the work assigned to him

Why Discourtesy Is a Conduct Violation

The inclusion of courtesy as an explicit obligation — enforceable under the Conduct Rules — reflects a recognition that the attitude of Government servants towards the public is not merely a matter of etiquette. Rude, dismissive or arrogant behaviour by a Government servant towards a citizen damages public trust in the administration and violates the spirit of public service. An officer who speaks to a citizen with contempt or condescension is in breach of Rule 3-A(a), regardless of whether the work is done on time.

Dilatory Tactics and Wilful Delay

Rule 3-A(b) goes beyond mere slowness — it targets wilful delay. The distinction matters:

• A delay caused by heavy workload, complexity of the file, or absence of a key official is not a wilful delay and is not a breach of Rule 3-A(b)
• A delay caused by sitting on a file to extract a bribe, deliberately creating circular back-references, or routing a file unnecessarily to delay a decision is wilful and constitutes a breach

Rule 3-A is also the rule invoked when a Government servant is found to have a persistent pattern of not disposing of correspondence, letting files lapse, or building up large pendencies without valid reason.

Rule 3-B: Observance of Government's Policies

Rule 3-B requires every Government servant, at all times, to:

• (i) Act in accordance with the Government's policies regarding:
  • Age of marriage
  • Preservation of environment
  • Protection of wildlife and cultural heritage
• (ii) Observe the Government's policies regarding prevention of crime against women

Rule 3-B is unusual in that it extends conduct obligations into the personal sphere. A Government servant who contracts a marriage below the legal age of marriage, or who in personal life engages in wildlife poaching or cultural heritage damage, is in breach of Rule 3-B — not merely of the applicable law. This rule makes the Government servant personally accountable, through the service rules, for aligning private conduct with stated national policies.

Rule 3-C: Prohibition of Sexual Harassment of Working Women

Rule 3-C is the most significant of the three supplementary rules. Introduced in 1998 following the Vishaka Guidelines of the Supreme Court and amended in 2014 to align with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (the POSH Act), it establishes two obligations:

Rule 3-C(1): Personal Prohibition

No Government servant shall indulge in any act of sexual harassment of any woman at any workplace.

Rule 3-C(2): Employer Obligation

Every Government servant who is in-charge of a workplace shall take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment of any woman at that workplace. This is an affirmative duty — not merely a prohibition on personal conduct. It obligates every head of office, every supervisor and every person in a position of authority over a workplace to proactively create a harassment-free environment.

What Is "Sexual Harassment" Under Rule 3-C?

The Explanation to Rule 3-C defines sexual harassment to include any one or more of the following acts or behaviour (whether directly or by implication):

• Physical contact and advances
• A demand or request for sexual favours
• Making sexually coloured remarks
• Showing pornography
• Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature

Circumstances That Amount to Sexual Harassment

The following circumstances, if occurring in relation to any of the above acts, may amount to sexual harassment:

• Implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment in employment
• Implied or explicit threat of detrimental treatment in employment
• Implied or explicit threat about present or future employment status
• Interference with work or creation of an intimidating, offensive or hostile work environment
• Humiliating treatment likely to affect health or safety

What Is a "Workplace" Under Rule 3-C?

The definition of "workplace" is deliberately wide and includes:

• Any department, office, undertaking or establishment owned, controlled or financed by the Central Government
• Hospitals or nursing homes
• Any sports institute, stadium or games venue
• Any place visited by the employee arising out of or during the course of employment — including transportation provided by the employer for such journeys
• A dwelling place or a house

The inclusion of transportation and visited places means that sexual harassment during official travel, inspection tours, or training programmes away from the home office is equally covered.

The Relationship Between Rule 3-C and the POSH Act, 2013

The POSH Act, 2013 (Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act) operates alongside Rule 3-C. The Act requires every establishment with 10 or more employees to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). For Central Government offices, the ICC operates under the Act, while disciplinary action for the offending employee runs through the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965. A complaint under the POSH Act can simultaneously trigger departmental proceedings under Rule 3-C of the Conduct Rules.

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