Extraordinary Leave (EOL) Rules — When It Is Granted and How It Affects Your Service

Extraordinary Leave — commonly called EOL — is leave without pay, granted only when no other leave is admissible, or when an employee specifically requests it in writing even though other leave is due. While it sounds like a last resort, EOL also carries special significance for medical cases, study, and as a safety net when other leave runs out. This article explains Rule 32 of the CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972.

When Is Extraordinary Leave Granted?

Under Rule 32(1), EOL may be granted to a Government servant (other than a military officer) in special circumstances:

• When no other leave is admissible — i.e., the employee has exhausted EL, HPL, Commuted Leave, Leave Not Due, etc.; OR
• When other leave IS admissible, but the employee specifically applies in writing for EOL instead — for instance, to preserve their leave balance for future needs.

EOL carries no leave salary — it is leave without pay and allowances.

Standard Time Limits on EOL

Unless the President, considering the exceptional circumstances of a case, decides otherwise, a Government servant not in permanent or quasi-permanent employ cannot be granted EOL on any one occasion beyond the following limits:

Permanent and Quasi-Permanent Employees

The time limits in the table above apply specifically to employees not in permanent or quasi-permanent employ. For permanent and quasi-permanent employees, these specific ceilings do not automatically apply in the same restrictive manner — though EOL remains subject to the overall 5-year maximum continuous leave limit under Rule 12 (discussed in our article on Leave Application and Combination Rules), and to the general principle that leave cannot be claimed as a matter of right.

The 18-Month Medical Concession — Details

The 18-month EOL concession for TB, Leprosy, Cancer or Mental Illness has an important extension: it is not limited to treatment in a recognised sanatorium/institution. A Government servant suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis or Pleurisy of tubercular origin who receives treatment at home, under a recognised Tuberculosis Specialist, is also eligible — provided the specialist certifies that the employee is under their treatment and has reasonable chances of recovery by the end of the recommended leave.

The 24-Month Study Concession — Bond Requirement

Where EOL is granted in relaxation of the normal limits for the purpose of prosecuting studies certified to be in the public interest (the 24-month category), the Government servant must:

• Execute a Bond in Form 6, undertaking to refund to the Government the actual expenditure incurred (by the Government and any other agency, with interest) if they fail to return to duty on expiry of the leave, or quit service within 3 years of returning to duty.
• The Bond must be supported by sureties from two permanent Government servants of a status comparable to or higher than the employee's own.

This is closely related to — though procedurally distinct from — the bond requirements for formal Study Leave under Chapter VI, which we cover in our article on Study Leave Rules.

Special Provision for SC/ST Employees: Pre-Examination Training

Government servants belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes may be granted EOL by the Head of Department, in relaxation of the standard limits, specifically for the purpose of attending Pre-Examination Training Courses at centres notified by the Government from time to time. This is a targeted welfare provision recognising the importance of such training for career advancement.

Two Spells = One Continuous Spell

If a Government servant takes two spells of EOL with any other kind of leave in between, the two EOL spells are treated as one continuous spell of EOL for the purpose of applying the time limits in the table above. This prevents employees from "resetting the clock" on EOL limits simply by inserting a short period of EL or HPL between two EOL spells.

Retrospective Commutation of Unauthorised Absence

Under Rule 32(6), the authority competent to grant leave has the power to retrospectively commute periods of absence without leave into Extraordinary Leave. This is an important administrative tool — an employee who was absent without sanctioned leave is not automatically deemed to have "no leave" recorded; the competent authority can regularise such absence as EOL after the fact, subject to the applicable limits.

EOL and Earned Leave Credit — The Interaction

As discussed in our article on Earned Leave Rules, periods of EOL (and "dies non") taken during a half-year reduce the EL credit for the following half-year — by 1/10th of the EOL/dies-non period, subject to a maximum reduction of 15 days. This is a relatively modest impact, but worth factoring in for employees taking extended EOL.

EOL and Half Pay Leave Conversion — A Useful Note

Under Rule 27(3)(ii), if a Government servant availed of EOL since the date of their permanent or quasi-permanent appointment, such leave may — subject to the general commutation provisions of Rule 10 — be converted into Earned Leave, to the extent it is due and admissible as a result of recasting the leave account. This means EOL taken early in a career is not always a permanent "loss" — it can sometimes be retroactively reclassified if the employee's overall leave account is later recast.

Absence After Expiry of Leave — Often Becomes EOL

If a Government servant remains absent after the expiry of sanctioned leave, and the leave is not extended by the competent authority, that period of overstay:

• Carries no leave salary;
• Is debited against the leave account as if it were Half Pay Leave, to the extent HPL is due; and
• Any excess beyond the HPL due is treated as Extraordinary Leave.

Additionally, wilful absence from duty after the expiry of leave can render the Government servant liable to disciplinary action — EOL regularisation does not automatically shield an employee from disciplinary consequences for unauthorised absence.

Worked Example: Combining the Rules

Shri Vinay, a permanent Government servant with 5 years of continuous service, is diagnosed with a condition requiring treatment recognised under the 18-month TB/Cancer/Mental Illness category. He has already exhausted his EL and HPL.

• He applies for EOL on medical certificate. Since he has completed 1 year's continuous service and his condition falls under the recognised category, he is eligible for up to 18 months of EOL on this single occasion.
• During this EOL, he draws no leave salary.
• His EL credit for the following half-year will be reduced — by 1/10th of the EOL period, capped at 15 days.
• If he later needs a further period of EOL for an unrelated reason within a short time, and it is treated as a continuation (intervened only by other leave), it would be added to this 18-month spell for the purposes of the overall limit.

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