Conduct Rule No.15: Private Trade Or Employment

15.  Private Trade Or Employment:-

(1)   Subject to the provisions of sub rule (2) no Railway Servant shall, except with the previous sanction of the Government,

(a)   Engage directly or indirectly in any trade or business, or

(b)   Negotiate for, or undertake, any other employment, or

(c)   Hold an elective office, or canvass office for a candidate or candidates for an elective office, in any body, whether incorporated or not, or

(d)   Canvass in support of any business of insurance agency, commission agency, etc. owned or managed by any member of his family or

(e)   Take part except in the discharge of his official duties, in the registration, promotion or management of any bank or other company registered or required to be registered, under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) or any other law for the time being in force, or of any co-operative society for commercial purposes.

(f)    Participate in or associate himself in any manner in the making of;

(i)    A sponsored media (radio or television) programme; or

(ii)    A media programme commissioned by Government media but produced by a private agency; or

(iii)   A privately produced media programme including video magazine;

Provided that no previous permission shall be necessary in case where the Railway Servant participates in a programme produced or commissioned by Government media in his official capacity.

[Authority: RBE No.12/1997, No.E(D&A)96/GS1-8, 17.01.1997 ACS No.38]

(2)   A railway servant may, without the previous sanction of the Government;

(a)   Undertake honorary work of a social or charitable nature, or

(b)   Undertake occasional work of a literary, artistic or scientific character, or

(c)   Participate in sports activities as an amateur, or

(d)   Take part in the registration, promotion or management (not involving the holding of an elective office) of a literary, scientific or charitable society or of a club or similar organization the aims or objects of which relate to promotion of sports, cultural or recreational activities, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860), or any other law for the time being in force, or,

(e)   Take part in the registration, promotion or management (not involving the holding of an elective office) of a co-operative society substantially for the benefit of railway servants, registered under the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 (2 of 1912) or any other law for the time being in force.

Provided that;

(i)  He shall discontinue taking part in such activities, if so directed by the Government; and

(ii)  In a case falling under clause (d) or clause (e) of this sub-rule, his official duties shall not suffer thereby and he shall, within a period of one month of his taking part in such activity, report to the Government giving details of the nature of his participation.

(3)   Every railway servant shall report to the Government if any member of his family is engaged in a trade or business or owns or manages an insurance agency or commission agency.

(4)   Unless otherwise provided by general or special orders of the Government, no Railway servant may accept any fee for any work done by him for any private or public body or any private person without the sanction of the prescribed authority.

Explanation:- The term ‘fee’ used here shall have the meaning assigned to it in Rule 103(18) of R-I (Indian Railway Establishment Code, Vol-I / IREC Vol-I).

Railway Ministry’s Decision:-

(1)   It is not permissible for a Railway servant to take an Insurance Agency in his own name and canvass for the same.

[Authority: No.E(D&A)58/GSI-40, 07.03.1958]

(2)   Railway servants should not ordinarily be allowed to accept part time employment whether under Government or elsewhere, even though such employment is after office hours.

[Authority: No.E(D&A)58/GSI-29, 16.01.1959]

(3)    Railway servants, holding recognized qualification for any system of medicine may be granted permission by the Heads of Departments to undertake medical practice during spare time, on a purely charitable basis without detriment to his official duties. This will not apply to those who possess the qualification and are employed as physicians, surgeons etc., on the Railways.

[Authority: No.E(D&A)64/GSI-5, 30.05.1964 and 10.11.1965]

(4)   No railway servant should negotiate for commercial employment during service without obtaining the prior permission of the Head of the Department and such permission should not be given unless there are any special reasons for doing so.

[Authority: No.E(G)6EM1-2, 26.03.1966]