IREC Rule No.551(E): Child Care Leave

551(E). Child Care Leave:-

(1)   A woman railway servant having minor children below the age of eighteen years (upto the age of 22 years in case of disabled children) “an offspring  of any age in the case of disabled children” may be granted Child Care Leave (CCL) by an authority competent to grant leave, for a maximum period of two years (i.e. 730 days) during the entire service for taking care of upto two children, whether for rearing or to look after any of their needs like examination, sickness etc.

[With effect from 13.06.2018 age limit of 22 years in case of a disabled child removed – Authority: RBE No. 162/2018, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 17.10.2018, RBE No.18/2019, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 05.02.2019, ACS No.136]

(2)   During the period of Child Care Leave, she shall be paid leave salary equal to the pay drawn immediately before proceeding on leave.

(3)   Child Care Leave may be combined with leave of any other kind.

(4)   Notwithstanding the requirement of production of medical certificate contained in Rule 527 or sub-rule (1) (ii) of Rule 528, leave of the kind due and admissible (including commuted leave not exceeding 60 days and leave not due) upto a maximum of one year, if applied for, be granted in continuation with child care leave granted under sub-rule (1).

(5)   Child Care Leave shall not be granted in more than 3 spells in a calendar year with each spell of Child Care Leave being not less than 15 days. “less than 5 days” [With effect from 05.06.2014 the requirement of minimum period of 15 days CCL is removed. Authority: RBE No.71/2014, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 09/07/2014] [With effect from 13.06.2018  Child Care Leave not to be granted for a period less than five days at a time. Authority: RBE No. 162/2018, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 17.10.2018,  RBE No.18/2019, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 05.02.2019, ACS No.136]

 (6)   Child Care Leave shall be admissible for the two eldest surviving children only.

(7)   Child Care Leave cannot be demanded as a matter of right. Under no circumstances can any employee proceed on Child Care Leave without prior proper approval of the leave by the leave sanctioning authority.

(8)   The Child Care Leave is to be treated like Leave on Average Pay and sanctioned as such.

(9)   Child Care Leave should not ordinarily be granted during the probation period except in case of certain extreme situations where the leave sanctioning authority is fully satisfied about the need of Child Care Leave to the probationer. It may also be ensured that the period for which this leave is sanctioned during probation is minimal.

(10) Child Care Leave shall not be debited against the leave account.

Note-1: The leave account for Child Care Leave shall be maintained in the following format and shall be kept along with the Service Book of the female Railway servant concerned:-

Format for maintaining the Child Care Leave Account:

Period of Child Care Leave taken		Balance of Child Care Leave		Signature & Designation of the certifying officer
From	To	Balance	Date
1	2	3	4	5

Note-2: Disabled Child having a minimum disability of 40% is elaborated in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s Notification No.16-18/97-NI.I, 01.06.2001. Documents relating to the handicap as specified in the above said Notification dated 01.06.2001, as well as a certificate from the Railway servant regarding dependency of the child on the Railway servant would have to be submitted by the female Railway employee. The Child Care Leave would be permitted to female Railway employees only if the child is dependent on her.

Note-3: The benefit of encashment of Leave on Average Pay, admissible in terms of Rule 540(A), cannot be availed during Child Care Leave as Child Care Leave is granted for the specific purpose of taking care of a minor child for rearing or for looking after any other needs of the child during examination, sickness etc.

[Authority: RBE No.158/2008, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 23.10.2008, RBE No.195/2008, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 12.12.2008, RBE No.58/2010, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 23.04.2010, RBE No.144/2010, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 04.10.2010 and RBE No.21/2011, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 08.02.2011, RBE No.57/2011, No.E(P&A)I-2008/CPC/LE-8, 04.05.2011, ACS No.116]

Forward reference RBE No. 64/2019

(1)   Subject to the provisions of this rule, a female Railway servant and single male Railway servant may be granted Child Care Leave by an authority competent to grant leave for a maximum period of seven hundred and thirty days during entire service for taking care of two eldest surviving children, whether for rearing or for looking after any of their needs, such as education, sickness and the like.

(2)   For the purposes of sub-rule (1), “child” means-

(a) a child below the age of eighteen years; or

(b) an offspring of any age with a minimum disability of forty percent as specified in the Government of India’s Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s Notification No.16-18/97-N 1.1, dated the 1^st June, 2001.

(3)   Grant of child care leave to a female Railway servant and a single male Railway servant under sub-rule (1) shall be subject to the following conditions, namely:-

(i) it shall not be granted for more than three spells in a calendar year;

[As a welfare measure, it has now been decided that, the leave sanctioning authorities in IRs are bestowed with the power to relax up to a maximum of three spells beyond the existing three spells of Child Care Leave in a calendar year, under Rule 551(E)(3)(i) of the RS(LL) Rules 1949, to female Railway employees and single male Railway employees in case their child is admitted in a hospital as inpatient, vide Railway Board’s letter No.E(P&A)I-2019/CPC/LE-2 dated 24.10.2024 (RBE No.101/2024)]

(ii) in case of a single female Railway servant, the grant of leave in three spells in a calendar year shall be extended to six spells in a calendar year.

(iii) it shall not ordinarily be granted during the probation period except in case of certain extreme situations where the leave sanctioning authority is satisfied about the need of Child Care Leave to the probationer, provided that the period for which such leave is sanctioned is minimal,

(iv) Child Care Leave may not be granted for a period less than five days at a time.

(4)   During the period of child care leave, a female Railway servant and a single male Railway servant shall be paid one hundred percent of the salary for the first three hundred and sixty five days, and at eighty percent of the salary for the next three hundred and sixty five days.

EXPLANATION:- ‘Single Male Railway Servant’ means – an unmarried or widower or divorcee Railway servant.

(5)   Child Care Leave may be combined with leave of any other kind.

(6)   Notwithstanding the requirement of productions of medical certificate contained in Rule 527 or sub-rule (1) (ii) of Rule 528, leave of the kind due and admissible (including Commuted Leave not exceeding sixty days and Leave Not Due) upto a maximum of one year, if applied for, be granted in continuation with child care leave granted under sub-rule (1).

(7)   Child Care Leave shall not be debited against the leave account.

(8)   In case of surrogacy, the commissioning mother with less than two surviving children may be granted child care leave.

NOTE 1:- The expression ‘commissioning mother’ shall mean the intending mother of the child born through surrogacy.

(Authority: DoP&T’s notification No.G.S.R.331(E), dt. 18.06.2024. It is effective from 18.06.2024.)

NOTE 2:- The leave account for Child Care Leave shall be maintained in the following format and shall be kept along with the Service Book of the female Railway servant concerned:-

Format for maintaining the Child Care Leave Account

Period of Child Care Leave taken		Balance of Child Care Leave		Signature & Designation of the certifying officer
From	To	Balance	Date
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)

NOTE 3:- Disabled Child having a minimum disability of 40% is elaborated in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s Notification No.16-18/97-NI.I, dated 01.06.2001. Documents relating to the handicap as specified in the above said Notification dated 01.06.2001, as well as a certificate from the Railway servant regarding dependency of the child on the Railway servant would have to be submitted by the female Railway employee. The Child Care Leave would be permitted to female Railway employees only if the child is dependent on her.

NOTE 4:- The benefit of encashment of Leave on Average Pay, admissible in terms of Rule 540-A, cannot be availed during Child Care Leave as Child Care Leave is granted for the specific purpose of taking care of a minor child for rearing or for looking after any other needs of the child during examination, sickness etc.

(Authority: Railway Board’s letter No. E(P&A)I-2024/CPC/LE-2 dated 09.06.2025).

[Authority: Railway Board’s No.E(P&A)I-2024/CPC/LE-2, date 09.06.2025, (RBE No.52/2025), ACS No.149]