A.P. Leave Rules – Practical & Updated Notes 2026

• Leave is permission granted to a Government servant to remain absent from actual duty.
• Leave cannot be claimed as an absolute right. The competent authority may refuse or revoke leave when public-service requirements so demand.
• Leave is generally earned by duty. Certain periods treated as duty under the Fundamental Rules also have the corresponding effect on leave.
• A leave account should be maintained for every Government servant and the balance should be checked before sanction.
• A Government servant who remains absent after expiry of leave does not ordinarily receive leave salary for the overstay period; the absence must be regularised according to the applicable rules.
• Different kinds of leave may generally be combined or taken in continuation when permitted by the rules.

2.1 Credit of Earned Leave

• For eligible regular employees, Earned Leave is credited in advance at 15 days on 1 January and 15 days on 1 July.
• The accumulation ceiling for the regular category is 300 days.
• When an employee is appointed or leaves service during a half-year, the credit has to be worked out according to the completed months and the applicable rounding rules.
• Periods such as Extra-Ordinary Leave, Dies-Non and suspension treated as not on duty may affect the subsequent EL credit under the applicable rules.

2.2 EL at Retirement / Death

• Earned Leave at credit can be encashed on retirement or death, subject to the applicable ceiling and eligibility.
• The maximum EL encashment is 300 days.
• For retirement settlement, the leave account should be updated first and the final EL balance should then be used for calculation.

2.3 Surrender of Earned Leave During Service

• Eligible employees may surrender Earned Leave and receive leave salary in lieu of the surrendered days, subject to the applicable financial-year, block-period, gap and balance conditions.
• The commonly applied surrender options are 15 days or 30 days, depending on the applicable gap and conditions.
• Special relaxation is available in specified cases where the employee has 286 days or more of EL at credit, subject to the applicable conditions.
• Surrender should not be sanctioned more than once in a financial year under the applicable routes.
• A claim for surrender leave salary should be preferred within the prescribed period after sanction.

• There is no accumulation ceiling for HPL under the leave provisions described here.
• HPL may be granted to the extent admissible and subject to the conditions applicable to the employee.
• For certain employees whose probation has not been declared, additional conditions relating to minimum service and medical certification apply.
• Temporary employees whose service has not been regularised and who do not earn HPL under the applicable rule cannot claim HPL merely because they are in Government service.

• Half Pay Leave may be commuted to leave on full pay on medical grounds, subject to the applicable conditions.
• The HPL account is debited at double the period of commuted leave taken.
• Example: 20 days of commuted leave means 40 days are debited from the HPL account.
• Commuted leave should not ordinarily be sanctioned when the employee is not expected to return to duty after the leave.
• If the employee quits service while on commuted leave, the leave may have to be regularised as HPL and recovery rules apply according to the reason for leaving service.

• Leave Not Due may be granted when HPL is not available at credit, subject to the applicable medical and service conditions.
• LND is debited to the HPL account as a minus balance and is adjusted against future HPL credits.
• The future HPL earning capacity up to the expected retirement date is relevant.
• Example: if an employee is expected to retire after three years, the future HPL earning capacity at 20 days per year is 60 days.
• Recovery may arise if the employee resigns or takes voluntary retirement before the negative balance is wiped out; special treatment applies in cases such as death or medical invalidation.

• EOL may be granted when no other leave is admissible.
• It may also be granted when another leave is admissible if the employee applies in writing for EOL.
• No leave salary is ordinarily payable during EOL.
• Different maximum periods apply to permanent employees, probationers and special cases such as medical treatment or approved studies.

• The earlier condition restricting the benefit to women having fewer than two surviving children has been removed with effect from 05.05.2025.
• Therefore, the old two-surviving-children restriction should not be reproduced in current employee guidance.
• Maternity leave is treated as duty for the purpose of counting probation and declaration of probation under the applicable 2024/2025 amendments.
• Maternity leave may be combined with other admissible leave subject to the applicable conditions.

• Eligible women employees and eligible single male employees may avail Child Care Leave during their service, subject to the applicable conditions.
• The maximum number of spells is 10 in the entire service under the applicable amendments.
• The upper age limit of the child has been removed. The facility also covers differently-abled children, subject to the other eligibility conditions.
• CCL is intended for care of the child, including needs connected with rearing, education/examinations and sickness, subject to the applicable rules.

• The leave may be availed before delivery or within the prescribed period after delivery, subject to the applicable conditions.
• The employee should check the current departmental instructions before applying.

• Casual Leave is a concession for short periods of absence and is not treated in the same manner as regular leave.
• Unused CL lapses at the end of the calendar year.
• CL may be combined with Sundays, public holidays or optional holidays subject to the prescribed maximum period of absence.
• CL cannot ordinarily be combined with regular leave, joining time or vacation.
• Half-day CL may be availed during the prescribed half-day periods.
• Late attendance and forfeiture of CL are governed by the applicable attendance instructions.

• Hospital Leave is available to specified categories under the Fundamental Rules and is not debited to the ordinary leave account.
• Special Disability Leave may be granted when the employee suffers qualifying disability connected with official duty or official position, subject to the medical and other conditions.
• The maximum period and leave salary depend on the applicable rule and circumstances.

• Study Leave is intended for approved scientific, technical or similar study in the public interest.
• It is not debited to the ordinary leave account.
• The general maximum recorded is two years in the entire service, subject to the Study Leave Rules and applicable conditions.
• Employees should obtain approval before commencing the study leave.

1. Update the service book and leave account up to the date of retirement.
2. Verify the final EL balance.
3. Verify the final HPL balance.
4. Check whether any commuted leave, Leave Not Due, EOL, Dies-Non or suspension period requires adjustment.
5. Determine EL days proposed for encashment.
6. Apply the 300-day combined EL + HPL ceiling.
7. Determine eligible HPL days as the balance available within the 300-day ceiling.
8. Calculate EL and HPL components separately using the applicable formula.
9. Use the pay and DA admissible on the date of retirement for the HPL calculation.
10. Check category-specific eligibility and the latest instructions before finalising the retirement claim.

The employee may have more HPL in the leave account, but the additional HPL cannot be included within the 300-day combined retirement encashment ceiling.