Child Care Leave was introduced in the Central Government framework in 2008 as a recognition that working parents need extended absence from duty for child-rearing without exhausting their EL or HPL. It has since been progressively liberalised. The current rule allows up to 730 days in entire service. This article walks through eligibility, the pay structure, the spell limits, and the most commonly contested operational questions.
Quick reference
| Item | Position |
|---|---|
| Total entitlement | 730 days in entire service |
| Eligibility | Female Govt employee, and single male Govt employee |
| Children covered | Two eldest surviving children below 18 years (no age limit for child with 40%+ disability or specified condition) |
| Pay first 365 days | Full leave salary |
| Pay days 366 to 730 | 80% of leave salary |
| Minimum spell | 5 days |
| Maximum continuous spell | 120 days |
| Spells per calendar year | Maximum 3 |
| Combination with other leave | Permitted, subject to overall five-year limit |
Who can claim CCL
Female Government employees
Any female Central Government employee, irrespective of marital status, can claim CCL for the care of her two eldest surviving children below the age of 18. There is no minimum service requirement (unlike, say, study leave); CCL is available from the first day of service.
Single male Government employees
The DoPT OM No. 13018/4/2009-Estt(L), dated 1 September 2008, was extended to single male employees by OM dated 6 June 2014 and further clarifications. A “single male” means an unmarried male, a widower, or a male whose wife is incapacitated. The single-male provision exists because the original CCL grant was based on the assumption of a household where the female parent is the primary caregiver; it is corrected for cases where the male parent is the only available primary caregiver.
Child with disability
If a child has a disability of 40% or more, certified by the Medical Board, the 18-year age limit does not apply. CCL can be granted for the care of such a child throughout the eligible employee’s service. The 730-day overall ceiling still applies.
The 80% pay rule
Originally CCL was paid at full leave salary for the entire 730 days. By DoPT OM No. 13018/1/2018-Estt(L) dated 11 December 2018, the rule was changed: full pay for the first 365 days, and 80% of leave salary for the second 365 days. The 80% applies to days 366 to 730 reckoned cumulatively across all CCL spells in entire service, not in any one calendar year.
Worked example
An employee at Level 7 (basic Rs. 44,900) takes 60 days of CCL in 2026:
- Cumulative CCL availed before this spell: 320 days. Of this, the 320 days are within the first 365-day band, so all paid at full salary.
- This 60-day spell will spread across the 365-day boundary: first 45 days at full pay (taking cumulative to 365), next 15 days at 80% pay.
- Full-pay days: 45 × (44,900 + 60% DA on 44,900) / 30 = 45 × 2,394.67 = Rs. 1,07,760.
- 80%-pay days: 15 × 2,394.67 × 0.80 = Rs. 28,736.
- Total: Rs. 1,36,496 for 60 days, against Rs. 1,43,680 if it had been at full pay throughout.
Spell rules
- Minimum spell: 5 days. Shorter absence should be casual leave or earned leave.
- Maximum continuous spell: 120 days. A single block longer than this requires combination with other leave or a fresh CCL spell after a gap.
- Maximum spells in a calendar year: 3.
- Combination with other leave: CCL can be combined with EL, HPL, or commuted leave on either side of the spell. The combined absence cannot exceed five years (the overall five-year cap on continuous absence applies).
Operational questions
Can CCL be refused?
CCL is not a right that can be claimed at the employee’s sole discretion; it requires sanction by the leave-sanctioning authority, who must record reasons if refusing. In Kakali Ghosh v. Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Administration (2014), the Supreme Court held that CCL cannot be refused arbitrarily; valid grounds for refusal include exigencies of service that the authority must specify.
Does CCL count toward the 300-day EL ceiling?
No. CCL is a separate category and does not affect EL accumulation. EL continues to be credited during a CCL spell.
Can CCL be carried forward beyond 730 days?
No. 730 days is the absolute lifetime ceiling. Any unused balance lapses on retirement and is not encashable.
Does CCL count for increment and pension?
Yes. CCL counts as duty for the purpose of increment and qualifying service for pension, by specific clarification from DoPT.
What about probationers?
CCL can be granted to probationers. The period of CCL availed during probation does not count for the satisfactory completion of probation period; probation is extended to that extent.
Court judgments worth knowing
- Kakali Ghosh v. Chief Secretary, A&N (2014). Supreme Court — CCL cannot be denied without recorded reasons of exigency.
- Various CAT decisions upholding the spell rules and the 80% pay rule, notably after the 2018 OM change.
Sources
- CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972, Rule 43-C.
- DoPT OM No. 13018/4/2009-Estt(L), dated 1 September 2008 (CCL introduced).
- DoPT OM dated 6 June 2014 (extension to single male employees).
- DoPT OM No. 13018/1/2018-Estt(L), dated 11 December 2018 (80% pay for second 365 days).
- Kakali Ghosh v. Chief Secretary, A&N (2014) — Supreme Court of India.