HP Govt Employees To Receive Full Salary During Study Leave For Higher Education

The Himachal Pradesh government has announced that its employees will now receive their full salary while availing themselves of study leave for higher education. The revised provision includes dearness allowance (DA) and house rent allowance (HRA), replacing the earlier rule under which employees were entitled to only 40 per cent of their salary during such leave.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced while presenting the state’s Budget for FY27. According to the revised provisions, employees proceeding on study leave will receive their last-drawn salary for the entire approved leave period.

The decision also applies retrospectively to employees who had availed of study leave under the earlier rules. Such employees will receive the balance amount that was not paid to them because of the previous 40 per cent salary cap.

The state government has stated that the change has been introduced through an amendment to Rule 56 of the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, which applies to state government employees.

Rules Amended For Study Leave Benefits

The government has stated that the amendment has been made with the objective of adopting a more employee-friendly approach while encouraging government personnel to upgrade their qualifications and skills.

According to the state government, higher education and specialised training can help employees improve their professional capabilities and contribute to better public service delivery. The revised provision is intended to remove a financial constraint that employees may face while pursuing advanced studies.

The government noted that employees who take study leave often do so to acquire specialised knowledge or professional qualifications that can support their work in government departments. Under the earlier framework, the reduction in salary during study leave could act as a deterrent for some employees considering further education.

The state had previously restored full salary benefits during study leave for allopathy doctors pursuing higher and specialised medical courses at leading medical institutions. The latest decision extends a similar benefit to other eligible government employees.

Conditions For Availing The Benefit

Employees seeking the benefit will be required to submit an undertaking stating that they are not receiving any scholarship, stipend, or remuneration from part-time employment during the period of study leave.

The undertaking is aimed at ensuring that employees do not draw multiple sources of financial support while receiving a full salary from the government during the leave period.

The state government has not indicated any changes to the eligibility criteria for study leave. Employees will continue to be required to obtain approval under existing service rules before proceeding on leave for educational purposes.

Review Of Pending Arrears And Pension Payments

The announcement comes at a time when the Himachal Pradesh government is also reviewing pending financial dues relating to employees and pensioners.

Recently, the chief minister has mentioned that the state government was looking into issues related to pending DAs and arrears for employees and pensioners. The finance department had been directed to withdraw its notice regarding the deferment of salaries, except in the case of the Chief Minister.

According to the state government, arrears relating to deferred salaries will be released along with the next month's salary. The government has also directed the release of pending pension arrears for pensioners in the 65-70 age group.

Sukhu stated that funds required for clearing these dues would be made available by the state government. He also referred to the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for around 1.36 lakh employees who were earlier covered under the National Pension System (NPS).

With the latest amendment to study leave provisions, government employees in Himachal Pradesh pursuing higher education will now be entitled to receive their full salary, subject to compliance with the prescribed conditions.