Qualifying Service under Central Civil Services Pension Rules 2021

CHAPTER III

Qualifying Service

11. Commencement of qualifying service.- Subject to the provisions of these rules, qualifying service of a Government servant shall commence from the date he takes charge of the post to which he is first appointed either substantively or in an officiating or temporary capacity:

Provided that officiating or temporary service is followed without interruption by substantive appointment in the same or another service or post:

Provided further that service rendered before attaining the age of eighteen years shall not count, except in the cases of counting of military service for civil pension under rule 20.

12. Conditions subject to which service qualifies.- The service of a Government servant shall not qualify, unless his duties and pay are regulated by the Government, or under conditions determined by the Government.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this rule, the expression “service” means service under the Government and paid by that Government from the Consolidated Fund of India or a Local Fund administered by that Government but does not include service in an establishment not having a non-contributory pension scheme, unless such service is treated as qualifying service by that Government.

13. Service in State Governments.- (1) In the case of a Government servant belonging to a State Government, who was initially appointed in a pensionable establishment of the State Government on or before 31st December, 2003 and who is permanently transferred to a service or post to which these rules apply, the continuous service rendered under the State Government in an officiating or temporary or substantive capacity shall qualify:

Provided that continuous service rendered under that Government in an officiating or temporary capacity shall qualify if that service is followed without interruption by substantive appointment in the State Government or the Central Government.

(2) In the case of a Government servant belonging to a State Government who is appointed with proper permission to a service or post to which these rules apply after acceptance of his resignation from the service of State Government, the continuous service rendered under the State Government in an officiating or temporary or substantive capacity shall qualify, subject to the condition that the service rendered under that Government in an officiating or temporary capacity is followed without interruption by substantive appointment in the State Government or the Central Government.

Explanation.- A Government servant shall be deemed to have been appointed in the Government with proper permission if he had applied for the service or post in the Government with previous permission of the State Government and the order of the State Government clearly indicates that the employee is resigning to join the post in the Government with proper permission of the State Government.

(3) The liability for pension and gratuity in cases covered under sub-rule (1) and sub-rule (2) shall be borne by the Central Government and no recovery of proportionate pension shall be made from the State Government.

14. Service in autonomous bodies.- (1) In the case of a person who was initially appointed, on or before 31st December, 2003, in an autonomous body under the Central Government or a State Government having a noncontributory pension scheme similar to these rules and who is subsequently appointed with proper permission to a service or post in the Central Government to which these rules apply, after acceptance of his resignation from the said autonomous body, the service rendered under the said autonomous body in an officiating or temporary or substantive capacity shall qualify, subject to the following conditions, namely :-

(a) the appointment of that Government servant in an officiating or temporary capacity in the Central Government is followed without interruption by substantive appointment;

(b) the Government servant is not drawing a separate pension from the said autonomous body for the service rendered in that body before acceptance of resignation; and

(c) the pension liability is discharged by the said Autonomous body by paying in lump sum the amount of pension or service gratuity and retirement gratuity for the service rendered in the autonomous body; and

(d) the lump sum amount of pension shall be determined with reference to the commutation table laid down in the Central Civil Services (Commutation of Pension) Rules, 1981.

(2) The condition for discharge of pension liability by an autonomous body under the State Government having a non-contributory pension scheme similar to these rules shall be binding on that autonomous body in accordance with the reciprocal arrangement entered into by the Central Government with the concerned State Government.

Explanation.- A Government servant shall be deemed to have been appointed in the Government with proper permission if he had applied for the service or post in the Government with previous permission of the Autonomous Body and the order of the Autonomous Body clearly indicates that the employee is resigning to join the post in the Government with proper permission of the autonomous body.

(3) Service rendered in a public sector undertaking, including nationalized bank and financial institution, before appointment in the Central Government shall not count as qualifying service for the purpose of these rules.

15. Service rendered in temporary status by casual labourers.- Fifty percent of the service rendered in “temporary status” capacity by a Government servant, who was conferred temporary status on or before 31st December, 2003 and was subsequently regularised in Government service, in accordance with the “Casual Labourers (Grant of Temporary Status and Regularisation) Scheme of Government of India, 1993 notified by Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training), shall count as qualifying service for the purpose of these rules.

16. Counting of service on probation.- Service on probation against a post if followed by confirmation in the same or another post shall qualify.

17. Counting of service as apprentice.- Service as an apprentice shall not qualify, except in the case of Subordinate Accounts Service apprentice in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department or the Defence Accounts Department.

18. Counting of service on contract.- A person,

(i) who was initially engaged by the Government on a contract for a specified period and was subsequently appointed, on or before 31st December, 2003, to the same or another post in a temporary, officiating or substantive capacity in an establishment to which these rules apply, without interruption of duty; and

(ii) who, in accordance with the option exercised under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, refunded to the Government, the Government contribution in the Contributory Provident Fund with interest thereon including any other compensation for that service, shall count the period of service, on the said contract, as qualifying service.

19. Counting of pre-retirement civil service in the case of re-employed Government servants.- (1) A Government servant who, having retired on compensation pension or invalid pension or compensation gratuity or invalid gratuity, was re-employed and appointed, on or before 31st December, 2003 to a service or post to which these rules apply and who on such reemployment or appointment, in accordance with an option exercised under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, ceased to draw his pension and refunded or agreed to refund

(i) the pension already drawn,
(ii) the value received for the commutation of a part of pension, and
(iii) the amount of retirement gratuity including service gratuity, if any,

shall count the former service, as qualifying service :

(2) In accordance with the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, for counting past service under the relevant rule,

(i) the pension drawn prior to the date of re-employment was not required to be refunded,

(ii) the element of pension which was ignored for fixation of his pay including the element of pension which was not taken into account for fixation of pay was to be refunded by the Government servant, and

(iii) the element of pension equivalent of gratuity including the element of commuted part of pension, if any, which was taken into account for fixation of his pay was to be set off against the amount of retirement gratuity and the commuted value of pension and the balance, if any, was to be refunded by him.

(3) A Government servant who opted for counting of his former service was required to refund the gratuity received in respect of his earlier service, in monthly instalments not exceeding thirty-six in number, the first instalment beginning from the month following the month in which he exercised the option. In such case, the right to count previous service as qualifying service shall not revive unless the whole amount has been refunded.

(4) In the case of a Government servant, who, having elected to refund the gratuity, dies before the entire amount is refunded, the amount of unrefunded gratuity shall be adjusted against the death gratuity which may become payable to his family.

(5) In the case of a Government servant who opted to continue to draw the pension or retain the gratuity sanctioned for his earlier service, and in whose case his former service was not to be counted as qualifying service, the pension or gratuity admissible for his subsequent service is subject to the limitation that service gratuity, or the capital value of the pension and retirement gratuity, if any, shall not be greater than the difference between the value of the pension and retirement gratuity, if any, that would be admissible at the time of the Government servant’s final retirement if the two periods of service were combined and the value of retirement benefits already granted to him for the previous service.

Explanation.- The capital value of pension shall be calculated in accordance with the table prescribed by the President under the Central Civil Services (Commutation of Pension) Rules, 1981 applicable at the time of the second or final retirement.

20. Counting of military service rendered before civil employment.- (1) A Government servant, who after having rendered military service, was re-employed in a civil service or post on or before 31st December, 2003 and who on such reemployment, in accordance with an option exercised under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, ceased to draw his pension and refunded or agreed to refund-

(i) the pension already drawn; and
(ii) the value received for the commutation of a part of military pension; and
(iii) the amount of retirement gratuity including service gratuity, if any;

shall count previous military service, as qualifying service.

Explanation.-1 In accordance with the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, for counting past military service under the relevant rule,

(i) the pension drawn prior to the date of re-employment was not required to be refunded.

(ii) the element of pension which was ignored for fixation of his pay including the element of pension which was not taken into account for fixation of pay on re-employment was not required to be refunded by him,

(iii) the element of pension equivalent of gratuity including the element of commuted part of pension, if any, which was taken into account of fixation of pay was required to be set off against the amount of retirement gratuity and the commuted value of pension and the balance, if any, was required to be refunded by him.

Explanation.-2 A Government servant, who had rendered military service and who on re-employment in a civil service or post on or before 31st December, 2003, had opted, in accordance with Rule 19 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, to continue to draw the military pension or retain gratuity received on discharge from military service, his former military services shall not count as qualifying service under these rules.

Explanation.-3 A Government servant, who had rendered military service after joining that service after 31st December, 2003, shall, on re employment in a civil service or post, continue to draw the military pension or retain gratuity received on discharge from military service and on re-employment in a civil service or post, he shall be covered by the rules governing the National Pension System.

(2) A Government servant, who had exercised the option referred to in sub-rule (1), was required to refund the pension, bonus or gratuity received in respect of his earlier military service, in monthly instalments not exceeding thirty-six in number, the first instalment beginning from the month following the month in which he exercised the option and in the case of such Government servant, the right to count previous service as qualifying service shall not revive unless the whole amount has been refunded.

(3) In the case of a Government servant, who, having elected to refund the pension, bonus or gratuity, dies before the entire amount is refunded, the unrefunded amount of pension or gratuity shall be adjusted against the death gratuity which may become payable to his family.

(4) Where an order was passed under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 allowing previous military service to count as part of the service qualifying for civil pension, the order shall be deemed to include the condonation of interruption in service, if any, in the military service and between the military and civil services.

(5) The pension and gratuity for the service rendered after re employment in civil service or post shall not be subject to any limitation with reference to the pension and gratuity drawn by the Government servant in respect of the military service.

21. Counting of periods spent on leave.- All leave during service for which leave salary is payable and all extraordinary leave granted on medical certificate shall count as qualifying service:

Provided that in the case of extraordinary leave other than extraordinary leave granted on medical certificate, the appointing authority may, at the time of granting such leave, allow the period of that leave to count as qualifying service if such leave is granted to a Government servant,-

(i) due to his inability to join or re-join duty on account of civil commotion; or

(ii) for prosecuting higher scientific and technical studies.

Explanation.- In the case of extraordinary leave other than extraordinary leave granted on medical certificate and extraordinary leave allowed to be counted as qualifying service under proviso to this rule, at the time of grant of such leave, a definite entry shall be made in the service book of the Government servant to the effect that the period of extraordinary leave shall not be treated as qualifying service and such an entry in the service book, if not made at the time of grant of extraordinary leave, can be made subsequently but not later than six months before the date of retirement of the Government servant on superannuation and if no such entry is made in the service book, the period of extraordinary leave shall be treated as qualifying service.

22. Counting of periods spent on training.- (1) In the case of a Government servant who was required to undergo a departmental training before regular appointment to a Group C post and was in receipt of pay in a scale of pay or a stipend or a nominal allowance during such training, the period of such training shall count as qualifying service.

(2) In cases not covered under sub-rule (1), the Government may, by order, decide whether the time spent by a Government servant under training immediately before appointment to service under that Government shall be counted as qualifying service.

(3) Where time spent by a Government servant under training immediately before appointment to service under that Government is counted as qualifying service, interruption due to the training and regular appointment being at different stations, not exceeding the joining time permissible under the rules of transfer, shall be counted as qualifying service.

(4) Where the period of interruption is in excess of joining time due to administrative reasons, such period of interruption in excess of joining time shall be regularised by grant of leave of the kind due or, if no such leave is due, by grant of extraordinary leave by the Head of Department and the period of interruption regularised by grant of extraordinary leave shall be counted as qualifying service.

23. Counting of periods of suspension.- (1) Time passed by a Government servant under suspension pending inquiry into conduct shall be counted as qualifying service where, on conclusion of such inquiry, he has been fully exonerated or only a minor penalty is imposed and the suspension is held to be wholly unjustified.

(2) In cases not covered under sub-rule (1), the period of suspension shall not count unless the authority competent to pass orders under the rule governing such cases expressly declares at the time that it shall count to such extent as the Competent Authority may declare.

(3) In all cases of suspension, the competent authority shall pass an order specifying the extent to which, if any, the period of suspension shall count as qualifying service and a definite entry shall be made in the service book of the Government servant in this regard.

24. Forfeiture of service on dismissal or removal.- Dismissal or removal of a Government servant from a service or post shall entail forfeiture of his past service.

25. Counting of past service on reinstatement.- (1) A Government = servant who was dismissed, removed or compulsorily retired from service, and is subsequently reinstated on appeal or review, is entitled to count his past service as qualifying service.

(2) The period of interruption in service between the date of dismissal, removal or compulsory retirement, as the case may be, and the date of reinstatement, and the period of suspension, if any, shall not count as qualifying service unless regularized as duty or leave by a specific order of the authority which passed the order of reinstatement.

26. Forfeiture of service on resignation.- (1) Resignation from a service or a post, unless it is allowed to be withdrawn in the public interest by the appointing authority, entails forfeiture of past service.

(2) A resignation shall not entail forfeiture of past service if it has been submitted to take up, with proper permission, another appointment, whether temporary or permanent, under the Government where service qualifies.

(3) The order accepting the resignation should clearly indicate that the Government servant has resigned to join another appointment with proper permission and a specific entry to this effect shall also be made by the Head of Office in the service book of the Government servant.

(4) Interruption in service in a case falling under sub-rule (2), due to the two appointments being at different stations, not exceeding the joining time permissible under the rules of transfer, shall be covered by grant of leave of any kind due to the Government servant on the date of relief or by formal condonation to the extent to which the period is not covered by leave due to him.

(5) The appointing authority may permit a person to withdraw his resignation in the public interest on the following conditions, namely :-

(i) that the resignation was tendered by the Government servant for some compelling reasons which did not involve any reflection on his integrity, efficiency or conduct and the request for withdrawal of the resignation has been made as a result of a material change in the circumstances which originally compelled him to tender the resignation ;

(ii) that during the period intervening between the date on which the resignation became effective and the date from which the request for withdrawal was made, the conduct of the person concerned was in no way improper ;

(iii) that the period of absence from duty between the date on which the resignation became effective and the date on which the person applies for permission to withdraw the resignation is not more than ninety days;

(iv) that the post, which was vacated by the Government servant on the acceptance of his resignation or any other comparable post, is available.

(6) Request for withdrawal of a resignation shall not be accepted by the appointing authority where a Government servant resigns his service or post with a view to taking up an appointment in or under a private commercial company or in or under a corporation or company wholly or substantially owned or controlled by the Government or in or under a body controlled or financed by the Government.

(7) When an order is passed by the appointing authority allowing a person to withdraw his resignation and to resume duty, the order shall be deemed to include the condonation of interruption in service but the period of interruption shall not count as qualifying service.

(8) A resignation submitted for the purpose of rule 35 or rule 36 shall not entail forfeiture of past service under the Government.

27. Effect of interruption in service.- (1) An interruption in the service of a Government servant entails forfeiture of his past service, except in the following cases, namely:-

(a) authorised leave of absence ;

(b) unauthorised absence in continuation of authorized leave of absence so long as the post of absentee is not filled substantively;

(c) suspension, where it is immediately followed by reinstatement, whether in the same or a different post, or where the Government servant dies or is permitted to retire or is retired on attaining the age of superannuation while under suspension ;

(d) transfer to non-qualifying service in an establishment under the control of the Government if such transfer has been ordered by a competent authority in the public interest ;

(e) joining time while on transfer from one post to another.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (1), the appointing authority may, by order, commute retrospectively the periods of absence without leave as extraordinary leave.

28. Condonation of interruption in service.- (1) In the absence of a specific indication to the contrary in the service book, an interruption between two spells of civil service rendered by a Government servant under Government including civil service rendered and paid out of Defence Services Estimates or Railway Estimates shall be treated as automatically condoned and the pre-interruption service treated as qualifying service.

(2) Nothing in sub-rule (1) shall apply to interruption caused by resignation, dismissal or removal from service or for participation in a strike.

(3) The period of interruption referred to in sub-rule (1) shall not count as qualifying service.

(4) The appointing authority may consider condonation of interruption in service and to treat the pre-interruption service as qualifying service.

(5) The appointing authority may take a decision not to condone interruption in service only in exceptional and grave circumstances.

(6) No such order against condonation of interruption in service shall be passed by the appointing authority without extending to the Government servant a reasonable opportunity of representation and being heard in person.

29. Deputation to United Nations and other organizations.- A Government servant who is deputed on foreign service to the United Nations’ Secretariat or other United Nations’ Bodies or the International Monetary Fund or the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development, or the Asian Development Bank or the Commonwealth Secretariat or any other International organization may opt,-

(a) to pay the pension contributions in respect of his foreign service and count such service as qualifying for pension under these rules; or

(b) not to pay the pension contributions in respect of his foreign service and not count such service as qualifying for pension under these rules:

Provided that where a Government servant opts for clause (b), pension contributions, if any, paid by the Government servant, shall be refunded to him.

30. Periodic verification of qualifying service.- (1) On each occasion after a Government servant has completed eighteen years of service and on his being left with five years of service before the date of superannuation, the Head of Office in consultation with Accounts Officer shall, in accordance with the rules for the time being in force, verify the service rendered by such a Government servant, determine the qualifying service and communicate to him, in Format 4, the period of qualifying service so determined

(2) For the purposes of verification of service, the Head of Office shall follow the procedure provided in clause (a) of sub-rule (1) of rule 57.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (1), where a Government servant is transferred to another department from a temporary department or on account of the closure of the department he had been previously serving or because the post he held had been declared surplus, the verification of his service may be done whenever such event occurs.

(4) The verification done under this rule shall be treated as final and shall not be reopened except when necessitated by a subsequent change in the rules and orders governing the conditions under which the service qualifies for pension.

(5) By 31st January of each year, a report shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Administrative Ministry or Department giving the details of the Government servants who were required to be issued a certificate of qualifying service during the previous calendar year under sub-rule (1), the details of the Government servants who have actually been issued the said certificate during the said period and the reasons for not issuing the said certificate in the remaining cases.

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