Can Government Employees Do Business, Tuition or Part-Time Work?

What Needs Previous Sanction

Without the previous sanction of the Government, you must not (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1), PDF p. 11):

• engage directly or indirectly in any trade or business (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1)(a), PDF p. 11);
• negotiate for or take up any other employment (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1)(b), PDF p. 11);
• hold an elective office, or canvass for a candidate, in any body (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1)(c), PDF p. 11);
• canvass for an insurance or commission agency owned or managed by a family member (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1)(d), PDF p. 11);
• take part, except in official duty, in the registration, promotion or management of a bank, a company or a commercial co-operative society (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1)(e), PDF p. 11);
• take part in making a sponsored media programme, a Government-commissioned programme produced by a private agency, or a privately produced programme, unless you take part in a Government media programme in your official capacity (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1)(f), PDF p. 11).

What You Can Do Without Sanction

• Honorary work of a social or charitable nature (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(2)(a), PDF p. 11).
• Occasional work of a literary, artistic or scientific character (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(2)(b), PDF p. 11).
• Sports as an amateur (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(2)(c), PDF p. 11).
• Helping register, promote or manage a registered literary, scientific or charitable society, or a sports, cultural or recreational club, without holding an elective office (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(2)(d), PDF p. 11).
• Helping register, promote or manage a co-operative society substantially for the benefit of Government servants, without holding an elective office (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(2)(e), PDF p. 11).

You must stop if the Government directs. For the society and co-operative activities, your official duties must not suffer, and you must report your participation to the Government within one month (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(2), proviso, PDF p. 11).

Fees, Tuition, Family Business and Shares

• Fees: unless a general or special order allows it, you may not accept any fee for work done for any private or public body or private person without the sanction of the prescribed authority (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(4), PDF p. 12).
• Tuition: Rule 15 does not name tuition. If you are paid to teach, the rules on other employment and on fees (Rule 15(1)(b) and Rule 15(4)) are the ones to clear with your office first.
• KVS teachers: no teacher may take up private tuition or private employment, or engage in any business (KVS Education Code, Article 59, item 19, PDF p. 40).
• School teachers generally: Section 28 of the RTE Act prohibits private tuition by teachers (MoE RTE Act clarification, Section 28, PDF p. 14).
• Family business: report to the Government if a family member is in trade or business, or owns or manages an insurance or commission agency (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(3), PDF p. 12).
• Shares: you must not speculate in shares or other investments. Occasional investment through licensed or registered brokers is allowed. Frequent buying or selling is treated as speculation (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 16(1), PDF p. 12).
• KVS teachers and books: no teacher may prepare or publish text-books or keys without prior approval of the Sangathan (KVS Education Code, Article 59, item 24, PDF p. 40).

Elective Office in Societies and Associations

• You need previous sanction to hold an elective office in any body (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15(1)(c), PDF p. 11).
• DoPT allows you to hold elective office in any body for two terms or five years, whichever is earlier, with prior sanction when you contest the election (DoPT OM dated 27.02.2020, para 1, PDF p. 1).
• DoPT has said that your entire time should be available to the Government and outside activities must not affect your official duties (DoPT OM dated 05.08.2019, para 1 (enclosed), PDF p. 3).

Where to Check

Read Rules 15 and 16 in the DoPT copy of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 amended up to 31.12.2014 (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 15, PDF p. 11). Ask your establishment section about any later amendment.

• Railways: these rules do not apply to railway servants (CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964, Rule 1(3), proviso, PDF p. 2). The Railway Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966 have similar provisions in Rule 15 (CVC Vigilance Manual 2021, Chapter XI, PDF p. 387).
• KVS: the CCS (Conduct) Rules apply mutatis mutandis to KVS employees, and teachers have an extra code of conduct (KVS Education Code, Article 59, PDF p. 39).
• NVS and Delhi Police: check with your establishment branch for any additional orders.

Related Questions

Official Sources

• Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 (as amended up to 31.12.2014) · Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India
• DoPT OM No. 11013/1/2016-Estt.A-III dated 27.02.2020 (enclosing OM dated 05.08.2019): Sanction for holding an elective office under Rule 15(1)(c) · Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India
• Education Code for Kendriya Vidyalayas, 5th Edition (August 2006), Part 1 · Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
• RTE Act 2009: Clarification on Provisions · Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India
• Vigilance Manual (Updated 2021) · Central Vigilance Commission