Rule 35 — CCS Conduct Rules
Original Rule Text
35 Ibid., Rule 21. 36 Ibid., Rule 21A. 37Government of India. (1964). Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, Rules 22–25. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Any government servant found intoxicated in a manner that affects official duties or public conduct may face disciplinary action. States or departments where alcohol consumption is restricted must also comply with local laws and prohibitions.
# Rule 22A: Prohibition Regarding Employment of Children Below 14 Years
Government servants must not engage in or support child labour, ensuring compliance with national child protection laws.
No employee shall employ a child below the age of 14 years as a domestic servant or for any personal or professional purpose. Any violation of this rule is treated as serious misconduct and is subject to disciplinary action39 .
Government employees are expected to promote child welfare and set an example by adhering to laws related to child rights and protection.
Rules 23 to 25: Miscellaneous Provisions
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https://www.istm.gov.in/home/css_conduct_rules
23/03/2026, 13:35
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The final provisions of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964, clarify interpretation, delegation of powers, and repeal of earlier regulations.
The government reserves the right to interpret these rules and issue additional clarifications as needed. Departments may delegate specific powers related to conduct enforcement, provided such delegations comply with the overall framework of civil service regulations40 .
With the introduction of these rules, earlier conflicting provisions are repealed to maintain consistency in administrative guidelines.
This chapter highlights the prohibitions placed on government servants to maintain discipline, ethical conduct, and compliance with national laws. Restrictions on substance use, child employment, and adherence to civil service regulations reinforce the principles of responsible governance.
The takeaway Point:
While many dos and don’ts have been prescribed in the above rules, their scope is not restricted to these dos and don’ts only and its scope may enlarge under
What This Means
Rules 22, 22A, and 23-25 cover three distinct prohibitions: consumption of intoxicants, employment of underage children, and miscellaneous administrative provisions. Rule 22 on intoxicating drinks and drugs is calibrated carefully: it does not impose outright prohibition on alcohol consumption in private life (recognizing that this would be an intrusion into personal liberty), but it firmly prohibits being under the influence of alcohol or drugs while on duty, in public places, or in any situation that could bring the government into disrepute. States that have local prohibition laws impose stricter obligations on government servants posted in those states.
Rule 22A is an employment-law-reinforcing provision. No government servant may employ a child below the age of 14 years as a domestic worker or for any personal purpose. This directly implements the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, within the discipline of civil service conduct. The underlying philosophy is that government servants must lead by example on social legislation — an officer who employs child labour at home while implementing the law in their official capacity would fatally undermine public confidence in the administration. Violations are treated as serious misconduct.
Rules 23 to 25 are the housekeeping provisions of the Conduct Rules. They address interpretation (the government has the right to clarify how specific rules are to be applied), delegation of enforcement powers to departments, and the repeal of earlier, inconsistent regulations. The final takeaway, reinforced by the ISTM training material, is Rule 3(1)(iii): a government servant must 'do nothing which is unbecoming of a government servant.' This open-ended obligation means the conduct rules are not exhaustive — any behaviour that damages the integrity, dignity, or reputation of public service can attract action even if not specifically listed.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Key Points
- 1Rule 22: Government servants must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while on duty or in public places.
- 2Private alcohol consumption is not prohibited, but it must never affect official duties or bring disrepute to public service.
- 3Employees posted in states with local prohibition must also comply with state alcohol laws.
- 4Rule 22A: Employment of any child below 14 years as a domestic worker is strictly prohibited and constitutes serious misconduct.
- 5Rule 22A directly operationalises the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, within civil service conduct.
- 6Rules 23-25 provide interpretation guidelines, delegation authority, and repeal earlier conflicting conduct provisions.
- 7Rule 3(1)(iii) — 'do nothing unbecoming of a government servant' — is a residual catch-all covering all conduct not explicitly listed.
Practical Example
Sanjay, a government officer attending an official dinner, drinks heavily and gets into a public argument with a vendor outside the venue, using abusive language and threatening behavior. Even though the dinner was not strictly official-hours duty, Sanjay was in a public place as a government officer and his behavior was recorded by bystanders. This is a textbook violation of Rule 22: he was in a public place under the influence of alcohol, creating disrepute for the government service. A complaint leads to a departmental inquiry.
In another case, a vigilance team visiting the government quarters colony notices that a senior officer has employed a 12-year-old child as a full-time domestic helper. This violates Rule 22A. Despite the officer's claim that the child is 'helping voluntarily', the facts show a prohibited arrangement. The officer faces both departmental action for misconduct and a police complaint under the Child Labour Act.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.