Leave Entitlements for Army Officers

Overview

Army leave is not one interchangeable balance. The source identifies casual, special casual, annual, furlough, sick, invalidment, terminal, maternity, child-care, adoption, paternity, study, and ex-India leave, plus sick-list concession. Each category has separate eligibility, sanction, duration, pay, combination, and evidence rules (printed page 34; PDF page 45).

What the handbook says

The Leave Rules for the Services, Volume I - Army distinguish the leave categories listed above and state that leave is subject to the exigencies of service. An officer's absence must be covered by a recognised leave category and the applicable sanction (printed page 34; PDF page 45).

Casual leave is limited to the year in which it is due and cannot be combined with another kind of leave. Special casual leave is separately regulated and may be combined only as its rule permits (printed pages 35-36; PDF pages 46-47). Sick leave and sick-list concession are also separate provisions (printed pages 44-46; PDF pages 55-57).

The source treats maternity, child-care, child-adoption, paternity, study, and ex-India leave as distinct categories with their own conditions rather than as extensions of annual leave (printed pages 47-57; PDF pages 58-68).

What this means

Identify the purpose of the absence first, then check the rule for that leave category. A balance shown in a leave account does not by itself prove that a particular absence may be sanctioned or that one leave type may be combined with another (printed pages 34-35; PDF pages 45-46).

Who this applies to

• Leave is available only under the conditions for the relevant category and remains subject to service exigencies (printed page 34; PDF page 45).
• Casual leave cannot be carried into another year or combined with another kind of leave (printed page 35; PDF page 46).
• Furlough is not admissible to NCC whole-time officers and cannot be encashed (printed pages 43-44; PDF pages 54-55).
• Sick leave applies where sickness exceeds 30 days; the sick-list concession is a different provision (printed pages 44-46; PDF pages 55-57).
• Study-leave eligibility and permissible courses differ for general Army, AMC/ADC, and RVC officers (printed pages 51-57; PDF pages 62-68).

Rates and dates

There is no standalone monetary rate for leave as a whole. Duration, leave salary, allowances, and combination rules depend on the specific leave category (printed pages 34-57; PDF pages 45-68). The source includes provisions and amendments with different dates, so the 2023 summary must be checked against later orders before publication.

What you may need

• the competent authority's leave sanction and the relevant leave-account entry;
• medical certification or hospital records where the applicable sick-leave rule requires them (printed pages 44-45; PDF pages 55-56);
• the prescribed undertaking and approved course information for study leave (printed pages 52-55; PDF pages 63-66); and
• the official-tour or deputation record for ex-India leave (printed page 57; PDF page 68).

Authorities and source references

• Leave Rules for the Services, Volume I - Army, including Rules 2, 4, 17, 19-22, 27-30, 56, 56-A, 56-B, 71 and 72 (printed pages 34-57; PDF pages 45-68)
• Army Instructions 42/82, 16/92 and 1/2003 for study leave (printed page 55; PDF page 66)
• GoI, MoD letter No. B/33926/AG/PS-2(b)/4894/D(AG), 8 November 2011, for the cited ex-India provision (printed page 57; PDF page 68)

Related guidance

• Leave encashment
• Leave encashment with LTC

About this guidance

This is a plain-language summary for general information. It is not an official order or an authority for a claim. Confirm the applicable order and your individual eligibility with the competent authority or PCDA(O) before acting.