Central Reserve Police Force Law · Leave · Earned Leave · Casual Leave · Recall · Travel Concessions

CRPF Rules 85–92: Leave, 60-Day Earned Leave, Casual Leave, Recall, Family Passage & Free Leave Pass

Chapter X of the Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955 creates the special leave framework applicable to CRPF personnel. Rules 85–87 deal with deputationists and officers governed by parent-service leave rules; Rule 88 adopts the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 but preserves a special 60-day earned-leave regime for specified CRPF establishments; Rule 89 identifies leave-sanctioning authorities and casual-leave limits; Rule 90 permits recall from leave; and Rules 91–92 provide family-passage and free-leave-pass concessions.

The statutory reference point is the Ministry of Home Affairs Police-II Division, which hosts the Central Reserve Police Force Rules, 1955. These rules must be read with the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 as amended from time to time and with current Government travel and leave instructions applicable on the relevant date.

1. Rule 85 — military officers serving with CRPF

The present amended formulation of Rule 85 regulates leave of military officers on deputation to the Force through the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 framework. The rule was substituted in 1974. Older compilations may reproduce the original 1955 wording referring to military leave rules and Fundamental Rule 100; such historical text should not be applied without checking the amended rule position.

For any officer on deputation, the decisive documents are the deputation order, terms and conditions of deputation, option exercised where available, and the rule position in force on the date leave is sought.

2. Rule 86 — other superior officers

Rule 86 provides that leave of other superior officers is admissible under the rules applicable to them in the service to which they belong. The provision preserves the parent-service leave regime rather than automatically subjecting every officer serving with CRPF to the same leave code.

This matters particularly in deputation disputes. The first legal question is not simply “which CRPF leave rule applies?” but “what is the officer’s substantive cadre and what do the deputation terms provide?”

3. Rule 87 — police officers on deputation from other services

Rule 87 similarly provides that police officers deputed from other services remain governed by the leave rules applicable in their parent service. The Note following Rules 85–87 preserves an option, on permanent transfer to the Force or thereafter, to elect the leave rules applicable to members of the Force on the analogy stated in the Rule.

Where a dispute arises after permanent absorption, the service book should disclose whether an option was exercised and from what date it became effective.

4. Rule 88(1) — CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972 apply to the rest of the Force

Rule 88(1) is the principal bridge between CRPF service law and the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972. Subject to sub-rule (2), superior officers and members of the Force other than those covered by Rules 85–87 are governed by the CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972 for the time being in force.

The words “for the time being in force” are important. They make Rule 88 dynamic: amendments to the CCS Leave Rules ordinarily operate through Rule 88 unless a specific CRPF provision creates a different rule.

5. Rule 7 CCS Leave Rules — leave cannot be claimed as of right

Rule 7 of the CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972 provides that leave cannot be claimed as of right. Where exigencies of public service require, leave may be refused or revoked by the competent authority. The authority cannot, however, unilaterally convert the kind of leave applied for into another category except at the written request of the Government servant, subject to any specific statutory proviso.

For CRPF personnel, this principle is particularly significant because operational deployment, law-and-order commitments, elections, training, mobilisation and manpower shortages may legitimately affect leave sanction. But “exigency of service” is not a magic phrase: an adverse decision should still be made by the competent authority, on relevant material, and consistently with the applicable rule.

6. Leave at credit and leave actually sanctioned are different concepts

A member may have earned leave, half-pay leave or another category standing to credit and still require sanction before proceeding. Unauthorised absence after a leave request has been rejected or before it is sanctioned can expose the member to disciplinary consequences.

Conversely, where the record shows that leave was refused arbitrarily, discriminatorily, by an incompetent authority or without considering a legally relevant medical/family circumstance, the refusal itself can be examined in judicial review.

7. Rule 88(2) — special entitlement of 60 days earned leave in a calendar year

Rule 88(2) creates a special earned-leave regime for superior officers and members of the Force within its scope while serving in CRPF establishments other than the offices of the Director General, Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General. The Rule states an entitlement of 60 days earned leave in a calendar year.

The special credit is split into two half-yearly instalments of 30 days each. This is a significant departure from the standard civilian earned-leave credit structure and reflects the distinctive operational nature of CRPF service.

8. Thirty days’ credit at the beginning of each calendar half-year

Rule 88(2)(i) provides for credit at a uniform rate of 30 days at the commencement of each calendar half-year. In practical service-record terms, the leave account should therefore show the half-yearly credits, deductions and balance in a manner that can be audited.

If there is a dispute about short-crediting of leave, the service book/leave account—not merely a later certificate—should be obtained.

9. Reduction for extraordinary leave

Under Rule 88(2)(ii), the credit can be reduced by one-sixth of the period of extraordinary leave availed during the previous half-year, subject to the maximum reduction stated in the Rule. Thus, an apparent shortage in earned-leave credit may be the result of a statutory adjustment rather than an accounting error.

Any reduction should nonetheless be arithmetically traceable from the leave account.

10. The historic 120-day accumulation ceiling must be read cautiously today

The Rule 88 text historically states that earned leave under the special CRPF regime shall not be accumulated beyond 120 days. Present-day leave accounting, leave encashment and accumulation questions must, however, be checked against subsequent Central Government amendments, departmental instructions and the current CCS Leave Rules framework before assuming that an old numerical ceiling reproduced in an archival rule compilation is the complete answer.

The legally safer approach is to identify the date on which the leave accrued, the amended rule position on that date, and any CRPF-specific order implementing later Central Government changes.

11. Maximum 90 days of such earned leave at one time

Rule 88(2)(iv) states that such earned leave shall not be granted for more than 90 days at a time. The rule regulates the duration of one spell; it does not by itself determine whether the leave must be sanctioned in every case.

A dispute about a long leave spell must therefore examine both the numerical ceiling and the authority’s assessment of service exigencies.

12. Second Saturdays and executive personnel

Rule 88 historically contains a provision concerning executive personnel in units other than DG, IG and DIG offices and the treatment of second Saturdays. This provision reflects the operational duty pattern prevalent when the amendment was made. Current working-day and off-day instructions should be checked before deriving a present-day entitlement solely from the historical wording.

13. Rule 89(a) — leave sanctioning authorities

Rule 89 identifies who can grant leave. For a superior officer, the Commandant is the prescribed authority subject to the admissibility report contemplated by the Rule; for the Commandant, the Deputy Inspector General is the sanctioning authority. For members of the Force other than superior officers, leave is granted at the discretion of the Commandant.

Competence matters. A leave rejection or sanction passed by an authority with no statutory or delegated power can be vulnerable irrespective of the merits.

14. Rule 89(b)(1) — casual leave for superior officers

The Rule provides up to 15 days of casual leave in a calendar year for superior officers, ordinarily subject to a ceiling of 10 days at one time. The 10-day condition may be relaxed in an individual case where exceptional circumstances justify it.

The Deputy Inspector General grants casual leave to a Commandant; the Commandant grants it to other superior officers under the Rule.

15. Rule 89(b)(2) — casual leave for other members

The Commandant and Company Commander may grant casual leave to members working under them up to the annual ceiling stated in the Rule. The single-spell ceiling may be relaxed by the Head of Office in exceptional circumstances.

This is an important distinction from earned leave: casual leave is not ordinarily treated as an absence from duty in the same manner as formal leave categories under the CCS Leave Rules, but it remains subject to sanction and service exigencies.

16. Enhanced casual leave for personnel whose home journey is unusually long

Rule 89(b)(3) creates a travel-distance based enhancement where a member requires more than five days merely to complete the onward and return journeys to home. The scale historically rises from 16 days where six days are needed for travel to 20 days where ten days are required.

This special concession reflects the practical reality of remote postings. Where claimed today, the actual journey time, route, mode of travel and current departmental interpretation should be documented.

17. Casual leave cannot be combined with another kind of leave

Rule 89(b)(4) states that casual leave cannot be combined with any other kind of leave. It further provides that holidays or off days are not to be counted as part of casual leave.

A leave application seeking to attach casual leave immediately to another leave category should therefore be checked against this statutory prohibition and any later Government clarification.

18. Special disability leave

Rule 89 historically routes special disability leave through the Central Government framework referred to in the Rule. Modern claims involving disability, injury attributable to duty, hospitalisation and service-related incapacity should additionally be examined under the current CCS Leave Rules, applicable extraordinary pension rules, medical regulations and CAPF-specific instructions.

Leave, medical categorisation, disability pension and compensation are legally distinct benefits. Grant of one does not automatically establish entitlement to all others.

19. Rule 90 — recall from leave

Rule 90 expressly authorises recall of a member from leave at any time by the authority empowered to sanction that leave. The member may be directed either to report at headquarters or to proceed directly to the place where his services are required.

This power reflects the operational character of CRPF deployment. A sanctioned leave order therefore does not create an absolute immunity from recall.

20. Recall must come from a competent authority

The first audit question in a recall dispute is whether the direction emanated from the authority empowered to sanction the leave, or from an officer acting under a valid delegation. Informal telephonic directions may create evidentiary disputes; wherever possible, recall instructions and acknowledgment should be preserved in writing or through official electronic communication.

21. Travelling allowance on recall

Rule 90(c) protects the recalled member financially by providing travelling allowance as on tour for the return journey by the shortest route. Where a free railway pass can be used, the Rule contemplates its utilisation and payment of the balance, if any; where it cannot be used, the pass may lapse and full admissible travelling allowance becomes relevant.

Present-day reimbursement should be processed with reference to the current Central Government travelling-allowance orders and the actual mode/class of travel admissible to the member.

22. Rule 91 — free passage to family during detachment duty

Rule 91 applies where a member is sent on detachment duty from headquarters and the duty is expected to last for at least one month. If the Commandant considers it undesirable for the family to remain at headquarters, a free railway warrant may be issued for the family’s journey from headquarters to the railway station nearest the home.

The statutory concession is expressly stated to apply to all ranks except Gazetted Officers.

23. Rule 91 is conditional, not automatic

The Rule contains several conditions: there must be detachment duty; the expected duration must be at least one month; the Commandant must form the required opinion regarding the family remaining at headquarters; and the member must fall within an eligible rank.

Accordingly, a claim should plead and prove each statutory ingredient rather than merely asserting entitlement to family travel.

24. Rule 92 — free leave pass concessions

Rule 92 historically grants free leave-pass concessions to Head Constables, Naiks, Constables and enrolled followers from headquarters or the place of duty to the railway station nearest home and return.

The Rule lists three broad concessions: one free leave pass every three years; one free leave pass for family every six years; and a free leave pass when proceeding on medical leave of at least one month where the illness or injury was not caused by the member’s fault or negligence.

25. Medical-leave pass requires certification regarding fault or negligence

The medical-leave concession under Rule 92(3) is not triggered solely because medical leave exceeds one month. The rule also requires certification that the illness or injury necessitating leave was not brought about by the member’s fault or negligence.

The medical certificate and the service authority’s record on causation should therefore be preserved where the concession is disputed.

26. Historical “railway pass” terminology and present-day implementation

Rules 90–92 were framed in an era when railway warrants and physical free passes were the ordinary administrative instrument. Today, travel may be implemented through electronic booking, reimbursement or other departmental systems. The continuing statutory entitlement, if otherwise applicable, must therefore be distinguished from the administrative mechanism through which it is delivered.

Counsel should obtain the latest CRPF standing order or MHA/Ministry of Finance travel instruction rather than argue that a physical paper warrant is the only lawful method of compliance.

27. Leave dispute audit table

Issue	Primary record	Legal question
Applicability	Appointment/deputation/absorption order	Rule 85, 86, 87 or 88?
Leave balance	Leave account/service book	Was credit correctly calculated?
Sanction	Application and sanction/rejection order	Was the competent authority involved?
Service exigency	Deployment/manpower/operational record	Was refusal based on a real service requirement?
Recall	Recall signal/order	Was recall authorised under Rule 90?
TA	Tickets, TA claim, pass utilisation	Was admissible recall travel paid?
Family passage	Detachment order and duration	Were Rule 91 conditions satisfied?

28. Complete document checklist for a CRPF leave case

• appointment, deputation or permanent-absorption order;
• option regarding leave rules, if any;
• service book and certified leave account;
• earned-leave half-yearly credit statement;
• extraordinary-leave entries affecting credit;
• leave application with date and mode of submission;
• recommendation of immediate superior;
• sanction/rejection order and recorded reasons;
• manpower/deployment record relied upon to invoke service exigency;
• medical certificate and hospital records, where relevant;
• casual-leave account for the calendar year;
• recall order/signal and proof of communication;
• travel tickets and TA claim on recall;
• detachment order and expected duration for Rule 91;
• family particulars and home-station record;
• free-pass/warrant/reimbursement order under Rules 91–92; and
• the latest applicable CRPF/MHA/DoPT travel and leave instructions.

29. Common legal errors in CRPF leave matters

• assuming leave at credit equals automatic permission to remain absent;
• applying Rule 88 to a deputationist actually governed by Rule 86 or 87;
• using obsolete pre-amendment wording of Rule 85;
• ignoring Rule 88’s special 60-day earned-leave structure;
• rejecting leave through an authority lacking competence under Rule 89;
• using a generic “service exigency” formula without any supporting deployment or manpower record;
• combining casual leave with another category despite Rule 89(b)(4);
• recalling a member but not processing admissible travel under Rule 90;
• treating Rule 91 family passage as automatic without the statutory conditions;
• ignoring the causation certificate required for the Rule 92 medical-leave pass; and
• treating old railway-warrant language as if no modern administrative implementation is permissible.

30. Frequently asked questions

How much earned leave does Rule 88 provide to eligible CRPF personnel?

Rule 88(2) provides 60 days earned leave in a calendar year for personnel within the specified CRPF establishments, credited at 30 days at the commencement of each calendar half-year, subject to the deductions and conditions stated in the Rule and later applicable instructions.

Can a CRPF member demand leave merely because sufficient leave is available?

No. Rule 88 imports the CCS (Leave) Rules framework, and Rule 7 of the CCS Leave Rules states that leave cannot be claimed as of right. It may be refused or revoked where public-service exigencies require, though the decision must be by the competent authority and in accordance with law.

Who sanctions leave to a CRPF Commandant?

Rule 89 places the Commandant’s leave with the Deputy Inspector General, subject to the current organisational/delegation position.

How much casual leave is allowed under Rule 89?

The Rule historically provides up to 15 days in a calendar year, ordinarily with no more than 10 days at one time, subject to the special travel-time enhancement and relaxation provisions stated in Rule 89.

Can casual leave be combined with earned leave?

Rule 89(b)(4) states that casual leave cannot be combined with any other kind of leave.

Can a CRPF member be recalled from sanctioned leave?

Yes. Rule 90 permits recall by the authority empowered to sanction the leave. The member may be directed to headquarters or directly to the place where services are needed.

Is travelling allowance payable when a member is recalled?

Rule 90 provides for travelling allowance as on tour for the return journey, subject to utilisation of any admissible free pass and the current TA rules.

What is Rule 91 family passage?

Where detachment duty is expected to last at least one month, the Commandant may, if the statutory conditions are satisfied, authorise free family travel from headquarters to the railway station nearest home for eligible non-gazetted ranks.

What free leave passes are contemplated by Rule 92?

The Rule historically provides one free leave pass every three years, a family free leave pass every six years, and a medical-leave pass for qualifying medical leave of at least one month where the illness or injury was not caused by the member’s fault or negligence.

31. Litigation strategy

A CRPF leave writ or service petition should avoid treating the dispute as a simple humanitarian plea. The stronger pleading identifies the governing rule, proves the leave balance, establishes the competent authority, isolates the stated reason for refusal or recall, and then tests that reason for legality, relevance, consistency and arbitrariness.

Where the department relies on operational exigency, the challenge should seek the deployment/manpower material actually existing on the date of refusal. Where the dispute concerns leave accounting, obtain the certified leave ledger. Where recall is challenged, preserve the recall order and claim the consequential travelling allowance separately.

32. Conclusion

Rules 85–92 combine ordinary Central Government leave law with CRPF-specific operational requirements. Rule 88 adopts the CCS Leave Rules while preserving a distinctive earned-leave structure; Rule 89 regulates competence and casual leave; Rule 90 recognises operational recall; and Rules 91–92 create specific travel concessions for families and eligible personnel.

The central principle is balance: the member has statutory leave and travel entitlements, but a disciplined operational force retains lawful authority to regulate when leave may actually be availed. Most disputes therefore turn not on whether leave exists in the abstract, but on applicability, competence, service exigency, correct leave accounting and adherence to the statutory procedure.

The next article will cover CRPF Rules 93 onward — Uniforms, Dress Regulations, Uniform Grants, Kit, Clothing and Equipment.