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🚂 Study Leave Guidelines for Railway Servants

Study leave for railway servants is a vital provision aimed at enhancing their skills and qualifications through specialized higher studies or technical training directly related to their job responsibilities. To be eligible, applicants must have completed a satisfactory probation period and at least five years of continuous service, including probation.

✅ Key Conditions for Granting Study Leave

1. Eligibility Criteria

Minimum Service: Must have completed a satisfactory probation period and served at least five years of continuous service.
Retirement Proximity: Cannot be within three years of superannuation.
Service Bond: Must execute a bond to serve the Government for three years post-study leave.

2. Duration of Leave

Maximum Leave Duration:
- Ordinary Cases: Up to 12 months at a time and a total of 24 months throughout service.
- For Medical Officers: Up to 36 months for postgraduate qualifications, with a five-year service bond.

3. Leave Accounting

No Deduction: Study leave does not count against the leave account.
Combination with Other Leave: Can be combined with other leave types, but total absence should not exceed 28 months (or 36 months for Ph.D. and medical degrees).

⚖️ Resignation or Retirement After Study Leave

If a railway servant resigns or retires without returning to duty after study leave, they are required to refund all related costs (salary, fees, travel expenses). Exceptions apply for:

Retirement on medical grounds.
Transition to government-controlled bodies.

🚧 Important Restrictions and Considerations

Career Development: Restrictions prevent junior officers from taking long leaves for study abroad early in their careers to ensure they gain sufficient experience.
Medical Officer Limitations: Only a limited number of medical officers can be granted study leave annually to maintain operational efficiency.

🏢 Authority to Grant Leave

Ministry of Railways: Responsible for all study leave requests.
General Managers: Can grant study leave for requests within India.
Heads of Departments/Divisional Railway Managers: Authorized for Group “C” and “D” railway servants.

📅 Impact on Leave Accrual

The duration of study leave counts towards earning both Leave on Average Pay and Leave on Half Average Pay, ensuring that railway servants continue to accrue benefits during their study period.