GOVERNMENT
OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF
PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED
QUESTION NO-3760
ANSWERED
ON-25.07.2019
Freedom of
expression to Government employees
3760 . Shri A. Vijayakumar
(a) whether Government employees have
been given freedom of expression as per Government manual;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether Government employees can not
participate in any form of debate/write-ups/other public activities beyond
office hours; and
(d) if so, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME
MINISTER’S OFFICE
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) to (d): It is mentioned that as per
Rule 8 of Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, no Government servant
shall, except with the previous sanction of the Government, own wholly or in
part, or conduct or participate in the editing or management of, any newspaper
or other periodical publication or electronic in a public media. Further, Rule
9 of Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules provides inter alia that no Government servant shall make any statement of
fact or opinion in any form of communication,
(i)
which
has the effect of an adverse criticism of any current or recent policy or
action of the Central Government or a State Government or
(ii)
which
is capable of embarrassing the relations between the Central Government and the
Government of any State or
(iii)
which
is capable of embarrassing the relations between the Central Government and the
Government of any foreign State; subject to exceptions for bona fide expression of views by office-bearers of a trade union or
association of Government servants for the purpose of safeguarding the
conditions of service of such Government servants or for securing an
improvement thereof or for views expressed by a Government servant in his
official capacity or in the due performance of the duties assigned to him.
***