The Government of Madhya Pradesh is set to introduce a comprehensive overhaul of service leave provisions for more than 6.5 lakh state employees from 1 January, 2026. The long-standing Madhya Pradesh Leave Rules 1977 will be replaced by the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 2025, marking the first major revision in nearly five decades.
The updated framework has been redesigned to align closely with Central government norms while addressing contemporary administrative and social realities. Additionally, the revised rules aim to improve employee welfare, reduce ambiguity, and prevent misuse of leave through structured oversight mechanisms.
A key change relates to Earned Leave (EL), which will now be credited in advance rather than after completing a full year of service. Employees will receive 15 days of Earned Leave on 1 January and another 15 days on 1 July each year. New recruits will also receive EL on a proportional basis from their date of joining. In addition, government teachers and professors, who were earlier excluded due to summer vacations, will now be eligible for 10 days of Earned Leave annually.
The new rules also introduce a special medical leave of up to two years for employees injured during official duty. This leave will be granted on medical recommendation and will not be adjusted against regular leave balances. Salary protection has been structured to provide full pay initially, followed by partial pay for the remaining period.
Other changes include allowing conversion of Casual Leave into Medical Leave, clearer leave entitlements for probationers and trainees, and revised pay rules for Child Care Leave. The framework is more gender-neutral, extending provisions to single fathers and cases involving surrogacy.
While reaffirming that leave is not an absolute right, the rules introduce safeguards such as mandatory leave rosters to prevent arbitrary decisions. The revised system is expected to significantly reshape work-life balance and administrative discipline across the state from the new year.
