Civil servants can receive gift from foreign dignitaries: Centre’s order

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Tuesday published a gazette notification allowing All India Services (AIS) civil servants to receive and retain gifts from foreign dignitaries.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the All India Services Act, 1951 (61 of 1951), the Central Government, after consultation with the Governments of the State concerned, hereby makes the following rules further to amend the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968,” the gazette notification published by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) stated.

“Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rules (1), (2) and (3), a member of the Service, being a member of the Indian delegation or otherwise, may receive and retain gifts from foreign dignitaries in accordance with the provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Acceptance or Retention of Gifts or Presentations) Rules, 2012, as amended from time to time,” it added.

At present, under Rule 11, an AIS member may accept gifts from their relatives or friends having no official dealings with them on occasions such as wedding, anniversaries, funerals and religious functions when the gifts are in conformity with prevailing religious and social practices, but the members need to report to the government if the value of such gifts exceed ₹25,000. The AIS comprises Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services and Indian Forest Services.

According to a former DOPT official familiar with the matter, the issue was addressed by circulars and office memoranda, but now it was incorporated into the AIS rules. Similar provisions already existed under the central civil service rules, which explicitly dealt with the receiving of the gifts, the official said.

A second official said the notification did not represent a deviation from existing norms. “There is not anything that different in the notification.”