DoPT suggests tweak in rules to ‘accept gifts’

NEWDELHI: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has proposed an amendment to the existing All India Service (AIS) conduct rules seeking members be allowed to “accept/retain” gifts from foreign dignitaries.

“Presently, there are no provisions under AIS (Conduct Rules), 1968, with regard to receipt/ retention of gifts from foreign dignitaries by AIS members,” says the proposal. Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services and Indian Forest Services comprise the AIS.

Though the conduct rules only refer to domestic gifts, AIS members have declared receiving gifts from foreign dignitaries in the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) Toshakhana, according to reports on the MEA’s website.

“Notwithstanding anything contained in Rule 11, a member of the service may receive and retain gifts in accordance with the provisions of The Foreign Contribution (Acceptance or Retention of Gifts or Presentation) Rules, 2012, as amended time to time,” says the proposed amendment.

“We are seeking feedback to make the amendment at this stage,” a DoPT official told HT on condition of anonymity.

“We are creating a separate provision to accept gifts from foreign dignitaries. It will apply to officers as well. The value of the gift may be higher than the limit otherwise prescribed under existing conduct rules,” a second DoPT official said, who is aware of the proposed amendment but didn’t wish to be named.

At present, under Rule 11, an AIS member may accept gifts from his relatives or his 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 member needs to report to the government if the value of such gifts exceed ₹25,000.

A gift, as defined in the rule, may include free transport, free boarding, free lodging or any other service or financial advantage when provided by a person other than a relative or friend having “no official dealings” with the AIS member, but does not include “casual lift, or other social hospitality”. A sub-rule states that no member “shall accept any gift without the sanction of the government if its value exceeds ₹5,000”.