Kerala Service Rules Amended to Include Chickenpox for Special Casual Leave

The Government of Kerala, through its Finance (Rules B) Department, issued a notification on June 20, 2025, introducing The Kerala Service (Third Amendment) Rules, 2025. This instrument, designated as S. R. O. No. 715/2025, further amends the existing Kerala Service Rules. The primary reason for the enactment of these rules was to provide statutory validity to a previous government order, G.O. (P) No. 10/2024/Fin., dated February 16, 2024. The amendment specifically impacts government employees in Kerala by modifying the provisions related to Special Casual Leave. A key legal consequence introduced by these rules is the explicit inclusion of "Chickenpox" in the list of infectious diseases for which Special Casual Leave can be granted. The rules specify that they shall be deemed to have come into force retrospectively on the 1st day of February, 2024, ensuring continuity with the earlier government decision.

The legislative intent behind these amendments was to formalize and legally underpin the provision of special casual leave for government employees affected by chickenpox. The policy rationale aimed at ensuring that employees suffering from this common infectious disease are explicitly covered under the Special Casual Leave provisions, thereby safeguarding their health and preventing the spread of infection in the workplace. Prior to this amendment, while a government order had already indicated the inclusion of chickenpox, the statutory framework of the Kerala Service Rules did not explicitly list it. This created a gap between administrative policy and codified law, which the present rules sought to address by incorporating the change directly into the Kerala Service Rules. The Government of Kerala exercised powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 2, read with section 3, of the Kerala Public Services Act, 1968, to effectuate these changes. The amendment specifically modifies Part I of the Kerala Service Rules, within APPENDIX VII, under "SECTION II - SPECIAL CASUAL LEAVE", by inserting "Chickenpox" as item 2 in Note 2 below clause (i) of rule 1. The legislation provided: "In Part I of the Kerala Service Rules, in APPENDIX VII, under the heading "SECTION II - SPECIAL CASUAL LEAVE", in Note 2 below clause (i) of rule 1, after item 1) the following item shall be inserted namely: '2. Chickenpox'". This ensures that the administrative decision to grant leave for chickenpox now possesses full statutory backing, clarifying the rights and obligations concerning special casual leave for Kerala government employees.

Keywords: Kerala Service Rules, Special Casual Leave, Chickenpox, Government of Kerala, Amendment Rules, Infectious Disease, Public Services Act, Statutory Validity Geo Tags: India, Kerala District: Not Applicable