Plea filed seeking proper rules for IAS officers' study leave

A writ petition was today filed in the Allahabad High Court seeking direction to the Centre to amend and frame proper rules for study leave granted to IAS officers, who go abroad to pursue different courses.
The petition was filed by Sanjay Sharma, a journalist, in the registry of the court's Lucknow bench and is likely to come up for hearing on August 16.
The petition has alleged that an IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre has been absent from his post for the last nine years but instead of conducting an inquiry, the UP government has given him a prime posting.

Sharma, in his petition, has also cited examples of other IAS officers, who have been absent for last few years without any information.
He sought direction of the court to command the state and the central governments to hold an inquiry that under what circumstances the said IAS officer stayed on study leave and how he was treated on duty during this period.
The petitioner has prayed that if the excess period other than study leave was found unauthorised, proper action and punishment should be given to the IAS officer after holding due inquiry and also against other officers in similar cases.

Sharma prayed to the court to issue directive to the centre to publish the absence of all officers with their names and details on website showing the sanctioning date of study leave, its period, and the course for which leave was granted.
The petitioner also sought directive to amend the rules to save public money spent on courses pursued by officers which are not relevant to their job profiles.