Sponsoring of public funds by Government servants
No Government servant shall, except with the previous sanction of the Government or of the prescribed authority, ask for or accept contributions to, or otherwise associate himself with the raising of, any funds or other collections in cash or in kind in pursuance of any object whatsoever.
Government of India Decisions
(1) Sponsoring of public funds by Government servants
The Government servants Conduct Rules applicable to the late Secretary of State’s Services, require that no Government servant should, without obtaining the previous permission of the Government, ask for, or accept or in any way participate in the raising of any subscription or other pecuniary assistance in pursuance of any object whatsoever. A copy of the relevant Rule is given below for ready reference :
"Except with the previous sanction of the Government, if he is a Commissioner of a Division or a Head of a Department, or of the Commissioner of the Head of his Department in other cases, no Government servant shall ask for or accept, or in any way participate in the raising of any subscription or other pecuniary assistance in pursuance of any object whatsoever".
2. The position under the Conduct Rules applicable to other Government servants is slightly different but it has been decided that the same rule should apply to all central Government servants so far as public funds are concerned.
3. The position may please be explained to all the employees of the Ministry of Finance etc., and their attached and subordinate offices and it may be impressed upon them that they should not sponsor the raising of funds from the public for any purpose whatsoever, without previous permission. It may be added that the mere payment of a subscription to some charitable or benevolent fund would not, by itself, amount to participation in the raising of such fund; and is permissible except in circumstances specified in the Rule 23 (Rule 5 of the CSS (Conduct) Rules, 1964) of the Government Servants Conduct Rules (taking part in politics).
[MHA OM No. 25/4/48-Ests., dated 28.02.1948]