Children Education Allowance Scheme - Clarification

No. 120 1 1/08/20 10-Estt. (AL)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, P.G. and Pensions

(Department of Personnel & Training)

New Delhi, the 30th December 2010

Office Memorandum

Sub: Children Education Allowance Scheme – Clarification

            Subsequent to issue of this Department OM No. 1201131008-Estt (Allowance) dated 02/09/2008 and clarificatory  OMs dated 11/11/2008,23/11/2009  and OM No. 1201 1/16/2009-(.Allowance) dated 13/11/2009 on the Children Education Allowance (CEA) Scheme, this Department has been receiving references from various Departments, seeking further  clarifications.

The doubts raised are clarified as under:-

(i) Whether CEA is admissible to a Government Servant who ceases to be in service due to retirement, discharge, dismissal or removal from service in the course of an academic year?	CEA/hostel subsidy shall be admissible till the end of the academic year in which the Government Servant ceases to be in service due to retirement, discharge, dismissal or removal from service in the course of an academic year. The payment shall be made by the office in which the Govt. servant worked prior to these events and will be regulated by the other conditions laid down under CEA scheme.
(ii) Whether Children of a Govt. servant who dies while in service are still eligible for reimbursement under the new CEA Scheme?	If a Government servant dies while in service, the Children Education Allowance or Hostel Subsidy shall be admissible in respect of his/her children subject to observance of other conditions for its grant provided the wife/husband of the deceased is not employed in service of the Central Govt., State Government, Autonomous Body, PSU, Semi-Government Organization such as municipality, Port Trust Authority or any other organization partly or fully funded by the Central Govt./State Governments. In such cases the CEA/Hostel Subsidy shall be payable to the children till such time the employee would have actually received the same, subject to the condition that other terms and conditions are fulfilled. The payment shall be made by the office in which the Govt. servant was working prior to his death and will be regulated by the other conditions laid down under CEA scheme.
(iii). Whether any upper age limit of the children has been prescribed for claiming CEA? Whether CEA can be allowed in case of children studying through "Correspondence or Distance Learning"? If so the age limit prescribed for the same.	The upper age limit for disabled children has been set at the age of 22 years. In the case of other children the age limit will now be 20 years or till the time of passing 12th class which ever is earlier. Cases where reimbursement have already been made, in respect of children above this age may not be reopened. It has also been decided that CEA may henceforth be allowed in case of children studying through  "Correspondence or Distance Learning" subject to other condition prescribed.
(iv)What is the definition of the terms 'two sets of uniform, which occur in para (e) of our OM dated 2.9.08. What is the definition of 'One set of shoes'?	It is clarified that "one set of shoes" would mean one pair of shoes and 'two sets of uniform' would mean two sets of uniform prescribed by the school in which the child is studying. A set of uniform will include all items of clothing prescribed for a day, as uniform by the school. Reimbursement may be allowed for two sets of such uniform irrespective of the colours /winter/summer/PT uniforms.
(v) What is the definition of 'Station' for the purpose of hostel subsidy?	It is clarified that for the purpose of hostel subsidy, station would be demarcated by the first three digits of the PIN Code of the area where the Government Servant is posted and /or residing. The first digits of the PIN Code indicate a Revenue District.
(vi) Whether fee paid to organizations/institutions other than the school or fee paid to private tutors for purposes mentioned in para 1(e) of the OM dated 2.9.2008 is reimbursable?	No. It is clarified that the term 'fee' contained in the para 1(e) the OM dated 2.9.2008 would mean the fee charged by the school directly from the student.

                                                                                                     Sd/-

                                                                                                    (Simmi R. Nakra)

                                                                                                     Director (P&A)