Karnataka Police to get casual leave on birthdays, wedding anniversaries

Karnataka Police granted casual leave on birthdays and anniversaries to improve morale, work-life balance, and productivity.

In a personnel-friendly move, the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police (DG & IGP) has issued a circular on Thursday directing all unit heads to grant casual leave to police officers and personnel on the occasion of their birthdays and wedding anniversaries.

According to the circular, granting leave on such special occasions allows officers to relax emotionally, spend quality time with their families, and maintain a healthy balance between professional duties and personal life. The order states that this humane approach is expected to boost morale, reduce stress, improve job satisfaction, and enhance overall productivity within the police force.

The directive further notes that acknowledging personal events will strengthen loyalty, discipline, and organisational efficiency among police personnel.

All unit officers have been instructed to grant leave without fail to police officers and staff who apply for leave on their birthdays or wedding anniversaries. The circular comes into immediate effect.

The order was issued following a recommendation made by Mohan Kumar Danappa, a member of the State Police Complaints Authority, on December 4.

Sources said that the practice of granting leave on birthdays had earlier been followed during the tenure of former Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, but was later discontinued abruptly. While the provision of granting such leave at the police station level has existed, it has not been implemented strictly due to factors such as staff shortages and heavy workload.