Child Care Leave (CCL): 12 Sample Applications for Common Scenarios

Child Care Leave is the leave category with the highest refusal rate among female Government employees, and also the category where the courts have most consistently come down on the side of the employee. Rule 43-C of the CCS (Leave) Rules 1972, read with the DoPT Office Memorandum dated 11 December 2018, grants 730 days of CCL during the entire service of a woman Government employee for taking care of up to two minor children. The first 365 days are on full pay; the remainder is on 80 percent pay. The leave can be availed in three spells per calendar year.

The reason CCL applications get refused or queried so often is rarely the rule itself; it is the framing of the application. A CCL application that says “for personal reasons” gets queried. A CCL application that says “for accompanying my Class X daughter during the CBSE Board examinations from 22 February to 31 March 2026” gets sanctioned. This piece sets out twelve scenario-specific application templates that have worked in practice, each with the supporting documentation and the framing that has the highest sanction rate.

The legal anchor: what the rule actually allows

Rule 43-C is broad. The leave is granted “for taking care of up to two minor children whether for rearing or to look after any of their needs like examination, sickness etc.” The Karnataka High Court in MeitY v. Kavita Vadde (March 2026) held explicitly that the rule “gives the government servant discretion to seek CCL when the child requires his or her presence, including for educational purposes” and that “the rules do not confer any discretion on the employer or competent authority to assess the sufficiency of the reasons for seeking leave”. In other words, once a valid reason within the rule is stated, the employer cannot second-guess the sufficiency of the reason.

The Delhi High Court in Smt. Rajesh Rathi v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi (November 2025) added a further constraint: discretion to refuse cannot be exercised “arbitrarily or mechanically”, and where EOL has been sanctioned for the same period, refusing CCL on grounds of administrative inconvenience is contradictory and must be set aside. These two rulings together set the framework: state a valid reason within the rule, attach the supporting document, and the application is on firm ground.

Sample 1: Class X Board examination preparation

Subject: Application for Child Care Leave from 15.02.2026 to 31.03.2026 (45 days)

Madam,

I request grant of Child Care Leave for 45 days from 15.02.2026 to 31.03.2026 under Rule 43-C of the CCS (Leave) Rules 1972 read with DoPT OM dated 11.12.2018. The leave is required for accompanying my daughter Ananya, aged 15, who is appearing for the CBSE Class X Board examination from 22.02.2026 to 21.03.2026. The school examination schedule is enclosed.

Total CCL availed so far during service: 124 days. Balance: 606 days. This is the first CCL spell of the calendar year (the rule permits up to 3 spells).

During the period, I shall be available at [address] and on mobile [number].

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Name, Date]

Enclosure: Class X Board examination date sheet from CBSE.

Sample 2: Class XII Board examination

Same format as Sample 1, with the period adjusted to the Class XII date sheet (typically 15 February to 5 April). The Karnataka High Court ruling in MeitY v. Kavita Vadde upheld a 5-month CCL spell from 16 December to 20 May covering preparation and the examination period itself; the case is direct authority for extended CCL during board examinations. Cite the case in the application if anticipated resistance: “The Karnataka High Court has held in MeitY v. Kavita Vadde (March 2026) that the leave can cover the preparatory period and is not restricted to the exam dates alone.”

Sample 3: Child’s hospitalisation

Subject: Application for Child Care Leave from 01.06.2026 to 14.06.2026 (14 days)

Madam,

I request grant of Child Care Leave for 14 days from 01.06.2026 to 14.06.2026 under Rule 43-C. The leave is required for attending to my son Aarav, aged 8, who has been admitted at Apollo Hospital, Delhi for [condition] and is expected to undergo surgery on 03.06.2026 followed by post-operative recovery. A medical certificate from the treating doctor is enclosed.

Total CCL availed: 60 days. Balance: 670 days. Second spell of calendar year.

I shall be available at the hospital / +91 98XX XX1234.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Name, Date]

Enclosure: Medical certificate dated [date].

Sample 4: School admission process

Subject: Application for Child Care Leave from 10.04.2026 to 17.04.2026 (8 days)

Madam,

I request grant of CCL for 8 days from 10.04.2026 to 17.04.2026 under Rule 43-C. The leave is required for attending the admission process of my daughter to Class XI at [school name]. The admission interview is scheduled on 12.04.2026 and the document verification on 15.04.2026. The admission notice from the school is enclosed.

CCL balance: 540 days. Third spell of calendar year.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Name, Date]

Enclosure: School admission notice.

Sample 5: Single-parent extended care during spouse’s overseas posting

This is the scenario in Smt. Rajesh Rathi v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi, where the petitioner’s husband (a Marine Engineer) was on extended overseas posting, leaving her as the effective single parent for two children in Classes X and XII. The Delhi High Court directed the Tribunal to convert sanctioned EOL into CCL.

Subject: Application for Child Care Leave from [date] to [date] ([N] days)

Madam,

I request grant of Child Care Leave for [N] days from [date] to [date] under Rule 43-C. The leave is required as I am the sole parent presently in India: my husband is on overseas posting at [city] from [date] to [date] (a copy of his deputation order is enclosed). My children, Aarav (Class X) and Aanya (Class XII), require my continuous presence for academic and welfare needs during this period.

The Delhi High Court in Smt. Rajesh Rathi v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi (2025:DHC:9855-DB) has held that CCL cannot be denied arbitrarily where the spouse's absence creates effective single-parent responsibility for two minor children in critical academic years.

CCL balance: [X] days.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Name, Date]

Enclosures: (1) Husband's deputation order; (2) School records of children.

Sample 6: Child’s special needs / disability

Rule 43-C, second proviso, removes the two-child restriction for a child with a disability of 40 percent or more. For such cases, the application should attach the disability certificate from the prescribed medical authority. The leave can be granted up to the age of 22 years (instead of the standard minor-child age limit) for a child with disability.

Sample 7: Sports / extracurricular event of national level

For a child selected for a national-level sports event, the school’s selection letter or the federation’s selection notice serves as the supporting document. The CCL is requested for accompanying the child to the event venue and through the duration of the event.

Sample 8: Counselling and post-examination guidance

For the post-Board examination period (April-July, the engineering / medical / college admission cycle), CCL is admissible for accompanying the child through the counselling rounds. Document the counselling schedule (JoSAA dates, NEET counselling dates) in the application.

Sample 9: When CCL is refused on “administrative inconvenience”

If CCL is refused with a one-line “administrative exigency” or “operational difficulty”, the response template is:

Subject: Reconsideration of CCL refusal vide [office order ref]

Madam,

I respectfully request reconsideration of the refusal of my CCL application referenced above. The refusal cites "administrative inconvenience" without specifying the actual exigency.

The Delhi High Court in Smt. Rajesh Rathi v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi (2025:DHC:9855-DB) has held that the discretion to refuse CCL "cannot be exercised arbitrarily or mechanically" and must be "guided by the object and spirit of the rule, which is to support the welfare of the child and the legitimate needs of the mother". The Karnataka High Court in MeitY v. Kavita Vadde (March 2026) has further held that the rule "does not confer any discretion on the employer or competent authority to assess the sufficiency of the reasons for seeking leave".

In this background, I request that the application be reconsidered on its merits, with specific reasons recorded if refusal is to be sustained.

I am willing to make alternative arrangements for the handover of work and to remain reachable on mobile during the leave period.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Name, Date]

Samples 10-12: Quick references

• Sample 10 (Annual school sports week / annual day): 2-3 days CCL with the school’s annual programme schedule as supporting document.
• Sample 11 (Vaccination schedule of infant): 1-2 days per visit, with the immunisation schedule from the paediatrician. Multiple short spells permissible within the 3-spell-per-calendar-year rule.
• Sample 12 (Adoption follow-up under Adoption Leave converging into CCL): Combined application referencing both the Adoption Leave sanctioned earlier and the CCL extension for the post-adoption care period.

The framing rule across all twelve samples

The single most important pattern across all sanctioned CCL applications is specificity. State the child’s name and age. State the specific reason within the rule (examination, sickness, admission, special needs, sports). Attach the supporting document that proves the reason. Confirm the CCL balance. Once these elements are in place, the sanctioning authority’s discretion is narrowed by the case law cited above. Refusal becomes harder to defend; sanction becomes the natural outcome.

For the case-law deep dive on CCL refusals, see When CCL is Refused: Recent CAT Cases (2024-2025). For the broader Maternity / Paternity context, see Maternity Leave 180 Days and Paternity Leave 15 Days.