Children Education Allowance Scheme – Clarification

No. 12011/08/2010-Estt.(AL)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, P.G. and Pensions

(Department of Personnel & Training)

New Delhi, the 30 th December, 2010

Office Memorandum

Sub: Children Education Allowance Scheme – Clarification

Subsequent to issue of this Department OM No. 12011/32008-Estt (Allowance) dated 02/09/2008 and clarificatory OMs dated 11/11/2008, 23/11/2009 and OM No. 12011/16/2009-(.Allowance) dated 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 ceased 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 Government 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, Post 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  condition laid down under CEA Scheme
iii) Whether any upper age limit of the children has been prescribed for ciaming  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 been already 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”  5ubject  to other  condition prescribed
iv)  What  is  the  definition  of  the terms ‘two sets 0f uniform’ which occur in para1(e) of  our  O.M. 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 uniform
(v) What is the definition of ‘station’ for the purpose of hostel  subsidy ?	It is clarified that for the purpose of hosted subsidy,  station  would  be demarcated  by  the  first three  digits  of  the  PIN  Code  of  the  area  where  the Government   Servant  is  posed  and/or  residing’.  ‘The  first  three  digits  of  the  PIN Code  indicate a Revenue District
(vi) Whether  fee  paid  10 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) of the OM dated 2.9.2008 would mean the fee charted by the school directly from the student.

(Simmi R. Nakra)

Director (P&A)

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Guidelines from DOP&T regarding Reimbursement of Children Education Allowance

Guidelines from DOP&T to Central Government Departments as follows... In order to implement the recommendation of Sixth Pay Commission for grant of Children Education Allowance. It is brought to the notice of all Employees that those who claim reimbursement of Children Education Allowance in respect of their Children should submit their claims in the following manner with effect from 1.9.2008. 1.To generate application / self- certification with original receipts. Then original fee receipts along with self - certification regarding Schools / Junior colleges affiliated to Board of Education or Universities should be submitted as quarterly basis. 2.Self – Certification may be signed by the individual duly indicating Name, Designation and duly countersigned by HOS/D.O., quarterly period for which is being claimed to be indicated. It is mentioned that the 1st quarter is from June to August and II quarter from September to November and so on. 

June to August – 1st quarter
 September to November – 2nd quarter
 December to February – 3rd quarter
 March – May – 4th quarter 3.

Each employees should submit claims in respect of their children together. Instead of individual claims for each child. 4.Belated clams of reimbursement will not be entertained. All claims should reach concern finance section on or before every 15th of succeeding month of quarter (i.e.) September 15th

December 15th,

March 15th,&

June 15th Now for IInd quarter (September to November.), all claims should reach concern finance section on or before 13.01.2009 Highlights of Scheme:

1.Children Education Allowance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee which were hitherto payable separately will be merged and will henceforth be known as "Children Education Allowance Scheme".

2. It can be availed by Government Servants upto a maximum of 2 children.

3. Children from classes nursery to twelth.

4. Even if a child fails in a particular class, the reimbursement of C E A shall not be stopped.

5. Following items can be claimed under this scheme:

a.Tution Fee

b.Admission Fee,

c.Lab. Fee,

d.Special Fee for agriculture,

e.Electronics,

f.Music or any other subject,

g.Fee charged for practical work under the programme of work experience,

h.Fee paid for the use of any aid or appliance by the child,

i.Library Fee,

j.Games/Sports Fee,

k.Fee for extra-curricular activities. and

l. Purcahse of one set of text books and Note books,

m. Purchase of two sets of school uniforms,

n. Purchase of one set of school shoes

The annual ceiling fixed for reimbursement of C E A is Rs. 12,000. It can be claimed once every quarter Rs.3,000, and in another quarter less than Rs.3,000, subject to the annual ceiling of Rs. 12,000 per child being maintained.

The above limits would be automatically raised by 25% every time the D.A. on the revised pay structure goer up by 50%.

In order to ensure that Government servants have no difficulty in claiming reimbursement, the procedure under this sheme is being kept simple.

Grant of Children Education Assistance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee

GI.Dept.of Per. & Trg.

O.M.No.120 1l/03/2008-Estt. (Allowance)

dated 13-9-2008

Recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission-implementation of decisions relating to the grant of Children
Education Assistance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee.
Consequent upon the decisions taken by the Government on the recommendations made by the Sixth Central Pay Commission and in supersession of all earlier orders on the subject of Children Education Allowance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee, the President is pleased to issue the following instructions: -
(a) Children Education Allowance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee which were hitherto payable separately will be merged and will henceforth be known as ‘Children Education Allowance Scheme‘.
(b) Under the Scheme of Children Education Allowance reimbursement can be availed by Government Servants upto to a maximum of 2 children.
(c) Reimbursement as indicated above will be applicable for expenditure on the education of school going children only i.e., for children from classes nursery to twelfth,including classes eleventh and twelfth held by junior colleges or schools affiliated to Universities or Boards of Education.
(d) Henceforth, the reimbursement of Children Education Allowance shall have no nexus with the performance of the child in his class. In other words, even if a child fails in a particular class, the reimbursement of Children Education Allowance shall not be stopped.
(e) Reimbursement for the following items can be claimed under this Scheme:
1. Tuition Fee
2. Admission fee
3. Laboratory fee
4. Special fee charged for agriculture
5. Electronics, music or any other subject
6. Fee charged for practical work under the programme of work experience
7. Fee paid for the use of any aid or appliance by the child
8. Library fee
9. Games/sports fee and fee for extra-curricular activities .

This also includes reimbursement for purchase of one set of text books and notebooks, two sets of uniforms and one set of school shoes which can be claimed for a child, in a year.

(f) The annual ceiling fixed for reimbursement of Children Education allowance is Rs.12000.
(g) Under this scheme, reimbursement can be claimed once every quarter. The amount that can be claimed in a quarter could be more than Rs.3000, and in another quarter less than Rs.3000, subject to the annual ceiling of Rs.12000 per child being maintained.
(h) In case both the spouses are Government servants, only one of them can avail reimbursement under Children Education Allowance.
(i) Hostel subsidy will be reimbursed upto the maximum limit of Rs.3000 per month per child subject to a maximum of 2 children. However, both hostel subsidy and Children Education Allowance cannot be availed concurrently.
(j) The above limits would be automatically raised by 25% every time the Dearness Allowance on the revised pay structure goes up by50%.
2. In order to ensure that Government servants have no difficulty in claiming reimbursement, the procedure under this Scheme is being kept simple. Reimbursement should henceforth be made on the submission of original receipts on the basis of self-certification by the Government servant.
3. These orders shall be effective from 1st September, 2008.
4. Insofar as persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders issue in consultation with the Comptroller and auditor General of India.