Himachal government employees dress code reiterated, warning issued on social media use
Shimla, March 18,
The Himachal Pradesh Government has issued fresh instructions directing government employees to maintain a formal dress code in offices and exercise restraint on social media, warning that violations could invite remedial or disciplinary action.
In a notification dated March 16, 2026, issued by the Department of Personnel (Appointment-II), the government asked all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and heads of boards, corporations, universities and autonomous bodies to ensure compliance with the directions.
The order says the government had earlier, through instructions issued on August 3, 2017, advised employees to wear appropriate, formal, clean, modest and decent clothes in sober colours, while strictly avoiding casual and party attire during office hours and court appearances. It said the conduct and dress of government servants should reflect decorum, decency and professionalism at the workplace.
Referring to continued non-compliance, the latest communication reiterates that male employees should wear shirts and pants or trouser pants, with collared shirts paired with pants, shoes or sandals, while female employees should wear sarees, ladies’ formal suits, salwars, chudidars, kurtas with dupattas and trouser pants, along with appropriate footwear. The order also states that jeans and T-shirts should not be worn in offices.
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The government said the dress code is aimed at maintaining modesty and decorum in public service and underlined that employees should also pay due attention to grooming and personal hygiene.
Alongside the dress advisory, the notification places renewed emphasis on discipline in social media use by government employees. Citing provisions of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, the order says government servants must maintain responsible and decent conduct both on duty and off duty, and should not make unauthorized comments on government policies and issues on personal social media accounts, blogs or stories if such comments have the potential to cause damage.
The notification further states that employees under the control of various departments should not express opinions on government policies or schemes through personal social media accounts, nor make political or religious statements in public forums, vlogs or other social media platforms. It also bars dissemination of any official information through personal social media handles without authorization.
The government has made it clear that these instructions must be followed in “letter and spirit” and said any violation should be viewed seriously, with remedial or disciplinary action to be taken depending on the nature of the lapse.
The instructions, according to the notification, are available on the departmental website of the Himachal Pradesh Department of Personnel.
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