No jeans, T-shirts, party wear: Himachal govt's new dress code for staff

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

• Himachal Pradesh bans jeans, T-shirts, and party wear in offices
• Employees must wear formal, modest clothing in sober colours
• Staff banned from discussing government policies online

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The Himachal Pradesh government has introduced a strict dress code for its employees, banning jeans, T-shirts and party wear in offices and courts, while also restricting them from commenting on government policies on social media platforms.

According to guidelines issued by Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, all government employees are required to wear formal, clean and modest clothing in sober colours. The rules explicitly prohibit casual or party wear while in office or appearing in court, according to a report by news agency PTI.

For male employees, the dress code mandates shirts and pants or trousers, specifically collared shirts paired with trousers, along with appropriate footwear such as shoes or sandals. Female employees are required to wear sarees, formal suits, salwars, churidars, or kurtas with dupattas, as well as trouser pants and shirts paired with chappals, sandals or shoes. Jeans and T-shirts are not permitted, officials said.

Dress code reiterated

The government said it observed instances of employees wearing casual clothing and using personal social media accounts to share government schemes or endorse products.

The guidelines reference a letter dated August 3, 2017, which advised that, "All government servants should be attired in appropriate, formal, clean, modest and decent clothes in sober colours. Casual and party attire should be strictly avoided during appearance in court and while attending office." Despite earlier instructions, many employees have not complied, prompting a renewed enforcement of the dress code.

"The dress code aims at maintaining modesty and decorum in the services, and dress in the office shall be formal. Officers should wear formal attire to 'make them look like they are officers/officials,' and employees should also pay due attention to grooming and personal hygiene," the guidelines said.

Social media restrictions

The guidelines also advise employees against expressing opinions on government policies or schemes through personal social media accounts, and prohibit making political or religious statements in public forums, blogs or other platforms.

No official information should be shared through personal social media handles without prior authorisation, and employees have been asked to maintain discipline in their online conduct.

Employees are expected to follow the guidelines in both letter and spirit, with authorities warning that violations could invite remedial or disciplinary action.