Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has reminded all its employees—from clerks to senior officers—that jeans, T-shirts and casual wear have no place in government offices or court appearances.
It has also drawn a red line on social media use, cautioning staff against airing personal views on government policies, sharing official information, or posting anything that could embarrass the administration.
The directive, issued by the Department of Personnel, reinforces guidelines first laid down in August 2017.
A senior government official told ThePrint on condition of anonymity that the circular was prompted by “recurring instances” where some employees were seen flouting the dress norms or using personal social media handles in ways that crossed service conduct lines.
“For male employees, it’s shirts with pants or trousers, paired with shoes or formal sandals,” states the circular dated 17 March 2026. Women have been asked to stick to sarees, salwar-kameez with dupattas, formal suits, or kurta-trouser combinations—again with appropriate footwear. “Jeans and T-shirts are strictly not allowed in offices,” it adds, underlining that attire should reflect “modesty, decorum and professionalism”.
The order goes on to say that this is the “second iteration of the government advice that all government employees and officers should wear formal attire to [make them look like they are officers/officials]”.
In the state, the issue of office attire for government officials traces back prominently to July 2017, when Himachal Pradesh High Court expressed strong displeasure over the attire of government employees appearing before it. In one notable case, a woman junior engineer—and in related reports, others—appeared in court wearing jeans and a multi-coloured check shirt (or similar casual wear), which the bench deemed inappropriate and lacking in decorum.
The court observed that such “sartorial inelegance” undermined the majesty of law and directed the state government to enforce proper dress codes for officials in courts and offices. This led to the then Chief Secretary issuing a formal advisory in August 2017, mandating formal, modest and sober attire, with warnings of disciplinary action for non-compliance.
Similar reminders surfaced periodically in later years, including specific directives for teachers and other departments.
The government has pointed out that many staff continue to ignore these rules, prompting this second reminder. It also stresses personal grooming and hygiene as part of the overall professional image.
On the digital front, the order leans heavily on the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 and related central guidelines. Employees have been told in no uncertain terms not to comment on government policies, schemes, political matters, or religious issues using their personal accounts, blogs, vlogs, or any public platforms.
Sharing unauthorised official documents or information is prohibited and any public statement, including in books or media, must carry a clear disclaimer that the views are personal and not those of the government.
“Rule-9 prohibits a government servant from making a public utterance, communication or statement of fact or opinion that can have the effect of adverse criticism of any current or recent policy or action of the government or which is capable of embarrassing the relations between the central government, state government or government of any foreign state,” the circular notes. It warns that violations, on or off duty, can invite disciplinary action, depending on severity.
The move comes against a backdrop of occasional slip-ups. Officials acknowledged that a few cases had come to notice where employees posted content that went against these guidelines, though they did not give details. Similar restrictions have been tightened in recent years for specific departments—most notably the police, which has repeatedly issued SOPs curbing reels, personal posts in uniform and commentary on policies.
The circular has been sent to all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and heads of boards, corporations, universities and autonomous bodies.
Departments have been asked to circulate it among staff, ensure strict compliance “in letter and spirit,” and confirm receipt.
A recent high-profile example involves Oshin Sharma, a 2020-batch Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HPAS) officer serving as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Shimla (Urban). Earlier this year, she faced backlash and government action after viral posts showed her promoting commercial products like nutritional supplements, protein bars and jewellery on her personal social media accounts.
This was seen as a violation of conduct rules which prohibit government employees from engaging in private endorsements, business activities, or using their position for personal gain. The state government, taking cognisance, directed the Shimla Deputy Commissioner to issue her a formal warning and she subsequently deleted the posts and deactivated her accounts.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: Avoid fashion, Tamil Nadu govt orders staff to wear saree, salwar kameez, dupatta, veshti