(1) Save as otherwise provided in these rules, no employee of a religious institution shall, except with the previous sanction of the Executive Authority, accept or permit their spouse, or any other member of their family, to accept from any person any gift of value exceeding Rs.25,000/- (Rupees twenty fi ve thousand only).
Provided that the employee of a religious institution may accept any gift of a value exceeding Rs.25,000/- from a personal friend or close relation, on special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, funerals and religious functions, when the making or receiving of such gifts is in conformity with the prevailing religious or social customs and shall make a report to the Executive Authority within one month of the acceptance of the gift.
(2) The employee of any religious institution shall avoid accepting lavish hospitality or frequent hospitality from any individual, having offi cial dealings with him or from industrial or commercial fi rms, organizations, etc.
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(3) The employee of any religious institution shall not -
(i) give or take or abet the giving or taking of dowry; or
(ii) demand, directly or indirectly, from the parents or guardian of a bride or bridegroom as the case may be any dowry.
(4) The employee of any religious institution shall except with prior permission of the Executive Authority acquire or dispose of any immovable property by lease, mortgage, purchase, gift, exchange or otherwise either in his own name or in the name of any member of his family.
Such permission will be necessary even where any immovable property is acquired by any member of the family of the employee out of the resources of the employee.
The Executive Authority of the religious institution shall dispose of the application seeking the sanction/permission referred above within a period of six months from the date of receipt of such application from the employee of the religious institution.
If any clarifi cations or particulars are sought for from the employee of religious institution, the said period of six months shall be reckoned from the date of receipt of such clarifi cations or particulars. Where no order according such sanction or granting such permission is issued within the said period of six months, it shall be deemed that the Executive authority of the religious institution has accorded the sanction or granted the permission on the expiry of the said period of six months and the employee of the religious institution can acquire or dispose the immovable property; purchase or sell the movable property or commence the construction/extension of the house.
(5) The employee of any religious institution shall not encroach upon lands belonging to any public religious institution.
(6) The employee of a religious institution, if enters into any transaction concerning any movable property exceeding Rs.1,00,000/- in value, whether by way of purchase or sale, shall report to the executive authority within one month from the date of every such transaction.
(7) Every employee of a religious institution, shall submit a return of his assets and liabilities at an interval of fi ve years on or before the 31st day of March of the year immediately following the year to which the return relates giving the full particulars regarding:-
(a) the immovable property inherited by him, or owned or acquired by him or held by him on lease or mortgage either in his own name or in the name of any member of his family or in the name of any other person;
(b) shares, debentures and cash including bank deposits inherited by him or similarly owned, acquired or held by him;
(c) other movable property inherited by him or similarly owned, acquired or held by him; and
(d) debts and other liabilities incurred by him directly or indirectly;
Provided that every employee shall, within three months of his fi rst appointment to any post, submit his return of assets and liabilities as on his entry into service.
(8) The employee of a religious institution shall not engage himself directly or indirectly in any trade or business or undertake any other employment.
(9) The employee of a religious institution shall not communicate any information which adversely aff ects the interest of the religious institution to anybody without the knowledge of the executive authority of the religious institution.
(10) The employee of a religious institution shall not be a member of or be otherwise associated with any political party or any organization in respect of which there is reason to believe that the organization has a political aspect. He shall also avoid giving room for any suspicion that he is favouring any political party or any candidate in elections.
(11) The employee of a religious institution shall not bring or attempt to bring any political or other outside infl uence to bear upon any superior authority to further his interests in respect of matters pertaining to his service under the religious institution.
(12) (a) The employee of a religious institution shall not enter into or contract, a marriage with a person having a spouse living; and
(b) The employee of a religious institution having a spouse living shall not enter into or contract a marriage with any person.
(13) The employee shall at all times maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and take all possible steps to ensure the same in the religious institution.
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(14) The employee of a religious institution shall not indulge in any act of sexual harassment to any woman at the work place.
(15) The employee of a religious institution shall strictly abide by any law relating to consumption of liquor or intoxicating drugs in force in any area in which he may happen to be for the time being and shall not be found drunk or under the infl uence of liquor while attending offi ce or appearing in a public place.
(16) The employee of a religious institution shall not engage himself in strike or in incitements thereto or in similar activities.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this rule the expression ‘similar activities’ shall be deemed to include the absence from work or neglect of duties without permission and with the object of compelling something to be done by his superior offi cers or the Government or any demonstrative fast usually called “hunger strike” for similar purposes.
(17) The employee of a religious institution shall not undertake trip to foreign country without prior permission of the executive authority.
The employee of religious institution who violates the above conduct rules will be subjected to disciplinary action following the procedures prescribed under “Punishment of Offi cer-holders and Servants of religious Institutions (Other than Maths and Specifi c Endowments attached thereto) Rules”, framed under section 56 of the Act.