Maharashtra issues social media curbs on government employees; barred from publicly criticizing govt policies
Maharashtra imposes strict social media rules on government employees, barring policy criticism and mandating separate personal and official accounts.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Maharashtra government has imposed stringent restrictions on how its employees use social media, barring them from publicly criticizing government policies — past or present — and mandating strict boundaries between their professional and personal digital personas.
The new directives, issued through a Government Resolution (GR) on Monday and first reported by the Press Trust of India, apply broadly across the state’s workforce — from administrative officers and contract staff to employees of public sector undertakings and local bodies.
Under the new guidelines, state employees are required to maintain separate personal and official social media accounts. Personal profiles must not display designations, government emblems, uniforms, official vehicles, or office buildings — and are restricted to showing no more than a profile photograph. Any breach of these norms will attract disciplinary action under the Maharashtra Civil Service Conduct Rules of 1979.
The resolution also prohibits the use of mobile applications that have been banned by either the state or central government, though apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram have been permitted for internal coordination purposes.
While officers may highlight initiatives they have implemented, the circular warns against "self-glorification." Employees are also instructed to avoid circulating content that could be construed as defamatory, discriminatory, inflammatory, or otherwise inappropriate. Sharing or uploading confidential files — even in part — without authorization is explicitly forbidden.
Only officials formally designated by the government may use official accounts to publicize policies, programs, or solicit citizen feedback, and even then, only with prior clearance from the competent authority. Upon transfer or retirement, all official accounts must be duly handed over to successors.
The resolution comes amid heightened scrutiny of government communication and reflects a broader national trend of regulating civil servants’ conduct in the digital space. Critics are likely to see the move as part of a tightening posture toward bureaucratic dissent, while proponents may argue that it protects the integrity of state communication in an age of viral misinformation.
