In a move toward full digitalization, the Government of India has announced that all Service Books for central government employees must now be maintained digitally through the e-HRMS 2.0 portal. This direction comes via an Office Memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) on 17th June 2025.
e-Service Book is Mandatory for All Ministries
đź“… Order Date: 17th June 2025
đź“„ Reference: e-F.No. Z-20025/02/2023-Estt.(AL)
🏢 Issued by: Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India
What’s a Service Book and Why Is It Important?
For those unfamiliar, a Service Book is essentially the official record of a government employee’s entire career — from the day of their appointment to retirement. It includes key administrative entries such as transfers, promotions, leaves, and more. As per Supplementary Rules 198 & 199, this document must:
Be created from the employee’s first day of service.
Be updated regularly.
Be kept safely with the Head of Office.
Move with the employee during transfers.
What’s Changing Now?
The DoPT has now mandated that:
All Service Books must be digitized and maintained on the e-HRMS 2.0 portal.
Once digitized, physical Service Books will no longer be used.
The e-Service Book will be considered legally valid for all purposes, including promotions, retirement benefits, and administrative processes.
What Ministries & Departments Need to Do
If you’re in charge of service records, here’s what needs to happen next:
Make sure your department is fully onboarded with the e-HRMS 2.0 system.
Start digitizing employee Service Book data, ensuring every entry is correct and complete.
Once verified, stop using physical Service Books and switch to the digital version entirely.
Treat the e-Service Book as the official record going forward.
Why This Is a Big Deal
This shift to digital records will:
Improve transparency and accuracy in employee data.
Make accessing service history easier for both employees and admin staff.
Cut down paperwork and storage issues.
Speed up critical processes like retirement approvals, promotions, and transfers.
This is a big step forward in modernizing how central government employees’ service details are handled. Stay tuned to our blog for the latest updates on government reforms, employee benefits, and digital initiatives across departments.
