Government employees in Bihar now face a comprehensive playbook for social media etiquette, courtesy of a fresh cabinet directive. Passed on Thursday in CM Nitish Kumar’s meeting, the order from the General Administration Department builds on the Bihar Government Servant Conduct Rules, 1976.
Incidents of misuse on platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram prompted this action. Cabinet Secretary outlined a detailed code to ensure employees uphold decorum online.
Standout rules mandate pre-approval for any account creation or management. Official phones and emails stay separate from personal profiles. Posts must not degrade positional honor, damage government repute, or blur personal-professional lines. No claiming credit for state accomplishments personally.
Prohibitions cover anonymous accounts, opinions on policies, courts, or public figures; sensitive leaks; workplace media; complainant videos; commercial promotions; coaching gigs; confidential papers; victim details; communal slurs; colleague attacks; and protest symbols.
Designed to foster accountability, these measures protect institutional integrity in the digital age. The cabinet also stamped 31 other proposals, reflecting a multifaceted push for efficient administration across sectors.