Section 12(1) in The General Provident Fund (Central Service) Rules, 1960
(1)The appropriate sanctioning authority may sanction the payment to any subscriber of an advance consisting of a sum of whole rupees and not exceeding in amount three months' pay or half the amount standing to his credit in the Fund, whichever is less, for one or more of the following purposes:-(a)to pay expenses in connection with the illness, (confinement) or a disability, including where necessary, the travelling expenses of the subscriber and members of his family or any person actually dependent on him;(b)to meet cost of higher education, including where necessary, the travelling expenses of the subscriber and members of his family or any person actually dependent on him in the following cases, namely:-(i)for education outside India for academic, technical, professional or vocational course beyond the High School stage; and(ii)for any medical, engineering or other technical or specialized course in India beyond the High School stage, provided that the course of study is for not less than three years;(c)to pay obligatory expenses on a scale appropriate to the subscriber's status which by customary usage the subscriber has to incur in connection with betrothal or marriages, funerals or other ceremonies;(d)to meet the cost of legal proceedings instituted by or against the subscriber, any member of his family or any person actually dependent upon him, the advance in this case being available in addition to any advance admissible for the same purpose from any other Government source.(e)to meet the cost of the subscriber's defence where he engages a legal practitioner to defend himself in an enquiry in respect of any alleged official misconduct on his part.(f)[ to purchase consumer durables such as TV, VCRNCP, washing machines, cooking range, geysers and computers.] [Inserted vide Notification No. 20 (2)/92-P. & P.W (E)/(A), dated the 28th December, 1995, published as S.O. No. 379 in the Gazette of India, dated the 10th February, 1996.](g)[ to meet the expenses for visiting places which, to the satisfaction of the sanctioning authority, are considered as places of pilgrimage or places of eminence of any religion.] [Inserted vide Notification No.13/1/06-P& PW(F), dated the 20th November, 2006, published as S.O. No. 2689 in the Gazette of India, dated the 22nd September, 2009.]
