Karnataka Night Attendance Order 2026: Kartavya App Rules
Karnataka Govt Night Attendance Order 2026: Karnataka Government introduces night attendance through the Kartavya app for Taluk Hospital and PHC doctors from November 1, 2026. Check timings, exemptions and government order details.
The Government of Karnataka has issued a new order introducing a night attendance system through the Kartavya mobile app to ensure that government doctors reside at their designated headquarters. The initiative will initially be implemented on a pilot basis for doctors working in Taluk Hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) under the Health and Family Welfare Department from November 1, 2026.
According to Government Order No. DPAR/2/SRC/2026, dated October 17, 2026, doctors covered under this initiative must record their night attendance after 9:00 PM within the geographical limits of their designated headquarters.
Karnataka Government Night Attendance Order 2026: Overview
Particulars Details Government Government of Karnataka Department Praja Seva Department Order Number DPAR/2/SRC/2026 Order Date October 17, 2026 Attendance Method Kartavya Mobile App Attendance Timing After 9:00 PM Implementation Date November 1, 2026 Employees Covered Initially Doctors working in Taluk Hospitals and PHCs Implementation Pilot Basis Main Objective Ensure government doctors reside at their headquarters
1. What Is the New Night Attendance System?
The Karnataka Government has decided to introduce a digital mechanism to monitor whether government doctors reside at their officially designated headquarters.
The decision follows observations made in several cases heard by the Hon’ble Upa Lokayukta. It was found that some government officers and officials were residing far away from their prescribed headquarters, resulting in delays in reaching their workplaces and difficulties for members of the public seeking services.
To address this issue, the government has approved the introduction of night attendance through the Kartavya app.
Initially, this system will apply only to doctors working in Taluk Hospitals and Primary Health Centres under the Health and Family Welfare Department.
2. Night Attendance Must Be Recorded After 9 PM
Under the new government order, the covered doctors must record their night attendance every day after 9:00 PM using the Kartavya app.
The attendance must be recorded within the geographical limits of the city, town or village where the doctor’s headquarters is located.
The system will use geographical coordinates, including latitude and longitude, to verify the doctor’s location through a geo-fencing mechanism configured in the app.
Key points:
- Night attendance must be marked after 9:00 PM.
- Attendance must be recorded within the designated headquarters limits.
- The Kartavya app will use geo-fencing to support location verification.
- The system will initially be implemented on a pilot basis from November 1, 2026.
3. Who Is Exempt from Night Attendance?
The government order specifies certain situations in which doctors are not required to mark night attendance.
A doctor need not record night attendance on a particular day if they are:
- On sanctioned leave: When leave has been officially approved.
- On official duty outside headquarters: When assigned duties outside headquarters under proper authority.
- Permitted to leave headquarters: When the competent authority has granted permission to leave headquarters.
In such cases, the reason must be recorded in the Kartavya app.
Doctors should ensure that the relevant leave, duty assignment or permission is properly authorised and documented.
4. Responsibilities of the Praja Seva Department
The Praja Seva Department will be responsible for configuring the night attendance module in the Kartavya app.
Its responsibilities include:
- Setting up the night attendance feature.
- Configuring geo-fencing for designated headquarters.
- Enabling the system to support location-based attendance recording.
- Obtaining feedback from departmental Secretaries regarding the possibility of extending the system to other categories of government employees.
After evaluating the pilot implementation, the department will place appropriate proposals before the government for further consideration.
5. Monthly Review and Action for Non-Compliance
The Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Services and the District Health and Family Welfare Officers will review the night attendance reports every month.
If doctors are found not residing at their designated headquarters without permission, the authorities will take appropriate action in accordance with the applicable rules and existing government circulars.
The government has referred to Rules 13 and 14 of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules, which deal with the determination of an employee’s headquarters. The existing instructions also restrict leaving headquarters without prior permission from the competent authority, subject to applicable special rules.
6. Will the Rule Apply to All Government Employees?
At present, the night attendance system is being introduced on a pilot basis for doctors working in Taluk Hospitals and Primary Health Centres.
The government has not, through this order, extended the system to all government employees.
After assessing the outcome of the pilot project, the Praja Seva Department will obtain the views of the Secretaries of various departments regarding other employee categories that may be covered in the future. Proposals will then be submitted to the government for consideration.
Therefore, any extension to other departments or cadres will depend on further government decisions.
7. Important Dates and Details
- Government Order Date: October 17, 2026
- Night Attendance Start Date: November 1, 2026
- Attendance Time: After 9:00 PM
- Attendance Platform: Kartavya mobile app
- Initial Coverage: Doctors in Taluk Hospitals and PHCs
- Monitoring Frequency: Monthly review of attendance reports
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the Karnataka Government’s new night attendance order?
The order introduces night attendance through the Kartavya app to help ensure that government doctors reside at their designated headquarters.
2. When will the new night attendance system start?
The system will begin on November 1, 2026.
3. Which government employees are covered initially?
Doctors working in Taluk Hospitals and Primary Health Centres under the Health and Family Welfare Department.
4. What is the night attendance timing?
Doctors must record their night attendance after 9:00 PM.
5. Which app must doctors use?
Doctors covered by the order must use the Kartavya mobile app.
6. Is location verification included?
Yes. The system will use geo-fencing based on the geographical limits of the doctor’s headquarters.
7. Can doctors mark attendance outside their headquarters?
The order requires attendance to be marked within the limits of the city, town or village where their headquarters is located. Officially authorised exceptions are provided for specified circumstances.
8. Do doctors on sanctioned leave need to mark night attendance?
No. Doctors on sanctioned leave are exempt for the relevant day, and the reason must be recorded in the app.
9. What happens if a doctor is on official duty outside headquarters?
A doctor performing officially authorised duty outside headquarters need not mark night attendance for that day. The reason must be recorded in the Kartavya app.
10. What if a doctor receives permission to leave headquarters?
The doctor is exempt from night attendance for that day if permission has been granted by the competent authority. The reason must be recorded in the app.
11. Who will monitor night attendance reports?
The Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Services and District Health and Family Welfare Officers will review the reports monthly.
12. What action may be taken against doctors who do not reside at headquarters?
Appropriate action may be taken under the applicable rules and existing government circulars if doctors are found residing outside their headquarters without permission.
13. Will all government employees have to mark night attendance?
Not immediately. The order initially covers doctors working in Taluk Hospitals and PHCs. Further extension will depend on the pilot’s outcome and subsequent government decisions.
14. Which government order introduced this system?
Government Order No. DPAR/2/SRC/2026, dated October 17, 2026.
15. What is the main objective of the order?
The main objective is to ensure that government doctors reside at their designated headquarters, remain accessible to the public and fulfil their official responsibilities effectively.
The Karnataka Government’s new night attendance initiative marks an important step towards strengthening accountability among government doctors. From November 1, 2026, doctors working in Taluk Hospitals and Primary Health Centres will be required to record their night attendance through the Kartavya app after 9:00 PM, subject to the exemptions specified in the order.
The government will review the pilot project’s results before considering whether the mechanism should be extended to other categories of government employees.
Government Order Reference: DPAR/2/SRC/2026, dated October 17, 2026.
