Operational Guide - Rule 38 Transfers

1. Introduction

Purpose: Provides a detailed procedure for the "Rule 38 Transfer" module for Departmental Employees.
Definition: Rule-38 is a set of guidelines for inter-circle and intra-circle transfers within the Department of Posts (DoP).
Portal: Employees can apply online at https://app.indiapost.gov.in/employeeportal.
Migration: Transfer requests submitted through the older system (Legacy 1.0) and pending allotment have been migrated to APT 2.0.
Discrepancy: Employees should compare the status in both portals and report any discrepancies to their verifying authority (Division/Circle).

2. User Login

URL: https://app.indiapost.gov.in/employeeportal
Credentials: 8-digit Employee ID and Password.
Important Note for Mutual Cases:
The second employee should only accept/decline the request after the first employee has successfully submitted and can see it in the status page.
Both employees should not submit their requests simultaneously.

3. Rule 38 Transfer – Submission of Applications

This section is divided into Unilateral and Mutual transfer cases.

3.1 Unilateral Case

Role: Access requires the "TRF-TRS-CRU - Transfer Role Self Service" role, which is a default role for all employees.
Eligibility: An official must have completed one year of service to be transferred.
Navigation: Home → Self-Service → Employee Transfers → Apply Transfer Rule 38.

Key Steps:

Important Instructions: Users must read and accept a disclaimer before proceeding.
Application Form: Employee data is auto-populated from the Personnel Information System (PIS) and is non-editable. Corrections must be made in the PIS via the Employee Profile.
Verification: Mobile number and Email must be verified using OTP. These are used for official communication.
Applying Grounds: Users must select a reason for transfer (e.g., GENERAL, ILLNESS, SPOUSE, PwBD). For ILLNESS, SPOUSE, and PwBD, a relevant certificate in PDF format (20KB-200KB) must be uploaded.

Transfer Application Details:

Type: Choose between Inter-Circle (outside the circle) or Intra-Circle (inside the circle).
Eligibility: An official is eligible for two Inter-Circle and two Intra-Circle transfers during their entire service. A gap of three years is mandatory for the same category of transfer a second time.
Rule 37: Officials transferred under Rule 37 are not eligible for Rule 38 transfer for three years.

Preference Selection:

For Inter-Circle transfers, select the desired Circle.
For Division cadres, select up to 10 preferred Divisions from the "Open List".
For Circle Level Cadres, only Inter-Circle transfer is available, and Division preferences cannot be made.
Deputation: Employees on deputation must select 'Yes' and specify the deputation office, which will become the verification authority.
Preview & Submit: Review all details. An OTP is sent to the registered mobile for final verification before submission.
Confirmation: A successful submission generates a Request ID and displays it on the Status page. A confirmation message and email are also sent.
Withdrawal: Applications can be withdrawn anytime before the allotment window opens.

3.2 Rule 38 - Mutual Case

Eligibility: Mutual transfer is only applicable when the Applying Ground is GENERAL.

Key Conditions:

Both employees must be in the same cadre, category, and mode of recruitment.
Applications must be submitted sequentially, not simultaneously.

Process:

The first employee applies, selects "Mutual," and enters the Counter Part Employee ID.
The second employee logs in, goes to "Apply Transfer Rule 38," and sees a "Mutual Requests" dialogue box.
The second employee must Accept or Reject the request.
Upon acceptance, the second employee's application form is auto-populated with the counterpart's details, and they complete the submission process.

4. Rule 38 – Transfer Status

Employees can check their application status by clicking on the "Rule 38 Transfer Status" sub-card.
The Status Form page displays details like Request ID, current status, and an option to "Withdraw Request."
For mutual cases, statuses include "Mutual Applied," "First employee Applied and Mutual Accepted," and "First Employee Applied and Mutual Declined."
Note: Once submitted, an application cannot be edited, only withdrawn. A fresh application must be submitted for corrections.

5. Migration from Legacy System

Pending and verified (eligible) Rule-38 requests from the old system (1.0) have been migrated to APT 2.0.
Any discrepancies in migrated data must be taken up with the verifying authority, not with the service desk or CEPT directly.

Abbreviations

The document includes a list of common postal service abbreviations such as APT, CO, RO, PO, DH, ASP, IP, LSG/HSG, PA/SA, PM, MTS, MG.

Disclaimer

The guide is for illustrative purposes to use the APT software effectively. For any doubt regarding departmental rulings, users should refer to official manuals, as this guide should not be cited as a ruling.