No.17-37/2025-GDS
Date :- #ApprovedDate#
To
1. All Chief Postmasters General/Postmasters General
2. General Manager, CEPT Bangalore/CEPT Unit at Hyderabad
Subject: GDS online engagement process Schedule-I, January-2026 - Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pre and post engagement activities.
Please find enclosed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) [Annexure-A] for conducting pre-engagement, joining, and post-engagement activities by the Engaging Authority (EA) for the Online GDS Engagement, Schedule-I, January 2026.
The SOP for this engagement cycle has been revised slightly from previous Schedules/cycles, with the following key changes:
- Keeping in view of the change in the Engaging authority of the ABPM/Dak Sewak vide this office letter 17-31/2016-GDS(Pt) dated 26.11.2025 now all engagement formalities of all categories of GDS including initial document verification, issue of training orders, verification Educational/PVR/Caste certificate, issue of engagement orders and updation of joining/resignation/rejection status etc ... must now be conducted exclusively in the Divisional office where the vacancy is notified.
- The verification of Secondary School Examination (SSE) class X certificates (2nd Stage Verification) for candidates who have passed the initial physical verification will be conducted by the Circle Nodal Officer of the Circle where the respective board exists. This verification will be done via API Setu, the board's official website, or manually through the respective education board if the information is not available in APT Setu or the Board's official website. The revised process for the same for the Circle nodal officer in APT 2.0 will be shared by the CEPT in due course.
- Instructions regarding the handling of 219 candidates who have apparently submitted duplicate/multiple applications and have been shortlisted at more than one place in the first list are also shared in the SOP. The details of these candidates have been shared with the concerned Circles vide this office email dated 09.03.2026.
- In case of rejection of candidature due to resignation, the system will not allow the post to be unfrozen in the same cycle as the resignation process is now being handled in APT2.0. For all other rejected candidates, the post will be auto-unfrozen for the next list.
- Withholding of the post due to a court case, wrongly notified, or any other reason will be done by the Circle in the Special 4-day window to be provided by the CEPT before the release of the next list, generally, immediately within 4 days after the last date of the previous list is over. In case any Candidate has already turned up on the withheld post or wrongly notified post, such a candidate will be considered in the next list on the remaining posts as per preferences in the application. The HOC will be competent to take a decision on all matters except on the issues which are policy-related, which will be referred to Dte for decision.
This SOP outlines the following activities to be undertaken by Divisions:
| Stage | Activities-By Divisional Head for All Categories of GDS |
| Pre-Engagement | Document Verification (VoD) by the Divisional Head (VA) in the Division where the vacancy is notified. Issuance of Offer of Provisional Engagement. |
| Joining Process | Physical verification of documents. |
| Three-day basic training for successfully verified candidates - Issuance of the Order of Provisional Engagement. Updation of joining/rejection status | |
| Post-Engagement | Verification of Class-X Marksheet by the respective Circle through API Setu or the board's official website. If unavailable, manual verification will be conducted through the respective education board. |
| Verification of other certificates (e.g., caste/category certificates) by the EA through the respective issuing authorities. | |
| Antecedent verification of the candidate by the EA through the concerned police authorities. |
CEPT will develop an appropriate MIS for monitoring the engagement process at the Directorate, Circle, and Division levels. CEPT is also requested to configure the provisions outlined in the SOP within the GDS online engagement portal. Additionally, the SOP should be uploaded to the GDS engagement portal for guidance to all concerned.
All Circles are requested to communicate this SOP to all Divisional and Sub-Divisional Heads, actively monitor activities related to GDS engagement at the Circle level, and ensure strict adherence and implementation in letter and spirit.
This issued with the approval of the competent authority.
भवदीय/Yours faithfully
Digitally signed by
Gurvinder Singh
Date: 10-03-2026
18:44:04
(गुरविंदर सिंह /Gurvinder Singh)
सहायक महानिदेशक /Assistant Director General (GDS)
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