Department of Posts Guidelines on Appointment of Convenors and Ad Hoc Committees for Service Associations 2026

Consolidated Guidelines on Appointment of Convenors for Union Membership Enrolment and Approval of Ad Hoc Bodies

The Department of Posts has issued consolidated guidelines to ensure uniform handling of requests from Service Associations and GDS Associations regarding appointment of Convenors for membership enrolment and approval of ad hoc committees at Circle and Divisional levels. These guidelines apply to both recognised and unrecognised associations.

Approval of Ad Hoc Committees

Requests for approval of ad hoc committees shall be examined in accordance with Directorate Letter No. 19-1/89-SR dated 20.01.1989 under the provisions relating to elections and disputes concerning service associations. 

An ad hoc committee will generally not be approved in normal circumstances because it goes against the democratic functioning of associations. However, in unavoidable situations, approval may be granted subject to prescribed conditions. 

The constitution of the concerned union or association must contain a specific provision permitting formation of an ad hoc committee. No ad hoc committee will be approved for the formation of a new branch. 

For Circle Offices and Administrative Offices, ad hoc committees may be approved by the Department of Posts for a maximum period of three months upon receipt of a justified request from the General Secretary along with supporting resolutions.

For Divisional units, approval may be granted by the Head of Circle for a maximum period of three months on receipt of a request from the Circle Secretary explaining the necessity and enclosing the relevant resolution.

An approved ad hoc committee should not consist of more than four members, one of whom shall be designated as Convenor, provided all members are otherwise eligible to hold office and there is no related court case pending.

Appointment of Convenors for Enrolment of New Members

Where an association has zero membership in a particular Circle or Division, it may appoint a Convenor to enrol new members. The Convenor shall be authorised by the National Association in case of Circle-level enrolment and by the Circle-level Association in case of Division-level enrolment. 

The appointed Convenor will function as the authorised signatory for signing membership authorisation forms of new members. Where no Convenor is appointed, the General Secretary or Circle Secretary, as applicable, may act as the authorised signatory. 

Once sufficient membership is achieved, the association may constitute its regular body of office-bearers at the concerned level according to the rules. 

Appointment of Convenors for Membership Verification Portal

The Department has provided a mechanism for appointment of Convenors for the Membership Verification Portal where the relevant office-bearers are not available. This provision is not restricted to associations having zero membership. 

In the absence of a Divisional Secretary, the Circle Secretary may appoint a Convenor for that Division. 

If no Circle Secretary is available in a Circle, the General Secretary may appoint a Convenor for the Circle and the concerned Division. 

The appointed Convenor shall perform the functions of the Divisional Secretary or Circle Secretary for the purpose of the membership verification process, and the Convenor's data shall be migrated to the online portal by the concerned DDO. 

Migration of Office-Bearer Data

Data relating to one office-bearer at each level, namely Divisional Secretary, Circle Secretary and General Secretary, shall be migrated from physical records to the online Membership Verification Portal.

The concerned DDO shall verify records and supporting documents before carrying out migration through the designated APT IT 2.0 login. Such migration is only for facilitating role assignment and does not itself confer any role in the portal. 

Assignment of Roles in Membership Verification Portal

• After completion of data migration, the role of Divisional Secretary shall be assigned by the concerned Divisional Head.
• The role of Circle Secretary shall be assigned by the concerned Circle Head. 
• The role of General Secretary shall be assigned by the Directorate Head. 
• Before assigning roles, the competent authority shall verify all relevant records and supporting documents. Where a Convenor has been appointed, role assignment shall be carried out according to the prescribed procedure.

Clarifications on Common Situations

• New Branch with Zero Membership
• An association having no members in a Circle or Division may appoint a Convenor for enrolment of members. Such appointment does not amount to approval of an ad hoc committee.

Divisional Secretary Not Available

If an association already has members but lacks a Divisional Secretary, the Circle Secretary may appoint a Convenor to process applications through the Membership Verification Portal. Existing membership does not affect this provision. 

Circle Secretary Not Available

Where there is no Circle Secretary, the General Secretary may appoint a Convenor for carrying out responsibilities related to the verification process. 

Combined Request for Convenor and Ad Hoc Committee

Requests for appointment of a Convenor and approval of an ad hoc committee shall be examined separately. The request for a Convenor shall be considered under the relevant instructions governing enrolment and portal operations, while the request for an ad hoc committee shall be examined independently under applicable rules. During membership verification activities, appointment of Convenors may be prioritised subject to fulfilment of prescribed conditions. 

Keywords

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