India Post GDS Recruitment 2026 — 25,000+ Posts (Expected), Apply Online by 21 Sep (All India)

The Department of Posts (India Post), Ministry of Communications, Government of India, has released the Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) Online Engagement Schedule-II, July-2026 notification vide Notification No. 17-12/2026-GDS dated 20 August 2026, inviting applications for tentative vacant posts of Branch Postmaster (BPM), Assistant Branch Postmaster (ABPM) and Dak Sevak in Post Offices, Sorting Offices, Mail Offices and Delivery Centres across various Circles and Divisions of India. This India Post GDS Recruitment 2026 is expected to fill 25,000+ posts, though the exact division-wise vacancy count is published only on the GDS Online Engagement Portal, not within the notification itself. Candidates who have passed the Secondary School Examination (SSE, Class 10) with passing marks in Mathematics and English from a Board recognised by the Government of India, and who have studied the prescribed local language up to 10th standard, are eligible to apply for these India Post Gramin Dak Sevak vacancies 2026. Selected GDS BPMs will hold overall responsibility for the day-to-day postal operations, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) transactions, mail conveyance and delivery of a single-handed Branch Post Office, and must arrange their own accommodation in the post village; ABPMs assist the BPM with sale of stamps and stationery, doorstep mail delivery and IPPB transactions; and Dak Sevaks handle mail, parcels and IPPB transactions across Post Offices, Sorting Offices and Delivery Centres. There is no written examination for India Post GDS Recruitment 2026 — the selection process consists entirely of a system-generated merit list prepared from each candidate's Class 10 marks or grades, followed by physical verification of original documents by the Engaging Authority. GDS are not regular Central Government employees; they are paid a Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) of ₹12,000 to ₹29,380 per month for Branch Postmaster and ₹10,000 to ₹24,470 per month for Assistant Branch Postmaster/Dak Sevak, with a 3% annual increase, Dearness Allowance, GDS Gratuity and the Service Discharge Benefit Scheme. The India Post GDS 2026 Online One-Time Registration (OTR) begins 31 August 2026 and online applications with fee payment can be submitted from 2 September 2026 to 21 September 2026 (up to 1700 hrs) at https://indiapost.gov.in/gdsonlineengagement. The application fee is ₹100 for General/OBC/UR male candidates, while female applicants, SC/ST applicants, PwBD applicants and Transwomen applicants are fully exempted from the fee. Candidates must read the complete official India Post GDS Recruitment 2026 notification PDF — a detailed 38-page document covering eligibility, local-language requirements Circle-wise, reservation norms and the full merit-list computation method — before registering, and should note that a two-day edit/correction window (23–24 September 2026) is available after the application closing date for correcting registration or application details.

Secondary School Examination (SSE)/Class 10 pass certificate with passing marks in Mathematics and English, from a Board recognised by the Government of India, State Governments, or Union Territories. Candidates with an equivalent qualification from any other (non-recognised) board are not eligible. Candidates must also have studied the local language prescribed for their Circle/post (per Annexure-III of the official notification) at least up to 10th standard from a recognised board — special local-language provisions apply in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim and Nagaland. No prior work experience is required or considered for selection. At the time of engagement, selected candidates must submit undertakings confirming knowledge of computers, ability to ride a bicycle or two-wheeler, and adequate means of livelihood besides the GDS allowances.

• Minimum 18 years, Maximum 40 years, as on the last date of application submission (21 September 2026)
• SC/ST: 5 years relaxation; OBC: 3 years; EWS: No relaxation; PwBD: 10 years; PwBD+OBC: 13 years; PwBD+SC/ST: 15 years

• Secondary School Examination (SSE)/Class 10 pass certificate with passing marks in Mathematics and English, from a Board recognised by the Government of India/State Governments/Union Territories — candidates with an equivalent qualification from any other (unrecognised) board are NOT eligible
• Must have studied the local language prescribed for the post (as per Circle-wise Annexure-III of the official notification) at least up to 10th standard from a recognised board — special local-language provisions apply for Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim and Nagaland
• Additional undertakings required at engagement: knowledge of computers, knowledge of cycling/riding a two-wheeler, and adequate means of livelihood besides the GDS TRCA and allowances
• Age Limit: Minimum 18 years, Maximum 40 years, as on the last date of application submission (21 September 2026)
• SC/ST — 5 years age relaxation; OBC — 3 years; EWS — No age relaxation; Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) — 10 years; PwBD + OBC — 13 years; PwBD + SC/ST — 15 years
• Reservation: OBC/ST/SC as per applicable state reservation percentage; EWS — 10%; PwBD — 1% each across 5 defined disability sub-categories (Low Vision; Deaf/Hard of Hearing; One Arm/One Leg/Leprosy Cured/Dwarfism/Acid Attack Victim/Both Leg/Spinal Infirmity; Specific Learning/Intellectual Disability; Multiple Disabilities)
• Past experience or prior service of any kind is NOT considered for selection — this is purely a fresh-merit engagement based on Class 10 academic record
• GDS posts are civil posts outside the regular Civil Services of the Union; service is governed by the GDS (Conduct and Engagement) Rules, 2020, not Article 309 of the Constitution — GDS are not regular Central Government employees and their pay/benefits are not at par with regular employees
• Candidates dismissed/removed/compulsorily retired from Government service or as a GDS in the past, as a penalty, are barred from applying and must submit an undertaking to this effect

₹100 for General/OBC/UR/EWS male candidates; fully exempted for all female applicants, SC/ST applicants, PwBD applicants, and Transwomen applicants

• Branch Postmaster (BPM): ₹12,000 to ₹29,380 per month (Time Related Continuity Allowance/TRCA, with 3% annual increase)
• Assistant Branch Postmaster (ABPM) / Dak Sevak: ₹10,000 to ₹24,470 per month (TRCA, with 3% annual increase)
• Plus Dearness Allowance on TRCA, GDS Gratuity, and Service Discharge Benefit Scheme (akin to NPS for regular employees)

1. Visit the GDS Online Engagement Portal at https://indiapost.gov.in/gdsonlineengagement — official portal of the Department of Posts for GDS engagement
2. Complete One-Time Registration (OTR) between 31 August 2026 and 19 September 2026, using a valid mobile number and email ID verified through OTP, and enter your Class 10 Board and year-of-passing details to generate a unique Registration Number
3. Log in using your Registration Number and the password received via SMS, then click "Apply Online" under the GDS Online Engagement Schedule-II section on the "Active Notification" tab
4. Fill in your Personal Details (auto-populated from OTR where applicable) and Board/Educational Details, including the Circle where you passed SSE, Board name, passing year, and subject-wise marks or grades exactly as shown on your Class 10 marksheet
5. Select your preferred Division based on the local language you studied, and give post preferences (BPM/ABPM/Dak Sevak) among the eligible vacancies displayed for that Division
6. Upload a recent photograph (JPG/JPEG, 30–100 KB, 320×400 px, 4:5 aspect ratio) and signature (JPG/JPEG, 20–100 KB, 300×120 px, 5:2 aspect ratio) exactly as per the prescribed specifications
7. Preview the application carefully and make any necessary corrections before final submission — details cannot be corrected after final submission except during the dedicated edit window
8. Pay the application fee of ₹100 (if not exempted) via Credit/Debit Card, Net Banking or UPI within 10 minutes of initiating payment, strictly before 1700 hrs on 21 September 2026
9. Submit the application and note your Registration Number safely for future login, tracking application status, and the edit/correction window
10. Use the edit/correction window (23–24 September 2026, up to 1700 hrs) only if genuine corrections are needed — any modification changing your reserved category will require the applicable fee to be paid again