Checked 29 September 2026. The 1994 rules are in force; the 2024 rules are a draft circulated for comments and not notified as of 29 September 2026. A notified Recruitment Rules would override this page.
Postal Service Group 'B' is the Level 9 rung of India Post's inspectorate. Inspectors of Posts sit at Level 7, Assistant Superintendents at Level 8, PS Group B at Level 9, and the Junior Time Scale of the Indian Postal Service at Level 10. PS Group B is not the first gazetted rung: Assistant Superintendents were given Gazetted Group B status by a DoP order of 28.07.2005 (reported). Under the rules in force since 1994, an Inspector reaches PS Group B (Level 9) by seniority after eight years, or by the LDCE after five. A draft set of Recruitment Rules circulated by the Department on 11.11.2024 would change that: 100% promotion, no exam, no clerical-line route. It has not been notified, and the Department's own calendars kept scheduling the exam after it. This guide lays out the ladder, the two rule sets side by side, and how the proposed rules sit next to the current operating position.
Where other pages get this wrong
The document of 11.11.2024 is a draft circulated for 30 days' comments, not notified Recruitment Rules, and it does not merely change eligibility: it removes the LDCE and the clerical-line quota altogether.
Commonly published instead: Pages that call the 2024 rules "notified" (an earlier version of our own notice board did) or describe only the eight-year promotion condition without saying the exam would go.
The office memorandum itself asks for comments within 30 days and calls the text a draft notification. Its method-of-recruitment column reads promotion 100%. No notified version was found in this research, on a DoP server or elsewhere.
G.S.R. 329 of 1994 (official); draft RR of 11.11.2024 (official content, read on the FNPO site).
The ladder
| Grade | Pay level | How it is reached | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspector of Posts | Level 7 | Two routes: the IP LDCE from PA/SA and other feeder cadres, and direct recruitment. The split between them is set by the Inspector Posts Recruitment Rules, which we did not read, so we do not print it | Our Inspector Posts LDCE guide; the draft RR 2024 names Inspector of Posts only as the feeder grade |
| Assistant Superintendent of Posts | Level 8 | Promotion from Inspector | Draft RR 2024 (official content, FNPO copy) |
| Postal Service Group B (gazetted) | Level 9 (Rs 53,100 to 1,67,800) | 75% seniority (Inspectors, 8 years), 19% LDCE IP line, 6% LDCE clerical line, under the 1994 rules | G.S.R. 329 (official); level from the draft; pay range from the IPoS RR 2017 as reproduced (reported) |
| Junior Time Scale, Indian Postal Service Group A | Level 10 (Rs 56,100 to 1,77,500) | 50% direct recruitment, 50% promotion from PS Group B (Level 9) and Senior Postmaster (Level 8) with 2 years of regular service and at least two weeks of Departmental Induction Training | OM of 31.01.2025 for the level and range (official); IPoS RR 2017 for the method (reported) |
The rung below is covered in our guide to the Inspector Posts LDCE. On our reading, the PS Group B LDCE saves an Inspector three years on paper, five against eight, and under the 1994 rules it is the only gazetted Group B route for clerical-line LSG and HSG officials. In practice the saving depends on when an exam is actually held: the gap between sittings has been two and a half to four years (our count).
The 1994 rules against the 2024 draft
G.S.R. 329 of 29.06.1994 (official); draft RR of 11.11.2024 (official content, copy on the FNPO site).
| Item | 1987 rules as amended in 1994 | 2024 draft | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | In force; cited by the LDCE notifications of 28.09.2020, 02.01.2023 and 21.11.2023 | Draft for comments within 30 days; not notified | Notifications of 02.01.2023 (reported) and 21.11.2023; OM of 11.11.2024 |
| Method | 75% promotion, 19% LDCE (IP line), 6% LDCE (clerical line) | Promotion 100%; no direct recruitment | G.S.R. 329; draft RR |
| Feeder for promotion | Inspectors of Post Offices and Inspectors RMS with 8 years | Inspector of Posts (Level 7) with 8 years regular service in the grade, plus at least two weeks of Departmental Induction Training; regular service as ASP (Level 8) counts | G.S.R. 329; draft RR |
| Exam route | IP and ASP with 5 years; clerical line LSG and above with 5 years | None | G.S.R. 329; draft RR |
| Classification | Group B gazetted | General Central Service, Group B, Gazetted, Non-Ministerial, Level 9 | Draft RR |
| Number of posts | Not stated in the pages we read | 1,091 (2024), subject to variation | Draft RR |
| DPC | Not in the pages we read | CPMG or equivalent, a Director of Postal Services and an SSPO (STS level); UPSC consultation not necessary | Draft RR |
| Junior-senior clause | Applied through the notifications | Included as a standard note | Notification of 02.01.2023 (reported); draft RR |
About the source of the draft. The OM of 11.11.2024 is a Department of Posts document from the SPG-II section, and its content reads as official. But the only copy we could open is hosted on the website of the FNPO federation. The OM itself asked for it to be put on the India Post website for 30 days, and a CEPT link cited elsewhere for it (pdfbind id 11238) now returns an empty file. Our copy is dated 11 November 2024; some reproductions give 13.11.2024. We treat its content as the Department's and its location as reported, and we say so each time we cite it.
The proposed rule change and the current operating position
| Document | Date | What it says about an LDCE | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft RR (OM 9-14/2010-SPG Vol.II) | 11.11.2024 | None: 100% promotion | Official content, FNPO copy (reported location) |
| Calendar of Examinations 2025 | 20.01.2025 | PS Group B LDCE for vacancy years 2024 and 2025: notification 08.09.2025, exam 02.11.2025 | Official |
| Calendar of Examinations 2026 | 30.12.2025 | PS Group B LDCE for 2024, 2025 and 2026: notification 25.06.2026, exam 09.08.2026 | Official |
| Revision of 2026 dates | 23.04.2026 | Revises other exams only; "other entries" unchanged | Official |
| Deferment letter | 23.06.2026 | Notification and exam of the "LDCE/CE" for 2024 to 2026 deferred; revised schedule in due course | Official |
These are not two rule sets in force at once. The draft proposes to end the exam, but it takes effect only when notified in the Official Gazette; until then the 1994 rules govern, and the calendars and the deferment letter schedule an LDCE under them. The open question is what a notified rule would do to vacancy years already pending, and nothing we read answers it. It is possible that the rules will be notified as drafted, that they will be changed after the comments, or that they will be dropped. The deferment letter gives only "administrative reasons", and we do not read the draft into it.
What the change would mean, if notified as drafted
For each group (our reading of the draft)
- Inspectors with five to seven years: the early route to Group B would close. Promotion would come after eight years in the grade, through a DPC.
- ASPs: ASP service would count towards the eight years, so an ASP loses nothing on the seniority route; the five-year exam route would go.
- Clerical-line LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I officials: the 6% quota is the only Group B route the 1994 rules give them, and the draft has no clerical-line route at all.
- Candidates for vacancy years 2024 to 2026: the draft does not say whether vacancies of years before notification would still be filled by the old method. That is not published.
The draft has not been notified. Until it is, the 1994 rules govern, and every DoP document about the pending cycle still calls it an LDCE.
A staff association, the AIASC, published comments opposing the draft in January 2025, according to a postal blog. A union writer in January 2026 cited a later "Revised RR 2025" draft from August 2025 that would let HSG-I officials sit the exam; we could not find that document and cannot say what it contains.
Other changes around the grade
| Change | Date | Document | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 225 ASPO posts (Level 8) upgraded to PS Group B (Level 9) | 29.03.2023 | DoP 25-36/2017-PE-I (Vol.III) | Reported (GovtStaff reproduction) |
| Ad-hoc promotion of PS Group B officers to JTS (Level 10) extended by up to one more year | 31.01.2025, following an order of 02.02.2024 | OM No. 4-2/2023-SPG | Official |
| JTS filled 50% by direct recruitment and 50% by promotion from PS Group B and Senior Postmaster with 2 years and at least two weeks of Departmental Induction Training | 10.08.2017 | IPoS (Group A) RR 2017, G.S.R. 1010(E) | Reported (StaffNews reproduction) |
| Promotions on the recast LDCE results for vacancy years 2017-18 to 2023: 20 officers promoted to PS Group B afresh and 80 given a revised vacancy year (our count); seniority only from taking charge, no notional promotion or arrears | 10.09.2026 | Office Order R-09/15/2026-SPG-II-DoP | Official |
The restructuring order upgraded 225 ASPO posts (Level 8) to PS Group B (Level 9), with a corresponding reduction in ASP strength (reported), and the repeated ad-hoc promotions to JTS show that the rung above PS Group B has been filled on an ad-hoc basis for some time. We do not draw a conclusion from either about the LDCE; neither document mentions it.
Has the PS Group B LDCE been abolished?
Not as of 29 September 2026. A draft of the Recruitment Rules circulated on 11.11.2024 would fill all posts by promotion, but it has not been notified, and DoP calendars and the deferment letter of 23.06.2026 still refer to an LDCE.
Are the 2024 PS Group B Recruitment Rules notified?
No. The office memorandum of 11.11.2024 invited comments within 30 days on a draft. No notified version was found.
Where can the 2024 draft be read?
The only copy we could open is on the website of the FNPO federation. The content is a Department of Posts memorandum; the OM asked for it to be posted on the India Post website for 30 days, and a CEPT link cited for it elsewhere now returns an empty file.
What is the pay level of PS Group B?
Level 9 of the 7th CPC pay matrix, Rs 53,100 to 1,67,800. The level is in the draft rules; the range is from the IPoS Recruitment Rules 2017 as reproduced.
How many years does an Inspector need for promotion to PS Group B?
Eight years of regular service for seniority promotion under the 1994 rules and in the draft. The LDCE needs five.
How many PS Group B posts are there?
The draft rules give 1,091 posts as of 2024, subject to variation.
What is the next promotion after PS Group B?
Junior Time Scale of the Indian Postal Service Group A, Level 10, filled half by direct recruitment and half by promotion from PS Group B and Senior Postmaster with two years of regular service and at least two weeks of Departmental Induction Training.
Would clerical-line officials lose their route to Group B under the draft?
On our reading, yes. The draft has no clerical-line quota and no exam, and promotion is only from Inspectors of Posts.
Sources
- reported — DoP (SPG-II) OM F. No. 9-14/2010-SPG (Vol.II) dated 11.11.2024: draft revision of the PS Group B Recruitment Rules, comments within 30 days. Official DoP content, but the only copy we found is hosted by the FNPO federation, not a DoP server
- official — Assam Circle Staff/8-49/2024 dated 22.11.2023 forwarding DoP Notification A-34012/04/2023-DE (II) dated 21.11.2023 (later quashed by CAT Ernakulam), with SPG-II letter 9-04/2018-SPG-II dated 05.09.2019 (pattern and syllabus), its corrigendum, and Gazette G.S.R. 329 dated 29.06.1994 (Wayback copy)
- official — DoP F. No. A-34012/01/2025-DE dated 20.01.2025: Calendar of Examinations 2025 (item 4, PS Group B for 2024 and 2025), read from the Wayback copy of 24.03.2025
- official — DoP F. No. DE-12/05/2025-DE-DOP dated 30.12.2025: Calendar of Examinations 2026 (item 3, PS Group B for 2024, 2025 and 2026)
- official — DoP F. No. DE-12/5/2025-DE-DOP dated 23.04.2026: revised 2026 dates for PA/SA and PM/MG only; other entries of the 2026 calendar unchanged
- official — DoP (DE Section) F. No. DE-12/4/2026-DE-DoP dated 23.06.2026: LDCE for PS Group B, vacancy years 2024 to 2026, notification and examination deferred
- official — DoP (SPG) OM No. 4-2/2023-SPG dated 31.01.2025: extension of ad-hoc promotion of PS Group B officers to JTS of IPoS Group A, Level 10
- official — DoP (SPG-II) Office Order No. R-09/15/2026-SPG-II-DoP dated 10.09.2026: promotions and revised vacancy years on the recast results of 06.08.2026 (CAT Ernakulam OA 194/2023)
- reported — Postalstudy: notification A-34012/03/2022-DE dated 02.01.2023, vacancy years 2021 to 2023, exam 12.02.2023
- reported — GovtStaff: DoP 25-36/2017-PE-I (Vol.III) dated 29.03.2023, 225 ASPO (Level 8) posts upgraded to PS Group B (Level 9)
- reported — StaffNews: Indian Postal Service (Group A) Recruitment Rules 2017, G.S.R. 1010(E) dated 10.08.2017
- reported — SAPosts: eligibility of LSG officials for the PS Group B exam (Jan 2026; cites an August 2025 draft we could not find)
- reported — PO Tools: AIASC comments opposing the 2024 draft Recruitment Rules
- reported — Postalstudy: DoP order of 28.07.2005 granting Gazetted Group B status to Assistant Superintendents of Posts (reproduction)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
