Department of Posts Issues Key Clarifications on Rule 38 Transfer Guidelines
The Department of Posts, under the Ministry of Communications, has issued a new circular reinforcing the guidelines for processing employee transfers under Rule 38. The communication, dated October 14, 2025, addresses discrepancies in vacancy reporting and provides strict instructions to all postal circles to ensure the accurate and timely assessment of vacancies for Group 'C' and Group 'B' (non-gazetted) employees.
The directive comes after the Directorate noticed that several representations indicated some circles were not accurately assessing and uploading vacancies to the Rule 38 online portal, which negatively impacted the processing of transfer requests.
Recap of Existing Guidelines on Vacancy Assessment
The circular reiterated the existing instructions from a letter dated February 3, 2023, regarding the assessment of vacancies for Rule 38 transfers. The key provisions are:
- For MTS / Postman / Mail Guard Cadres: Both Inter-Circle and Intra-Circle transfers under Rule 38 are not to be considered after the notification for a departmental examination for a specific recruitment year has been issued.
- For Postal Assistant (PA) / Sorting Assistant (SA) Cadres:
- Inter-Circle transfers under Rule 38 are not to be considered after the notification for a departmental examination for a recruitment year is released.
- However, Intra-Circle transfers under Rule 38 will still be permitted against vacancies earmarked for the departmental examination even after the notification is issued, as this does not change the total vacancy count of the Circle.
- For PA / SA / Stenographer Cadres: Inter-Circle transfers under Rule 38 are allowed against vacancies that are earmarked for Direct Recruitment through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), as this does not alter the total vacancy at the all-India level.
New Clarification and Directive
In light of the issues with vacancy reporting, the Directorate has issued a fresh clarification. All circles are now requested to ensure the accurate and timely assessment of vacancies, strictly adhering to the established instructions.
Crucially, the circular clarifies that for Inter-Circle transfers in the PA, SA, and Stenographer cadres, it is mandatorily required to take into consideration the vacancies earmarked for Direct Recruitment through the SSC.
This communication, issued with the approval of the Competent Authority and signed by Vinod Kumar, Assistant Director General (SPN), aims to streamline the transfer process and ensure that all employee requests are handled fairly and based on accurate data.
Download Official Circular (PDF)Are you a Central Government Employee?
Don’t stay in the dark! Vital updates on Service Rules, Pension policies, and your career are happening right now.
Add as Preferred Source on Google
Follow us to ensure our latest exclusive reports appear first in your Google Search and Discover feed.
Comments
Post a Comment