Department of Posts: Clarifications on GDS Compassionate Engagement (APT 2.0)

On May 27, 2026, the Ministry of Communications, Department of Posts, issued an official communication to CEPT regarding essential system updates for the GDS Online Compassionate Engagement Portal under APT 2.0. Below is a summary of the key clarifications and new validation rules being implemented:

1. Updates to the One-Time Relaxation Scheme

• Eligibility Window: The system will implement validation to ensure cases are only classified under the One-Time Relaxation Scheme if the date of death occurred between January 1, 2020, and February 24, 2025.
• Extended Application Deadline: Applications for this specific relaxation can be submitted up to December 29, 2026.
• Strict Exclusions: Dependents of "missing" employees or those who were retired or discharged on medical grounds are strictly ineligible for this scheme.

2. Registration Rules for Employees Retired on Medical Grounds

• Ineligibility Rule: Following the revised merit scheme guidelines dated June 23, 2025, employees who retired on medical grounds after May 19, 2015, are no longer eligible for compassionate appointment.
• Portal Restrictions: To enforce this, CEPT has been instructed to configure the portal to automatically restrict the registration of these specific medical retirement cases at the initial registration stage.

Download Official PDF Notification