India Post Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS): how selection by Class 10 marks works

Who can apply

These are the conditions in the Schedule-II (July 2026) notification dated 20 August 2026. A later schedule can change them, so read the current notification before you apply.

• Age: 18 to 40 years, counted on the last date for submitting applications. The notification gives extra years for reserved categories and for persons with benchmark disabilities; read paragraph 5.1 of the notification for your category.
• Education: Class 10 (Secondary School Examination) pass certificate with passing marks in Mathematics and English, from a recognised school board in India. The notification says candidates with an equivalent qualification from another board are not eligible.
• Local language: you must have studied the local language of the circle at least up to Class 10. The notification lists the language for each circle in Annexure-III.
• Other conditions: knowledge of computers, knowledge of cycling and adequate means of livelihood. Selected candidates sign undertakings on these at engagement.
• One registration per person. The notification says duplicate registrations can lead to cancellation, before or after engagement.

How selection works

There is no written exam and no interview. Shortlisting is by a system-generated merit list built from the marks in your Class 10 certificate, converted to a percentage (to four decimal places). You enter the marks yourself in the application, so a wrong entry changes your rank.

If two candidates have the same percentage, the notification sets a tie-break order that starts with date of birth (the older candidate first). Past experience of any kind is not counted.

Shortlisted candidates are told on the portal, by SMS and by email. They must report to the Divisional or Unit Head for physical verification of original documents within 15 days of shortlisting, or the system marks them 'non-turned up' and the candidature is cancelled.

After successful verification the system issues an offer of provisional engagement. Pre-engagement formalities, which include a 3-day basic training and arranging accommodation, must be finished within 30 days. Engagement is also subject to verification by the issuing authorities and police antecedent verification.

The posts, the hours and the pay

• Branch Postmaster (BPM) runs a Branch Post Office. A selected BPM must arrange accommodation for the office at their own cost, and must live in the village where the Branch Post Office is.
• Assistant Branch Postmaster (ABPM) and Dak Sevak handle stamps, mail delivery and India Post Payments Bank transactions, and must live within the delivery area of their office.
• The notification says GDS are not regular central government employees, that they work between four and five hours a day, and that they should have another source of income besides the allowance.
• Pay is a Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA). For this schedule the starting slab is Rs 12,000 to Rs 29,380 for BPM and Rs 10,000 to Rs 24,470 for ABPM and Dak Sevak, with a 3% annual increase subject to conditions, plus Dearness Allowance. Figures change with each notification.

How to apply officially

• Go only to indiapost.gov.in/gdsonlineengagement. The notification says applications by any other mode are not entertained, and that official email comes only from addresses ending in @indiapost.gov.in or @indiapostgdsonline.gov.in.
• Register once with a mobile number and email of your own (both are checked with an OTP), then fill the application and choose your division and post preferences.
• Upload a recent photograph and signature. You do not upload certificates with the application; documents are checked later in person.
• Fee: Rs 100 for applicants who are not exempt. The notification exempts all female applicants, persons with benchmark disabilities, transwomen and applicants in certain reserved categories listed in the notice. Fee paid is not refunded.
• If you spot a mistake, use the two-day edit window after the closing date; do not register again.

Common mistakes

• Entering name, date of birth or parents' names differently from the Class 10 marksheet. The notification requires them 'strictly as per' the marksheet.
• Entering grades when the form asks for marks, or entering marks that do not match the sheet. Wrong data can lead to rejection.
• Applying for a circle whose local language you have not studied up to Class 10.
• Missing the 15-day verification window after shortlisting. Check the portal, because the notification says the Department is not responsible if an SMS or email is not received.
• Paying anyone for a 'seat' or to 'fix' marks. Selection is by the system merit list; nobody can change it.

Documents to carry at verification

The notification lists these in original, with two self-attested photocopies, as applicable: Class 10 marksheet, identity proof, category certificate if you claim reservation or age relaxation, disability certificate, EWS certificate, date of birth proof, and a medical certificate from a government doctor (compulsory). See our documents checklist guide for how to keep them ready.