Many India Post employees still believe that the Inspector Posts LDCE is a circle-level exam. It is not, and it has not been one since 2022.
The Department of Posts, Personnel Division, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi issued Letter No. X-7/15/2021-SPN-II(Pt.) dated 17th May 2022. This letter changed the entire selection procedure for Inspector Posts through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination.
This post explains that change in very simple language. Read it fully before you fill your next LDCE application form, because one part of it cannot be corrected later.
The Old System vs The New System
Before 2022: Vacancies were handled circle by circle. If your circle had no vacancy, your chance was limited.
From 2022 onwards: Vacancies are notified at all-India level, and one common merit list is prepared by the Directorate.
The change applies from recruitment year 2022 onwards, that is, for all vacancies arising on or after 01.01.2022.
This letter modified the earlier provision in para 8 of Rule 279/1 of Postal Manual Volume IV. That old rule now stands changed to the extent of this new procedure.
The Complete Selection Procedure — Step by Step
Here is the exact process laid down in the order.
Step 1 — Circles report their vacancies
Every Postal Circle reports its category-wise vacancy separately for each recruitment year in the Inspector Posts cadre that is earmarked for filling through LDCE. This report goes to the Postal Directorate.
Step 2 — Directorate combines the vacancies
The Directorate collects vacancies from all Postal Circles and notifies a category-wise combined vacancy at all-India level.
If the LDCE is being conducted for more than one recruitment year, the vacancy is notified separately for each recruitment year.
Step 3 — All eligible officials can apply
This is the biggest relief in the whole order.
All eligible feeder grade officials of all Postal Circles can appear in the LDCE — even if there is no vacancy in their own circle.
Eligibility is as prescribed in the Recruitment Rules of Inspector Posts. So a candidate from a circle with zero vacancy is no longer blocked from writing the exam.
Step 4 — You must give preference of all 23 Postal Circles
While submitting the application, every official has to give an order of preference of all 23 Postal Circles.
Please read this part carefully:
Preference once exercised is final. No change will be entertained at any later stage.
This single line has cost many candidates their preferred posting. Sit with a calm mind, discuss with family, and then fill your preference order. There is no editing later.
Step 5 — Common merit list is prepared
The Postal Directorate prepares one common merit list of all officials who appeared in the LDCE for Inspector Posts. Circle boundaries do not matter here. It is one national list.
Step 6 — Result is published against notified vacancies
Based on the common merit list, the Directorate publishes the list of successful candidates corresponding to the vacancies notified.
If the LDCE covers more than one recruitment year, the list of successful officials is published separately for each recruitment year, matching the vacancies notified for that year.
Step 7 — One candidate, one recruitment year
Another important rule that people misunderstand.
If the LDCE is held for more than one recruitment year, an official who is declared successful against any one recruitment year will not be considered again for a later year — even if going into the later year would have given them a better circle of posting.
In short: your first success locks you in.
Step 8 — Circle allotment on merit-cum-preference
Successful officials are allotted a Postal Circle on a merit-cum-preference basis, using the preference order they submitted along with their application.
So your final posting depends on two things together:
- Your rank in the all-India common merit list
- Your preference order in the application form
Higher rank means your top preference is more likely to be honoured.
Step 9 — Circle takes over
After allotment, the concerned Circle takes further necessary action for the appointment and posting of the candidates selected under LDCE.
Step 10 — Other instructions still apply
Any other instructions related to LDCE issued by the Directorate from time to time will also be kept in consideration. So keep watching India Post circulars regularly.
What This Means for You — In Plain Words
- Your exam performance matters more than your circle now. It is a national competition.
- No vacancy in your circle is no longer an excuse. You can still appear.
- Preference order is a one-time decision. Treat it as seriously as the exam itself.
- Marks decide posting. If you want your home circle, you need a good rank, not just a pass.
Why Departmental Aspirants at Every Level Should Care
You may be preparing for something much earlier in the ladder right now. That is completely fine. But understand where the road goes:
- GDS to MTS Departmental Exam — your first promotion step
- GDS to Postman / Mail Guard — the parallel first step
- MTS to PA / SA Departmental Exam — the second step
- Postman to PA / SA Departmental Exam — the same second step
- PA/SA to Inspector Posts through LDCE — where this all-India merit system applies
Every stage tests the same base subjects — Post Office Guide, Postal Manuals, CCS Rules, Savings Bank schemes, English, Reasoning and Aptitude. Build the foundation once during your GDS to MTS preparation and you will keep using it for the next twenty years of your service.
Postoffice Coaching provides complete preparation for all India Post departmental exams — live classes, recorded classes, updated study material, previous year question papers, question banks, practice sets and full-length mock tests.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Filling preference in a hurry on the last day. Give it proper thought.
- Putting only your home circle at the top and ignoring the rest. You still have to rank all 23 circles.
- Assuming you can change preference after the result. You cannot.
- Not appearing because your circle shows no vacancy. You are still eligible to appear.
- Studying only the syllabus and ignoring the procedure circulars. Procedure orders like this one are also part of departmental knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is the Inspector Posts LDCE merit list circle-wise or all-India? All-India. The Directorate prepares one common merit list for all officials who appear.
Q. My circle has no Inspector Posts vacancy. Can I still apply? Yes. All eligible feeder grade officials from all circles are allowed to appear, whether or not their circle has a vacancy.
Q. How many circles do I have to give preference for? All 23 Postal Circles, in your own order of priority.
Q. Can I change my circle preference after submitting the form? No. Preference once exercised is final and no change is entertained at any later stage.
Q. How is my posting circle decided? On a merit-cum-preference basis — your rank in the common merit list combined with the preference order you submitted.
Q. If the exam covers two recruitment years, can I be considered for both? No. Once you are declared successful against one recruitment year, you will not be considered for the next year, even if that year would have given you a better circle.
Q. From which year is this procedure applicable? From recruitment year 2022 onwards, that is, for vacancies arising on or after 01.01.2022.
Q. Which rule was changed by this order? Para 8 of Rule 279/1 of Postal Manual Volume IV stands modified to the extent of this procedure.
Final Word
The exam gives you the job. The preference form decides where you spend the next several years of your life. Prepare seriously for both.
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