The Office of the Chief Postmaster General, Gujarat Circle, Ahmedabad has announced the list of qualified candidates eligible to appear in the Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) in the LDCE / Competitive Examination from LGO / GDS for promotion and recruitment to the cadre of Postal Assistant and Sorting Assistant, vacancy year 2026.
The written examination was held on 28 June 2026. A total of 463 candidates appear in Annexure-A.
This is the largest DEST qualified list published by any circle this season.
Order at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Circle | Gujarat Circle, Ahmedabad – 380 001 |
| Letter No. | R&E/2-32//2026/Con/II |
| Dated | 21-08-2026 |
| Subject | Announcement of qualified candidates eligible for DEST |
| Examination | LDCE / CE from LGO / GDS |
| Promotion / recruitment to | Postal Assistant / Sorting Assistant |
| Vacancy year | 2026 (01-01-2026 to 31-12-2026) |
| Written exam held on | 28-06-2026 |
| Annexure | Annexure-A — LGO / GDS to PA/SA |
| Total qualified candidates | 463 |
| DEST exemptions | 2 (both VH candidates) |
| Issued by | Assistant Director Postal Services (Recruitment), O/o the CPMG, Gujarat Circle |
| Also available on | Departmental website (indiapost.gov.in) |
Important: The DEST Date Is Not in This Order
Read this before you plan anything.
This order announces who has qualified. It does not state:
- The date of the DEST
- The venue or venues
- The reporting time
- Anything about Hall Permits or Admit Cards
That is different from how some other circles have done it. Assam Circle, for example, named both the date and the venue in its shortlist order. Gujarat has not.
So if your name is on this list, you are waiting for a second circular with the schedule. Watch:
- The Gujarat Circle web portal
- The Departmental website, indiapost.gov.in, where CEPT Mysuru has been asked to upload Annexure-A
- Your Divisional Office, which is where Hall Permits normally reach you
Do not assume a date. Do not book travel on the strength of a WhatsApp rumour. And do not wait for the date to start practising — see the practice section below.
Division-Wise Breakup of the 463 Qualified Candidates
This is the table worth screenshotting.
| Division / Unit | Qualified candidates |
|---|---|
| Ahmedabad City Dn. | 61 |
| Kheda Dn. | 26 |
| Vadodara East Dn. | 26 |
| Vadodara West Dn. | 24 |
| Gandhinagar Dn. | 23 |
| RMS ‘AM’ Dn. | 21 |
| Panchmahal Dn. | 21 |
| RMS ‘W’ Dn. | 21 |
| Surat Dn. | 19 |
| Mahesana Dn. | 18 |
| Junagadh Dn. | 18 |
| Sabarkantha Dn. | 16 |
| Banaskantha Dn. | 16 |
| Anand Dn. | 15 |
| Rajkot Dn. | 14 |
| Bhavnagar Dn. | 12 |
| Bharuch Dn. | 11 |
| Valsad Dn. | 11 |
| Ahmedabad GPO | 10 |
| Amreli Dn. | 10 |
| Navsari Dn. | 10 |
| Jamnagar Dn. | 9 |
| Surendranagar Dn. | 9 |
| Gondal Dn. | 8 |
| RMS ‘RJ’ Dn. | 8 |
| MTS CO/RO | 7 |
| Patan Dn. | 6 |
| Kachchh Dn. | 6 |
| Porbandar Dn. | 6 |
| Bardoli Dn. | 1 |
| Total | 463 |
Ahmedabad City Division alone accounts for 61 candidates — over 13 percent of the whole list, and more than double the next division. Kheda and Vadodara East follow with 26 each.
At the other end, Bardoli Division has a single qualified candidate.
The three RMS divisions — ‘AM’, ‘W’ and ‘RJ’ — together contribute 50 candidates. RMS divisions consistently punch above their size in these examinations across every circle, because RMS units carry heavy MTS strength.
Roll numbers run in division-wise blocks starting from 2600xx and rising to 2629xx. If your roll number falls outside your division’s block, that is worth raising with your Divisional Office.
Who Is Actually on This List
The Annexure records each candidate’s present designation, and the mix tells you something useful about how this exam works.
The qualified candidates hold these designations:
- MTS — Multi-Tasking Staff
- PM — Postman
- MG — Mail Guard
- BPM — Branch Postmaster (GDS)
The overwhelming majority are LGO cadre officials — MTS, Postman and Mail Guard. Only one BPM entry appears in the list, from Gandhinagar Division.
That is the practical reality of the LGO / GDS to PA/SA route: it is dominated by officials already in departmental service. If you are a GDS reading this and wondering about your own path to PA/SA, the far more travelled route is GDS to MTS first, then MTS to PA through the LGO examination. Two steps, but a much wider door at each one.
Categories recorded in the list are UR, SC and ST.
PwBD Candidates and DEST Exemption
Eight candidates in the list carry a PwBD marking. The sub-categories recorded are:
- PH-VH (Visually Handicapped)
- PH-HH (Hearing Handicapped)
- PH-OH (Orthopaedically Handicapped)
Two candidates are marked “DEST EXEMPTION” in the Remarks column. Both are VH candidates — one a BPM from Gandhinagar Division, the other an MTS official from Anand Division.
This is consistent with what other circles have applied. VH candidates are exempted from appearing in the DEST under standing Directorate instructions, while OH and HH candidates are not covered by that exemption and are expected to appear.
If you are a PwBD candidate and your sub-category or exemption status is recorded wrongly in Annexure-A, raise it with your Divisional Office now, not after the test.
Checking Your Entry — What to Verify
Annexure-A records, for each candidate: Serial number, Roll number, Division, EMP ID, Name, Designation, Category, Sub-Category and Remarks.
Because this list carries the personal details of 463 serving officials, we are not reproducing the full table here. Download the official Annexure-A PDF from the Gujarat Circle portal or indiapost.gov.in and check your own entry at source.
Verify these four things:
- Roll number — matches your admit card from 28 June
- EMP ID — matches your service records
- Designation — MTS, PM, MG or BPM as applicable
- Category and sub-category — UR/SC/ST, and PwBD marking if you have one
Gujarat Circle has not printed a specific instruction in this letter about where to report errors. The standard route applies: write to your Divisional Head, who forwards it to the Circle Office. Do it in writing and keep a copy.
Start Practising Now, Not When the Date Arrives
Here is the mistake almost everyone on this list is about to make: waiting for the DEST date before starting typing practice.
The date is not announced. It could be two weeks away. It could be four. Either way, the practice you do between now and then is the only variable you control.
CEPT hosts a free dummy DEST practice application with a user manual. Other circles have circulated the link to their candidates specifically so they can familiarise themselves with the actual test interface before the exam:
Why this matters more than a generic typing website:
- It mirrors the real test screen — the passage window, the timer, the input box
- Candidates routinely lose their first two minutes just working out the layout
- You find out today whether anything about the interface surprises you
A few practical points on preparing:
Accuracy over raw speed. Data entry tests penalise errors. A clean steady run beats a fast run full of backspacing.
Practise the number row and symbols. Postal data entry passages are dense with PIN codes, article numbers, amounts and dates. That is where untrained typists lose their whole margin.
Use a proper desktop keyboard. Phone typing speed is irrelevant here. If your office has a computer, use it in free hours.
Twenty to thirty minutes, twice a day. Consistent short sessions build muscle memory far better than one long weekend session.
What Comes Next
Based on the normal sequence for these examinations:
- Written exam — done (28 June 2026)
- Qualified list for DEST — done (21 August 2026)
- DEST schedule circular — expected next
- Hall Permit / Admit Card
- DEST
- Final merit list and posting orders
One point worth remembering: in most circles, the DEST is qualifying only. Merit for selection is drawn from the written papers. Clearing the skill test gets you into the merit list; it does not improve your position in it. So treat the DEST as a hurdle to clear cleanly rather than a chance to climb.
Check your circle notification for the exact rule that applies to Gujarat.
For Candidates in Other Circles
Every circle runs its own LGO / GDS to PA/SA examination with its own qualified list, its own DEST schedule and its own vacancy position. Gujarat’s 463 have no bearing on Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu or Odisha.
But three things travel:
PA (Post Office) is where the vacancies are. Across circles, Circle Office and Regional Office posts are a handful; the bulk sits in Postal Divisions.
The LGO exam is the clearest route from MTS or Postman into PA/SA. If you are in a feeder cadre and not preparing for it, you are leaving the most realistic promotion on the table.
Everything after the written exam is preparation you control. The DEST rewards practice and nothing else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many candidates have qualified for DEST in Gujarat Circle? 463 candidates appear in Annexure-A, of whom two VH candidates are exempted from appearing in the DEST.
Q. When is the Gujarat Circle DEST? The order does not state a date. A separate circular with the DEST schedule is expected.
Q. When was the written exam held? 28 June 2026.
Q. Which division has the most qualified candidates? Ahmedabad City Division, with 61 candidates. Kheda and Vadodara East follow with 26 each.
Q. Who was eligible for this examination? LGO cadre officials — MTS, Postman and Mail Guard — and eligible GDS, for promotion or recruitment to Postal Assistant and Sorting Assistant.
Q. Are PwBD candidates exempted from DEST? Two VH candidates in this list are marked as exempted. OH and HH candidates are not covered by that exemption and are expected to appear.
Q. Where can I download the official list? Annexure-A is available on the Departmental website, indiapost.gov.in, and on the Gujarat Circle portal. CEPT Mysuru has been asked to upload it.
Q. What if my name, roll number or EMP ID is printed wrongly? Report it in writing to your Divisional Head, who will forward it to the Circle Office. Do this immediately.
Q. Where can I practise for the DEST? CEPT provides a free dummy test software with a user manual at https://cept.gov.in/dest/Training.html.
Q. Does this list apply to other circles? No. This is Gujarat Circle only. Every circle publishes its own qualified list.
Final Word
Four hundred and sixty-three candidates have cleared the written stage. That was the part where luck played a role.
What is left is a skill test with no announced date, a free practice tool available right now, and however many weeks you choose to use properly.
Check your entry in Annexure-A today. Report any error today. Open the CEPT dummy test today.
All the best to every qualified candidate from Gujarat Circle.