The Department of Posts has released a new circular on 28 September 2026 about the disability categories identified for promotion posts. The big change is for the Assistant Superintendent of Posts (ASP) post. The list of suitable categories for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) is now much wider than before.
If you are a postal employee planning your career through the India Post Departmental Exam route, this update is worth reading. Let’s go through it step by step.
Quick Overview of the Circular
- Letter No.: SC-12/12/2022-SCT-DOP
- Date: 28-09-2026
- Issued by: Reservation Cell, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi
- Signed by: Prabha Sharma, Assistant Director General (PE-I & RC)
- Posts covered: PS Group ‘B’, ASP and LSG/HSG-II/HSG-I
- Sent to: All Chief Postmasters General, CGM PLI Directorate, Director RAKNPA Ghaziabad, and Directors of all PTCs
Why Was This Change Made?
The reason is simple and logical:
- In October 2022, the Department first notified the PwBD categories for PS Group ‘B’, ASP and LSG/HSG posts.
- Later, an Expert Committee reviewed some posts, including Inspector Posts (IP). The revised categories for IP were notified on 25 August 2025.
- There is a rule in the DEPwD Notification dated 04.01.2021 (Note 4). It says that if a post is identified in the feeder grade, then all posts in the promotional grade also stand identified.
- ASP is the promotion post of IP. So the categories now allowed for IP automatically apply to ASP as well.
Old vs New: ASP Categories at a Glance
| Category | Earlier (2022) | Now (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Low Vision (LV) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Blind (B) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Deaf (D) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Hard of Hearing (HH) | ✅ | ✅ |
| One Arm, One Leg, One Arm and One Leg | ✅ | ✅ |
| Both Legs affected but not Arms | ❌ | ✅ |
| Muscular Weakness (MW) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cerebral Palsy (CP) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Leprosy Cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack Victim | ✅ | ✅ |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder (Mild), Intellectual Disability, Specific Learning Disability, Mental Illness | ❌ | ✅ |
| Multiple disabilities from the above | ✅ | ✅ |
In short, many categories that were not included earlier are now eligible for the ASP post.
Physical Requirements for ASP
The physical requirements remain the same: S, ST, W, RW, SE, C and H. In simple terms:
- S – Sitting
- ST – Standing
- W – Walking
- RW – Reading and Writing
- SE – Seeing
- C – Communication
- H – Hearing
What About PS Group ‘B’ and LSG/HSG Posts?
There is no change for these posts. The categories notified in the letter dated 12.10.2022 will continue as they are. A copy of that old letter is attached with the new circular.
One more important point from the 2022 letter still applies. If a post is already held by a person with a benchmark disability, that post is treated as identified for that category of disability.
Who Should Take Note of This Update?
- Inspector Posts planning promotion to ASP
- Employees with benchmark disabilities who are preparing for the India Post Promotion Exam
- Officers handling promotion, reservation and DPC work in Circle offices
- Anyone preparing for departmental exams who wants to understand how promotions and reservation rules work in India Post
Why Departmental Exam Aspirants Should Care
Every promotion in India Post follows a ladder. A GDS moves up through the GDS to MTS or GDS to Postman exam. An MTS or Postman can move up through the MTS to PA or Postman to PA exam. From there, the path goes on to IP and then ASP.
Circulars like this show one thing clearly. The Department is making the promotion path more open and inclusive at every level. If you are just starting your journey with GDS to MTS Exam Preparation or Postal Assistant Exam preparation, it helps to stay updated with such rules from day one.
Final Words
This is a positive step. By extending the IP categories to ASP, India Post has made sure that employees with disabilities are not stopped at the IP level when it’s time for promotion. The rule is fair, clear and based on existing government notifications.
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