Short summary: The Office of the Chief Postmaster General, Tamil Nadu Circle, Chennai – 600 002 has released the annual reservation roster summaries and Post Based Rosters (PBR) as on 31.12.2025 for all major cadres. The numbers show something every departmental aspirant should know: more than 1,050 posts are lying vacant across LSG, HSG-II, HSG-I, Postal Assistant, Stenographer, MTS and Driver cadres.
If you are preparing for MTS to PA, Postman to PA, GDS to MTS, GDS to Postman / Mail Guard, or any India Post departmental promotion exam, this data tells you exactly where the openings are. Read it fully.
Quick Snapshot – Tamil Nadu Circle Vacancy Position (31.12.2025)
| Cadre | Sanctioned | In Position | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSG-II (in Post Offices) | 888 | 239 | (-) 649 |
| HSG-I (Postal) | 270 | 31 | (-) 239 |
| PA (CO/RO) – DP Quota (LDCE) | 102 | 51 | (-) 51 |
| MTS (CO/RO) | 89 | 68 | (-) 21 |
| HSG-II (Accountant) | 75 | 55 | (-) 20 |
| Stenographer Grade-I | 21 | 1 | (-) 20 |
| Grade-II Driver | 67 | 50 | (-) 17 |
| LSG (SBCO) | 43 | 31 | (-) 12 |
| Stenographer Grade-II | 29 | 20 | (-) 9 |
| HSG-II (CO/RO) | 8 | 0 | (-) 8 |
| HSG-I (CO/RO) | 5 | 0 | (-) 5 |
| HSG-I (SBCO) | 5 | 0 | (-) 5 |
| Special Grade Driver | 11 | 9 | (-) 2 |
| LSG (CO/RO) | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| PA (CO/RO) – DR Quota | 152 | 165 | (+) 13 excess |
Total shortage across cadres: about 1,058 posts.
HSG-II in Post Offices – The Biggest Gap (649 Vacancies)
This is the single largest shortage in the Circle.
- Sanctioned posts: 888 (UR 689, SC 133, ST 66)
- In position: 239 — and every one of them is working against a UR point
- Shortage: (-) 649 (UR -450, SC -133, ST -66)
- Vacant PBR points: 240 to 888
- Method of recruitment: 100% by selection
Read that carefully. SC and ST representation in HSG-II (Post Offices) is currently Nil. All 133 SC points and all 66 ST points are vacant.
HSG-I (Postal) Cadre – 239 Vacancies
- Sanctioned posts: 270 (UR 210, SC 40, ST 20)
- In position: 31, all against UR points
- Shortage: (-) 239
- Vacant PBR points: 32 to 270
- Reservation prescribed: SC 15%, ST 7.5%
- Method of recruitment: 100% selection
Again, SC and ST in position = Nil. The full 40 SC and 20 ST points are lying vacant.
HSG-II (Accountant) Cadre
- Sanctioned posts: 75 (UR 59, SC 11, ST 5)
- In position: 55 (all UR)
- Shortage: (-) 20
- Vacant PBR points: 56 to 75
One positive signal here: the PBR shows a large number of officials joined the HSG-II Accountant cadre during 2024 and 2025, with many joining dates falling in December 2025. So this cadre is actively moving.
Postal Assistant (PA) CO/RO – Two Separate Quotas
This is the section most PA SA departmental exam aspirants should focus on. The 254 PA posts in CO/RO are split into two quotas.
PA under DR Quota (60% – Direct Recruitment)
- Sanctioned: 152 (60% of 254) — UR 62, OBC 41, SC 23, ST 11, EWS 15
- In position: 165 — UR 74, OBC 51, SC 32, ST 4, EWS 4
- Position: (+) 13 excess
During 2025, 33 officials joined this quota through SSC CGLE 2024, SSC CHSLE, RRR 2022 and Sports Quota, while 11 left due to retirement, resignation, technical resignation or promotion to LSG.
PA under DP Quota (40% – Promotion through LDCE)
- Sanctioned: 102 (40% of 254) — UR 79, SC 15, ST 8
- In position: 51 — UR 42, SC 7, ST 2
- Shortage: (-) 51
Recruitment in PA (CO) Cadre under DP Quota during 2025 was ZERO. The vacancy for the year 2025 stands at 51 posts (45 carried forward from 31.12.2024 + 6 added due to redeployment of PA posts from Anna Road HO to RO, Chennai City Region).
Why this matters to you
The direct recruitment side is already over-strength by 13. The departmental promotion side is short by 51 posts and nobody was promoted into it in 2025. That backlog does not disappear — it accumulates and eventually gets notified as an LDCE. If your target is MTS to PA or Postman to PA, this is the pipeline you should be preparing for right now.
MTS (CO/RO) Cadre
- Sanctioned: 89 (SC 16, ST 0, OBC 24, EWS 8, UR 41)
- In position: 68 (SC 6, ST 0, OBC 17, EWS 3, UR 42)
- Shortage: (-) 21 (SC -10, OBC -7, EWS -5, UR +1 excess)
- Reservation prescribed: SC 19%, ST 1%, OBC 27%, EWS 10%
- Method of recruitment: casual labour seniority / competitive exam for GDS / Direct Recruitment / RRR
Note the Tamil Nadu-specific reservation percentages here — SC is 19% and ST is 1%, different from the 15% / 7.5% pattern used in other rosters.
The vacant points are: SC – 10 posts, OBC – 6 posts, EWS – 5 posts. This is the cadre that GDS candidates targeting GDS to MTS should watch.
LSG Cadres – One Fully Filled, One Short
LSG (CO/RO) – 100% filled
- Sanctioned: 20 (UR 16, SC 3, ST 1)
- In position: 20
- Shortage / Excess: Nil
- Vacant posts for the year 2025: 0
During 2025, 4 officials were promoted into LSG (CO/RO) and 2 posts fell vacant due to superannuation. One promotion was granted with notional promotion effective from 01.04.2022.
LSG (SBCO) – 12 vacancies
- Sanctioned: 43 (SC 6, ST 3, UR 34)
- In position: 31 (SC 5, ST 1, UR 25)
- Shortage: (-) 12 (UR -9, ST -2, SC -1)
- Vacant UR points: 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43
- Vacant SC point: 41
- Vacant ST points: 27, 40
HSG Cadres in CO/RO and SBCO – Completely Vacant
Three small but fully empty rosters:
HSG-II (CO/RO) — 8 sanctioned posts, in position Nil. All 8 PBR points vacant (Initial Recruitment through 5th replacement are UR, 6th replacement is ST, and 1st point of the 2nd cycle is UR). As per the L-shaped roster, there is no SC representation in this roster.
HSG-I (CO/RO) — 5 sanctioned posts, in position Nil. The 2nd replacement is earmarked SC and the 9th replacement is ST.
HSG-I (SBCO) — 5 sanctioned posts (SC 1, UR 4), in position Nil. All five replacement points from the 1st cycle are vacant.
Stenographer Cadres – A Striking Gap
Stenographer Grade-I (by promotion)
- Sanctioned: 21 (UR 17, SC 3, ST 1)
- In position: 1
- Shortage: (-) 20
Only point no. 1 is filled. Points 2 to 21 are all vacant, including SC points 7, 14 and 20 and ST point 15. That is a 95% vacancy rate in a promotional cadre.
Stenographer Grade-II (DR through SSC)
- Sanctioned: 29 (UR 14, EWS 2, OBC 7, SC 4, ST 2)
- In position: 20 (UR 9, OBC 4, EWS 3, SC 4, ST Nil)
- Shortage: (-) 9
- Vacant points: 21 to 29
- ST in position: Nil
Seven officials joined Stenographer Grade-II in December 2025 alone, so this cadre is being actively filled through SSC.
Driver Cadres
Special Grade Driver (100% promotion)
- Sanctioned: 11 (UR 8, ST 3, SC 0)
- In position: 9 (UR 8, ST 1)
- Shortage: (-) 2 — both ST points (2nd cycle 3rd replacement and 3rd cycle 3rd replacement)
- Eight of the nine drivers are posted at MMS Chennai, one at Circle Office
- Net vacancy for 2025: 2
Grade-II Driver (promotion by non-selection, seniority cum fitness)
- Sanctioned: 67 (UR 52, SC 10, ST 5)
- In position: 50, all against UR points
- Shortage: (-) 17 (SC -10, ST -5, UR -2)
- SC and ST in position: Nil
What This Data Actually Tells Aspirants
Five practical takeaways:
- Promotional cadres are far emptier than direct recruitment cadres. DR-filled PA posts are in excess by 13; LDCE-filled PA posts are short by 51. The Department fills DR faster than it fills promotions.
- The HSG ladder is nearly hollow. With 649 HSG-II and 239 HSG-I vacancies in post offices, anyone currently in LSG or eligible for LSG has a genuinely strong career ladder ahead.
- SC and ST backlog is enormous. Nil SC/ST representation in HSG-II (POs), HSG-I (Postal), and Grade-II Driver means large reserved-category backlog vacancies exist on paper.
- Zero DP-quota PA recruitment in 2025 means a bigger LDCE later. Backlogs get notified eventually. Prepare before the notification, not after.
- MTS has 21 vacancies with SC and OBC points open — directly relevant to GDS candidates.
How to Prepare for the Next India Post Departmental Exam
Practical advice, in order of priority:
- Fix your typing first. Every promotion route to PA/SA needs DEST — 1000 key depressions in 15 minutes for PA/SA and 600 key depressions for Postman/Mail Guard, with 75% qualifying for Gen/OBC/EWS and 60% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Practise on the official CEPT prototype at
https://cept.gov.in/dest/training.htmlso the exam interface is familiar. - Master the Postal Manuals and FHB — these carry the bulk of marks in departmental papers.
- Solve India Post previous year question papers for your specific exam rather than reading theory endlessly.
- Verify your own service particulars — date of entry in the feeder cadre and seniority number decide your eligibility. Errors in the gradation list should be raised in writing with your Divisional Office immediately.
- Track your Circle’s roster every year. Vacancy position is published annually as on 31st December. Knowing it before others do is a real advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many total vacancies are there in Tamil Nadu Circle as on 31.12.2025? Roughly 1,058 posts across the cadres covered in these rosters, with HSG-II in Post Offices alone accounting for 649.
Q. How many PA posts are vacant under the departmental promotion quota? 51 posts under the DP quota, which is filled 40% by promotion through LDCE.
Q. Was there any PA promotion through LDCE in Tamil Nadu Circle in 2025? No. Recruitment in the PA (CO) Cadre under DP Quota during 01.01.2025 to 31.12.2025 was nil.
Q. Which cadre is fully filled? LSG (CO/RO) — 20 sanctioned, 20 in position, zero vacancy for the year 2025.
Q. What is the reservation percentage used in the MTS (CO/RO) roster? SC 19%, ST 1%, OBC 27% and EWS 10%, as applicable in Tamil Nadu.
Q. Which cadres currently have zero SC/ST representation? HSG-II (in Post Offices), HSG-I (Postal), HSG-II (Accountant), and Grade-II Driver, among others.
Q. What does PBR mean? Post Based Roster — the point-wise register that records which post is earmarked for which category and who holds it.
Prepare With Structured Online Coaching
Vacancy data is only useful if you are ready when the notification arrives. Whether your target is GDS to MTS, GDS to Postman / Mail Guard, MTS to PA, Postman to PA, or LSG and HSG promotion, structured preparation is what converts an opening into a posting.
What serious aspirants use:
- MTS to PA online classes and Postman to PA coaching with live and recorded sessions
- India Post previous year question papers and full question banks
- Mock tests, practice sets and DEST typing modules built to the 600 and 1000 key depression standards
- Updated syllabus, exam pattern and eligibility criteria for every departmental promotion exam
- India Post circulars, current affairs and GK updated regularly