Organization Name | Office of the Chief Postmaster General, West Bengal Circle, Kolkata – 700 012 |
Notification No. | Rectt/X-13/LGO Exam/2026 dated 11.05.2026 |
Post Names | Postal Assistant (Circle Office & Regional Offices), Postal Assistant (Post Office), Sorting Assistant (Railway Mail Service) |
Department | Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India |
Exam Type | Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for Promotion |
Total Vacancies | 85 (Tentative: PA Circle/RO – 4, PA Post Office – 44, SA RMS – 37) |
Vacancy Year | 2026 (01.01.2026 to 31.12.2026) |
Application Mode | Offline (Application in prescribed format Annexure-I through Divisional Office/Controlling Unit) |
Selection Mode | Written Examination (Paper-I + DEST) as per revised LDCE pattern and syllabus (Annexure-II) |
Mandatory Requirement | Eligible officials of West Bengal Circle only (excluding Postal Account Office/Wing); eligibility as on 01.01.2026 |
Official Websites |
India Post WB Circle LDCE Recruitment 2026 Important Dates
Event | Date |
|---|---|
Date of Notification | 11.05.2026 |
Last Date for Receipt of Application at Divisional Office/Controlling Unit | 29.05.2026 |
Receipt of Duly Filled Application at Regional Office (sent by Divisional Office) | 04.06.2026 |
Receipt of Duly Filled Applications at Circle Office (Nodal Officer) sent by RO | 09.06.2026 |
Issue of Admit Card by Division/Unit Heads to Eligible Candidates | 16.06.2026 |
Date of Examination | 21.06.2026 (commences at 10:00 AM) |
Eligibility of Service Condition Calculated As On | 01.01.2026 |
India Post WB Circle LDCE Recruitment 2026 - Vacancy Details
A total of 85 tentative vacancies have been announced for the vacancy year 2026 (01.01.2026 to 31.12.2026) across three cadres in West Bengal Circle. Vacancies include horizontal reservations for VH, HH, OH, and PwBDs as applicable per DoPT instructions.
A. Circle-wise Vacancy (West Bengal Circle)
Name of Cadre | Total | Total PwBDs |
|---|---|---|
Postal Assistant (Circle Office and Regional Offices) | 4 | 0 |
Postal Assistant (Post Office) | 44 | 2 |
Sorting Assistant (Railway Mail Service) | 37 | 2 |
B. Division-wise Vacancy
(i) Postal Division / Unit (Postal Assistant – Post Office)
Name of Division/Unit | Number of Vacancies |
|---|---|
A/N Islands | 6 |
Central Kolkata (incl. PSD & FPO) | 1 |
Baruipur | 16 |
Barasat | 3 |
Nadia North | 1 |
Nadia South | 1 |
Murshidabad | 2 |
Darjeeling | 1 |
Dakshin Dinajpur | 1 |
Jalpaiguri | 1 |
Asansol | 2 |
Bankura | 1 |
Contai | 1 |
Howrah | 2 |
Midnapore | 3 |
Purulia | 1 |
Tamluk | 1 |
(ii) Railway Mail Service Division / Unit (Sorting Assistant – RMS)
Name of Division/Unit | Number of Vacancies |
|---|---|
Kolkata RMS | 21 |
Kolkata AP Sorting | 4 |
RMS H | 3 |
RMS WB | 7 |
RMS SB | 1 |
RMS SG | 1 |
India Post WB Circle LDCE Recruitment 2026 - Eligibility Criteria
As per the Department of Posts (Postal Assistant & Sorting Assistant) Recruitment Rules 2022 (notified vide GSR 459(E) dated 17.06.2022 as amended), the following categories of officials of the Circle, excluding officials from Postal Account Office or Wing, are eligible to appear in the examination. Eligibility of service condition shall be as on 01.01.2026. Eligibility shall be determined with respect to the post held substantively and relevant pay level — not based on pay drawn due to financial upgradation under TBOP, BCR, or MACP.
Category (A):
Category | Eligibility Condition |
|---|---|
Category A (i) | Officials holding post in Level 3 of the Pay Matrix with three years of regular service in such post OR five years of combined regular service in posts in Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 of Pay Matrix. |
Category A (ii) | Officials holding post in Level 2 of the Pay Matrix with five years of regular service in such post including regular service in posts in Level 1 of Pay Matrix. |
Category A (iii) | Officials holding post in Level 1 of the Pay Matrix with five years of regular service in such post. |
Category (B):
Category | Eligibility Condition |
|---|---|
Category B (i) | Officials holding post in Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 of the Pay Matrix with total regular service of eight years including service rendered regularly as Gramin Dak Sevaks. (For officials who rendered regular service as GDS on or before 17.06.2022, total regular service including GDS service shall be five years.) |
Note: Category (B) candidates will be considered only if sufficient Category (A) officials are not available for filling the notified vacancy.
India Post WB Circle LDCE Recruitment 2026 - Application Process
Applications must be submitted in the prescribed format (Annexure-I) through the Divisional Office/Controlling Unit. No direct or online applications are accepted. The APS candidates should send their applications to the concerned Divisions/Units only. Candidates must ensure they fulfill/satisfy all eligibility criteria and conditions before submitting the application.
Candidates applying must indicate their order of preference for Cadre and then Division/Unit as per Annexure-III. Allotment of Cadre/Division/Unit will be made on merit-cum-preference basis subject to availability of vacancy. Candidates should indicate preference only for Divisions/Units under West Bengal Circle as per notified vacancies.
Application must be sent to: The Assistant Director of Postal Services (Rectt.), Office of the Chief Postmaster General, West Bengal Circle, Kolkata – 700 012
India Post WB Circle LDCE Recruitment 2026 - Selection Process
The selection process is based on a Written Examination as per the revised pattern and syllabus circulated by Directorate vide letter No. 17-08/2018-SPB-I dated 10.05.2019 and subsequent amendments enclosed as Annexure-II. The Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) will be conducted subsequently as per instructions on the subject mentioned in Directorate’s letter No. 17-08/2018-SPN-I dated 19.12.2022. The local language test component (Paper-II) has been removed vide letter No. 17-08/2018-SPN-I dated 29.05.2024.
Written Examination Pattern (Annexure-C – LDCE for Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant)
Paper | Type | Maximum Marks | Duration | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper-I | Competitive (MCQ) | 100 (in 2 Parts) | 120 Minutes | Bilingual (Hindi and English) |
Paper-III (DEST) | Qualifying (Data Entry Skill Test on Computer) | 25 | 15 Minutes | On Computer |
Minimum Qualifying Marks
Category | Paper-I (Written) | DEST (Paper-III) |
|---|---|---|
General / OBC / EWS | 40% in each paper | 75% |
SC / ST | 33% in each paper | 60% |
PWD (if not exempted for skill test) | 33% in each paper | 60% |
Selection Criteria
Merit Basis | Order of marks secured in Paper-I only. Paper-III (DEST) is only qualifying — marks not added to Paper-I for merit. |
DEST Shortlisting | Candidates to be shortlisted for DEST shall be 3 times the number of vacancies declared at the time of notification. |
VH Candidates | Exempted from appearing in DEST (applicable from recruitment year 2022 onwards). |
India Post WB Circle LDCE Recruitment 2026 - Exam Syllabus
The Written Examination consists of Paper-I (120 Minutes, 100 marks in 2 parts) as per the revised LDCE syllabus for Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant. All questions are MCQ type. The examination will be conducted without the aid of books.
Paper-I (120 Minutes, Full Marks: 100)
Part | Subject | Topics | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Part-A (Max. 50 marks, 50 questions of 1 mark each) | Post Office Guide Part I (except Telegraphic Money Order) | Organization of Department, Type of Post Offices, Business Hours, Payment of postage/stamps/stationery, Packing/sealing/posting rules, Methods of address, Post boxes/bags, Delivery of mails, Refusal of article, Payment of eMoney Order, Redirection, Address change, Articles to deceased person, Detention of certain mails, Rural Postmen facilities, Products & Services (Mails, Banking, Remittances, Insurance, Stamps & Business), Official Postal Articles, Prohibited articles | 10 | 10 |
Post Office Guide Part II (except British and Irish Postal order) | As per Post Office Guide Part II | 10 | 10 | |
Basic terminologies related to IT Modernisation project of Department of Posts | IT-related terminology and modernisation of DoP | 10 | 10 | |
Products and Services: Mails, Banking & Remittances, Insurance, Stamps and Business (Reference: India Post Website) | As per India Post website | 10 | 10 | |
Postal Manuals (Vol. VI Part I; Vol. VI Part III Chapters I & II; Updated SB Orders issued by Directorate till 31st December of preceding year; Vol. VII; Foreign Post Manual) | SB Orders, Foreign Post Manual, Postal Manual Volumes VI & VII | 10 | 10 | |
Part-B (Max. 50 marks, 50 questions of 1 mark each) | General Awareness / Knowledge (2 questions from each topic) | Indian Geography, Civics, General Knowledge, Indian Culture & Freedom Struggle, Ethics and Moral Study | 10 | 10 |
Basic Arithmetic (2–3 questions from each topic) & Reasoning and Analytical Ability (Non Verbal/Pictorial) | BODMAS, Percentage, Profit & Loss, Simple Interest, Average, Time & Work, Time & Distance, Unitary Method; Reasoning & Analytical Ability (Non Verbal/Pictorial) | 40 | 40 |
Paper-III – Data Entry Skill Test / DEST (15 Minutes, 25 Marks)
Skill test of data entry for 15 minutes on computer on the same day. [Data entry of 1000 key depressions (±5%)] | 25 Marks |
Important Instructions for India Post WB Circle LDCE Recruitment 2026 Candidates
Only eligible officials of West Bengal Circle (excluding Postal Account Office/Wing) may apply; eligibility is as on 01.01.2026.
Applications must be submitted in the prescribed format (Annexure-I) through Divisional Office/Controlling Unit — no direct or online applications will be accepted.
Category (B) candidates will be considered only if sufficient Category (A) officials are not available.
Eligibility shall be determined with respect to the post held substantively and not based on financial upgradation under TBOP/BCR/MACP.
APS candidates should send their applications to the concerned Divisions/Units only.
Candidates must indicate cadre and division/unit preference (Annexure-III); allotment will be on merit-cum-preference basis.
The local language test (Paper-II) has been removed; only Paper-I (Written) and Paper-III (DEST) are applicable.
VH (Visually Handicapped) candidates are exempted from appearing in DEST.
Examination will commence at 10:00 AM; candidates must appear from their respective Region’s centre only.
All instructions issued by Directorate regarding conduct of examination, SOP, disciplinary proceedings, and scribe/compensatory time shall be followed scrupulously.
The Competent Authority reserves the right to cancel, change, or modify the schedule, pattern, and syllabus at any point of time.
This notification is available on www.indiapost.gov.in and www.westbengalpost.gov.in.
India Post West Bengal Circle LDCE Postal Assistant Sorting Assistant Recruitment 2026 Important Links
Official Notification PDF: Click here
Official Website: Click here