India Post GDS 2026 Registration Begins Today For 23,757 Posts: Check Circle-Wise Vacancies

One of the largest Class 10-level government recruitment drives of the year is now live. The Department of Posts has opened One-Time Registration for the Gramin Dak Sevak Online Engagement Schedule-II, July 2026, from today, August 31, on the GDS online engagement portal. A total of 23,757 posts are on offer across Branch Postmaster, Assistant Branch Postmaster and Dak Sevak positions in postal circles and divisions across the country, under notification number 17-12/2026-GDS dated August 20, 2026.

Two windows, not one — and this is where applicants slip

The single most common mistake in a GDS cycle is treating registration and application as the same thing. They are not.

One-Time Registration runs from August 31 to September 19, 2026. This is where you generate your registration number and password, both delivered by SMS.

The application itself, along with fee payment, opens later and closes later: September 2 to September 21, 2026, up to 5 pm.

Completing the OTR does not put you in the running. You must return during the application window, log in with the credentials issued to you, choose your division and post preferences, upload your documents and submit. A candidate who registers on day one and assumes the job is done has applied for nothing.

Circle-wise vacancies

The department has published the vacancy position circle-wise, local-language-wise and category-wise in Annexure-Ia on the official portal. The largest allocations are:

• North Eastern Circle — 2,614

• Maharashtra Circle — 2,431

• Tamil Nadu Circle — 2,118

• West Bengal Circle — 1,762

• Uttar Pradesh Circle — 1,691

Across categories, the distribution stands at 10,640 unreserved, 4,433 OBC, 3,082 SC, 2,773 ST and 2,160 EWS, with 192 posts listed under PwBD provisions. The annexure gives a consolidated circle-wise position rather than a separate breakup for BPM, ABPM and Dak Sevak, so candidates should read the division-level tables on the portal to see what is actually available where they intend to apply.

Who can apply

Candidates must have passed the Secondary School Examination, Class 10, with pass marks in both Mathematics and English, from a board recognised by the Central Government, a State Government or a Union Territory.

There is a second condition that trips up a large number of otherwise eligible applicants: the candidate must have studied the prescribed local language of the circle up to Class 10. The language requirement is specified circle by circle in the notification, and it is not waivable. Check the language listed against the circle you are applying to before you spend anything on the form.

The age band is 18 to 40 years, calculated as on the last date of application submission. Relaxation is available at five years for SC and ST candidates, three years for OBC candidates and ten years for PwBD candidates.

Selection: no exam, no interview

GDS engagement is decided entirely by a system-generated merit list drawn from Class 10 marks. There is no written test and no interview at any stage. Ties are broken by a fixed set of rules laid out in the notification.

Shortlisted candidates then move to physical verification of original documents and the pre-engagement formalities, which include basic training. For Branch Postmaster candidates, one requirement deserves early attention: the BPM is responsible for arranging accommodation for the Branch Post Office and must reside in the post village. This is a residency obligation, not a formality, and it is worth weighing before you select a division far from where you live.

Salary

Branch Postmaster: ₹12,000 to ₹29,380 per month as Time Related Continuity Allowance.
ABPM and Dak Sevak: ₹10,000 to ₹24,470 per month.

Fee

The application fee is ₹100. Women candidates, SC, ST, PwBD and Transwomen applicants are fully exempt. Payment is made online during the application window.

How to apply

• Go to the GDS online engagement portal at indiapost.gov.in/gdsonlineengagement.
• Complete the One-Time Registration using an active mobile number and email address, entering your personal details exactly as they appear on your Class 10 matriculation certificate.
• Log in with the registration number and password sent to you, fill in your board and educational details, select your division and post preferences, and upload your photograph and signature in the prescribed format. Preview the form carefully, pay the fee if applicable, and submit before the deadline.
• A name or date-of-birth variation between your OTR entry and your matriculation certificate is the most frequent cause of rejection in this recruitment. Keep the certificate open in front of you while you register.

One correction window, forty-eight hours

Corrections to registration or application details will be permitted only from September 23 to September 24, 2026, up to 5 pm. That is the entire correction facility for this cycle. Anything not caught in those two days stands as submitted.