Department of Posts Revises PwBD Categories for ASP Posts
Department of Posts Revises Disability Categories Identified for ASP Posts
The Department of Posts has issued a new order dated 28 September 2026 revising the identified categories of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBDs) suitable for the post of Assistant Superintendent of Posts (ASP). The order has been issued by the Reservation Cell, Department of Posts, under File No. SC-12/12/2022-SCT-DOP.
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Revised identification for ASP
The Department stated that certain posts, including Inspector Posts (IP), were reviewed by an Expert Committee and revised categories were notified on 25 August 2025. The latest order clarifies that, under Note 4 of the DEPwD Notification dated 4 January 2021, when a post is identified in the feeder grade, the corresponding promotional post is also treated as identified. Since ASP is the promotional post of Inspector Posts, the identified categories for IP extend to the ASP cadre.For ASP, the physical requirements specified are S, ST, W, RW, SE, C and H. The revised categories suitable for the post include:
- Low Vision (LV) and Blind (B)
- Deaf (D) and Hard of Hearing (HH)
- One Arm (OA)
- One Leg (OL)
- One Arm and One Leg (OAL)
- Both Legs affected but not Arms
- Muscular Weakness and Limited Physical Endurance (MW)
- Cerebral Palsy (CP)
- Leprosy Cured (LC)
- Dwarfism (Dw)
- Acid Attack Victim (AAV)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (M)
- Intellectual Disability (ID)
- Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
- Mental Illness (MI)
- Multiple disabilities from among the disabilities listed above.
No change for other cadres
The order specifically states that for PS Group ‘B’ and LSG/HSG-II/HSG-I posts, the identified disability categories notified through the earlier order dated 12 October 2022 will continue without any change.
What has changed?
The important change relates to ASP. The Department has now revised the identification of PwBD categories for ASP based on the revised identification applicable to its feeder post, Inspector Posts. The order therefore formally extends the revised IP categories to ASP.
The earlier 2022 order had a narrower set of categories specifically listed for ASP, including Low Vision, Hard of Hearing, One Arm, One Leg, One Arm and One Leg, Leprosy Cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack Victim and multiple disabilities.
Important provision
The earlier order also records the principle that if a post is already held by a person with benchmark disability, that post shall be deemed to have been identified for that category of benchmark disability, in accordance with Note 3 of the DEPwD Notification dated 4 January 2021.
Conclusion
The 28 September 2026 Department of Posts order is significant for promotion to ASP, as it formally applies the revised PwBD identification arising from the review of the Inspector Posts cadre to its promotional cadre, ASP. At the same time, the existing identification for PS Group ‘B’ and LSG/HSG-II/HSG-I remains unchanged.
Source: Department of Posts, Reservation Cell, Government of India, Order dated 28.09.2026, File No. SC-12/12/2022-SCT-DOP.