Department of Posts: Replaces Group B, C authority schedules

The Department of Posts has replaced the schedules identifying who may appoint employees, impose disciplinary penalties and hear appeals for its Group ‘B’ and Group ‘C’ posts. The Ministry of Communications’ order S.O. 5928(E), dated 30 October 2026 and published in the Gazette of India, sets out the authorities for postal, civil and electrical engineering, and accounts establishments.

The order substitutes Parts I and II of the schedule to the department’s order dated 27 August 1990, which was published on 15 September 1990. It invokes Rule 9(2), Rule 12(2)(b) and Rule 24(1) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, the framework governing appointments, disciplinary powers and appeals covered by the amendment.

For each category of post, the replacement schedule names the appointing authority, the authorities empowered to impose penalties, the extent of those powers and the appellate authority. It distinguishes officers who may impose all penalties, both minor and major, from those restricted to the minor penalties specified in clauses (i) to (iv) of Rule 11.

The amendment is therefore an allocation of administrative authority, not a disciplinary finding against any employee. The order itself does not set out a comparison showing which individual entries differ from the previous schedule.

How appointment and disciplinary powers differ

An appointing authority is the authority empowered to make an appointment; a disciplinary authority is empowered to impose a penalty. The appellate authority is the authority designated to hear a challenge to the disciplinary decision.

The Institute of Secretariat Training and Management’s Handbook for Inquiry Officers and Disciplinary Authorities, updated to 26 December 2024, explains that disciplinary authority is determined with reference to the employee’s post. More than one authority may have disciplinary powers over an employee, with different limits on the penalties each may impose.

The handbook also explains the constitutional restriction relevant to these arrangements: under Article 311(1), an employee cannot be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to the authority that appointed that employee. It notes that an actual appointment by a higher authority matters when determining the appointing authority, even where the rules allow a lower authority to make the appointment.

Recruitment arrangements are a separate issue. In its earlier communication on cadre management of Postal Assistants and Sorting Assistants, the Department of Posts made the Circle the recruiting unit for Postal Assistants in Postal Divisions and General Post Offices, and Sorting Assistants in Railway Mail Service Divisions, from 1 January 2022.

That communication expressly left appointing and disciplinary authorities unchanged. Its guidelines said Divisional Heads would continue to exercise those functions wherever prescribed, while vacancy calculations and reservation registers moved to Circle level.

Group ‘B’ authorities and appeal routes

For Postal Service Group ‘B’, the new Gazette schedule names the Director General (Postal Services) as appointing authority. The Director General may impose all minor and major penalties, with the President listed as appellate authority for that entry.

The Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, or Head of Circle or equivalent may impose the specified minor penalties on this category. The schedule places appeals from those authorities before the Director General (Postal Services).

For other Group ‘B’ gazetted posts in the postal establishment, the order names the Head of Circle as appointing authority. The Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, or Head of Circle or equivalent is listed as competent to impose all penalties. The corresponding appellate entry names the Director General (Postal Services) or Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board.

For the same category, the Deputy Director General (Personnel), Director Postal Services (Headquarters), Postmaster General, Director Postal Services or equivalent is restricted to the specified minor penalties. The appellate entry for that tier lists the Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, or Head of Circle or equivalent.

For Group ‘B’ non-gazetted posts, the schedule names the Director Postal Services (Headquarters) as appointing authority. It gives all-penalty powers to the Deputy Director General (Personnel), Director Postal Services (Headquarters), Postmaster General, Director Postal Services or equivalent.

At the minor-penalty tier for these non-gazetted posts, the order lists the Assistant Director General responsible for non-gazetted postal staff, Assistant Director (Staff), Assistant Postmaster General (Staff), Divisional Head, head of an independent unit or equivalent. Appeals go to the higher tier specified in the schedule, including the Deputy Director General (Personnel), Director Postal Services (Headquarters), Postmaster General or Director Postal Services.

The order provides separate engineering entries. For Group ‘B’ gazetted posts in the civil or electrical wing, the Chief Engineer concerned is both appointing authority and an authority empowered to impose all penalties; the Member concerned is the appellate authority. A Superintending Engineer may impose the specified minor penalties, with appeals to the Chief Engineer concerned.

For Group ‘B’ non-gazetted engineering posts, the Superintending Engineer concerned is appointing authority and has all-penalty powers, with appeals to the Chief Engineer concerned. The Executive Engineer concerned has minor-penalty powers, with appeals to the Superintending Engineer concerned.

Group ‘C’, postmen and multi-tasking staff

Part II of the Gazette schedule covers Group ‘C’, including Lower Selection Grade. Its appointing-authority entry lists the Divisional Head, Assistant Postmaster General (Staff), Assistant Director (Staff) or equivalent.

For this category, the all-penalty entry includes the Assistant Director General responsible for non-gazetted postal staff, Divisional Head, Assistant Postmaster General (Staff), Assistant Director (Staff), Senior Postmaster or equivalent. Appeals are assigned to the Director Postal Services (Headquarters), Postmaster General, Director Postal Services or equivalent.

Postmen and mail guards have a separate entry. The Divisional Head or equivalent is appointing authority, while the Divisional Head, Senior Postmaster or equivalent may impose all penalties. The Sub-Divisional Head or a unit head in the specified Higher Selection Grades may impose the listed minor penalties, with appeals to the Divisional Head or equivalent.

For Multi-Tasking Staff, identified in the order as the former Group ‘D’, the appointing-authority entry extends across administrative, staff, divisional, post office and specified unit-level posts. The schedule separately identifies the officers who may impose all penalties and gives the Sub-Divisional Head or unit head in the specified Higher Selection Grades minor-penalty powers. Appeals from that minor-penalty tier go to the Divisional Head or equivalent.

The civil and electrical wing entries for Group ‘C’ and Multi-Tasking Staff name the Superintending Engineer or Executive Engineer concerned as appointing authorities. Their appellate entries list the Chief Engineer or Superintending Engineer.

For Group ‘C’ employees in offices of the General Manager (Finance) or Director of Accounts (Postal), the schedule names the Director of Accounts (Postal) or Deputy Director of Accounts (Postal) as appointing authorities and gives them all-penalty powers. An Accounts Officer is separately authorised to impose the specified minor penalties. The Gazette lists the General Manager (Finance) or Director of Accounts (Postal) as the appellate authorities for these entries.