Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) Reservation for Persons with Disabilities

Notification No: No.17-08/2017-GDS
Dated: 26.02.2019
Ministry : Ministry of Communications – Department of Posts – (GDS Section)
Reservation for Handicapped (Persons with Disability) in engagement of Gramin Dak Sevaks -GDS.

2. As per existing instructions, the Head of Circles and Regional PMGs are required to give preference ceteris paribus, (other things being equal), to persons with disabilities for appointment in GDS categories. The capacity of the candidate to perform the job should however is to be considered in consultation with prescribed medical authorities. It further provides that no specific posts will be reserved for these categories. In other words, no roster etc. is required to be maintained. As far as possible the representation of physically handicapped persons should be approximate to the levels applicable to Group C and D posts.

3. Now, the Parliament has passed a new Act viz. THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT 2016 which has come into force with effect from 19th April 2017. The provisions of this Act are mandatory and binding on all establishments. According to this Act, no Government establishment shall discriminate against any person with disability in any matter relating to employment. Every Government shall appoint in every Government establishment, not less than four percent of the total number of vacancies in the cadre strength in each group of posts meant of be filled with persons with benchmark disabilities under clause (a), (b) and (c), and one percent for persons with benchmark disabilities under clause (d) and (e) namely :-

• (a) Blindness and low vision
• (b) Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• (c) Locomotors disabilities including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy
• (d) Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
• (e) Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under (a) to (d) including deaf-blindness in the post identified for each disability.

4. As per recommendations of the Committee constituted for identification of posts in Gramin Dak Sevaks as suitable for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in pursuance of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, following orders are issued.

(a) All Recruiting Authorities shall maintain 4% reservation for persons with disabilities to all categories of GDS posts except for persons with benchmark of disability -Blind’ (for all categories of GDS). Percentage of reservation may be maintained as in the case of SC, ST and OBC categories in GDS posts. As per the recommendation of Committee constituted for identification of GDS as suitable for PwD, it has been decided that, ‘Low Vision’ category may be considered instead of ‘Blind’.

(b) Production of disability certificate as applicable in regular appointment of all categories of GDS would be compulsory.

(c) These provisions do not require maintenance of reservation rosters but all Recruiting Authorities shall maintain a register for reservation of persons with disabilities so that required percentage of reservation to persons with disabilities could be ensured. The register shall contain the details like Name, Address, kind of disabilities and date of engagement.

(d) For maintaining required percentage of reservation for persons with disabilities, all Recruiting Authorities shall reserve more GDS posts to these categories in future engagement subject to existing instructions on overall sealing of reservation in a year.

(e) Following categories of disability are suitable for the posts in GDS.

5. This is for strict compliance. Non observance of the provision of the reservation for persons with disabilities shall be considered as an act of disobedience and the concerned nodal officer concerned in the Circle/ Region responsible for the proper strict implementation of reservation for persons with disabilities, be departmentally proceeded against for the default.

6. The above scheme of reservation will be effective in respect of all categories of GDS for direct recruitment vacancies to be notified on or after 01.02.2019.

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