TRANSFER POLICY REVIEW
RULE 38 & ROTATIONAL TRANSFER: NEW RULES LIVE!
By Central Pay Commission News Desk | January 5, 2026
New Delhi | 5th January 2026
NEW DELHI: The Department of Posts (DoP) has released a pivotal set of instructions aimed at refining the transfer mechanism for Group ‘B’ and Group ‘C’ officials. In an Office Memorandum dated late October 2025 and reiterated for the 2026 vacancy cycle (Order No. X-12/6/2021-SPN-II-DOP), the Directorate has addressed critical bottlenecks in the Rule 38 Transfer process and rotational transfer timelines.
One of the most significant changes involves the “Zero Vacancy” clause. Circles are now instructed to ensure that Intra-Circle transfers for MTS and Postmen are considered against vacancies earmarked for departmental examinations even after the notification is issued, provided it does not alter the total Circle strength. This move is expected to clear a massive backlog of pending transfer requests in high-demand Circles like Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Rotational Transfer & Sensitive Post Posting
The Directorate has also tightened the Rotational Transfer policy for officials who have completed a station tenure of 6 years or a post tenure of 3 years. Specifically, for RMS Group ‘C’ officials, while the station tenure of 6 years is exempted, the 3-year post tenure remains mandatory to prevent stagnation in non-sensitive posts.
| Transfer Type | Current Rule | New 2026 Revision |
|---|---|---|
| Rule 38 (Intra-Circle) | Stopped after Exam Notification | Allowed against exam vacancies |
| Second Chance Wait Time | Mandatory 3-Year Gap | Gap waived if previous transfer was declined |
| Cycle Periodicity | Quarterly | Half-Yearly (March & Sept) |
MTS & GDS Specific Guidelines
For MTS officials seeking transfer to DA(P) offices, the manual (offline) mode will continue until the online portal is fully synchronized for all administrative cadres. Additionally, the GDS Rule-3 Online Transfer Cycle for early 2026 is currently finalizing vacancy capturing, with the portal expected to open in March 2026 under the new APT 2.0 environment.