Section 17 in The Indian Postal Service (Group 'A') Rules, 1987
17. Preparation of list of successful candidates.
(1)After every examination, the names of candidates shall be arranged by the commission in the order of merit, as disclosed by the aggregate marks finally awarded to each candidate and in that order so many candidates as are found by the commission to be qualified on the basis of the examination shall be recommended for appointment up to the number of unreserved vacancies decided to be filled on the results of the examination.(2)Candidates belonging to the scheduled castes or the Scheduled Tribes, may, to the extent the number of vacancies reserved for the scheduled castes and the Scheduled Tribes cannot be filled on the basis of the general standard, be recommended by the commission by a relaxed standard, to make up the deficiency in the reserved quota, subject to the fitness of these candidates for appointment to the service irrespective of their ranks in the order of merit at the examination.(3)If sufficient number of candidates who are members of the scheduled castes or the scheduled Tribes, are not available for filling all the vacancies so reserved, the vacancies not so filled shall be filled by appointing candidates not belonging to the scheduled castes or the scheduled Tribes, qualified by the standard prescribed by the commission for the service, an equivalent number of additional vacancies shall be reserved for candidates belonging to the scheduled castes or the Scheduled Tribes to be filled on the results of the next examination.(4)If at the examination, sufficient number of candidates belonging to the scheduled castes or the scheduled Tribes is not available for filling all the vacancies reserved for them including those carried forward under sub-rule(3), the vacancies so remaining unfilled shall be filled by appointing candidates not belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes, qualified by the standard prescribed by the commission for the Service, and an equivalent number of vacancies shall be carried forward to the next examination and so on.(5)Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rules (3) and (1) no vacancies reserved for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes shall be carried forward to any year of the examination.(a)to such an extent that the total number of vacancies so carried forward together with the vacancies reserved for candidates who are members of the scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes for that year exceeds 560% of the total vacancies in that year, or(b)if such vacancies, which are to be carried forward, continuously remained unfilled for a period of three recruitment years,Provided that in the third recruitment year vacancies reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes shall be filled by the Scheduled Tribes and the Scheduled Castes respectively, if candidates of respective communities are not available.
