What is the 200-Point Reservation Roster?
The 200-point reservation roster is a structured system used by the Central Government to ensure that reserved categories—Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs)—get their due share in direct recruitment to posts under its control. It is a post-based roster, meaning it assigns reservation against individual vacancies, rather than just applying a percentage over time.
This roster system is mandatory for all departments, including India Post, whenever recruitment is conducted on an all-India basis through open competition.
The roster was introduced to ensure transparency and accountability in applying the reservation policy. Each “point” in the 200-point list represents a vacancy, and specific points are earmarked for SC or ST candidates.
Applicable Reservation Quota
In direct recruitment through open competition, the reservation is applied as follows:
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15% for SC
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7.5% for ST
These percentages translate to 30 SC posts and 15 ST posts across a cycle of 200 vacancies.
How the Roster Works – A Simple Example
Let’s say India Post conducts a recruitment drive for Postal Assistants, with 200 vacancies across the country. The roster would allocate reservation like this:
| Point Number | Category |
|---|---|
| 1 | UR |
| 2 | SC |
| 3 | UR |
| 4 | UR |
| 5 | ST |
| 6 | UR |
| 7 | SC |
| 8 | UR |
| … | … |
| 200 | UR |
By the end of 200 points:
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30 points will be earmarked for SC candidates
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15 points for ST candidates
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Remaining 155 points will be Unreserved (UR), though OBC reservation is applied separately under a separate horizontal list (if applicable)
Each department is expected to track their roster cycle to ensure that reserved vacancies are offered as per the points.
India Post Example – Postal Assistant Recruitment
Let’s assume India Post conducts recruitment for 1,000 Postal Assistant posts in 2025. The allocation will work like this:
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Divide the 1,000 posts into roster cycles of 200 each.
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For each cycle:
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30 posts go to SCs
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15 posts go to STs
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Total reserved posts:
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5 cycles × 30 = 150 SC posts
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5 cycles × 15 = 75 ST posts
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The remaining 775 posts will be filled under the Unreserved category, out of which many will be filled by OBC or EWS candidates, based on separate quotas.
DoPT Guidelines and Official Basis
The 200-point post-based roster is implemented according to:
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DoPT OM No. 36012/2/96-Estt.(Res) dated 2-7-1997
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Guidelines issued under Article 16(4) of the Constitution
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Department-specific orders such as in Postal Directorate recruitment circulars
As per DoPT OM dated 14-10-2022, the roster must be maintained for each cadre and service separately, and only those cadres with more than 3 posts are eligible for reservation through this system.
How Roster is Maintained in India Post
In India Post, each recruitment circle maintains its own roster registers:
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One register per cadre (e.g., Postal Assistant, Postman, MTS)
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Separate rosters for Direct Recruitment, Promotion (LDCE), and Deputation
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Vacancy and reservation compliance are reviewed by Circle Office DPCs and monitored during recruitment audits
Backlog vacancies (i.e., reserved positions not filled in earlier years) must be carried forward in the next cycle, as per Reservation Order 1 of Section 2.
Special Notes
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If a reserved point cannot be filled due to non-availability of a suitable candidate, the post is left vacant and carried forward.
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Roster is not just for compliance—it is a legal requirement and failure to follow it may lead to recruitment being declared invalid.
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Reserved category candidates selected on merit are adjusted against UR seats, not their quota, unless opted otherwise.