Can an Ex-Serviceman Join Another Government Job Under Ex-Servicemen Reservation?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by defence veterans appearing in multiple Government recruitment examinations.
Question: “I applied for several Government jobs under the Ex-Servicemen quota before joining my first civil job. After joining one post, can I still accept another Government job if I am selected later?”
Answer: Yes.
The Government of India has specifically allowed this through the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum No. 36034/1/2014-Estt.(Res.) dated 14 August 2014. The order removed a long-standing hardship faced by ex-servicemen and ensured that genuine candidates are not deprived of better employment opportunities merely because the recruitment results of different examinations are declared on different dates.
Why Was This Relaxation Necessary?
Every year, thousands of soldiers retire from the Armed Forces and apply for numerous Government vacancies. A retiring soldier may simultaneously apply for:
- SSC CGL, CHSL, Steno, Translator, JE & MTS recruitment
- Railway Recruitment
- CPO & CAPF Recruitment
- ESIC & EPFO Department
- IBPS, RRB & SBI Clerk
- FCI AG-II Posts Recruitment
- Various Selection Post of Central Govt
- State Govt Clerical Cadre Recruitment
- PSUs
- Other Central Government organisations
Recruitment processes in different departments take different amounts of time.For example:
- IBPS & SBI result may come in six months.
- SSC may declare results after one year.
- Another department may complete recruitment after eighteen months.
Earlier, whichever department declared its result first effectively decided the career of the ex-serviceman.
The Problem Before 2014
Before the issuance of the DoPT Office Memorandum dated 14 August 2014, the Government followed instructions issued through an earlier Office Memorandum dated 2 May 1985.
Those instructions stated that once an ex-serviceman joined a Government civil post after availing reservation benefits, his Ex-Servicemen status for further Government re-employment ceased. This created a serious practical problem. Suppose an ex-serviceman had applied for:
- Income Tax Inspector
- Railway Commercial Clerk
- Postal Assistant
- SSC CGL
- CAPF
If Railway declared results first and he joined to avoid unemployment, he immediately lost the benefit of Ex-Servicemen reservation for all other examinations—even though he had applied for them much earlier. As a result:
- Better career opportunities were lost.
- Candidates became victims of administrative delays.
- Recruitment timelines, rather than merit or preference, determined careers.
The Government recognised that this was unfair and adversely affected ex-servicemen.
Government Recognised the Injustice
The DoPT examined the issue in consultation with the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence.
It acknowledged that:
- Ex-servicemen generally apply for multiple vacancies before retirement.
- Recruitment agencies publish results on different dates.
- A candidate should not lose opportunities simply because one department completed recruitment earlier than another.
Accordingly, the Government introduced a major relaxation through the Office Memorandum dated 14 August 2014.
What Does the 14 August 2014 DoPT OM Allow?
The new policy clearly states that an ex-serviceman who has applied for multiple Government vacancies before joining his first civil employment may continue to avail the benefit of Ex-Servicemen reservation for those subsequent recruitments. Download PDF Copy of the DOPT OM – DOWNLOAD
However, one important condition has been prescribed. Immediately after joining the first Government job, the candidate must submit a self-declaration/ undertaking to the employer giving the date-wise details of every recruitment application that had already been submitted before joining service.
What Information Should Be Given in the Undertaking?
The declaration should contain:
- Name of the recruitment organisation.
- Advertisement or notification number.
- Name of the post.
- Date of application.
- Date of examination, wherever applicable.
- Current recruitment status.
This declaration creates an official record that all those applications were submitted before joining Government service.
Why Is the Self-Declaration So Important?
The undertaking is the cornerstone of the policy. It prevents misuse of reservation while protecting genuine candidates. Without such a declaration:
- A candidate could falsely claim that an application had been submitted earlier.
- Authorities would find it difficult to verify eligibility.
- Reservation benefits could be misused.
By insisting upon an immediate declaration after joining the first civil post, the Government ensured complete transparency and accountability.
Ethical Use of Ex-Servicemen Reservation
The Government has never intended Ex-Servicemen reservation to become a mechanism for repeatedly obtaining Government jobs. Instead, the policy seeks to balance fair opportunity with integrity in recruitment. The 2014 relaxation is based on three ethical principles:
1. No candidate should suffer because of delayed recruitment.
Recruitment timelines are outside the control of applicants.
2. Reservation should not be misused.
Only applications submitted before joining the first civil employment are covered.
3. Complete transparency is mandatory.
Candidates must disclose all pending recruitments to their employer immediately after joining.
Can an Ex-Serviceman Continue Applying After Joining Government Service?
No.
The relaxation does not permit an ex-serviceman to continue applying under the Ex-Servicemen reservation after joining Government service.
Only those vacancies for which applications were submitted before joining the first civil employment remain protected. The benefit is available only for direct recruitment posts where Ex-Servicemen reservation is applicable.
Example to Understand the Rule
Consider the following example:
A Havildar retires from the Army and applies for:
- SSC CGL
- Railway NTPC
- IBPS Clerk
- SBI Clerk
- FCI
The IBPS Clerk recruitment finishes first, and he joins the Nationalised Bank .
Immediately after joining, he submits a declaration listing all the applications he had already submitted before joining.
Six months later, SSC declares the result, and he is selected as an Income Tax Inspector.
Under the DoPT Office Memorandum dated 14 August 2014, he is fully eligible to accept the new appointment because the application had been submitted before joining the Railway job and was disclosed to his employer.
Important Conditions Under the DoPT OM
To avail this relaxation, the following conditions must be satisfied:
- The candidate must have applied for the vacancies before joining the first civil employment.
- A self-declaration with date-wise details must be submitted immediately after joining.
- The benefit applies only to direct recruitment posts.
- The post must carry Ex-Servicemen reservation.
- The relaxation became effective from 14 August 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I join another Government job under the Ex-Servicemen quota after already joining one?
Yes, provided you had applied for the second post before joining the first Government job and have submitted the required self-declaration to your employer.
Can I apply for fresh Government vacancies under the Ex-Servicemen quota after joining Government service?
No. The relaxation applies only to applications submitted before joining your initial civil employment.
Is the declaration mandatory?
Yes. Without the declaration, it may become difficult to establish eligibility under the DoPT instructions.
Does this rule apply to every Government recruitment?
The benefit is available only where Ex-Servicemen reservation exists and the recruitment is through direct recruitment.
Final Words
The DoPT Office Memorandum dated 14 August 2014 represents one of the most significant reforms in the re-employment policy for ex-servicemen. It corrected an unintended disadvantage under the earlier 1985 instructions by ensuring that veterans are not penalized because different recruitment agencies announce results at different times.
At the same time, the Government safeguarded the integrity of the reservation system by requiring a timely self-declaration of all pending applications made before joining the first civil post. This transparent and ethical approach protects genuine candidates while preventing misuse of the Ex-Servicemen quota.
For every retiring member of the Armed Forces, understanding and complying with this Office Memorandum is essential to preserving eligibility for multiple recruitment processes already underway. By following the prescribed procedure, ex-servicemen can pursue the most suitable Government career without compromising either fairness or the spirit of the reservation policy.