Department of Posts (DoP), Establishment Division, has issued an Office Memorandum dated 16.09.2025, regarding Pay Fixation of Re-employed Ex-Servicemen belonging to the Combatant Clerk category.
- The DoP HQ has sought certain information related to pay fixation under Para 16(2) of the CCS (Fixation of Pay of Re-employed Pensioners) Orders, 1986, which provides for pay fixation benefits to Ex-Combatant Clerks re-employed in clerical posts. As mentioned in the said OM, the applicability of this provision to officials re-employed as Postal Assistants/Sorting Assistants is currently under examination in the Postal Directorate.
- However, certain ambiguities have arisen regarding the determination of who qualifies as an “Ex-Combatant Clerk.” In this connection, the following points are submitted for consideration and onward communication to the competent authority for necessary clarification:
(a) Applicability of Pay Fixation Benefits
The pay fixation benefit for Ex-Combatant Clerks/Storekeepers re-employed as Clerk/Storekeeper under Para 16(2) of CCS (Fixation of Pay of Re-employed Pensioners) Orders, 1986 continues to remain applicable in Central Government offices covered under Central Civil Services. However, the provision has often not been extended in practice, primarily due to the non-revision of the “ignorable part of pension” for the last four decades.
(b) Determination / Identification of Ex-Combatant Clerks
In the Indian Armed Forces, manpower is broadly classified (excluding Defence civilians) into the following categories:
- Commissioned Officers – all are Combatant
- Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) / Other Ranks (OR) – all are Combatant
- Non-Combatant (Enrolled) – tasked with maintenance and ancillary support duties such as cleaning, cooking, and assistance in unit activities.
All personnel under categories (1) and (2) above are Combatants—trained and liable to participate in combat and national defence operations. Entry into the JCOs/OR cadre is trade-based, with each individual allotted a specific trade (e.g., Clerk, Cook, Storekeeper, Driver, Operator, etc.) either prior to or during basic training.
Candidates selected as Clerk GD / Clerk SD / Store Keeper Technical (SKT) undergo extensive specialized training (generally 8–12 months). After completing their military service as per terms of service/age, during retirement, their trade is clearly recorded in their Discharge Book, PPO, Ex-serviceman I Card and other service documents.
Thus, it is evident that while all JCOs/OR are Combatants, theCombatant Clerk is a distinct trade within this category — trained specifically for clerical duties within military establishments in addition to general combat responsibilities.
Hence, for verification purposes, a photocopy of the Discharge Book or PPO/Ex-serviceman I card should be considered sufficient proof of an individual’s status as an Ex-Combatant Clerk.
(c) Civil Trade Equivalence Certificate : NCO Code
After retirement, a Civil Trade Equivalence Certificate is issued by the competent authority to all Ex-servicemen in accordance with DOP&T guidelines to indicate the civilian job equivalence of military trades. This certificate is intended to:
- Assist Employment Exchanges and Sainik Boards in matching military trades with equivalent civilian occupations.
- Help recruiting organizations identify relevant skill sets of ex-servicemen.
- Facilitate registration and job matching for ex-servicemen in both reserved and unreserved categories.
- Provide a fair and transparent assessment of competency and job readiness based on military training and experience.
In general, recruitment in government departments or PSUs, however, continues to be strictly merit-based, subject to the qualifying criteria of the respective competitive examinations.
(d) Methodology of Pay Fixation for Re-employed Pensioners
Under the CCS (Fixation of Pay of Re-employed Pensioners) Orders, 1986, the methodology for pay fixation of re-employed pensioners (below Group ‘A’ / Commissioned Officer level) is classified as follows:
(i) As per Para 4(b) of the CCS (Fixation of Pay of Reemployed pensioners)
Orders 1986:
For ex-servicemen below Group ‘A’ / Commissioned Officer rank who retired before attaining 55 years of age and are re-employed in Central Civil Services, pay is fixed at the entry/initial pay of the re-employed post.
In such cases, full pension is to be ignored for the purpose of pay fixation.
(ii) As per Para 16 of the CCS (Fixation of Pay of Reemployed pensioners)
Orders 1986 (Relevant portion is reproduced) :
Pay of Ex Combatant Clerk / Store Keeper. In partial modification of the provisions contained in orders 4 and 5, ex-combatant clerks on their reemployment as Lower Division Clerks or Junior Clerks in the Civil posts and Ex-storemen in the Armed Forces on their reemployment as storemen in Civil Posts) shall have the option to get their pay fixed under orders 4 & 5 above in accordance with the procedure indicated in sub-para (2) below.
EXPLANATION:
Ex-combatant clerks and Storemen referred to in this order will include reservists released at their own request or on compassionate or medical grounds.
Services rendered as Combatant Clerks and Storemen in Armed Forces shall be treated as equivalent to service as Lower Division Clerks / Junior Clerks and Storemen respectively in civil posts respective of the pay drawn in those posts in the Armed forces. The initial pay in such cases shall be fixed in the time scale of the reemployed posts at a stage equivalent to the stage that would have been reached by putting in the Civil posts in the Armed forces The pay so fixed will not be restricted to the pre-retirement pay . The fixation of pay in these cases shall be done by invoking the provisions of Fundamental Rules 27.
Pension as defined in order 3(1) of the orders shall be deducted from the pay fixed under this rule after ignoring Rs.15/- thereof and only the net is payable.
(e) The ignorable portion of pension for pay fixation in respect of ex-combatant clerks/storekeepers was fixed at Rs. 15/- in 1986 and continues to remain unchanged even in 2025, despite multiple revisions of pay and pension under the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Central Pay Commissions (CPCs).
In contrast, the ignorable portion applicable to Commissioned Officers, which was Rs. 500/- in 1986, was revised in May 2017 (post 7th CPC) to Rs. 15,000/-, thereby enhancing it by Rs. 14,500/-.
Therefore, for pay fixation under Para 16 of the same order, the ignorable portion of pension for ex-combatant clerks ought to be correspondingly revised to Rs. 15 + Rs. 14,500 = Rs. 14,515/- with effect from the implementation of the 7th CPC, and proportionately revised for the 5th and 6th CPC periods as well.
Moreover, if the pay fixation methodology for re-employed ex-servicemen followed prior to 1986 is taken into account, the entire pension was treated as ignorable for the purpose of pay fixation.
(f) Postal Assistant to be Treated at Par with Clerk
The Postal Assistant (PA) cadre has been an integral part of the Department of Posts for several decades, forming the backbone of its operational wing. During the 4th Central Pay Commission (CPC), the PA/SA cadre was placed above the grade of Lower Division Clerk (LDC) but belowUpper Division Clerk (UDC). Subsequently, under the 5th CPC, PA/SA was merged with UDC, and a unified nomenclaturePostal Assistant / Sorting Assistant was introduced with the revised pay scale of ₹4,000–6,000.
The LDC cadre, however, continued to exist separately in various administrative offices of the Department of Posts. Under the 7th CPC, LDCs were placed in Level 2, whereas PA/SA personnel were placed in Level 4, clearly indicating higher responsibilities and standing.
Since the PA/SA cadre in India Post performs comprehensive clerical functions in the operational domain of the Department, it is logically and functionally equivalent to the “Clerk” category for the purpose of pay fixation. Therefore, benefits under Para 16 of the CCS (Fixation of Pay of Re-employed Pensioners) Orders, 1986 should rightfully be extended to ex-combatant clerks re-employed as PA/SA or LDC in the Department of Posts duly ignored the entire pension.
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