In a decision which may lead to a controversy, the Department of Posts (DoP) has issued admit card to even ineligible candidates pertaining to a departmental related examination.

The matter relates to the departmental examination for assistant account officers (AAO) as the DoP has overlooked its own norms. As per the notification issued by the DoP on April 2, 2018, it was mentioned that postal assistants (a part of Group C cadre of service) willing to appear for the AAO examinations have to have nine years of regular service in the DoP failing which their applications would not be accepted.

The circular had also made it clear that only those junior accountants working with DoP would be eligible for the AAO examination that would have at least seven years of regular service in the department.

According to sources, the prerequisite norm was first ignored by the parent office of candidates in case Divisional Office, which was furthered overlooked by Delhi Circle and then the office of Examination Controller issued admit cards to all without paying any attention to the serious problem. The decision may put the whole examination process into a legal tangle.

Notably, there are 60 per cent postal assistants in the country who are yet complete their 9 years of service in the department, while 20 per cent of postal assistants are only 12th pass.

Though graduate is another mandatory clause to apply for AAO, some cases have come to notice that even 12th pass postal assistants have also been issued admit cards.

According to sources in DoPT, due to the participation of ineligible candidates, the entire examination process for AAO would be under the scanner.