The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has introduced a new “sliding mechanism” for vacancy allocation across departments to ensure that maximum reported vacancies are filled during the recruitment process. The policy will apply to qualifying candidates in SSC recruitment examinations and is aimed at improving the efficiency of post allocation.
According to the official notice issued by the commission, the revised system will operate through “fix” and “float” options, allowing candidates to indicate their preference during the final stage of the recruitment process. The final results of SSC recruitment exams in 2026 will take into account vacancies that remain unfilled due to candidate absenteeism during stage 4, which is the phase where candidates confirm their options.
As part of the new process, candidates shortlisted for round one of tentative allocation will be given a 10-day window to report to the respective regional director’s office for stage 4 formalities. This stage includes Aadhaar authentication and the selection of either the fix or float option for post-allocation.
Candidates who fail to appear during stage 4 will be treated as absent and will not be considered further in the vacancy allocation process.
During stage 4, candidates must choose between two options - fix or float - to determine how their allotted post will be treated.
Candidates selecting the fix option will accept the tentatively allotted post in the first round as their final appointment and will not be considered for any future upgradation.
On the other hand, candidates choosing the float option will indicate their willingness to be considered for a higher-preference post if additional vacancies become available during the recruitment cycle.
The commission clarified that only one sliding round will be conducted in each recruitment cycle. No waiting list or additional rounds of reallocation will be held beyond this stage.
SSC stated that several vacancies remain unfilled every year due to candidates failing to appear for document verification or declining to join after selection. The newly introduced sliding mechanism has been designed to address this issue by enabling a more efficient redistribution of vacancies among eligible candidates.
Following stage 4, the commission will identify vacancies that arise due to absentee candidates and conduct a single sliding allocation round for those who opted for the float option. The reallocation will be carried out based on merit and candidate preferences.
After the process is completed, the final result with revised post allotments will be declared, and electronic dossiers of selected candidates will be forwarded to the concerned departments for document verification and appointment procedures.
Candidates who opt for the fix option will not be eligible for upgradation. If they fail to join the allotted post, the vacancy will be carried forward to the next recruitment cycle.
Meanwhile, candidates who choose the float option and receive an upgraded post must join the newly allotted position. Failure to do so will lead to forfeiture of both the earlier and the upgraded posts, the commission clarified.