India Post

The Department of Posts (DoP), trading

as India Post, is a government-operated
postal system in India, which is a
subsidiary of the Ministry of
Communications. Generally called "the
Post Office" in India, it is the most widely
distributed postal system in the world.
Warren Hastings had taken initiative
under East India Company to start the
Postal Service in India in 1688. It was
initially established under the name
“Company Mail”. It was later modified
into a service under the "crown" in 1854
by Lord Dalhousie. Dalhousie introduced
uniform postage rates (universal service)
and helped to pass the India Post Office
Act 1854 which significantly improved
upon 1837 Post Office act which had
introduced regular post offices in India.[6]
It created the position Director General of
Post for the whole country.[7][8]
 India Post

Department overview

Formed 1 October 1854[1][2]

Jurisdiction India

Headquarters Dak Bhawan, Sansad

Marg, New Delhi

Employees 433,417 (March

2017)[3]

Annual budget ₹11,496.18 crore

(US$1.6 billion)
(2018-19)[4]

Minister responsible Ravi Shankar Prasad,

Cabinet Minister
for
Communications
Department Pradipta Kumar Bisoi
executives (IPoS:1985),
Secretary
Arundhaty Ghosh,
Director General[5]
Parent Ministry Ministry of
Communications

Key document The Indian Post

Office Act, 1898

Website www.indiapost.gov
.in

It is involved in delivering mail (post),

remitting money by money orders,
accepting deposits under Small Savings
Schemes, providing life insurance
coverage under Postal Life Insurance
(PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance
(RPLI) and providing retail services like
bill collection, sale of forms, etc. The DoP
also acts as an agent for Government of
India in discharging other services for
citizens such as old age pension
payments and Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGS) wage disbursement with
154,965 Post Offices (as on 31.03.2017),
India Post has the most widely
distributed postal network in the world.

The country has been divided into 23

postal circles, each circle headed by a
Chief Postmaster General. Each circle is
divided into regions, headed by a
Postmaster General and comprising field
units known as Divisions. These
divisions are further divided into
subdivisions. In addition to the 23 circles,
there is a base circle to provide postal
services to the Armed Forces of India
headed by a director-general. One of the
highest post offices in the world is in
Hikkim, Himachal Pradesh operated by
India Post at a height of 14,567 ft
(4,440 m).[9][10]

History
Indian postal
service
Educational
card, late 19th
or early 20th
century

1850s Scinde
Dawk stamp

A modern
Indian post
office near
 office near
Udagamandala
m

Posts and the British Raj (1858–

1947)
…

The British Raj was instituted in 1858,

when the rule of the East India Company
was transferred to the Crown.[11][12]

A number of acts were enacted during

the British Raj to expand and regulate
posts and telegraphs service:

The Government Savings Bank Act,

1873 (5 of 1873), passed by the
legislature 28 January 1873, was
enacted in 1881. On 1 April 1882, Post
Office Savings Banks opened
throughout India (except in the
Bombay Presidency). In Madras
Presidency, it was limited; in the
Bengal Presidency, no POSBs were
established in Calcutta or Howrah.[13]
Postal life insurance began on 1
February 1884 as a welfare measure
for the employees of the Posts &
Telegraphs Department as
Government of India dispatch No. 299
dated 18 October 1882 to the
Secretary of State.[14]
The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885
The Indian Post Office Act, 1898,[15]
passed by the legislature on 22 March
 1898, became effective on 1 July 1898
regulating postal service. It was
preceded by Act III of 1882 and Act XVI
of 1896.
The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act,
1933[16]

The world's first official airmail flight took

place in India on 18 February 1911, a
journey of 18 kilometres (11 mi) lasting
27 minutes. Henri Pequet, a French pilot,
carried about 15 kilograms (33 lb) of mail
(approximately 6,000 letters and cards)
across the Ganges from Allahabad to
Naini; included in the airmail was a letter
to King George V of the United
Kingdom.[17] India Post inaugurated a
floating post office in August 2011 at Dal
Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir.[18] Telegraphy
and telephony made their appearance as
part of the postal service before
becoming separate departments. One
unique telegraph office was established
and operated in the capital of Lhasa until
the People's Republic of China's
annexation of Tibet.[19][20][21][22] It is one
of the Floating Wonders of India. The
Posts and Telegraphs departments
merged in 1914, dividing again on 1
January 1985.

After independence in 1947 …

Since India became independent in 1947,
the postal service continues to function
on a nationwide basis, providing a variety
of services. The structure of the
organization has the directorate at its
apex; below it are circle offices, regional
offices, the superintendent's offices, head
post offices, sub-post offices and branch
offices. In April 1959, the Indian Postal
Department adopted the motto "Service
before help"; it revised its logo in
September 2008.[23]

The number of post offices was 23,344

when India became independent in 1947
and these were primarily in urban areas.
The number increased to 155,015 in
2016 and 90% of these were in rural
areas.[24]

Postage-stamp history

First adhesive stamps in Asia …

First all-India Six-anna

stamps provisional
stamp, 1866

The first adhesive postage stamps in

Asia were issued in the Indian district of
Scinde in July 1852 by Bartle Frere, chief
commissioner of the region.[25] Frere was
an admirer of Rowland Hill, the English
postal reformer who had introduced the
Penny Post. The Scinde stamps became
known as "Scinde Dawks"; "Dawk" is the
Anglicised spelling of the Hindustani
word Dak or ("post"). These stamps, with
a value of 1⁄2-anna, were in use until
June 1866. The first all-India stamps
were issued on 1 October 1854.

Stamps issued by the East India

Company
…
 1955 money
order (front)

1955 money
order (back)

The volume of mail moved by the postal

system increased significantly, doubling
between 1854 and 1866 and doubling
again by 1871. The Indian Post Office
Act, 1866 (XIV) introduced reforms by 1
May 1866 to correct some of the more
obvious postal-system deficiencies and
abuses. Postal-service efficiencies were
also introduced. In 1863, lower rates
were set for "steamer" mail to Europe at
(six annas, eight pies for a 1⁄2-ounce
letter). Lower rates were also introduced
for inland mail.

New regulations removed special postal

privileges enjoyed by officials of the East
India Company. Stamps for official use
were prepared and carefully accounted
for, to combat abuses by officials. In
1854 Spain had printed special stamps
for official communications, but in 1866
India was the first country to adopt the
expedient of overprinting "Service" on
postage stamps and "Service Postage"
on revenue stamps. This innovation was
later widely adopted by other
countries.[26]
Shortages developed, so stamps also
had to be improvised. Some "Service
Postage" overprinted rarities resulted
from abrupt changes in postal
regulations. New designs for the four-
anna and six-anna-eight-pie stamps were
issued in 1866. Nevertheless, there was a
shortage of stamps to meet the new
rates. Provisional six-anna stamps were
improvised by cutting the top and bottom
from a current foreign-bill revenue stamp
and overprinting "Postage". India was the
first country in the Commonwealth to
issue airmail stamps.[27]

Post-independence stamps …
Brown-and-pink stamp depicting a temple

India attained independence on 15

August 1947. Thereafter, the Indian Posts
and Telegraph Department embarked on
a broad-based policy for the issuance of
stamps. On 21 November 1947 the first
new stamp was issued by independent
India. It depicts the Indian flag with the
patriots' slogan, Jai Hind ("long live
India"), at the top right-hand corner. The
stamp was valued at three and one-half
annas. A memorial to Mahatma Gandhi
was issued 15 August 1948 on the first
anniversary of independence. One year
later a definitive series appeared,
depicting India's broad cultural heritage
(primarily Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh
and Jain temples, sculptures,
monuments and fortresses). A
subsequent issue commemorated the
beginning of the Republic of India on 26
January 1950. Definitives included a
technology-and-development theme in
1955, a series depicting a map of India in
1957 (denominated in naya paisa—
decimal currency) and a 1965 series with
a wide variety of images. The old
inscription "India Postage" was replaced
in 1962 with "भारत INDIA", although three
stamps (issued from December 1962 to
January 1963) carried the earlier
inscription.[28]

India has printed stamps and postal

stationery for other countries, mostly
neighbours. Countries which have had
stamps printed in India include Burma
(before independence), Nepal,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Portugal and
Ethiopia.[29] The country has issued
definitive and commemorative stamps.
Six definitive series on India's heritage
and progress in a number of fields have
been issued. The seventh series, with a
theme of science and technology, began
in 1986. Between independence and
1983, 770 stamps were issued.

Revenue

A still of illuminated Dak Bhavan (the Headquarters

of Department of Posts) at Parliament Street, during
the celebrations marking the entry of Department of
Posts into 150 years of service to the nation (on 1
October 2004)

The following table shows income

generated by the postal department.[30]
 Year Net expenditure (in crores) Revenue (in crores) Surplus/Deficit (in crores)

2010-11 13,075.0 6,962.3

2011-12 12,075.3 7,899.4

2012-13 14,676.4 9,366.498

2013-14 16,203.52 10,730.42 (5473.10)

2014-15 17,894.58 11,635.98 (6258.60)

2015-16 18,946.97 12,939.79 (6007.18)

PIN

A Post Box of India Post

A stamp released on India Post Payments Bank in
2017.

The Postal Index Number (PIN, or

sometimes redundantly PIN code) is a
six-digit postal code. The PIN system
was made by Shriram Bhikaji Velankar
when he was at service in Kolkata. It was
introduced on 15 August 1972 by former
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. There are
nine postal zones in the country; the first
eight are geographical regions, and the
ninth is reserved for the Army Postal
Service (APS).

The PIN system is organised in the

following way:

The first digit indicates the zone.

The first two digits indicate the sub-
zone (or postal circle).
The first three digits indicate a sorting
district.
The last three digits indicate the
delivery post office.

The PIN for an address may be found on

the Postal Service website.[31] There are
total of 19,101 PINs covering 154,725
post offices in India, with the exception
of the Army Postal Service, as of
2014.[32][33]

Project Arrow
Project Arrow was launched in April
2008.[23] The project plans to upgrade
post offices in urban and rural areas,
improving service and appearance into a
vibrant and responsive organization and
to make a visible and positive
difference.The project aims to create an
effective, friendly environment for staff
and customers, providing secure IT
services and improving mail delivery,
remittances (electronic and manual) and
postal-savings plans. Core areas for
improvement are branding, information
technology, human resources and
infrastructure. The project to improve
service has been implemented in more
than 23,500 post offices, and 'look and
feel' improvements have been made in
2,940 post offices. The Department of
Posts received the Prime Minister's
Award for Excellence in Public
Administration during 2008–09 for
"Project Arrow – Transforming India
Post" on 21 April 2010.[34]

Multipurpose counter machines with

computers were introduced in post
offices in 1991 to improve customer
service and increase staff productivity.
25,000 departmental post offices out of
25,464 were computerized between as of
2011–2012. In 2012, a plan costing
₹1,877.2 crore (US$260 million) was
formulated to computerize rural post
offices.[35]

Services

Philately …

The first philatelic Society in India was

founded in Calcutta on 6 March 1897 to
service postage-stamp collections.
Function include design, printing and
distribution of special or commemorative
postage stamps, definitive postage
stamps and items of postal stationery,
promotion of philately, conduct of
philatelic examinations at the national
level, participation in international
exhibitions and monitoring exhibitions at
the state, regional and district levels and
maintenance of the National Philatelic
Museum. Philatelic bureaus were
established in head post offices located
at circle headquarters and at district-
capital head post offices (as necessary).
There are 68 philately bureaus and 1111
philatelic counters, including all head
post offices (Mukhya Dak Ghars) in the
country as of 31 March 2011.[36]:44 A
domestic philatelic deposit-account
system was introduced on 1 August
1965 at all philatelic bureaus. Customers
are given priority in purchasing
commemorative or special-issue stamps,
first-day covers and information sheets
soon after their issue by opening a
deposit account at any philatelic bureau.
The number of philately deposit-
accountholders grew from 23,905 in
1999–2000 to 168,282 in 2006–2007
and 183,202 in 2008–2009. Four
philatelic Bureaus—the Bombay, Madras,
Calcutta and Parliament Street, New
Delhi GPOs are authorized to sell United
Nations stamps. A quarterly philatelic
magazine, Philapost, was launched in
2008.
The Department of Post has also
developed software for philatelic
inventory management, known as
"Philsim". It is used for all activities
relating to philately, including forecasting,
indenting, invoicing, monitoring supply
and demand and recording sales and
revenue for commemorative stamps and
other philatelic products at philately
bureaus and counters (and definitive
stamps and stationery at circle stamp
depots and head post offices).

The National Philatelic Museum of India

was inaugurated on 6 July 1968 in New
Delhi. It had its beginnings at a meeting
of the Philatelic Advisory Committee on
18 September 1962. Besides a large
collection of India Postage stamps
designed, printed and issued, it has a
large collection of Indian states
(confederate and feudatory), early
essays, proofs and colour trials, a
collection of Indian stamps used abroad,
early Indian postcards, postal stationery
and thematic collections. The museum
was renovated in 2009 with more
exhibits, a philatelic bureau and postal
objects (such as Victorian post boxes).
The Department of Posts inaugurated the
National Philatelic Museum on 11 July
2011. It exhibits rare postage stamps
from around the world and provides a
venue for philatelists to exhibit their
collections.

Army Postal Service …

The Army Postal Service (APS) functions

as a government-operated military mail
system in India. A primary feature of
Army Postal Service systems is that
normally they are subsidized to ensure
that military mail posted between duty
stations abroad and the home country
(or vice versa) does not cost the sender
any more than normal domestic mail
traffic. In some cases, Indian military
personnel in a combat zone may post
letters and/or packages to the home
country for free, while in others, senders
located in a specific overseas area may
send military mail to another military
recipient, also located in the same
overseas area, without charge.

Electronic Indian Postal Order …

The Electronic Indian Postal Order (e-

IPO) was introduced on 22 March 2013,
initially only for citizens living abroad.
The postal orders can be used for online
payment of fees for access to
information under the Right to
Information Act, 2005. The service was
expanded to include all Indian citizens on
14 February 2014.[37]
Postal Life insurance …

Postal Life Insurance (PLI) was

introduced on 1 February 1884 with the
express approval of the Secretary of
State (for India) to Her Majesty, the
Queen Empress of India. It was
essentially a welfare scheme for the
benefit of Postal employees in 1884 and
later extended to the employees of
Telegraph Department in 1888. In 1894,
PLI extended insurance cover to female
employees of P & T Department at a time
when no other insurance company
covered female lives. It is the oldest life
insurer in this country. There was over
6.4 million policies active as on 31 March
2015 with a sum assured of
₹130,745 crore (US$18 billion). Premium
income of PLI for the year 2014-15 was
₹6,053.2 crore (US$850 million). It was
extended to all rural residents on 24
March 1995.

Policies for government employees

include Santhosh (endowment
assurance), Suraksha (whole-life
assurance), Suvidha (convertible whole-
life assurance), Sumangal (anticipated
endowment policy) and Yugal Suraksha
(joint life endowment assurance).[38]
India Post started Rural Postal Life
Insurance (RPLI) for the rural public in
1995. RPLI plans include Gram Santosh
(endowment assurance), Gram Suraksha
(whole-life assurance), Gram Suvidha
(convertible whole-life assurance), Gram
Sumangal (anticipated endowment
assurance) and Gram Priya.

Postal savings …

The post office offers a number of

savings plans, including recurring deposit
accounts, Sukanya Samriddhi Account
(SSA), National Savings Certificates
(NSC), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), the
Public Provident Fund,[39] savings-bank
accounts,[39] monthly-income plans,[39]
senior-citizens' savings plans[39] and
time-deposit accounts.[39]
Banking …

In 2013 it was revealed that the Indian

postal service had formulated plans to
enter the banking industry after RBI
guidelines for the issuance of new
banking licenses were released.[40]
Eventually they are planning to open a
Post Bank of India, an independent
banking service.[41]

As of 29 February 2016, 18,231 post

offices are utilizing Core Banking
Solutions (CBS).[42] ATMs are installed at
576 Post Office locations and debit cards
issued to Post Office Savings Bank
customers.[43] Core Insurance Solution
(CIS) for Postal Life Insurance (PLI) is
rolled out in 808 head post offices and
corresponding 24,000+ sub post offices.
In September 2017, it was announced
that by 2018 all of the 1.55 lakh post
offices, every postman and grameen dak
sevak (postmaster) will accept all
payment options that the India Post
Payments Bank (IPPB) plans to provide.

On 1 September 2018 the India Post

Payments Bank was inaugurated by
prime minister Narendra Modi.[44]

Data collection …
A mail van of India Post

Sign for parcel packing service

A collaboration between the Ministry of

Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI) and the
Department of Posts has enabled the
computation of consumer-price indices
for rural areas. These statistics were
previously unobtainable, due to problems
of remoteness and scale. The agreement
authorises the postal service to collect
data on prices paid for selected
consumer goods. In February 2011,
MoSPI published its first Consumer Price
Index (CPI) and All-India Consumer Price
Index. The information has since been
published monthly, based on data
available from 1,181 villages across the
country.[34]

E-commerce delivery …

The boom in e-commerce and the

surging number of cash-on-delivery
consignments has led India Post to
partner with major e-commerce portals
for delivering pre-paid as well as cash on
delivery (COD) parcels.[45][46] According
to the Minister for Communications and
Information Technology, Ravi Shankar
Prasad, revenue of India Post from such
deliveries would go up to ₹15 billion
(US$210 million) in the year 2015-16.[46]

Other services …

Other services include:

Post boxes and post bags for mail

receipt
Speed Post
 Identity cards for proof of residence
India Post ATM
RMS (Railway Mail Service)
Post office Passport Seva Kendras
(POPSK)
Aadhaar Enrollment and Updation.
Western Union.
Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal
Life Insurance.
Savings Bank
(SB/RD/TD/MIS/SCSS/PPF/SSA)
Savings Cash Certificates.
India Post Payments Bank( IPPB).
Stamp Sales.

References
1. "GPO: awaiting restoration" . The
Hindu. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
2. "Postal Network and System" .
india.gov.in. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
3. "Annual Report 2017-18" (PDF). India
Post. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
4. "Union Budget (2018-19) -
Department of Posts" (PDF). Open
Budgets India. Retrieved 5 April
2019.
5. "Organization Overview" . India Post.
Retrieved 5 April 2019.
. "CHAPTER - IV ADMINISTRATION OF
THE POST OFFICE" (PDF).
Shodhganga. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
7. Das, M. N.; Das, M. M. (1958).
"Dalhousie and the Reform of the
Postal System". Indian History
Congress. 21 (21): 488–495.
JSTOR 44145245 .
. Grover B.L. & Mehta Alka (2018). A
New Look at Modern Indian History
(From 1707 to The Modern Times),
32e . S. Chand Publishing. pp. 163–.
ISBN 978-93-5253-434-0.
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24 April 2011.
10. "The World's Highest Post Office Is
Not In Hikkim In Lahaul & Spiti And
Here's Why That Is" . Retrieved
10 December 2017.
11. Kaul, Chandrika. "From Empire to
Independence: The British Raj in
India 1858–1947" . BBC. Retrieved
3 March 2011.
12. "India Post: In letter and spirit" . India
Today. 11 August 2017. Retrieved
2 February 2018.
13. "The Government Savings Banks Act,
187 (5 of 1873)" (PDF). dea.gov.in.
Government of India. 28 January
1873. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
14. Jivan, Banik (25 August 2018). "Post
Office Schemes and Services" . Rev
Expo.
15. "The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (6
of 1898)" (PDF).
1 . "The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act,
1933 (17 of 1933)" (PDF).
17. "The world's highest post office!" .
Rediff. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
1 . "Srinagar gets floating post office" .
Times of India. 2 August 2011.
Retrieved 7 June 2012.
19. 1941 Telegrams Sent from Lhasa to
Kathmandu . 1941.
20. 1942 Telegrams Sent from Lhasa to
Kathmandu . 1942.
21. 1943 Telegrams Sent from Lhasa to
Kathmandu . 1943.
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2 . Campbell, Alan C. (November 1995).
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2 . Saksena, V. ibid., p. 84.
29. Saksena, V. (1989), pp. 86–8.
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31. "Welcome to the Indiapost Website" .
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PIN Codes in INDIA ?" .
infoknown.com. Archived from the
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27 May 2014.
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POST Offices in INDIA?" .
infoknown.com. Archived from the
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34. Annual Report 2011-12 (PDF)
(Report). India Post. Retrieved
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the Introduction of 'e-Indian Postal
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3 . "Customer Portal" . Postal Life
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Acts and Rules of Savings
Schemes" . India Post. Archived from
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42. "CBS Rollout info" (PDF).
www.indiapost.gov.in. India Post. 29
February 2016.
43. "ATM Rollout" (PDF). India Post. 29
February 2016.
44. "All 1.55 lakh post offices to offer
payments bank service" . The
Economic Times. New Dehli. 13
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45. "India Post Sees A Massive 900%
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4 . "India Post posts profits on e-
commerce boom" . The Indian
Express. 11 January 2016.

Further reading
Headrick, Daniel. "A double-edged
sword: Communications and imperial
control in British India." Historical
Social Research/Historische
Sozialforschung (2010): 51-65. in
JSTOR
Majumdar, Mohini Lal. The imperial
post offices of British India, 1837-1914
(Phila Publications, 1990)
Rahman, Siddique Mahmudur. "Postal
Services During The East India
 Company's Rule In Bengal." Bangladesh
Historical Studies 19 (2002): 43+

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