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India Post

India Post is a government-operated postal system in India, part of the Department of Post under the Ministry of Communications. Generally known as the Post Office, 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 the country in 1766. 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
India Post Logo
Department overview
Formed1 October 1854; 168 years ago (1854-10-01)[1][2]
HeadquartersDak Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi
Employees416,083 (March 2021)[3]
Annual budget20,820.02 crore (US$2.6 billion) (2022–23)[4]
Minister responsible
Department executives
  • Vineet Pandey, Secretary, Department of Posts, IPoS
  • Alok Sharma, Director General (Posts), IPoS[5]
Parent DepartmentDepartment of Post, Ministry of Communication, Government of India
Child Department
Key document
  • The Indian Post Office Act, 1898
Websitewww.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 the Indian government 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 March 2017), India Post is the widest 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 an altitude 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 Udagamandalam

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]

 
British-era letter box in Shimla, India.

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.[23] 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.[24]

 
Yogayog Bhawan (head office of the West Bengal wing of India Post), at Chittaranjan Avenue, Bowbazar, Kolkata.

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.[25]

Postage-stamp history

First adhesive stamps in Asia

 
First all-India stamps
 
Six-anna 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.[26] 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 12-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 12-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.[27]

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.[28]

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.[29]

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.[30] 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.

Losses

 
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 postal department has always been the biggest loss-making entity in India, surpassing others like the Air India and BSNL, with an annual loss to the exchequer to the tune of ₹15,000 crore in the fiscal year 2019,[31][32][33] and amounting to ₹15,541 crore in the calendar year 2020.[34] The following table shows losses incurred by the postal department over the years.[35]

Year Net expenditure (in crores) Revenue (in crores) Loss (in crores)
2010-11 ₹13,075.0 ₹6,962.3 ₹6,113
2011-12 ₹12,075.3 ₹7,899.4 ₹4,175.9
2012-13 ₹14,676.4 ₹9,366.498 ₹5,309.9
2013-14 ₹16,203.52 ₹10,730.42 ₹5,473.10
2014-15 ₹17,894.58 ₹11,635.98 ₹6,258.60
2015-16 ₹18,946.97 ₹12,939.79 ₹6.007.18
2016-17[36] ₹23,480.95 ₹11,511.00 ₹11,969.95
2017-18[37] ₹27,977.60 ₹13,084.76 ₹14,892.84
2018-19[38] ₹27,129.08 ₹13,482.56 ₹13,646.52
2019-20[39] ₹28,371.34 ₹13,558.2 ₹14,813.14
2020-21[40] ₹28,327.59 ₹10,632.50 ₹17,695.09
2021-22 (upto Dec, 2021)[40] ₹29,272.57 ₹10,542.25 ₹18,730.32

PIN

 
A Post Box of India Post
 
A special 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 (APS905898).[41]

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 first four digits indicate a service route.
  • The last two digits indicate the delivery post office.

The PIN for an address may be found on the Postal Service website.[42] 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.[43][44]

Digital Address Code

Indian post proposed a 12 digit unique identification number to each and every address in India based on geo coordinates.[45] Draft approach paper on Digital Address Code was issued by Indian Post for public comments.[46]

Project Arrow

Project Arrow was launched in April 2008.[24] 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 Awards for Excellence in Public Administration during 2008–09 for "Project Arrow – Transforming India Post" on 21 April 2010.[47]

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 (equivalent to 30 billion or US$380 million in 2020) was formulated to computerize rural post offices.[48]

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.[49]: 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 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.[50]

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$16 billion). Premium income of PLI for the year 2014-15 was 6,053.2 crore (US$760 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).[51] 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,[52] savings-bank accounts,[52] monthly-income plans,[52] senior-citizens' savings plans[52] and time-deposit accounts.[52]

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.[53] Eventually they are planning to open a Post Bank of India, an independent banking service.[54]

As of 29 February 2016, 18,231 post offices are utilizing Core Banking Solutions (CBS).[55] ATMs are installed at 576 Post Office locations and debit cards issued to Post Office Savings Bank customers.[56] 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.[57]

Data collection

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.[47]

E-commerce delivery

 
India Post service van delivering mails, Pune, Maharashtra

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.[58][59] 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$190 million) in the year 2015–16.[59]

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. ^ . The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 May 2003. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Postal Network and System". india.gov.in. Retrieved 5 April 2019.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Annual Report 2020-21" (PDF). India Post. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Union Budget (2022-23) - Department of Posts" (PDF). Union Budget - Ministry of Finance. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Organization Overview". India Post. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  6. ^ "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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "World's Highest Post Office". Stamps of India. Retrieved 24 April 2011.[dead link]
  10. ^ "The World's Highest Post Office Is Not in Sikkim in Lahaul & Spiti And Here's Why That Is". August 2017. 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).
  16. ^ "The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 (17 of 1933)" (PDF).
  17. ^ "The world's highest post office!". Rediff. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  18. ^ "Srinagar gets floating post office". The 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.
  22. ^ Karuna Ratna Tuladhar Telegrams from Lhasa to Kathmandu 1942-43. 1942.
  23. ^ Srivastava, Priya. "Know about India's one and only floating post office in Srinagar". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  24. ^ a b (PDF). India Post (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  25. ^ "Post Office Network". India Post.
  26. ^ . Archived from the original on 27 October 2009.
  27. ^ Campbell, Alan C. (November 1995). "The Design Evolution of the United States Official Stamps" (PDF). U.S. Philatelic Classics Society Chronicle. 47 (4): 268.
  28. ^ . Linns.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  29. ^ Saksena, V. ibid., p. 84.
  30. ^ Saksena, V. (1989), pp. 86–8.
  31. ^ "India Post losses touch Rs 15,000 crore in FY19; replaces Air India, BSNL as biggest loss-making PSU". Business Today.
  32. ^ "Bad news! India Post is now top loss-maker PSU, pips BSNL & Air India". 15 April 2019.
  33. ^ "India Post Now Biggest Loss-making PSU, Loses Rs 15,000 Crore In FY19". Moneycontrol.
  34. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  35. ^ "Revenue of Postal Department". PIB. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  36. ^ "Annual Report 2017-2018" (PDF). India Post. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  37. ^ "Summary of activities 2018" (PDF). India Post.
  38. ^ "Annual Report 2019-2020" (PDF). India Post. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  39. ^ "Annual Report 2020-2021" (PDF). India Post. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  40. ^ a b "Annual Report 2021-2022" (PDF). India Post. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  41. ^ "What is a PIN code?". business-standard.com. Business Standard. Retrieved 11 July 2022. There are nine postal zones in India, including eight geographical region zones and one for the Indian Army.
  42. ^ . Indiapost.gov.in. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  43. ^ . infoknown.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  44. ^ . infoknown.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  45. ^ Sampath, G. (12 December 2021). "Digital Address Code: What is it and why do we need it? | In Focus podcast". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  46. ^ Kumar Roy DDG, Ajay (18 October 2021). (PDF). India Post. Gov. of India, Min. of Comm., Dept. of Posts. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  47. ^ a b (PDF). India Post (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  48. ^ . Punjab Kesari. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  49. ^ Annual Report 2010-2011 (PDF). India Post (Report). Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  50. ^ "RTI Process gets Further Boost with the Introduction of 'e-Indian Postal Order' for all by the Department of Posts" (Press release). PIB. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  51. ^ "Customer Portal". Postal Life Insurance. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  52. ^ a b c d e . India Post. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  53. ^ "Coming soon, Post Bank of India". The Hindu. 23 February 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  54. ^ "Post Bank" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  55. ^ "CBS Rollout info" (PDF). India Post. 29 February 2016.
  56. ^ "ATM Rollout" (PDF). India Post. 29 February 2016.
  57. ^ "All 1.55 lakh post offices to offer payments bank service". The Economic Times. New Delhi. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  58. ^ "India Post Sees A Massive 900% Jump in Profit As The Prefered [sic] Partner of E-Commerce Brands". The Times of India. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  59. ^ a b "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+

External links

  • Official website

india, post, government, operated, postal, system, india, part, department, post, under, ministry, communications, generally, known, post, office, most, widely, distributed, postal, system, world, warren, hastings, taken, initiative, under, east, india, compan. India Post is a government operated postal system in India part of the Department of Post under the Ministry of Communications Generally known as the Post Office 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 the country in 1766 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 PostIndia Post LogoDepartment overviewFormed1 October 1854 168 years ago 1854 10 01 1 2 HeadquartersDak Bhawan Sansad Marg New DelhiEmployees416 083 March 2021 3 Annual budget 20 820 02 crore US 2 6 billion 2022 23 4 Minister responsibleAshwini Vaishnaw Minister of State for Communications Department executivesVineet Pandey Secretary Department of Posts IPoSAlok Sharma Director General Posts IPoS 5 Parent DepartmentDepartment of Post Ministry of Communication Government of IndiaChild DepartmentIndia Post Payments BankKey documentThe Indian Post Office Act 1898Websitewww wbr indiapost wbr gov wbr inIt 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 the Indian government 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 March 2017 India Post is the widest 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 an altitude of 14 567 ft 4 440 m 9 10 Contents 1 History 1 1 Posts and the British Raj 1858 1947 1 2 After independence in 1947 2 Postage stamp history 2 1 First adhesive stamps in Asia 2 2 Stamps issued by the East India Company 2 3 Post independence stamps 3 Losses 4 PIN 5 Digital Address Code 6 Project Arrow 7 Services 7 1 Philately 7 2 Army Postal Service 7 3 Electronic Indian Postal Order 7 4 Postal Life insurance 7 5 Postal savings 7 6 Banking 7 7 Data collection 7 8 E commerce delivery 7 9 Other services 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory Edit Indian postal service Educational card late 19th or early 20th century 1850s Scinde Dawk stamp A modern Indian post office near Udagamandalam Main articles Postage stamps and postal history of India and Postage stamps and postal history of the Indian states Posts and the British Raj 1858 1947 Edit The British Raj was instituted in 1858 when the rule of the East India Company was transferred to the Crown 11 12 British era letter box in Shimla India 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 amp 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 23 The Posts and Telegraphs departments merged in 1914 dividing again on 1 January 1985 After independence in 1947 Edit 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 24 Yogayog Bhawan head office of the West Bengal wing of India Post at Chittaranjan Avenue Bowbazar Kolkata 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 update 2016 and 90 of these were in rural areas 25 Postage stamp history EditSee also List of miniature sheets from India Post First adhesive stamps in Asia Edit First all India stamps Six anna 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 26 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 Edit 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 27 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 28 Post independence stamps Edit 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 भ रत INDIA although three stamps issued from December 1962 to January 1963 carried the earlier inscription 29 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 30 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 Losses Edit 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 postal department has always been the biggest loss making entity in India surpassing others like the Air India and BSNL with an annual loss to the exchequer to the tune of 15 000 crore in the fiscal year 2019 31 32 33 and amounting to 15 541 crore in the calendar year 2020 34 The following table shows losses incurred by the postal department over the years 35 Year Net expenditure in crores Revenue in crores Loss in crores 2010 11 13 075 0 6 962 3 6 1132011 12 12 075 3 7 899 4 4 175 92012 13 14 676 4 9 366 498 5 309 92013 14 16 203 52 10 730 42 5 473 102014 15 17 894 58 11 635 98 6 258 602015 16 18 946 97 12 939 79 6 007 182016 17 36 23 480 95 11 511 00 11 969 952017 18 37 27 977 60 13 084 76 14 892 842018 19 38 27 129 08 13 482 56 13 646 522019 20 39 28 371 34 13 558 2 14 813 142020 21 40 28 327 59 10 632 50 17 695 092021 22 upto Dec 2021 40 29 272 57 10 542 25 18 730 32PIN Edit A Post Box of India Post A special 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 APS905898 41 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 first four digits indicate a service route The last two digits indicate the delivery post office The PIN for an address may be found on the Postal Service website 42 There are total of 19 101 PINs covering 154 725 post offices in India with the exception of the Army Postal Service as of update 2014 43 44 Digital Address Code EditIndian post proposed a 12 digit unique identification number to each and every address in India based on geo coordinates 45 Draft approach paper on Digital Address Code was issued by Indian Post for public comments 46 Project Arrow EditProject Arrow was launched in April 2008 24 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 Awards for Excellence in Public Administration during 2008 09 for Project Arrow Transforming India Post on 21 April 2010 47 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 equivalent to 30 billion or US 380 million in 2020 was formulated to computerize rural post offices 48 Services EditPhilately Edit 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 49 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 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 Edit Main article Army Postal Service India 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 Edit 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 50 Postal Life insurance Edit 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 amp 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 16 billion Premium income of PLI for the year 2014 15 was 6 053 2 crore US 760 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 51 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 Edit 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 52 savings bank accounts 52 monthly income plans 52 senior citizens savings plans 52 and time deposit accounts 52 Banking Edit Main article India Post Payments Bank 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 53 Eventually they are planning to open a Post Bank of India an independent banking service 54 As of 29 February 2016 18 231 post offices are utilizing Core Banking Solutions CBS 55 ATMs are installed at 576 Post Office locations and debit cards issued to Post Office Savings Bank customers 56 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 57 Data collection Edit 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 47 E commerce delivery Edit India Post service van delivering mails Pune Maharashtra 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 58 59 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 190 million in the year 2015 16 59 Other services Edit 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 Edit GPO awaiting restoration The Hindu Archived from the original on 8 May 2003 Retrieved 5 April 2019 Postal Network and System india gov in Retrieved 5 April 2019 permanent dead link Annual Report 2020 21 PDF India Post Retrieved 9 October 2021 Union Budget 2022 23 Department of Posts PDF Union Budget Ministry of Finance Retrieved 9 October 2021 Organization Overview India Post Retrieved 9 October 2021 Chapter IV Administration of the Post Office PDF Shodhganga Retrieved 24 May 2020 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 amp 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 World s Highest Post Office Stamps of India Retrieved 24 April 2011 dead link The World s Highest Post Office Is Not in Sikkim in Lahaul amp Spiti And Here s Why That Is August 2017 Retrieved 10 December 2017 Kaul Chandrika From Empire to Independence The British Raj in India 1858 1947 BBC Retrieved 3 March 2011 India Post In letter and spirit India Today 11 August 2017 Retrieved 2 February 2018 The Government Savings Banks Act 187 5 of 1873 PDF dea gov in Government of India 28 January 1873 Retrieved 24 April 2020 Jivan Banik 25 August 2018 Post Office Schemes and Services Rev Expo The Indian Post Office Act 1898 6 of 1898 PDF The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 17 of 1933 PDF The world s highest post office Rediff Retrieved 24 April 2011 Srinagar gets floating post office The Times of India 2 August 2011 Retrieved 7 June 2012 1941 Telegrams Sent from Lhasa to Kathmandu 1941 1942 Telegrams Sent from Lhasa to Kathmandu 1942 1943 Telegrams Sent from Lhasa to Kathmandu 1943 Karuna Ratna Tuladhar Telegrams from Lhasa to Kathmandu 1942 43 1942 Srivastava Priya Know about India s one and only floating post office in Srinagar The Times of India Retrieved 16 February 2023 a b Annual Report 2009 09 PDF India Post Report Archived from the original PDF on 25 April 2016 Retrieved 14 April 2016 Post Office Network India Post Scinde District Dawks Archived from the original on 27 October 2009 Campbell Alan C November 1995 The Design Evolution of the United States Official Stamps PDF U S Philatelic Classics Society Chronicle 47 4 268 Refresher Course Linns com Archived from the original on 25 June 2008 Retrieved 14 April 2016 Saksena V ibid p 84 Saksena V 1989 pp 86 8 India Post losses touch Rs 15 000 crore in FY19 replaces Air India BSNL as biggest loss making PSU Business Today Bad news India Post is now top loss maker PSU pips BSNL amp Air India 15 April 2019 India Post Now Biggest Loss making PSU Loses Rs 15 000 Crore In FY19 Moneycontrol Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 11 May 2021 Retrieved 6 August 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Revenue of Postal Department PIB 19 February 2014 Retrieved 21 February 2014 Annual Report 2017 2018 PDF India Post Retrieved 27 August 2022 Summary of activities 2018 PDF India Post Annual Report 2019 2020 PDF India Post Retrieved 27 August 2022 Annual Report 2020 2021 PDF India Post Retrieved 27 August 2022 a b Annual Report 2021 2022 PDF India Post Retrieved 27 August 2022 What is a PIN code business standard com Business Standard Retrieved 11 July 2022 There are nine postal zones in India including eight geographical region zones and one for the Indian Army Welcome to the Indiapost Website Indiapost gov in Archived from the original on 20 May 2012 Retrieved 4 August 2012 Do you know the total number of PIN Codes in INDIA infoknown com Archived from the original on 27 May 2014 Retrieved 27 May 2014 Do you know the total number of POST Offices in INDIA infoknown com Archived from the original on 27 May 2014 Retrieved 27 May 2014 Sampath G 12 December 2021 Digital Address Code What is it and why do we need it In Focus podcast The Hindu ISSN 0971 751X Retrieved 20 January 2022 Kumar Roy DDG Ajay 18 October 2021 Suggestion Feedback on Draft Approach Paper for creating a Digital Address Code PDF India Post Gov of India Min of Comm Dept of Posts Archived from the original PDF on 22 February 2022 Retrieved 8 July 2022 a b Annual Report 2011 12 PDF India Post Report Archived from the original PDF on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 14 April 2016 Modernization of India Post Punjab Kesari Archived from the original on 15 May 2012 Retrieved 7 June 2012 Annual Report 2010 2011 PDF India Post Report Retrieved 7 October 2012 RTI Process gets Further Boost with the Introduction of e Indian Postal Order for all by the Department of Posts Press release PIB 13 February 2014 Retrieved 16 February 2014 Customer Portal Postal Life Insurance Retrieved 7 June 2012 a b c d e Post Office Savings Bank Manual Acts and Rules of Savings Schemes India Post Archived from the original on 3 May 2012 Retrieved 14 June 2012 Coming soon Post Bank of India The Hindu 23 February 2013 Retrieved 25 February 2013 Post Bank Press release Press Information Bureau Government of India 14 August 2013 Retrieved 14 August 2013 CBS Rollout info PDF India Post 29 February 2016 ATM Rollout PDF India Post 29 February 2016 All 1 55 lakh post offices to offer payments bank service The Economic Times New Delhi 13 September 2017 Retrieved 13 September 2017 India Post Sees A Massive 900 Jump in Profit As The Prefered sic Partner of E Commerce Brands The Times of India 12 January 2016 Retrieved 13 January 2016 a b India Post posts profits on e commerce boom The Indian Express 11 January 2016 Further reading EditHeadrick 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 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Post of India External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title India Post amp oldid 1139879364, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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