Postal System

Postal System in India It may be recalled that the postal system of India was used solely for official purposes till 1837 when the postal services were opened to the public. The first postage stamp was issued in Karachi in 1852, valid only in the Sind province. The Indian Post Office was reorganised as an institution in 1854 when 700 post offices were already in existence. The statute governing the postal services in the country is the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. It vests the government with the exclusive privilege of collecting, carrying and delivering letters within the coun­try. However, now private courier services have been allowed.

In 2008, the India Post adopted a new logo. After 150 years of its existence the India Post has witnessed a seven­fold growth in the postal network. India has the largest postal network in the world. On an average, a post office serves an area of 21.09 sq.km and a population of 6,602. Post offices in rural areas are opened subject to satisfaction of norms regarding population, income and distance laid down by the department for the purpose. The element of subsidy involved in opening post offices in hilly, desert and inaccessible areas is to the extent of 85 per cent of the cost, whereas the subsidy in openinf a post office in normal rural
areas is to the ~xtent of 663 per cent of the cost.

The postal network consists of four categories of post offices, viz., head post offices, sub-post offices, extra­departmental sub-post offices and extra-departmental branch post offices. All categories of post offices offer similar postal services, with the delivery function being restricted to only earmarked offices. In terms of management control, ac­counts are consolidated progressively from branch post office to sub-post office and finally in head post office.

The postal network in India (constituting the largest in the world) continues to fulfil its universal service obli­gations of making basic services available to all. The postal services continue to run into deficit. This is mainly because the emphasis is on the social objective.

The long-term objective of the Department of Postal Services is to locate a post office within three kilometres of every village and to provide a facility of a letter box in every village with a population of over 500.