Despite
the instant messaging services like whatsapp, SMS and the social networking
sites, there is nothing like receiving a personalized, handwritten letter. As
India Posts enters its 162nd year, here are some interesting facts
about the largest network in the world. World
Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October. The event was declared by the
1969 Universal Postal Congress in Tokyo as a means to mark the anniversary of
the Universal Postal Union's (UPU) creation in 1874.
*S. Balakrishnan
It
sounds unbelievable but world’s first airmail flight took off in India! It was
on 18th February 1911 that a private plane took off from Allahabad
to deliver mail at Naini, 18 km across the Ganges. A commemorative stamp was
issued in 1961 on the occasion of Golden Jubilee of the First Aerial Post.
The
credit for issuing Asia’s first postal stamp also goes to India. Such a stamp
was issued in Sindh (now in Pakistan) in 1852 and was in use till 1866. This
rarest of rare stamp is collectors’ pride. Sir
Bartel Frere, the Commissioner of Sindh, introduced paper stamps for his
province in 1852. These stamps, known as Scinde Dawk, were round in shape and
were issued in three variations. They were withdrawn in October 1854 on the
introduction of the regular India Postage Stamps, though their use continued
for quite some time.
In 1854, it was decided to
issue stamps for the British India and, in the interest of the economy, it was
also decided to have them printed in India itself. Accordingly, on 1st
October 1854, half anna stamps showing a youthful profile of Queen Victoria
were issued. Commemorative stamps were issued in 1954 to mark the centenary of
this event.
The year 1854 was also a landmark year for
the country’s postal service on various other counts as well. An
all-comprehensive Indian Post Office Act was enacted in that year only. Again,
it was in 1854 that rail mail service (RMS) began. The sea mail service from
India to Britain and China also commenced in that year.
While 1854 stamps bore the
inscription 'India Postage', in the same year, this was changed to 'East India
Postage'. In 1882, this was again changed to 'India Postage' and continued till
November 1962 when a new caption 'भारत'
'INDIA' was introduced.
The first independence
stamps, issued in 1947, were three in number. They depicted the Ashoka Pillar
(National Emblem of India), the Indian National Flag and an Aircraft.
With
a total of 1,54,939 post offices (as on 31.03.2015), India Post ranks the
world’s largest postal network. The beginning for this was in 1727 when the
first post office was opened in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Of these, 1,39,222
(89.96%) are in rural areas. At the time of independence, there were only 23,344
post offices, mostly in urban areas. On an average, a post office serves 21.22
sq. km. area and a population of 8,354. This varies from 6,193 in rural to
26,198 in urban areas.
The number of post boxes installed is almost
five times the number of post offices, i.e., more than five lakhs. As varied is
our landscape, there are floating post offices on lakes and rivers also. The
number of employees is also an amazing 4.60 lakh (both departmental and Gramin
Dak Sevaks).
Now there are 22 postal circles in the country
in the range of almost one for each state but also combining small states
together or smaller states / UTs with neighbouring states. The 23rd
circle, the Army Postal Service Circle, is an exclusive circle for the armed
forces.
The
annual mail traffic handled by India Post is around 20.48 crore registered mail
and a voluminous 540.71 crore unregistered mail; of this, the humble 50 Paise
post card alone counts 194.58 crore! Speed Post counts for a traffic of more
than 3 crore every month! The total revenue earned in 2014-15 was Rs. 11,635.98
crore. On its part, India Post also strives to preserve its 38 heritage
buildings spread across the country.
Like the kings & queens of yore, you can
also have a stamp that features you on stamps under ‘My Stamp’ facility. The
Gen Z might call this as Selfie Stamps! According to a Postal Department
website, ‘My Stamp’ is the brand name for
personalized sheets of Postage Stamps of India Post. The personalization is
achieved by printing a thumb nail photograph of the customer images and logos
of institutions, or images of artwork, heritage buildings, famous tourist
places, historical cities, wildlife, other animals and birds etc., alongside
the selected Commemorative Postage Stamp.
To
face the challenges of modern times and varied service requirements, the post
offices are being computerized and equipped with Core Banking Solutions (CBS)
to roll out payment banking services also. Post Offices are becoming nerve
centres of innumerable activities by providing financial services, including
Postal Life Insurance, disbursal of social security pension schemes, MGNREA
payments, Direct Benefit Transfers, and retail services.
One
of the Missions of India Post is to sustain its position as the largest postal
network in the world but at the same time touching the lives of every citizen
in the nook & corner of our vast country and to enable as the last mile
connectivity as a Government of India platform.
National flag stamp issued in 1947
Means of mail delivery – Centenary of Indian stamp
Letter Box at Ghoom Rly. Station, Darjeeling (Photo by
author)
Floating post office on Dal Lake, Kashmir (Courtesy India
Post)
*Independent journalist
based in Chennai.
The views
expressed in the Article are his personal.
Source : PIB
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