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 162ndyear, 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 They were withdrawn in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)
Source : PIB
