The Postal Department is changing with the times
Ramesh Sarraf Dhamora
October 9 is celebrated as World Post Day worldwide. On this day in 1874, 22 countries signed an agreement in Bern, Switzerland, to establish the Universal Postal Union. In 1969, at a conference held in Takao, Japan, the date was announced as World Post Day. On July 1, 1876, India was the first Asian country to become a member of the Universal Postal Union. Based on population and international mail traffic, India has been a Tier 1 member since its inception.
The history of post offices in India dates back to the time of the British East India Company, when Robert Clive established the first postal system in 1766. Warren Hastings opened the first post office in Kolkata in 1774, and in 1854, Lord Dalhousie launched a national postal service in India. Today, India Post is one of the world’s largest postal networks, providing banking, insurance, and other services to the common man. The establishment of the Indian Postal Department on October 1, 1854, also marked the first issue of a postage stamp in India.
The purpose of World Post Day is to raise awareness about the postal sector’s contribution to the nation’s social and economic development. World Post Day is celebrated annually in various ways in more than 150 countries worldwide. The advanced and sophisticated form of the Indian postal system we see today is the result of a long journey. The British initiated the unification of the various postal systems operating in different regions over a century and a half ago. They gave the Indian postal system a new form and character. However, the British postal system remained focused on their strategic and commercial interests.
In our country, the postal department once held such importance that even famous songs have been filmed on postmen in films. However, the landscape has completely changed. The growing influence of the internet has significantly diminished its importance. Today, people have abandoned writing letters by hand. Now, messages are exchanged within minutes through email, WhatsApp, social media, and the internet.
Today, only a handful of letters arrive by post. Money orders have also been discontinued. However, with the arrival of a large number of government documents, forms from banks and other institutions through the postal department, the postal department’s importance has once again increased. For decades, the postal department has been the most reliable, convenient, and inexpensive means of transmitting information not only within the country but also from one country to another. However, with the increasing dominance of private companies in this field and the proliferation of new information technology platforms, the postal department’s role has steadily diminished. However, its relevance remains intact throughout the world.
The importance of the postal department in India can be understood from the famous poet Nida Fazli’s couplet: “The simple postman works great magic, tears and smiles in a single bag.” When poet Nida Fazli wrote this couplet, the postal department was the only means of delivering messages in the country. Reading the letters from the postman’s bag brought joy to some, while others were sad.
Until a few years ago, the postal service was an important part of our lives. When the postman arrived in the village, everyone, young and old, would follow him to the post office, eagerly anticipating a letter from a family member. When the postman began distributing letters, one by name, everyone would take their own or their neighbor’s letter and return it with great enthusiasm. At that time, due to the lack of education, women were often illiterate. Therefore, they would have the letter-deliverers read and write the letters. Children who read and wrote letters were often rewarded with money or jaggery or sweets. Driven by this desire, children strived to deliver letters to as many homes as possible. At that time, there were no bank branches in villages. Therefore, people who went out to earn money sent money home through the postal system through money orders. The postman personally visited the recipient’s home to deliver a money order and obtained a witness’ signature upon payment. The Postal Department used to send urgent messages via telegram. Due to the high cost of telegrams, only brief and essential messages were written. Even ordinary telegrams were essential, with the rate for urgent telegrams being double the normal rate. The government discontinued the telegram service, which was first established in the country on February 11, 1855, on July 15, 2013. Additionally, the Postal Department merged the registered postal service with Speed Post from October 1, 2025.
The Indian Postal Department distributes mail across the country based on PIN code numbers (Postal Index Numbers). PIN code numbers were introduced on August 15, 1972. Under this system, the Postal Department has divided the country into nine geographical regions. Numbers 1 to 8 are geographical regions, and number 9 is assigned to the military postal service. The first digit of the PIN code indicates the region, the second the sub-region, and the third the district. The last three digits indicate the specific post office in that district.
The Central Government has launched the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) under the Department of Posts. This will be a major option in providing banking services to every person in the country. India Post Payments Bank has launched banking services across the country. In the coming days, this will create the country’s largest banking network, with a presence in every village. For these services, 11,000 Postal Department employees will go door-to-door to provide banking services to people.
In the changing technological era, postal systems around the world have improved existing services and integrated themselves with new technological services. Express services have been introduced to deliver mail, parcels, and letters to their destinations. Financial services provided by post offices have also been integrated with modern technology. Currently, more than 55 different types of postal e-services are available worldwide. In the future, the number of postal e-services will be further expanded. 82% of the global population benefits from home delivery through the Postal Department.
After India’s independence, a new era of developing our postal system, focusing on the needs of the common man, began. This planned development process has made the Indian Postal System the largest and best in the world. The Postal Department has also played a historic role in nation-building, which has ensured its continued usefulness. Even today, the common man trusts post offices and postmen. Despite all the ups and downs, no other institution in the country has garnered such public trust. This position has not been achieved in a few years. Behind this lies the years of hard work and consistent service provided by the Postal Department’s employees.
(The author is a freelance journalist accredited by the Rajasthan government.)
