Indian Postal System for PSC
Oct 2021|🟡Review|6 min read|72 entries
Key Takeaway
India Post is the world's biggest postal network, with 1.55 lakh post offices under 23 postal circles, out of which almost 1.4 lakh are in the rural areas.
Indian Postal System for PSC
India Post is the world's biggest postal network, with 1.55 lakh post offices under 23 postal circles, out of which almost 1.4 lakh are in the rural areas.
In India, there arenine postal zones,eight for geographical regions and one exclusively for the Indian Army. It is indicated by the first digit of the Postal Index Number (PIN).
However, Indian postal service does not appear on theUniversal Postal Union's top 10 list, and according to this ranking,Switzerland'spostal system is the best postal service provider in the world.
Kerala PSC has repeatedly asked questions from this topic, such as the years when speed post, money orders, pin codes, and other services were launched in India, the year the first stamp in the world was issued, and so on.
History
In India, the history of postal system though in its archaic form can be traced back to the Vedas (Atharva Veda) where sending messengers were a common form.
The first Sultan of Delhi,Qutubuddin Aibakin 1206-10 AD, was the first to introduce a systematic Arabian style (horse-drawn dak) postal system from Delhi to Bengal in the recorded history.
In the year 1296,Alauddin Khiljireformed this horse and foot postal system and named it Mahakama-i-Barid.
During 14th century, it was Arab traveler and historianIbn Battutawho made the earliest reference to an official and much more reformed postal system in India.
Ibn Battuta describes El Wolak (Horse carriers) and El Davah, (foot runners) during the reign ofMohammed bin Tughlaq.
The system was brought to its height during the 16th century under the great Mughal emperorAkbar, with a network of 2,000 miles of post roads.
Basic Facts(4)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi |
| Slogan | Service before help (April, 1959) |
| The Governor general who founded Telegraph and Postal systems in India | Lord Dalhousie* |
| Highest post office in the world | Hikkim in Himachal Pradesh (150,000 Feet; Pin Code 172114) |
Headquarters
Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi
Slogan
Service before help (April, 1959)
The Governor general who founded Telegraph and Postal systems in India*
Lord Dalhousie
Highest post office in the world
Hikkim in Himachal Pradesh (150,000 Feet; Pin Code 172114)
* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information
Indian Postal Stamps(27)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Postal stamps in India are printed at | India Security Press, Nasik (From 1926 January 1 onwards) |
| First postage stamp of India | Scinde Dawk (July 1, 1852) |
| First Adhesive stamp in India | Scinde Dawk |
| World's first bi-colored stamp | Four anna value stamp |
| First stamp issued in India | Half anna blue colored stamp of Queen Victoria (May 1854) |
| First pictorial stamps were issued in | 1931 |
| First stamp in independent India | Indian Flag. (Value: three and one-half annas, 1947 Nov 21) |
| Second stamp of independent India | Ashoka Lion Capital |
| First Stamp issued for domestic use | Ashoka Lion Capital.  (Value: 1.50 annas, December 15, 1947) |
| First Person to appear on the postal after India's Independence | Mahatma Gandhi (August 15, 1948) |
| First Woman who appeared on an Indian stamp | Meera bai (1951) |
| Second Woman who appeared on an Indian stamp | Jhansi Rani (1957) |
| First painter to feature on an Indian postal stamp | Nandalal Bose (1967) |
| First Actorwho appeared on an Indian stamp | Nargis Dutt |
| First Dancerwho appeared on an Indian stamp | Rugmini Devi |
| First Foreigner whoappeared on an Indian stamp | Jean Henri Dunant (1957) |
| First Foreign Woman who appeared on an Indian stamp | Annie Besant |
| First Emperor who appeared on an Indian stamp | Chandra Gupta Maurya |
| First Mughal Emperor appeared in postal stamp | Akbar |
| First Prime Minister who appeared on an Indian stamp | Jawaharlal Nehru (1964)* |
| First American President who appeared on an Indian stamp | Abraham Lincoln |
| First University which was featured in Indian postal stamp | Nalanda |
| First Couple to be featured on Indian postal stamp | Mahatma Gandhi & Kasturba |
| First Indian newspaper to be honored on Postal Stamp | Times of India (1947) |
| First Institute to be honored on Postal Stamp | Air-India International |
| The first commemorative stamp on an event | First Asian Games (1952) |
| First Foreign Country which published the stamp of Mahatma Gandhi | USA |
Postal stamps in India are printed at
India Security Press, Nasik (From 1926 January 1 onwards)
First postage stamp of India
Scinde Dawk (July 1, 1852)
First Adhesive stamp in India
Scinde Dawk
World's first bi-colored stamp
Four anna value stamp
First stamp issued in India
Half anna blue colored stamp of Queen Victoria (May 1854)
First pictorial stamps were issued in
1931
First stamp in independent India
Indian Flag. (Value: three and one-half annas, 1947 Nov 21)
Second stamp of independent India
Ashoka Lion Capital
First Stamp issued for domestic use
Ashoka Lion Capital.  (Value: 1.50 annas, December 15, 1947)
First Person to appear on the postal after India's Independence
Mahatma Gandhi (August 15, 1948)
First Woman who appeared on an Indian stamp
Meera bai (1951)
Second Woman who appeared on an Indian stamp
Jhansi Rani (1957)
First painter to feature on an Indian postal stamp
Nandalal Bose (1967)
First Actorwho appeared on an Indian stamp
Nargis Dutt
First Dancerwho appeared on an Indian stamp
Rugmini Devi
First Foreigner whoappeared on an Indian stamp
Jean Henri Dunant (1957)
First Foreign Woman who appeared on an Indian stamp
Annie Besant
First Emperor who appeared on an Indian stamp
Chandra Gupta Maurya
First Mughal Emperor appeared in postal stamp
Akbar
First Prime Minister who appeared on an Indian stamp*
Jawaharlal Nehru (1964)
First American President who appeared on an Indian stamp
Abraham Lincoln
First University which was featured in Indian postal stamp
Nalanda
First Couple to be featured on Indian postal stamp
Mahatma Gandhi & Kasturba
First Indian newspaper to be honored on Postal Stamp
Times of India (1947)
First Institute to be honored on Postal Stamp
Air-India International
The first commemorative stamp on an event
First Asian Games (1952)
First Foreign Country which published the stamp of Mahatma Gandhi
USA
* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information
Kerala(19)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| First post office in Kerala | Alappuzha (1857) |
| First princely state in India to have started their own postal system | Travancore |
| Postal system of Travancore | Anchal System |
| First Indian state to implement speed post service in all their post offices | Kerala |
| First Keralite toappear on an Indian postal stamp | Sree Narayana Guru |
| First Malayali womanwho appeared on an Indian stamp | Saint Alphonsa |
| First Chief Ministertoappear on an Indian postal stamp | E.M.S* |
| First King who appeared on an Indian stamp | Swati Thirunal |
| First Poetwho appeared on an Indian stamp | Kumaranasan |
| First Malayali Painter to feature on an Indian postal stamp | Raja Ravi Varma. (1971) |
| Various Postal Schemes and Services by Indian Postal SystemProject ARROWIntroduced in | April 2008 |
| Purpose | Updating Post Offices in both urban and rural locations.In 2010, Project Arrow was awarded the "Prime Ministers' Award for Excellence in Public Administration" for the years 2008-2009 |
| Deen Dayal SPARSH(Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby)YojanaIntroduced in | 2018 |
| Purpose | To promote philately among school children by giving scholarships |
| First implemented in | Maharashtra |
| Purpose | To address gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, particularly in rural areas |
| Established in | 2018 September 18 |
| Established by | RBI |
| Purpose | To makes use of the postal network to enable making banking services available at people’s doorstep |
First post office in Kerala
Alappuzha (1857)
First princely state in India to have started their own postal system
Travancore
Postal system of Travancore
Anchal System
First Indian state to implement speed post service in all their post offices
Kerala
First Keralite toappear on an Indian postal stamp
Sree Narayana Guru
First Malayali womanwho appeared on an Indian stamp
Saint Alphonsa
First Chief Ministertoappear on an Indian postal stamp*
E.M.S
First King who appeared on an Indian stamp
Swati Thirunal
First Poetwho appeared on an Indian stamp
Kumaranasan
First Malayali Painter to feature on an Indian postal stamp
Raja Ravi Varma. (1971)
Various Postal Schemes and Services by Indian Postal SystemProject ARROWIntroduced in
April 2008
Purpose
Updating Post Offices in both urban and rural locations.In 2010, Project Arrow was awarded the "Prime Ministers' Award for Excellence in Public Administration" for the years 2008-2009
Deen Dayal SPARSH(Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby)YojanaIntroduced in
2018
Purpose
To promote philately among school children by giving scholarships
First implemented in
Maharashtra
Purpose
To address gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, particularly in rural areas
Established in
2018 September 18
Established by
RBI
Purpose
To makes use of the postal network to enable making banking services available at people’s doorstep
* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information
đź“ťSideNotes(22)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Philately | Study & collection of postage stamps |
| Deltiology | Study & collection of postcards |
| World Post Day | October 9 |
| National Post Day | October 10 |
| National Philately Day | October 12 |
| National Philatelic Museum | New Delhi |
| Universal Postal Union(UPU) | Established–1874 |
| Headquarters | Bern (Switzerland) |
| AsianPostal Union(APU) | Established –1964 |
| Headquarters | Manila (Philippines) |
| Postal Staff College is located at | Ghaziabad (UP) |
| World's first adhesive postage stamp | Penny Black |
| Jean Henri Dunant | Founder of Red cross |
| First Woman President of Indian National Congress | Annie Besant* |
| First Country to have a postal system | Egypt |
| First Country in the modern age to have a postal system | England |
| The Country which issued the biggest postal stamp | China |
| First Country in the world to issue a perfumed postage stamp | Bhutan (1973) |
| First Perfumed Stamp of India was released in | 2006 (Sandalwood).In2017, India produced a scented postage stamp. What flavor was it released in?Coffee |
| First Minister of Communication of India | C.R.K Kidwai |
| Author of the Play 'The Post Office' | Rabindranath Tagore (1912) |
| Translated to English by | W. B. Yeats |
Philately
Study & collection of postage stamps
Deltiology
Study & collection of postcards
World Post Day
October 9
National Post Day
October 10
National Philately Day
October 12
National Philatelic Museum
New Delhi
Universal Postal Union(UPU)
Established–1874
Headquarters
Bern (Switzerland)
AsianPostal Union(APU)
Established –1964
Headquarters
Manila (Philippines)
Postal Staff College is located at
Ghaziabad (UP)
World's first adhesive postage stamp
Penny Black
Jean Henri Dunant
Founder of Red cross
First Woman President of Indian National Congress*
Annie Besant
First Country to have a postal system
Egypt
First Country in the modern age to have a postal system
England
The Country which issued the biggest postal stamp
China
First Country in the world to issue a perfumed postage stamp
Bhutan (1973)
First Perfumed Stamp of India was released in
2006 (Sandalwood).In2017, India produced a scented postage stamp. What flavor was it released in?Coffee
First Minister of Communication of India
C.R.K Kidwai
Author of the Play 'The Post Office'
Rabindranath Tagore (1912)
Translated to English by
W. B. Yeats
* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information
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