The Indian Postal Service is the most extensively distributed post office system in the world.
Postal system in India was established by Robert Clive (1766).
First GPO of India is in Calcutta, which was established in 1774 by Warren Hastings.
Bombay & Madras Presidencies started the GPO's in the year, 1786 & 1793.
The Act of 1837 first regulated the Post Office on a uniform basis & united the 3 presidencies into one all- India Service.
The Post office Act of 1854 reformed the entire Postal system, and Post office of India on the present form that came into existence from October 1, 1854.
Postal Department in India was introduced by Dalhousie (1854).
The postal service introduced by East India Company is known as Company Dawk.
Postal Index Number (PIN) in India was introduced in 1972. The postal index number consists of six digits. The extreme left first digit represents the zone in the country, the second represents the sub-zone, the third the sorting district. The first three digits together indicate the precise sorting district. The last three digits of the PIN number indicate the delivery post office.
Number of postal zones in India is 9. The Army postal zone is included in the zone 9.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry are included in the zone 6.
The first telegraph line in India was between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour during the tenure of Lord Dalhousie in 1851.
The organisations that aim at extending facilitating and improving postal relations among countries is UPU & APPU. India became the member of UPU since 1876 & the APPU in 1964.
UPU (Universal Postal Union) was set up in October 9, 1875. It becomes specialized agency of UN since 1947. The headquarters of UPU is in Berne (Switzerland).
APPU is Asia Pacific Postal Union. The headquarters of APPU is at Manila (Philippines).
The headquarters of Indian post is at New Delhi.
The first Country to issue postage stamp is Britain.
The first country to issue fragrance stamp is Bhutan.
The first country to issue Khadi stamp is India
The first country to introduce pincode system is Germany.
The first Country to introduce postal cards is Australia.
The first Princely state in India to issue a stamp is Kathiawar (Gujarat).
First Indian Post Office outside the country is Dakshin Gangotri in Antarctica.
Dakshin Gangotri was under the postal division, Goa.
Pincode of Dakshin Gangotri is 403001.
The Mobile Postmen Scheme introduced by BSNL is Meghdoot.
India's first post office saving bank ATM was started in Chennai in February 2014.
First post office saving bank ATM was inaugurated by P. Chidambaram.
The Extra Departmental Agents (EDA's) working in the Department of posts is known as Gramin Dak Sewaks.
EMS - Emergency Mail Service
SATMO - Satellite Money Order
VSAT - Very Small Aperture Terminals were established for Satellite MOS.
ESMO's - Extended Satellite Money order stations.
TMO's - Transit Mail Offices
The Postal Department introduced two Internet based value added service named e-Post, e-Bill Post.
The largest Post office in India is Bombay General Post Office.
The highest Post office in the world is Hikkim is Himachal Pradesh.
First floating post office in India is Srinagar (Dal Lake).
First General Post office in India is Calcutta (1774).
First post office in Travancore is Alappuzha (1857).
First all women post office in India is New Delhi (2013 March 8).
First all women post office in Kerala is PMG, Thiruvananthapuram (2013 July 5).
e-Payment is the most convenient way to pay your bills under one roof.
The number of postal circles in India is 2. The head of the postal circle is Chief Postmaster General. In addition to the 22 circles, the postal circle provides postal services to the Armed forces of India. It is called the Base Circle.
India has money order services to twenty seven countries.
The Maximum amount which can be remitted through a single money order is 5000.
International Money Transfer Service
This service is operated in association with a multinational company, Western Union Financial Services International. This service is currently available at 8511 post office.
The service has provided the common man who has no bank account or access to Internet, a viable channel for receiving remittances from their relatives and family members abroad.
Instant Money Order (IMO)
The service was introduced on 20th January 2006. Under this service a person can send amount from Rs 100 upto Rs. 50,000 in one transaction.
Money will be disbursed to the payee at any of the IMO Post Office in India on presentation of 16 digit IMO number and photo identity proof.
A quality improvement project of Indian post in urban and rural areas, providing all IT enabled service through secure connectivity is Project Arrow.
The police in which state use pigeon post for communication is Odisha.
The brand name for personalized sheets of commemorative postage stamps of Indian Post is My Stamp. The amount deposited to get My Stamp is Rs 300.
The first customized pincode in India was allotted to Supreme Court. The pincode of Supreme Court is 110201.
First Indian state to introduce post offices in all its villages is Goa.
The first cyber post office in India is introduced in Tamil Nadu (Chennai).
The first Indian state to introduce speed post system in all its post office is Kerala.
POSTAGE STAMP
First stamp designer in India is Captain H.L. Thuillier (Deputy Surveyor General, Calcutta).
World's first postage stamp was issued by Great Britain (1840).
World's first postage stamp is Penny Black. Penny Black was introduced by Rowland Hill.
The only country that does not include the name of the country in the postage stamp is Britain.
In USA the first stamp was issued in 1847, July 1.
Hobby of Stamp Collection is called Philately. The Father of Philately is Rowland Hill (England). The king of hobbies is also Philately.
Stamp collection began as a hobby in 1850.
First stamp issued in India / Asia is Scinde Dawk (1852 July).
The Chief Commissioner of Sindh who introduced Scinde Dawk is Sir Bartle Frere.
The First stamp of independent India depicts Indian flag with the slogan Jai Hind (released on 21 Nov 1947, was meant for foreign correspondence.)
The Lion Capital of Asoka is fixed in the second stamp produced in Independent India. It was the first stamp meant for domestic use.
First person to appear in postage stamp is Queen Victoria.
First Indian to appear in Indian postage stamp is Mahatma Gandhi (1948 August 15).
First Indian Woman to appear in Indian Postage Stamp is Meera Bai.
First Keralite to appear in Indian postage stamp is Sree Narayana Guru.
First Malayalee woman to appear in Indian postage stamp is Alphonsamma.
First Indian Emperor to appear in Indian postage stamp is Chandra Gupta Maurya.
First foreigner to appear in Indian postage stamp is Henry Dunant.
First foreign woman to appear in Indian postage stamp is Annie Besant.
First Indian Prime Minister appear in Indian postage stamp is Jawaharlal Nehru.
First film actress to appear in Indian postage stamp is Nargis Dutt.
First Malayalee Poet to appear in Indian postage stamp is Kumaran Asan.
First Malayalam film actor to appear in Indian postage stamp is Prem Nazir.
First Kerala Chief Minister to appear in Indian postage stamp is EMS.
The person who appeared in the postage stamps of maximum number of countries is Mahatma Gandhi.
The first foreign country to issue a postage stamp of Mahatma Gandhi is USA.
The first foreigner to appear in the British Postage Stamp is Mahatma Gandhi.
IMPORTANT YEARS IN INDIAN POST
QMS (Quick Mail Service) was introduced in 1975.
International EMS was started in 1986.
Post Office savings bank was started in 1882.
Postal Life Insurance (PLI) was introduced in 1884.
Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) was launched in 2001.
First airmail service from Allahabad to Nainital was started on February 18, 1911.
Money order service was introduced in 1880.
Satellite based Money order service for speedy transmissions of Money Order was introduced in 1994.
Fragrance stamp was issued in 2006.
Business post system was started in 1997.
January Speed net was started in 2002 January 3.
Speed Post system was introduced in india on 1 August 1986.
