about the indian postal system and list the changes or advancements that it has undergone since its inception?
Answers
The Indian Postal System, which began during the reign of the British, has undergone tremendous change. Initially the area of coverage was restricted to a few provinces and routes. Now however, a letter or a parcel can find its way to just about any corner of the nation as well as the world. The system has evolved over the years, despite it being centralized way back in 1854. Today, it continues to be centralized, but has kept pace with the changing times.
The system was initially put in place mainly to facilitate communication. Letters and telegrams were extensively used. Telegrams have now been abolished in India, for there are very few takers in the era of emails. Letters and packages continue to travel across regions. The postal department has tried to modernise its approach every now and then, with the introduction of new facilities. There are specialised services, like SpeedPost which ensure quicker delivery of mail and even tracking of the mail.
An attempt has been made to construct post offices in the remote rural areas as well. The government uses these to reach out to the rural masses as well. As a result, post offices now offer a variety of services including electronic postal order, postal banking and even life insurance. The most recent service that the department has launched is the personalization of stamps, which allows one to order stamps with an image of their choice, be it a person’s picture or a pet’s.
The postal system has come a long way from being an elite system to being a system that caters to the common man, from a system that offered limited services to a system that seeks to be as interactive with its patrons as possible.