The Department of Posts has marked a year of significant achievements, advancements, and milestones, reflecting its commitment to enhancing service delivery and contributing to the nation’s development. A comprehensive review of the key initiatives and developments for the year 2024:

1. Modernizing Postal Legislation

The Post Office Act, 2023: The Parliament passed the new postal legislation, "The Post Office Act, 2023" (43 of 2023), which received the assent of the President of India on December 24, 2023. The Act came into force on June 18, 2024, replacing the Indian Post Office Act of 1898.

2. Advancing Mail and Parcel Delivery

• PMA Technology: The introduction of PMA (Parcel Monitoring Application) has revolutionized real-time delivery information sharing. From May 2019 to October 2024, the delivery of accountable mail has shown remarkable growth from 4.33 lakh articles to 5.35 crore articles.
• e-Clearance of Letter Boxes: A system for electronic clearance of letter boxes has been implemented, enhancing transparency and tracking for 53,854 letter boxes across India.
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): RFID technology is now being used to streamline the tracking and tracing of mail and parcels. RFID gates have been installed at 42 major mail exchange hubs to ensure real-time tracking across the network.
• Click N Book Service: India Post launched the "Click N Book" service, enabling online booking for Speed Post, Registered Articles, and Registered Parcels. The service has been rolled out in 1729 pin codes, covering major cities and states.
• Nodal Delivery Centres & Transshipment Centres: The establishment of 233 Nodal Delivery Centres has enhanced the speed and efficiency of parcel delivery, covering over 1600 PIN codes and handling 30% of total parcels delivered across India. 9 new transshipment centres along national highways have been set up to streamline vehicle movement and parcel exchange. These centres are located in key cities including Guwahati, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Ludhiana.
• MoU with Amazon: In collaboration with Amazon Seller Services, India Post signed an MoU to strengthen logistics operations. The partnership will leverage the extensive postal network for faster parcel deliveries, enhancing e-commerce logistics across the country.                                                        

3. Empowering Citizens Through Services

• Aadhaar Services for Defence Personnel: Aadhaar centres were extended to Defence personnel, including the highest centre at Siachen, with 110 operational centres in Army Postal Service locations.
• MoU for Passport Services: The Department renewed its MoU with the Ministry of External Affairs for the continued operation of Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs), aiming to expand the network to 600 centres by 2028-29, significantly improving access to passport services across the country.
• Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign: The Department played an active role in the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign by distributing over 49 lakh National Flags to citizens, fostering patriotism and unity.

• KYC Verifications: The Department entered into MoUs with UTI and SUUTI to provide door-to-door KYC verification services for mutual fund investors. As of October 2024, 400,000 KYC verifications have been successfully completed.
• Physical verification of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) units: An MoU was signed between the Department of Posts and the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on 20.08.2024 for physical verification of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) units. This verification will facilitate the adjustment of government subsidy to the loan account of beneficiaries under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme. The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is one of the key initiatives by the Indian government to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. This is a crucial step, as it ensures that the funds provided for the establishment of small businesses and industries are being used appropriately. The second installment of loans under PMEGP is only disbursed after the physical verification is completed by India Post, ensuring that funds are used for the creation of productive assets, thus directly contributing to economic growth at the local level.
  1,33,000 units will be verified by DoP under this project.

4. Philately: Preserving Heritage Through Stamps

• Ram Janmbhoomi Temple Stamps: To mark the consecration of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple, a set of six commemorative stamps was released by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, featuring special design elements such as water, sand, and fragrance from the sacred site. Hon’ble PM also released a book, “Ramayana-The Saga of Shri Ram”, which was a collection of Stamps issued on Lord Ram and Ramayana by more than 20 countries.
• Commemorative Stamps: Commemorative Postage Stamps on 25 issues were released during the period 1st January 2024 to 31st October 2024, commemorating contributions made by various Personalities/ Important Events/ Occasions /Institutions/ Achievements and Joint Issues with friendly nations. Some of the significant commemorations were Bharat – The Mother of Democracy, XXXIII Olympics Paris 2024, Supreme Court of India – 75 Years, Diamond Jubilee of Rajbhasha, 150th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union, etc.  Stamps were also issued to commemorate great personalities like Karpoori Thakur, Ram Chandra, Mahatma Hansraj, Bhagwan Mahaveer, and Mukesh. Stamps were issued to showcase the heritage of India, such as the Cultural Heritage of Western Odisha, Legendary Poets of Odisha, Yakshagana, etc.
• Customized My Stamp is a personalised sheet of Postage Stamps wherein Corporates, Organisations and Institutions can get customized sheets printed. From 1st January 2024 to 31st October 2024, 38 Customised My Stamps have been released.
• On 20th September, 2024 on the first anniversary of PM Vishwakarma Scheme, Corporate My Stamp on 18 Trades were released digitally by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India.
• The Philatelic Advisory Committee (PAC), a distinguished panel of eminent personalities, convened on 26^th November 2024 to deliberate on the annual calendar for commemorative postage stamps and explore new philatelic initiatives. The meeting was chaired by the Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, and graced by the presence of Shri Devusinh Chauhan, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri S. Selvaganabathy, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Secretary Posts, Ms. Vandita Kaul, and Director General Posts, Shri Sanjay Sharan, along with other esteemed members.
• Letters & Travels: The Department of Posts organized a 14 All-Women Bike Rally, covering over 2,000 km across Bengaluru, Puducherry, Rameshwaram, Kanniyakumari, Munnar, and Mysuru to promote Dhai Akhar – the National Letter Writing Competition. As part of the event, Shri Rajendra Kumar, Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle, released 4 Picture Postcards on “Biking and Letters” at Bengaluru GPO. Over 2,000 students participated in the competition, writing on this year’s theme: The Joy of Writing: Importance of Letters in a Digital Age. The rally reached over 5 lakh people through social media, spreading awareness about the timeless art of letter writing and encouraging participation in Dhai Akhar.

5. Building a Skilled and Future-Ready Workforce

• Training on iGOT Karmayogi: Achieved a significant milestone with 25 lakh course completions on the iGOT Karmayogi platform, fostering a citizen-centric and future-ready workforce. Recognizing outstanding contributions during National Learning Week on 14th November 2024, Karmayogi Bharat awarded certificates of appreciation to Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy (RAKNPA), Uttar Pradesh Circle, and Telangana Circle. Additionally, the Department has successfully created 42 digital courses this year, taking the total number of courses to 150, now accessible on both the iGOT Karmayogi platform and its in-house Dak Karmayogi platform, further strengthening capacity-building efforts.
• The onboarding of 7 Training Units (1 RAKNPA) and 6 PTCs) on the National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions (NSCSTI) Portal has been successfully completed
• Gramin Dak Sevaks Workshop: Leadership training for 100 Gramin Dak Sevaks marked the start of skill enhancement programs.
• Rozgar Mela: 25,133 individuals were engaged in the first tranche of the Rozgar Mela on
  October 29, 2024.

6. Driving Sustainability and Service Excellence

• Special Campaign 4.0: Cleanliness drives resulted in the weeding out of 70,000 files, disposal of over 80,000 grievances, freeing of over 46,000 sqft of space, and earnings of Rs. 1.15 crore from scrap sales.
• Swachhata Hi Seva 2024: More than 36,000 Trees were planted under the #Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam banner during the SHS campaign and Special Campaign 4.0. Safai Mitra Suraksha Shivirs were organised for Sanitation workers. Teams from post offices conducted voluntary Shramdaan activities in identified Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs). Wall Arts on the exterior of post Office Buildings were created to propagate public awareness on Swachhta.
• Infrastructure Development: Construction of 56 new postal buildings and renovation of 95 improved service delivery.
• E-KYC: The Department of Posts (DOP) has successfully introduced electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) processes across all post office branches nationwide. This initiative modernizes service delivery, improves security protocols, and aligns with global digitization trends. The e-KYC implementation streamlines identity verification, significantly enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency.
• DIGIPIN: The Department of Posts has taken initiations with the aim to establish a digital public infrastructure for a standardized, interoperable, geocoded addressing ecosystem, ensuring simplified addressing solutions for citizen-centric delivery of public and private services to enable “Address as a Service" in the country. The Department of Posts has released the beta version of a National Addressing Grid 'DIGIPIN' for taking public comments and expert opinions.

7. Expanding Global Outreach

• Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras : More than 1000 Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (DNKs) have been opened to facilitate commercial export through postal channels across the country. It facilitates e-commerce businesses, MSMEs, and exporters by providing a streamlined process for shipping goods internationally. It offers services like faceless customs clearance, packaging, and shipping at competitive rates, integration with e-commerce platforms, enabling hassle-free delivery of international parcels. The initiative aims to support small and medium enterprises by providing them access to global markets, while leveraging India Post’s vast network and expertise in logistics.  Approximately 18,000 exporters have been onboarded on DNK portal.
• The ‘India Africa Postal Leaders Meet’ organized in India from 21st to 25th June, 2024, with the objective of further strengthening relationships among the administrations of African countries and India in the postal sector. This initiative is under the “South-South and Triangular Cooperation” programme of the Universal Postal Union, organized with the support of India Post and the United States Postal Service.
• The international tracked Packets service, focused on e-commerce deliveries for packets up to 2Kgs, has been made available to 41 countries under the umbrella of multilateral and bilateral agreements.
• The Department of Posts acceded to the Postal Payment Service Multilateral Agreement (PPSMA) for electronic postal payment service exchange between the signatory parties. At present, there are 20 signatories to the UPU Multilateral agreement. It will facilitate cross-border remittances.

8. India Post Payments Bank

• 2.68 crore accounts are opened in Current Year 2024.
• 1.56 crore i.e. 59% are female accounts.
• 77% accounts opened in rural India
• 1.04 crore Customers have availed Mobile Banking services.
• 69 Lakh have utilized VDC (Virtual Debit Card) services.
• Around 2,600 crore are disbursed through AEPS.
• Around 312 crore transactions of Value 1.56 Lakh crore are remitted through UPI.
• Nearly 3.62 crore IPPB customers have received DBT benefits aggregating
• INR 34,950 crore (total DBT transaction nos. 20 crore)
• 1.15 crore Aadhaar Mobile Updates are done.
• 4.40 Lakh DLC issued to pensioners. Bank has received mandates from DoPPW, EPFO, RBI, DoT, Eastern Railways, Kerala State Electricity Board, Tamil Nadu Trust ports etc.
• IPPB has been contributing to various government schemes, including MGNREGA, PM Kisan, PAHAL, Mukhya mantri Ladli Behan Yojana, Mukhyamantri Mazi Ladki Behan Yojana. From January to November 2024, the bank disbursed approximately –

• Nearly 58% of total DBT beneficiaries are women, and the bank is proactively working towards women empowerment, aligning with the government's directions.

The Department of Posts continues to evolve and modernize, ensuring greater accessibility, efficiency, and reliability in its services. With these initiatives and projects, it is poised to meet the growing demands of a digital and connected India.

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SB/ARJ