Editing India Post (section)

{{Short description|Statutory Body  of India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name            = India Post
| type            = [[Government of India|Department]]
| logo            = India Post.svg
| logo_size       = 250px
| logo_caption    = Official logo of India Post
| formed          = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1854|10|01}}<ref>{{cite web |title=GPO: awaiting restoration |url=https://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/01/29/stories/2003012900300300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030508233650/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/01/29/stories/2003012900300300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 May 2003 |website=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=5 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Postal Network and System |url=https://archive.india.gov.in/sectors/communication/index.php?id=3 |website=india.gov.in |access-date=5 April 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| jurisdiction    = [[ Government of India]]
| headquarters    = Dak Bhawan, [[Sansad Marg]], [[New Delhi]]
| coordinates     = <!-- {{coord|LATITUDE|LONGITUDE|type:landmark_region:US|display=inline,title}} -->
| employees       = 417,114 (2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2022-23|url=https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/DOP_PDFFiles/AR%202023-24_Eng%20of%20DoP.pdf|website=India Post |access-date=12 November 2024}}</ref>
| budget          = {{INRConvert|25378.47|c}} (2024–25)<ref>{{cite web |title=Union Budget (2024-25) - Department of Posts |url=https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/doc/eb/sbe12.pdf |website= Union Budget - Ministry of Finance |access-date=12 November 2024}}</ref>
| minister1_name  = [[Jyotiraditya Scindia]]
| minister2_name  = [[Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani]]
| minister1_pfo   = {{small|([[Ministry of Communications (India)|Minister of Communications]])}}
| minister2_pfo   = {{small|([[Ministry of Communications (India)|Minister of State for Communications]])}}
| chief1_name     = Ms. Vandita Kaul, [[Indian Postal Service|IPoS]]
| chief1_position = Secretary, Department of Posts
| chief2_name     = Shri Sanjay Sharan, [[Indian Postal Service|IPoS]]
| chief2_position = Director General of Postal Services<ref>{{cite web |title=Organization Overview |url=https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/Pages/AboutUs/Organisation.aspx#overview |website=India Post |access-date=12 November 2024}}</ref>
| parent_agency   = [[Ministry of Communications (India)|Ministry of Communications]], [[Government of India]]
| child1_agency   = [[India Post Payments Bank]]
| keydocument1    = [https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/DOP_RTI/TheIndianPostOfficeAct1898.pdf The Indian Post Office Act, 1898]
| keydocument2    = [https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/20064/1/a2023-43.pdf The Post Office Act, 2023]
| website         = {{URL|https://www.indiapost.gov.in/}}
}}
The '''Department of Posts''', [[d/b/a]] '''India Post''', is an Indian [[Public Sector Undertakings in India|public sector]] [[postal system]] statutory body headquartered in [[New Delhi]], [[India]]. It is an organisation under the [[Ministry of Communications (India)|Ministry of Communications]]. Generally known as the Post Office, it is the most widely distributed postal system in the world, and [[India]] is the country that has the largest number of post offices in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://brainly.in/question/6195980|title=INDIA is the country that has the largest number of post offices in the world|publisher=Brainly|access-date=15 October 2018}}</ref> It is involved in [[Mail|delivering mail (post)]], [[Postal order|remitting money by money orders]], accepting deposits under Small Savings Schemes, providing life insurance coverage under Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) and providing retail services like bill collection, sale of forms, etc.

Apart from delivering services to general public and corporates, India Post is also proud custodian of a rich heritage of postal buildings that echo the historical evolution and architectural grandeur of bygone eras. India Post has  declared [[Heritage buildings of Department of Posts|44 heritage buildings]] so far.

[[Warren Hastings]] had taken initiative under East India Company to start the Postal Service in the country in 1766. It was initially established under the name "Company Mail". It was later modified into a service under the [[The Crown|Crown]] in 1854 by [[Lord Dalhousie]]. Dalhousie introduced uniform postage rates ([[universal service]]) and helped to pass the India Post Office Act 1854 which significantly improved upon 1837 Post Office act which had introduced regular post offices in India.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/135431/9/09_chapter%204.pdf | title=Chapter - IV Administration of the Post Office | publisher=Shodhganga | access-date=24 May 2020}}</ref> It created the position Director General of Post for the whole country.<ref name="Dal1">{{cite journal | title=Dalhousie and the Reform of the Postal System |first1=M. N. |last1=Das |first2=M. M. |last2=Das | journal=Indian History Congress | year=1958 | volume=21 | issue=21 | pages=488–495|jstor = 44145245}}</ref><ref name="Alka2018">{{cite book| author=Grover B.L. & Mehta Alka|title=A New Look at Modern Indian History (From 1707 to The Modern Times), 32e|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bkRxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA163|year=2018|publisher=S. Chand Publishing|isbn=978-93-5253-434-0|pages=163–}}</ref> The DoP also acts as an agent for the Indian government in discharging other services for citizens such as old age pension payments and [[National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005|Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme]] (MGNREGS) wage disbursement. With 164,972 post offices (as of March 2024), India Post is the widest postal network in the world.

The country has been divided into 23 postal circles, each circle headed by a [[Postmaster|Chief Postmaster General]]. Each circle is divided into regions, headed by a Postmaster General and comprising field units known as Divisions. These divisions are further divided into subdivisions. In addition to the 23 circles, there is a base circle to provide postal services to the [[Indian Armed Forces|Armed Forces of India]] headed by a Director General. One of the highest post offices in the world is in [[Hikkim]], At 4,400m above sea level in northern India's remote Spiti Valley, the Hikkim post office is a vital connection to the outside world.<ref>{{cite web |title=The world’s highest post office |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180606-the-worlds-highest-post-office |website=BBC |access-date=25 April 2023}}</ref>