Krishna Mohan KS
9th October World Post Day
The 9th of October is celebrated as the World Post Day every year to bring awareness on the role of Post in everyday lives of people and businesses, contributing to the global socio-economic development. The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was formed in 1874 and to mark it’s anniversary, the Universal Postal Congress declared the World Post Day in 1969. All the150+ UPU member countries are encouraged to organize events and activities such as introduction or promotion of new postal products and services, organization of open days at post offices and mail centres and postal museums. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UPU and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire have decided to postpone the 27th Universal Postal Congress scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in west Africa from 10 to 28 August 2020.
More than Mail
“The year 2020, however, was the year that the postal industry showed the world its resilience, its determination, and the invaluable role it plays in every society. We showed we are more than mail” said the Director General of UPU, Mr.Bishar Hussein.
Though the postal services date back to the several centuries BC, in the form of messengers serving the Kings, the first known postal document was found in Egypt belonging to 255 BC.
Bouquet of Services
The Department of Posts, Government of India, currently offering an array of services with a brand “India Post” while adding one after the other eversince its inception in 1858. The range includes Philately, Army Postal Service, Electronic Indian Postal Order, Postal Life Insurance, Postal Savings, Banking and ATMs, Data Collection, E-commerce delivery, Speed Post, ID Cards for proof of residence, Railway Mail Service, Post office Passport Seva Kendras, Aadhar Enrollment and Updation, Western Union (FOREX) and Savings Cash Certificates. Under the Project Arrow launched in 2008, the DoP is focusing on improving branding, information technology, human resources and infrastructure. Multipurpose counters were introduced in post offices to improve customer service and staff productivity. The number of post offices have significantly increased from 23,344 in 1947 to 1,55,015 in 2016 spreading its wings to every nook and corner of the country (90% of them located in rural areas).
Great Britain was the first to introduce the adhesive postal stamp “Penny Black” in 1840 used in a public postal system.
Pandemics and Beyond
The Posts, having a vast network of over 6.5 lakh offices and 53 lakhs of staff globally, has the capability of delivering services to anyone and anywhere across the world providing essential social and financial services during the pandemics and beyond as well. While the Covid-19 turned into a pandemic, postal operators around the world introduced new and creative means to deliver critical PPEs, testing kits, medications and ensuring that the children received their educational materials for online classes. World Post Day is a appropriate day for all of us recognize the great sacrifices made by the postal operators and their staff especially during the pandemic and to pay tributes to those who lost their lives in the line of duty. The mails kept moving inspite of the airline stoppages, border closures, outbreaks in sorting offices and logistical issues.
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