Lok Sabha Question No. 518 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Digitalisation of Postal Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 518 ANSWERED ON 23 RD  JULY, 2025

## DIGITALISATION OF POSTAL SERVICES

## †518.   SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV: SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the  steps taken/being taken by the Government for improvement in postal services in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government for accessible postal services in the country particularly in rural areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the urgent steps taken by the Government for streamlining the postal system in the country and ensuring its progress;
- (d) whether digital system has any impact on it along with details of achievements made by the Government regarding digitalisation of postal services and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  is  formulating  any  special  scheme  for  making  postal  services accessible and credible in rural areas and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (f) whether any financial assistance is proposed for the post offices of Maharashtra in the budget of year 2025-26; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a)  & (c) The steps taken/being taken by the Department for streamlining the postal system and improvement in postal services in the country are as follows:
- (i) The Post Office Act, 2023, which came into force on 18 June 2024, replaced the Post Office Act of 1898, establishing a simplified and technology-neutral framework focused on digital governance and service delivery transformation.
- (ii) The Department introduced Mail Network Optimization Project (MNOP) adopting the hub-and-spoke model, and modernization of sorting and mail processing facilities.

- (iii) Real-time tracking  for  Speed  Post,  Registered  Post,  and  Parcels  has  been  introduced through a mobile-based delivery app and SMS notification system to keep customers informed about booking and delivery status.
- (iv) Electronic clearance of letter boxes and real-time GPS tracking of departmental vehicles have been implemented to increase transparency and efficiency.
- (v) Online booking facility has  been  introduced  which  allows  the  customers  to  book  the articles online from comfort of their home.
- (vi) The parcel network has been significantly strengthened with the establishment of 188 Parcel  Hubs  (79  Level-1  and  109  Level-2)  to  ensure  operational  efficiency  and consistency. Furthermore, 234 Nodal Delivery Centers have been set up covering over 1600 PIN codes, handling 30% of total parcels delivered daily.
- (vii)  A Parcel Packaging Policy has been implemented  with  1408 Parcel Packaging Units providing secure and standardized packaging to prevent in-transit damage.
- (viii)   450 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) have been established to enhance the access and outreach of Passport services across India.
- (ix) Aadhaar services are operational at over 13,352 post offices across the country, offering enrolment, biometric update and demographic correction facilities.

(b) & (e) Yes, the  steps  taken  by the  Department  for  making  postal  services  accessible  and credible in rural areas are as under:

- (i) To improve rural accessibility, the Department  of Posts  launched India Post Payments Bank  (IPPB) in  2018,  enabling  over  1.64  lakh Branch  Post  Offices  to  provide  digital banking services.
- (ii) Around  1.90  lakh  Postmen  and  Gramin  Dak  Sevaks  (GDS) have  been  equipped  with smartphones and biometric devices to deliver financial services at the doorstep, reducing dependency on traditional bank branches and enhancing last-mile connectivity.
- (iii) Real-time  delivery  updation  of  accountable  mail  is  facilitated  through  mobile  app  to enhance transparency and credibility.
- (iv) Digital products like e-Money Order and e-Postal Order are available for public and can be accessed through mobile / computer using internet.
- (v) To further streamline operations and boost rural service delivery, the department organizes Aadhaar camps in schools and panchayat ghars, enabling doorstep enrolment and updates.
- (vi) Beyond POPSK and Aadhaar services, India Post  has entered multiple partnerships  to provide doorstep financial verification services. It has signed MoUs with AMFI-member mutual funds (such as SBI Mutual Fund and Nippon India Mutual Fund) enabling postal staff  to  KYC  documentation  from  over  1.64  lakh  offices-supporting  the  JanNivesh initiative aimed at broadening investment participation.

(d) Yes,  digital  system  has  impacted  postal  services  in  the  country.  Under  the  Information Technology Project 1.0, the Department of Posts (DOP) has computerised and digitized Post Offices with  introduction  of  Core  System  Integrator  (CSI)  for  Mail,  Accounting  and  Human  Resource

activities, Core Banking Solution (CBS) and Core Insurance Solution (CIS) to facilitate customers to do transactions from any Post Office across the country. Besides, to cater rural population, smart hand-held devices, namely DARPAN (Digital Advancement of Rural Post Offices for a New India) Devices, were also supplied to all the Branch Post offices to ensure that postal services are digitally delivered at door step in villages.

Further, to continue and capitalise the gains of IT 1.0, DOP's IT Modernization Project 2.0 (IT 2.0) has been approved by the Government which combines applications, intelligent platforms and interconnected ecosystem so as to provide an inclusive integrated single window view of postal and financial services to its stakeholders through multiple delivery channels.

(f) & (g) Yes, funds as detailed below are being allotted to Maharashtra Postal Circle for the FY 2025-2026:

BE (Non-Scheme): 52850001 (Rs in thousands)

BE (Scheme): 366436.83 (Rs in thousands)

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