Question

Write a detailed note on various facilities offered by Indian Postal Department.

Answer 1

The Indian Postal Department provides the following types of facilities.

Financial facilities: Post offices provide a variety of savings facilities to the public. Some of these schemes are mentioned below:

(i) Public Provident Fund (PPF)
(ii) Kisan Vikas Patra
(iii) National Saving Certificate (NSC)
(iv) Recurring Deposit Scheme
(v) Fixed Deposit Scheme
(vi) Money order facility

Mail facilities: Mail facilities primarily include the following three kinds of services:

(i)Parcel facilities: They facilitate the movement of an article from one place to another.
(ii) Registration facilities: They provide security to the article being transmitted.
(iii) Insurance facilities:They cover the risks involved in transmission by post.

Some of the mail facilities provided by the banks are as follows:
(i) Post cards: It is the cheapest form of postal service.
(ii) Letter: It ensures the secrecy of the information conveyed, and is placed in an envelope.
(iii) Registered post: Registered post ensures that the mail registered is delivered to the addressee or returned to the sender if it is not delivered.

Allied facilities: Post offices also provide a variety of allied services to customers.
(i) Passport service: Post offices accept passport applications on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs.
(ii) Media Post: These include aerograms and letters through which the corporate companies can advertise their brands.
(iii) Direct Post: These include brochures, questionnaires, pamphlets and CDs/floppies through which addressed as well as unaddressed advertisement can be delivered.
(iv) Speed Post: It involves fast and speedy transfer of articles to the addressees within a specified period.