Indian Postal Service

The Department of Posts functioning under the brand name 'India Post' is a government operated postal system in India generally referred to as 'the post office'. A career in Indian Postal service may not be as glamorous as other civil service careers like IAS, IPS, IFS etc. But it is a unique government job sector offering job satisfaction and providing opportunity to serve people from all walks of life. Indian postal services (IPoS) is one of the Group 'A' Central Services of India. Indian postal service, falling under the department of posts is a part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology under the Government of India. The apex body of the department known as the Postal Service Board is under the administrative control of the Director General (DG) of Posts, New Delhi. The board consists of a chairman and six members. The six members of the board hold portfolios of Personnel, Operations, Technology, Postal Life Insurance, Human Resource Development (HRD) and Planning functions. The board is assisted by a senior staff officer of the postal directorate who acts as secretary to the board. Deputy directors general, directors and assistant directors general provide the necessary functional support for the Board at their Headquarters located at Dak Bhavan, New Delhi. The joint secretary and financial advisor to the board is a permanent invitee to the board. For the purpose of administration, India has been divided into 22 postal circles, each circle headed by a Chief Post Master General (PMG). These circles manage the day-to-day functioning of the various Head Post Offices, Sub Post Offices and Branch Post Offices through their Regional and Divisional level arrangements. The chief PMG is over all in-charge of administration and operations of the units under his jurisdiction for all purposes. Each of the 22 circles are divided again into regions, headed by a Regional Post Master General (PMG) of the area. The Chief PMG and regional PMG's are assisted by the directors of postal services, assistant postmasters general and assistant directors. The regions are further divided into groups of field units called Divisions (Postal/ RMS Division) which are headed by Group 'A' or Group 'B' officers (i.e. Senior / Superintendent of Post Offices or Mail Offices). The divisions comprise of sub-divisions, head post offices, sub post offices and branch post offices which are the basic operational units of postal services. The post offices and the Mail Business Centers are under the Divisional Superintendents of Posts or Railway Mail Offices respectively. The Divisional head controls the Assistant Superintendent of Post Offices or Inspector of Post Offices, Complaints Inspector, Manager Mail Business Centre, Manager Customer Care Centre etc. The divisional superintendent is overall in-charge of administration and operations in the division and reports to the regional postmaster general/ chief postmaster general. Just as the divisions report to the regional/ circle office, the circles report to the directorate which is the apex management and policy making body of the department. In the circles and regions, there are other functional supporting logistical units like stamp depots, store depots and mail motor service. The R.M.S. (Railway Mail Service) offices and sections are similarly controlled by the senior superintendents or superintendents RMS in each circle. The Head Post Offices are major offices which also have account jurisdiction on the smaller post offices. Mukhya Dak Ghars are Sub Post Offices with more powers than a Sub Post Office. Extra Departmental Sub Post Office and Branch Post Office are manned by Gramin Dak Sewaks who are Extra Departmental employees. Besides the 22 circles, the communication needs of the armed forces are catered by a special circle called the base circle. The base circle is headed by the additional director general of Army Postal Service, holding the rank of a Major general. The officer cadre of Army Postal Services is drawn on deputation from the Indian Postal Service. 75% of the other ranks of the Army Postal Service are drawn from the Department of Posts and the remaining personnel are recruited by the Army. Indian Postal Service Officers are recruited through the civil service examination, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Like other civil servants, they are eligible to move on deputation to other ministries and departments of the central government, state government or even on foreign assignment to United Nations bodies. Some of the services offered by Postal departments are : • Mails Services - Delivery of Letters, postcards, Inland letter cards, book packets, value payable post, parcels, Speed Post articles, registered articles etc. • Financial Services - Payment of ordinary and instant money order; Post office savings schemes; Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance etc. • Philately - The philatelic activities of India Post includes designing, printing and distribution of special/commemorative postage stamps and other postage stamps/ service postage stamps; Monitoring and promotion of Philately/conduct of philatelic exhibitions within the country, participation in international and world exhibitions; Management of the National Philatelic Museum, Dak Bhavan • Counter Services - Counter services are provided from post offices (Departmental and Branch Post Offices), Mail Offices or any other outlet designated for the purpose. These include : - Sale of postage stamps and postal stationery etc. - Booking of registered, insured, Speed Post and other mail articles etc. - Booking of money orders, various transactions relating to Post Office Savings and Postal Life Insurance (PLI)/Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) etc. • ePost Office for anytime anywhere transaction related to instant money order, electronic money order and philately products. ELIGIBILITY & RECRUITMENT Hierarchy in Indian Postal Service for the various job positions • Probationer • Senior Superintendent of Post Offices or Railway Mail in large district towns and Divisional Headquarters • Assistant Post Master General • Director • Post Master General of a 'Circle' • Senior Deputy Director Generals who are equivalent to Additional Secretary in a Ministry or member of Post and Telegraph Board (a total 8 in number) • Chairman of the Board. The eligibility criteria varies depending on the posts. Generally the needed educational qualification for the postal service are : • Pass in 10+2 or 12th Class Examination of recognized University or Board of School Education or Board of Secondary Education (excluding vocational streams). • Candidates for the posts of Postal Assistants in Post Offices, Sorting Assistants in Railway Mail Service and Postal / Sorting Assistants in Army Postal Service should have the above educational qualifications with English as a compulsory subject. • The candidates should have knowledge of local languages of the State. i.e., should have studied Telugu (and / or any other local language declared as local language by Andhra Pradesh State Government) as a subject at least upto Matriculation level (SSC) • Candidates with higher qualifications are also considered. But they have to fulfil the requirements mentioned above. • Candidates who have passed Vocational or job Oriented Course (JOC) are NOT eligible. • Desirable qualification :- Typing Knowledge and Computer Knowledge. • For Postal Assistants of Circle Office and Regional Offices Typing skill in Hindi at the speed of 25 words per minute or in English at the speed of 30 words per minute and Computer Knowledge are essential. Age Limit : Between 18 to 25-27 years as on last date prescribed for receipt of application as shown in the advertisement and in the list containing vacancy position supplied with this prospectus. Upper age limit is relaxable for a) SC/ST by 5 years; b) OBC by 3 years; c) Physically handicapped by 10 years ; and d) Ex-Servicemen by the Length of Military Service plus three years. Recruitment Method Recruitment in Indian Postal Services are carried out through written examination and interview. Officers post are recruited through the civil service examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which requires a bachelor's degree. The selection process is as follows : a) The total aggregate marks for selection will be 100; consisting of 40% weightage of percentage of marks secured in 10+2 or 12th Class, 50% weightage of marks secured in aptitude test and 10 marks for computer test (including typing skill on computer) b) A merit list of the candidates will be prepared on the basis of marks in the aggregate secured by them in 10+2 or 12th Class Examination of recognized University or Board of School Education or Board of Secondary Education (excluding vocational streams). This merit list is on the basis of 40% of the percentage of marks secured by the candidate in 10+2 or 12th Class Examination. For example if a candidate has secured 70% of marks in 10+2 or 12th Class Examination, he would be awarded 40% of 70 i.e., 28 marks for the purpose of preparing merit list. c) Out of this merit list, candidates equal to 10 times of vacancies (for each community separately as per the vacancies reserved for each community) will be called for to appear for the Aptitude test / written test. The candidates selected will be addressed to appear for the Aptitude Test. d) The Aptitude Test will contain 50 objective type questions of 2 marks each and will include questions on English, Mathematics, General Knowledge and Reasoning and Analytical ability. The duration of the test will be 60 minutes. 50% of the marks secured in aptitude test will be given weightage for the final assessment. e) The computer test consists of data entry knowledge and typing knowledge on computer. The test will consist of one passage in English or Hindi to be typed to test the typing knowledge (The Passage for type test will consist of 450 words in English or 375 words in Hindi to be typed at the minimum speed of 30 w.p.m) and data consisting of figures and letters to test the knowledge of data entry. The test shall be for 30 minutes - 15 minutes for each part i.e., Typing knowledge and data entry and each part shall be given 5 marks each. Marks shall be given at 0 or 5 based on whether the candidate achieves minimum standard or not. There will not be graded marks. The weightage for computer test will be 10 marks. f) The marks secured in computer test will be added to the marks already secured in the components referred to a) and b) above and final merit list will be prepared. The final selection will be made on the basis of this final merit list. g) Attendance in Aptitude Test and Computer Test (including typing skill) is mandatory for selection. Those who fail to appear for these tests will not be selected. Remuneration : The salary structure in postal service, depends on the individual's hierarchy. One can start their career in postal service as a trainer/ probationer officer. Then can move on to junior time scale, senior time scale, junior administrative grade, senior administrative grade, higher administrative grade, principal chief postmaster general, member postal service board and then secretary to government of India (ex-cadre post). The Departmental officers and employees receive Basic Pay + Dearness Allowance as admissible from time to time + Non-Practising Allowance (wherever admissible) + Transport Allowance + House Rent Allowance (if admissible) + Special Allowance attached to the post (wherever applicable) + Special Disturbed Area Allowance (where admissible