×

UPSC Courses

DNA banner

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 17 August, 2022

  • 5 Min Read

PIN Code History

PIN Code History

Postal Index Number (PIN) completed 50 Years.

About PIN code

  • At the time of Independence, India had 23,344 post offices, most of which were located in urban areas.
  • The postal system had to keep up with the nation's fast growth.
  • As a result, it was first made available in India on August 15, 1972.
  • Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, a senior member of the Posts and Telegraphs Board and additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications, was the person in charge of the endeavor.

Objective

  • It was meant to ease the process of mail sorting and delivery in a country where different places, often, have the same or similar names, and letters are written in a wide variety of languages.

How does the PIN code work?

  • Six digits make up the PIN.
  • Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern postal regions are denoted by the first number, whereas the Army Postal Service is denoted by the number 9.
  • A subregion is indicated by the second number, and the sorting district is indicated by the third number.
  • The remaining data further reduces the geographic scope to the precise delivery post office.

Global Scenario

  • Globally, the US Postal Service's Nationwide Improved Mail Service plan, which was created to increase the speed of mail delivery, saw the introduction of the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code on July 1, 1963.
  • In the UK, automated mail sorting first appeared in the middle of the 1960s.
  • An alphanumeric postal code that allows for machine sorting at every level of handling, including the carrier's delivery route, is the key to mechanization.
  • In July 1968, Japan established its postal code address system, and the country's main post offices now have automatic postal code reader-sorters.

Source: The Indian Express


Anti-Defection Law in India

The Supreme Court of India recently gave a final three-week deadline to the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide pending disqualification petitions against defecting MLAs under the Anti-Defection Law. What is the Anti-Defection Law? The Anti-Defection Law was introduced through the 52nd Amendment (1985), which added the Tenth Schedule to the

Rat-Hole Mining

A major disaster unfolded in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, when at least 18 workers died following an explosion in an illegally operating rat-hole coal mine. This incident highlights the continued prevalence of rat-hole mining despite bans imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court of India. Rat-hole mining is driven

India’s Aviation Sector

India’s aviation sector has grown rapidly, becoming a major economic success story. However, regulatory oversight has not evolved at the same pace. Data-driven monitoring of fares and market behavior is essential to ensure fair competition, prevent market abuse, and shift from reactive crisis management to proactive regulation. Challen

Federalism in India

Recently, a high-level committee on Union–State relations submitted its first report to the Government of Tamil Nadu. The report examines the distribution of powers and responsibilities between the Union and the States, highlighting ongoing debates regarding the balance between central authority and state autonomy. This discussion is clos

India–UAE Economic Partnership

The relationship between India and the United Arab Emirates has evolved from a traditional energy-based partnership into a comprehensive economic and strategic relationship. Over the years, strong political trust, growing trade, and expanding investments have transformed bilateral ties into a diversified economic corridor. The economic partnership

DNA

22 Mar,2026

Toppers

Search By Date

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts

Important Links

UPSC GS Mains Crash Course - RAW