From the Archives: Govt launches PIN codes for quicker, easier deliveries
The country has been divided into eight postal regions. The first digit of the code indicates the geographical region of the address. The second identifies the subregion and the route
The six-digit PIN (postal index number) code system of addressing letters for their speedy sorting, transporting and delivery comes into effect from August 15, 1972. Letters, parcels and money orders addressed to 14,032 out of 100,000 post offices in the country will have to bear the new delivery code number assigned to them.
The country has been divided into eight postal regions. The first digit of the code indicates the geographical region of the address. The second identifies the subregion and the route.
The first three digits together indicate to the postal staff a central sorting point and distribution area. The last three digits identify the location of the delivery post office served by that central sorting point.
While addressing letters, the code will have to be written after the name of the town or village and state in the last line of the address.
Care is to be taken to leave a little space between the first three digits and the last three digits.
For example, in PIN code 110001, the figure 1, will indicate the northern region, which consists of Delhi, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir circles. The Delhi circle will be identified by combining the first and the second digits (11), while 110 will mean Delhi town delivery and 110001 will identify the New Delhi GPO.
The person behind the initiative is Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, additional secretary in the Union ministry of communications and a senior member of the Posts and Telegraphs Board.
Under the old system, a mail sorter had to remember over 4,000 names of post offices, sub-offices and branch offices to clear the mass of mail pouring in. Then there were problems of incomplete addresses and towns with the same names.
The changeover to the new system had also become necessary because of the rising volume of mail. The Posts and Telegraphs Department handled about 6,457 million postal articles during 1970-71.
This system has been adopted in 18 countries since 1961 and is imperative for the dispatch of mail from one central sorting point to another central distribution point.
Individuals and business houses will have to ascertain the code for their own addresses from the nearest post office. In New Delhi, telephone calls to 384746 will dispel doubts regarding the code classification of addresses.
Communications minister HN Bahuguna said Arabic numerals should be used in writing the code number so that language barriers do not delay the sorting. Inland letter forms and post cards would have a cage printed on the last line for the code to be filled in.
For instance, an address in Kohima will have the code 797001. The last line of the address will be Nagaland 797001.
Bahuguna said that in 10 years the main communication routes in the country would have coaxial cable and microwave links as parallel systems of telecommunication. Broadband microwave links (1,800 circuits each) would be established over 1,300km between Poona and Hyderabad, and between Bombay and Nagpur this year.
About 300 new telephone exchanges will be opened next year to serve 120,000 new connections. Another 1,200 public telephones will be commissioned this year.
Bahuguna said that 84 village post offices in the country, which did not yet have even one weekly mail delivery facility, would have it by August 15.
In 1955, rural post offices without the weekly delivery system numbered 26,428.
About 10,000 experimental post offices opened in new locations will continue to operate during the 25th anniversary year of Independence.