In India, whenever a letter came, the whole house would gather to read it. As soon as they heard the postman’s whistle or the bicycle bell, children would run to see whose letter had come. At that time there were neither mobile phones, nor internet, nor WhatsApp. There was just a piece of paper which brought the status of a loved one sitting hundreds of kilometers away. At that time, Indian Postal Service was the only reliable medium which connected every corner of the country.

Due to this, National Post Day is celebrated every year on 10 October in India. This day is celebrated to honor the Indian Postal Service and its important role in connecting the country. This day was started by the East India Company on 10 October 1854, when the postal service was established for the first time in India. But over time, technology changed, and so did the way people communicated. Now the same services which were once a part of our lives have become history. So let us know which services of Indian Post have become history. Reading some of these names might bring back some childhood memories.

Which services of Indian Post have become history?

1. Telegram: Telegram was a service in which messages were sent in very few words, and those were very important or emergency messages. Usually it was used to convey marriage, death, birth or any big news immediately. When the telegram came, people’s heartbeats would speed up. But today this Indian Postal Service has become history.

2. Money Order: Money order was a service of the postal department through which money could be sent sitting at home. This was considered the safest way to send money to a person sitting in any city or village. Filling money order forms, standing in post office lines and then waiting was considered a big task earlier. But today this service has also become history and its place has been taken by online payments app.

3. Postcard: There was a time when a postcard was available for just 15 paise or 25 paise. People used to write their feelings on this small card. Festival wishes to relatives, letters to friends or notices from any office, everything was sent through postcards. The postcard was invented at the end of the 19th century. At that time the postcard was considered a revolutionary invention. The postcard era ended with the advent of the telephone and the Internet at the end of the 20th century.

4. Inland Letter: Inland letter was a blue colored letter. In this, several pages of content were written on a single paper. This was good for those people who had to write long letters, but had limited resources. Now email and mobile messages have ended this service.

5. Fax: Fax machines were used to send copies of documents and letters immediately. It was a common thing to go to the post office and get a document faxed. It was used a lot especially in government offices and companies. Now this service has almost disappeared because scanners and email have become better alternatives.

6. Telex: Telex was also a type of communication service that sent messages through a machine. This service used the telephone network and messages were sent by typing through special machines. After the advent of Internet and mobile technology, it has completely stopped.

7. Philately Passbook and Registered Post: Philately was once a hobby of children and youth. For this, the Postal Department used to provide a passbook in which beautiful stamps could be deposited. Today, in the digital age, this hobby is also gradually dying out. Whenever any important document or item had to be sent, registered post was used.

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Historical and important changes are going to happen in the Indian postal system from September. By saying goodbye to the registered (registered) postal service more than 50 years old, fast and modern speed post service is being adopted in the Indian postal system. The postal department has taken this decision under the modernization scheme, which aims to provide people on time, safe and track facility.

Postal face will change in villages and towns

Till now registered postal has been a reliable means of sending government correspondence, bank notice, legal documents and letters of universities especially in villages, small cities and limited internet facilities areas. However, now people of these places will also have to use speed post. This service is slightly expensive by registered post, but its speed and tracking facility makes it more effective.

Use of registered posts reduced over the years

Government figures show that the popularity of registered post is continuously falling. In the year 2011-12, where 244.4 million registered post was sent. At the same time, it declined to 184.6 million in 2019-20. Correspondence and expansion of private courier companies through digital means reduced the need for this service to a great extent.

Speed Post Service more fast, safe and transparent

When the speed post service was started in 1986 and since then it has been popular due to its time bound delivery and tracking facility. Not only letters and documents are sent in this, but parcels and important packages are also delivered in the scheduled time. Customers can check the location of their letter online and detect the delivery status, which was not possible in the registered post.

Strict instructions for government institutions

The postal department has issued instructions to all ministries, government offices, schools, universities and other institutions that, from now on, official correspondence should be done from speed post. This will increase the speed of delivery, reduce the possibility of losing documents and transparency in government work.

More trusted means

People living in rural and remote areas may find the speed post a bit expensive, as it is slightly more expensive than the registered post. Despite this, this service can achieve the same place from safe and timely delivery, which was achieved by registered post in the last several decades. This change will be a new experience for many people. Especially in places where the posts registered till now were the main means.

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