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Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
India Post's rakhi delivery slows down amid tech upgrade, steep couriers step in
Pune: India Post's server-related issues just days before the festival of Raksha Bandhan on Aug 9 have left people across India expressing frustration over undelivered rakhis and delayed bookings at post offices nationwide. Citizens are being forced to spend several times over with private courier services to ensure their parcels reach on time. The problem has persisted since the last few days. Pune resident Sanjay Shirodkar told TOI he was compelled to use a private courier after trying unsuccessfully for several days to book through India Post. "I visited the post office for three days and ultimately sent the rakhi package via courier on Wednesday. The two parcels cost Rs190 each, instead of Speed Post's Rs41 each," he said. India Post booking was either closed or very slow because of server issues and post offices were unbelievably crowded. Pune GPO phone number was not even working, he added. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Social media platforms are flooded with complaints which highlight the widespread service disruptions. A user reported two urgent parcels being marked as delivered on July 29 and 30, though it was not received, causing "major losses." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Woman sells ring given by ex, then jeweler tells her 'This can't be true' Daily Sport X Undo Another person complained about a Speed Post item showing no update or movement since Aug 2, describing the situation as "jeopardising businesses." Jharkhand's Sachin Parashar said he booked a Speed Post on July 28 with an expected delivery time of around five days. However, the package remained undelivered even after nine days. "I filed an online complaint on Aug 2 and was told to expect a response in three days — but nothing happened. The booking post office's response was appalling. They failed to provide any update, saying systems are getting upgraded," he told TOI. An X post on Wednesday said: "Poor service at Jaipur's Vaishalinagar post office. I waited for 2.5 hours to send a rakhi, but returned without doing so because the counter got closed." Pune resident Savita Thorat (39) said on Wednesday, "I've been standing in queue at the GPO for over two hours. Officials have said it may take at least another one and half hours more since the server is down. I need to send a rakhi urgently. The delay is stressful." Mukesh Bhoite (52) of Pune said, "I was at the GPO on Tuesday and waited in the queue till 7pm. I've already been waiting for over an hour today. If there's a technical issue, it should be communicated clearly to people. I've been trying to send a rakhi and a gift since Monday." Meanwhile, an official memorandum of Aug 6 from the department of posts announced extended working hours for multi-purpose counter machines till 5pm from Aug 6 to 8 to facilitate smooth postal transactions because of "the anticipated heavy public rush during the rakhi festival period." The Press Information Bureau issued a statement on Wednesday: "India Post has undertaken a nationwide rollout of the advanced postal technology application as part of its digital transformation under IT 2.0 — marking a major step toward delivering faster, smarter and customer-centric services. The first day of rollout on Aug 4 was slow given the scale and complexity of the migration which is spanning over 1.6 lakh post offices. The technical team worked round-the-clock and rectified the slowness by Aug 5," it said. Despite India Post's claims of resolution, customers continued reporting issues on Wednesday and raised questions about the timing of such a major system upgrade during an important festival and the fact that they have had to turn to private courier services. Chetan More, franchise owner, DTDC (Chandannagar), told TOI, "We've seen a 40% increase in clients over the last four to five days. The rush is higher than what we have seen during Raksha Bandhan in the last few years. Most bookings are to send rakhis and gifts." Manoj Yadav, franchise owner of a Delhivery retail courier store, said, "We've had several people come to us in the last few days saying they couldn't send rakhis because of India Post server issues. Client footfall at our store has gone up drastically over the last three to four days compared to a week ago." A senior India Post official told TOI, "The IT 2.0 project has been underway for over a year. There was no specific reason to time it around the festival season — nearly 50% of the upgrade was completed a few days ago. The rollout has been gradual and we've been scaling up operations in phases. Unfortunately, over the last few days, the system slowed down while being implemented across 1.6 lakh post offices nationwide." Despite this, India Post has been booking around 20 lakh articles daily. "On Tuesday, we handled nearly 20 lakh articles and bookings had crossed 15 lakh by Wednesday afternoon. There were intermittent glitches, which are expected in a digital migration of this scale." The official further said, "Delivery may have been delayed because of system-related issues. Postmen rely on a mobile application. In case of technical issues, the instruction is to go ahead with manual delivery and maintain a physical record. However, implementation may vary between post offices."
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why Pakistan promoted Gen Munir after Op Sindoor humiliation
Why Pakistan promoted Gen Munir after Op Sindoor humiliation Sachin Parashar TNN May 23, 2025, 15:41 IST IST The freshly minted field marshal has emerged stronger in Pakistan's imagination but can he navigate the many challenges he faces, including India's new normal? When Pakistan bestowed the honorary rank of field marshal on its army chief Asim Munir, it may have come as a surprise to many who thought Pakistan had finally been delivered a kick in the guts by Operation Sindoor for its relentless use of cross-border terrorism against India. However, to others who have followed the commentary in Pakistani media and noticed how a nationalistic frenzy has been whipped up in the country since May 10 — the day US President Donald Trump waded into the conflict, claiming he had brokered a ceasefire — it was only to be expected. Aware of the pitfalls of any military humiliation at the hands of India, the army and the civilian establishment have continued to circle the wagons against any possible criticism of the reverses suffered from Indian action. This move to honour Munir with a military rank inherited from the British for extraordinary service in wartime is a part of the same exercise to keep up the pretence of a victory over India.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan waters down UNSC's Pahalgam statement with help from China
Pakistan , serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, united with other member nations to vehemently denounce the Pahalgam attack. However, this condemnation was influenced by discussions with China aimed at softening the language used, The Times of India reported on April 27. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" While Pakistan has firmly denied any involvement in the deadly incident, its previous statements had only conveyed concern over the tragic loss of life. The Security Council emphasised the importance of global cooperation to ensure that those responsible for the "reprehensible act of terrorism" are brought to justice. In contrast to the UNSC 's earlier assertion following the 2019 Pulwama attack, which called for all nations to collaborate with the "government of India," this recent statement referenced "all relevant authorities" without specifying India. Efforts by Pakistan and China were evident in their attempts to adjust the phrasing of the UNSC statement, ToI's report (by Sachin Parashar) pointed out. During the Pulwama incident, the Security Council had explicitly called for collaboration with both the Indian government and relevant local authorities. The council noted, "Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security," asserting that such acts are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, timing, or perpetrators. Live Events There are indications that the consensus on the statement, initiated by the United States, resulted from intense negotiations, with Pakistan collaborating with China to modify the wording. In past condemnations of terrorist acts, including the Pulwama attack and the Jaffar Express train bombing in Pakistan, the council had consistently urged all nations to actively support the local government rather than just relevant authorities. It is likely that Islamabad was concerned that a direct reference to the Indian government would provide New Delhi with ammunition against it, ToI's report said. Instead of supporting India's investigative efforts, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remarked on Saturday that his nation remains open to a "neutral and transparent" investigation into the Pahalgam attack. In the statement regarding Pahalgam, the council condemned the "terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir" in the strongest possible terms. Conversely, during the Pulwama incident, the council condemned the "heinous and cowardly suicide bombing" with similar fervor. On both occasions, the attacks were characterised as occurring in J&K, the nomenclature used by India for the Union Territory and former state. The remainder of the statement adhered to the conventional format the UNSC employs when denouncing acts of terrorism. As with the Pulwama case, the council reiterated in its Pahalgam statement that those who perpetrate, organise, finance, and sponsor such "reprehensible acts of terrorism" must be held accountable and face justice. A spokesperson for the UN said on Saturday that the organisation continues to observe developments in the region "with very deep concern," urging both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to prevent any further escalation of the situation.
