Latest news with #VanditaKaul
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Postal employees express concerns over workload, pay as minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia proposes mall like post offices
BENGALURU: Union minister for communications, , looked to turn post offices into mall-like services, beyond the banking and postal services they now provide. However, postal employees, during an interaction with him on Thursday, found themselves already underpaid and overburdened, functioning beyond the stipulated five hours, and now expected to perform more. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The exchange took place at Townhall in the city, where 15 best-performing 'Gramin Dak Sevak' (GDS) from Karnataka were felicitated in the presence of 800 of their counterparts. Among the GDS present from across the state were mail carriers (who carry bags of mail), packers (who tie up the parcels and seal the bags in post offices), mail delivery personnel, branch postmasters (BPM, who carry out financial services like account opening and insurance registering in the post office), and assistant branch postmasters (who deliver mails and substitute for BPM when needed). 'You are my family,' Scindia told contract-based employees of the postal service in Bengaluru in a fiery speech. 'Each one of my post offices in my village should become a small little mall for the village where everything can be bought virtually.' 'Today, Dhakiya (postman/postwoman) is not just a purveyor of mail, but also brings banks to homes. The Karnataka circle has performed tremendously, with 200 crore mails and parcels delivered every year, 30% of which are done in this state.' Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts, also lauded the Karnataka circle for its swift adoption of APT 2.0 and its leadership in digital innovation. 'Karnataka Circle has been proactive in the efficient rollout of the new IT system and in the strengthening of the parcel network and public engagement to innovative philately.' During an interaction with the minister, B. Nagarajappa, who works as a BPM at Davanagere, said, 'We just have a postmaster and clerk to cater to 46,500 live accounts, and need more hands onboard.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He was disheartened by the poor remuneration for the job everyone in the postal department was doing. 'We do the IPPB (India Post Payments Bank) work but do not get the benefits for our work — 75 per cent of the work related to banking is done by us, and the banks reap benefits.' He was among the 15 best-performing GDS. Talking to TOI, another personnel from Channapatna explained, 'Working for 27 years, I earn Rs 27,000 in hand. The last time salaries were revised was 10 years ago.' Several GDS personnel who spoke to TOI unanimously hoped the salaries would increase, their roles be made permanent, and their hours of service be recognised. 'We are appointed for a five-hour shift and get paid accordingly. But work goes on for eight hours. If all the hours are calculated, they may have to regularise us, and hence, we are kept at this scale and schedule,' said another. One of the changes in the functioning of the postal department is the delineation of offices of BPM and ABPM under the integrated delivery centre system. 'What works in cities doesn't augur well for rural areas. They decided to club multiple postal codes and deliver mails to one location — an integrated delivery centre, a month ago. While cities have pincodes close to each other, people can access the centre if they miss their mails. But in rural areas, where houses are even 20 km from an IDC, if a person misses his mail, he will have to travel the entire distance to the centralised location to get it. The problem also exists for delivery agents,' said a mail overseer from Mandya. Several chided the department's policy of having a 'cycle allowance' of Rs 155 a month for delivering mails. 'Times have changed. We don't have cycles. We need fuel allowance,' they said.
India Today
29-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
New DIGIPIN platform coming soon to modernise India's address system
The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, has launched two transformative digital platforms: 'Know Your DIGIPIN' and 'Know Your PIN Code', marking a significant step towards the modernisation of India's addressing system and geospatial platforms were launched in alignment with the National Geospatial Policy 2022, which envisions the development of an advanced geospatial infrastructure to support digital governance and public service YOUR DIGIPIN WEB APPLICATIONThe DIGIPIN (Digital Postal Index Number) is an open-source, interoperable, geocoded, grid-based digital address system developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and NRSC, ISRO. It is a cornerstone of the Department of Posts' vision to offer Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) — an array of services associated with address data management to support secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities, and private sector 'Know Your DIGIPIN' portal enables users to:Retrieve their DIGIPIN based on precise latitude and longitude coordinates to fetch corresponding DIGIPINs and vice initiative simplifies location mapping, enhances logistics and emergency response, and ensures last-mile delivery, especially in rural and underserved areas. The DIGIPIN system, officially reviewed and adopted by the Thematic Working Group on Address under the National Geospatial Policy 2022, is now available to all Ministries, State Governments, institutions for integration into their workflows, and users for their own DIGIPIN as an additional address attribute enables the leveraging of GIS capabilities, laying the foundation for future GIS-based digitalisation of service delivery across various organisations in a cost-effective manner. DIGIPIN will enhance location accuracy across multiple sectors by providing precise geographic coordinates, ensuring accurate service delivery and reducing emergency response times. A complete repository of the DIGIPIN technical documentation and source code has been made available on GitHub, promoting open collaboration and nationwide adoption.A UNIFIED STEP TOWARDS DIGITAL INDIASpeaking on the occasion, Ms. Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts, stated:The launch of these two applications reflects our government's unwavering commitment to digital transformation and precision governance. DIGIPIN, in particular, will redefine how we perceive addresses, ensuring that every citizen, even in the remotest part of the country, is digitally locatable and serviceable. "These applications are a testimony to the Department's continued efforts to modernise infrastructure and meet the evolving expectations of citizens and all other stakeholders'.With this dual launch, the Department of Posts advances its role not just as a postal service provider but as a critical enabler of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for India.
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Indian Army Postal Service Corps launches Meghdoot Millennium software
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Indian Army Postal Service Corps launched Meghdoot Millennium, Army-tailored postal software. The software was inaugurated by Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts & Lieutenant General VMB Krishnan, Quarter Master General, on May 27. Sharing an X post, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of Ministry of Defence (Army), said, 'Army Postal Service Corps, in step with Indian Army's technological leap, launches Meghdoot Millennium - a real-time, secure, Army-tailored postal software by Centre for Excellence in Postal Technology, Mysuru. The software was inaugurated by Ms Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts & Lieutenant General VMB Krishnan, Quarter Master General, on 27 May 2025.' The ADGPI called this software a 'digital leap' and shared glimpses of the launch ceremony of the software in the X post. Army Postal Service Corps (APSC), according to the Indian Army's website, enjoys the largest Postal System in the world. APSC works to extend all mail-related services of India Post to the Armed Forces personnel serving in India and UN missions. This software launch took place as the Indian Army observed 2024 as the Year of Tech Absorption and the ongoing Decade of Transformation for the India Army. As per an earlier press release, 'The Indian Army continues to advance its technical prowess during its ongoing Decade of Transformation... This... underscores the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', the nation's commitment to building a self-reliant and technologically advanced defence force. Through strategic initiatives in defence manufacturing and maintenance, the ongoing transformation aims to elevate India's defence capabilities to new heights.' As per an earlier X post by ADGPI, the Year of Tech Absorption theme underscores the Indian army's commitment to leverage technology as a catalyst for transformative change, as well as to utilise in-house expertise to innovate solutions to army's operational and logistic requirements and give shape to these projects in collaboration with the domestic defence industry.' (ANI)
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Business Standard
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Indian Army Postal Service Corps launches Meghdoot Millennium software
Indian Army Postal Service Corps launched Meghdoot Millennium, Army-tailored postal software. The software was inaugurated by Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts & Lieutenant General VMB Krishnan, Quarter Master General, on May 27. Sharing an X post, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of Ministry of Defence (Army), said, "Army Postal Service Corps, in step with Indian Army's technological leap, launches Meghdoot Millennium - a real-time, secure, Army-tailored postal software by Centre for Excellence in Postal Technology, Mysuru. The software was inaugurated by Ms Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts & Lieutenant General VMB Krishnan, Quarter Master General, on 27 May 2025." The ADGPI called this software a 'digital leap' and shared glimpses of the launch ceremony of the software in the X post. Army Postal Service #DigitalLeap with Department of Posts Army Postal Service Corps, in step with #IndianArmy 's technological leap, launches Meghdoot Millennium - a real-time, secure, Army-tailored postal software by Centre for Excellence in Postal Technology, #Mysuru. The… — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 29, 2025 Army Postal Service Corps (APSC), according to the Indian Army's website, enjoys the largest Postal System in the world. APSC works to extend all mail-related services of India Post to the Armed Forces personnel serving in India and UN missions. This software launch took place as the Indian Army observed 2024 as the Year of Tech Absorption and the ongoing Decade of Transformation for the India Army. As per an earlier press release, "The Indian Army continues to advance its technical prowess during its ongoing Decade of Transformation... This... underscores the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', the nation's commitment to building a self-reliant and technologically advanced defence force. Through strategic initiatives in defence manufacturing and maintenance, the ongoing transformation aims to elevate India's defence capabilities to new heights." As per an earlier X post by ADGPI, the Year of Tech Absorption theme underscores the Indian army's commitment to leverage technology as a catalyst for transformative change, as well as to utilise in-house expertise to innovate solutions to army's operational and logistic requirements and give shape to these projects in collaboration with the domestic defence industry.
