General Knowledge Questions on Indian Culture & Freedom struggle 1.

 137. PA Exam Materials – PO Guide part I -3
Smt P.Kiruthika Paramasivam

Functional Units and Postal Network As of March 31, 2024, the postal network at a glance includes:
• Postal Circles: 23.
• Postal Regions: 54.
• Postal Divisions: 469.
• Postal Accounts Offices: 23.
• Circle Stamp Depot: 1.
• Postal Store Depots: 26.
• Railway Mail Service Divisions: 69.
• Postal Training Centres: 6.
• Post Offices: 1,64,987 total, comprising 1,49,164 Rural Post Offices and 15,823 Urban Post Offices. 
o Head Post Offices: 810.
o Sub Post Offices: 24,286.
o Branch Post Offices: 1,39,891.
• Delivery Post Offices: 1,57,436.
• Night Post Offices: 130.
• Sorting Hubs: 94.
• Countries covered under International Speed Post (merchandise & documents): 100.
• Countries covered under International Speed Post (documents only): 6.
• Average person served per Post Office: 8,490.
• Average rural person served per Rural Post Office: 6,068.
• Average urban person served per Urban Post Office: 31,327.
• Average area served by a Post Office (in Sq. Km.): 19.92.

Other Units of Directorate
• Parcel Directorate: Aims to improve Parcel Services.
• Business Development Directorate: Focuses on business growth.
• PLI Directorate: Pertains to Postal Life Insurance.

• Army Postal Service (APS): Known as "Base Circle," it is exclusively for defense personnel. Its headquarters are at Sena Dak Bhavan, New Delhi 110011. The head of the APS is the Additional DG, APS, holding the status equivalent to a "Major General" in Defense. There are two Central Base Post Offices (CBPOs): 1 CBPO (56 APO) in Delhi and 2 CBPO (99 APO) in Kolkata. The CBPOs function as Head Offices for approximately 500 Field Post Offices (FPOs) and also serve as Postal Store Depots (PSDs) and Philatelic Bureaux. FPOs are equivalent to Sub-Office (SO) status. The APS Training Center is located at Kamptee, Nagpur, in the Maharashtra Circle. 75% of APS staff are drawn from the Department of Posts, while the remaining personnel are directly recruited by the Army.

• CEPT, Mysore (Centre for Excellence in Postal Technology): Located at Nazarbad, Mysore -570010, it handles all web and technology requirements for the Department of Posts. CEPT Chennai is involved in CSI migration and DPMS (Delivery and Postman Management System). CEPT Hyderabad manages GDS online recruitment nationally, electronic clearance of letter boxes (Nanyatha), TTD Special Darshan ticket booking, and e-shoppe. CEPT Bengaluru handles AML (Anti Money Laundering) & FRMU (Fraud Risk Management Unit). CEPT Delhi addresses general technical issues.

• RAKNPA (Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy): Formerly Postal Staff College India, it was renamed on November 1, 2011, in memory of the first Communication Minister. It is located in Ghaziabad, U.P. Circle. The head of RAKNPA is the Director, assisted by an Additional Director, two Joint Directors, one Deputy Director, and two Assistant Directors with expertise in various areas.