Knowledge Nugget: DIGIPIN – What it is and why it matters for your UPSC exam

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today.
(Relevance: National Geospatial Mission was launched in this year's Union Budget. The government is taking several steps to improve the geospatial sector of India. In this regard, this new initiative becomes important for your UPSC exam.)
The Indian government has launched a new digital address system called DIGIPIN, aiming to enable the precise identification of locations throughout the country. DIGIPIN is expected to streamline services such as last-mile delivery for e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart. It could also aid police, ambulance, and fire services in improving their emergency response times, as DIGIPIN claims to offer a level of geographical accuracy that has been lacking in India so far.
1. DIGIPIN is a unique ten-character alphanumeric code that can be generated for any property that is approximately 4 by 4 square meters on Indian land. This means that unique DIGIPINs can be generated for nearly all types of properties including in urban locations and rural areas across different maritime zones.
2. The Department of Posts has developed the underlying technology of DIGIPIN in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and the National Remote Sensing Centre, which works under the aegis of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
3. The government has emphasised that DIGIPIN is an open-source, interoperable, and privacy-focused system. Each DIGIPIN is a encoded with the geographic coordinates of that property so it does not store any personal information.
4. The DIGIPIN will not replace the traditional six-digit PIN system. Instead, it is intended to act as an extra layer of precision built on top of existing postal addresses.
5. Along with a digital platform 'Know your DIGIPIN', the Department of Posts also launched 'Know Your PINCODE', in alignment with the National Geospatial Policy 2022. It is a significant step towards the modernisation of India's addressing system and geospatial governance. 'Know Your PIN Code' web application uses GNSS location features to allow users to identify the correct PIN Code based on the location and submit feedback to improve PIN code accuracy.
1. The Postal Index Number (PIN) was introduced on August 15, 1972. The PIN code was meant to ease the process of mail sorting and delivery in a country where different places, often, have the same or similar names, and letters are written in a wide variety of languages.
2. The PIN is made up of six digits. The first number indicates the postal region — Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern; and number 9, which signifies the Army Postal Service. The second number denotes a sub-region, and the third represents the sorting district. The remaining numbers narrow the geography further to the specific post office making the delivery.
3. The person behind the initiative was Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications and a senior member of the Posts and Telegraphs Board.
📍In the Union Budget 2025, the government launched the National Geospatial Mission to develop foundational geospatial infrastructure and data. 'Using PM Gati Shakti, this Mission will facilitate modernisation of land records, urban planning, and design of infrastructure projects,' said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman.
📍Under the scheme, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Central government's new initiative—'NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban HAbitations' (NAKSHA) in February this year.
📍NAKSHA is a city survey initiative under the existing Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). It is spearheaded by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), under the Ministry of Rural Development. The initiative is 100 per cent centrally funded.
📍According to the DoLR, 'The NAKSHA program aims to create a comprehensive and accurate geospatial database for urban land records. By integrating aerial and field surveys with advanced GIS technology, the program enhances efficiency in land governance, streamlines property ownership records, and facilitates urban planning. Accurate geospatial data ensures improved decision-making, efficient land use planning and smoothen and certain property transactions.'
1. In terms of the accuracy of the DIGIPIN, India Post said that it might come down to the device used to capture the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) location.
2. The Global Navigation Satellite System at its core is a constellation of satellites orbiting Earth, continuously beaming down radio signals containing precise time and orbital information. With at least four of these satellites in view, a GNSS receiver (like the one in your smartphone) can triangulate its position through a process called trilateration.
3. For full global coverage, it takes a constellation of approximately 18-30 satellites in specific orbital paths. There are several GNSS networks operated by different nations and unions around the world. The big names in the GNSS game include the US' GPS, Europe's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS, and China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. Some regional systems like India's NAVIC and Japan's QZSS provide navigation over more localised areas rather than worldwide coverage.
4. India's regional GNSS is the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) system, which is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation. NavIC consists of eight satellites providing coverage across India and up to around 1,500 km from its borders.
5. The NavIC satellites provide two types of services – Standard Positioning Service which is for general and commercial use, and Restricted Service which is meant for the defence forces – over the Indian landmass and neighbouring regions.
Consider the following statements about PIN:
1. The Postal Index Number (PIN) was introduced on August 15, 1951 to ease the process of mail sorting and delivery in a country.
2. The PIN is made up of six digits, in which the third digit denotes a sub-region.
3. It was the initiative of Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications.
Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 1, 2 and 3
(Source: Explained: History of the PIN code, which turns 50 this Independence Day, How to check your DIGIPIN on your phone?, Explained: NAKSHA scheme, mooted in Union Budget, which will update urban land records,What is GNSS and how does India's NavIC fit in this navigation network?)
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Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com ... Read More

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