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The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
India Post helps transform geolocation with DIGIPIN
More than 50 years after six-digit Postal Index Number revolutionised mail delivery in India, the Department of Post has rolled out a 10-digit alpha numeric Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN). 'The DIGIPIN is like online maps but only more accurate. Its geolocation is accurate up to 4 metres as it generates latitude and longitude. While the PIN code covered a large area (average area of around 170 sq. km per Pincode), the DIGIPIN narrows it down to a narrow grid,' Chief Post Master of General Post Office, Hyderabad Circle, Y. Prasad explained. The 10- digit alpha-numeric code represents geographic coordinates, developed by creating a uniform 4x4 metre grid of the country. The DIGIPIN is a collaborative effort of India Post, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, National Remote Sensing Centre and Indian Space Research Organisation. 'The PIN code was used for sorting mail. But its usage was limited as many people did not care to write it down and much of the addressing and delivery was down to local knowledge and information. The DIGIPIN is a machine-readable code that can help mail delivery even when drones will be deployed for the purpose,' said Mr. Prasad. With enhanced location accuracy, DIGIPIN is expected to be very useful during emergencies as it can generate precise geographic coordinates ensuring faster response times. However, as the DIGIPIN is a latitude and longitude based grid its use for multi-storeyed building complexes in urban areas is likely to be a challenge. The DIGIPIN is part of the IT 2.0 rollout of the India Post where it will be integrated with mobile devices provided to the staff for carrying out online postal, financial and insurance transactions. In the pipeline is a digital address layer, similar to the UPI ID, which has helped eliminate the recall and use of banking information. The digital address is expected to allow users to generate unique and customised labels (such as username@domain) to represent their DIGIPIN and descriptive addresses and manage this information. Interestingly, the 4 X 4 grid of India encompasses areas in neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh and generates the DIGIPIN for areas in those countries as well.
The Hindu
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
WAVES 2025 summit: Commemorative stamps honouring Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak, Bhanumathi launched
Telugu superstar Nagarjuna on Friday (May 1) announced the launch of commemorative postage stamps honouring the legacy of five stalwarts of Indian cinema—namely, filmmakers Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak and Raj Khosla, composer-singer-poet Salil Chowdhury, and legendary actor P. Bhanumathi. The miniature sheet of stamps has been designed as a special tribute by the Government of India's Department of Post. Nagarjuna took the stage at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) in BKC, Mumbai. After a short introduction, he was joined on stage for the launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw and Dr. L Murugan, the Minister of State in the I&B Ministry. 'During the 55th IFFI, stamps were released to commemorate four legends of Indian cinema—Shri Raj Kapoor ji, Shri Mohammed Rafi ji, Tapan Sinha ji, and my father, Akkineni Nageswara Rao,' Nagarjuna said. 'Now at this grand global platform, we are here to commemorate another historic moment. As India marks 100 years since the birth of five extraordinary visionaries, whose creativity defined the golden age of our films, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) pays tribute to their enduring legacy.' 'The Government of India Department of Post will release a commemorative miniature sheet of postage stamps honouring Guru Dutt ji, Ritwik Ghatak ji, Salil Chowdhury ji, Raj Khosla ji and P. Bhanumathi ji,' he added, thanking the I&B ministry and PM Modi for their efforts. The WAVES summit kicked off in Mumbai on May 1 with several top celebrities including Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Shah Rukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in attendance. The high-profile four-day symposium is poised to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment, and digital innovation, bringing together creators, startups, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the world.
