Latest news with #DepartmentofPosts
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First Post
2 days ago
- Science
- First Post
ISRO has been very successful; Subhanshu Shukla will carry the torch forward: Rakesh Sharma
April 3, 1984, marks a historic milestone in India's space journey. On this day, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma of Indian Air Force, became the first Indian to travel to space, as he flew aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 which was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The mission crew also included two Russians, including spacecraft commander Yury Malyshev and flight engineer Gennadi Strekalov. After reaching the orbit, the trio docked with the Salyut 7 space station, where Sharma spent 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes and conducted various scientific and technical experiments. During the course of the mission, Sharma participated in a televised conversation with the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. When she asked him, how does India look from space, he famously replied, 'Saare Jahan Se Achcha'—a phrase that has since become part of India's space folklore. Sharma returned to Earth, landing safely near the town of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan. On April 3, 1984, the Department of Posts commemorated this historic event by issuing a postage stamp and a First Day Cover. The stamp depicts the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft approaching the Salyut 7 space station, symbolizing the critical docking phase of the mission. Via a gazette notification dated May 7, 1985, the Government of India conferred its highest peacetime gallantry award, the 'Ashoka Chakra', on him. As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares for his international flight as part of Axiom-4 mission to become the second Indian to travel to space, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma shares his views on India's quest for the stars. Excerpts: Q. How did it feel to be the first Indian to travel to space aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984? A. Although I have been following manned space programme ever since Yuri Gagarin's space flight, I have to admit that I never dreamt of ever going to space, primarily because the Indian Space Research Organisation at that time never had a manned space programme. But when we learned, we in the Air Force, I mean, that Mrs. Gandhi had asked the Indian Air Force whether we would like to send one of our pilots to space, so Air Chief Marshal Latif, who was the chief of the air staff at that time, thankfully said yes. And then this long selection process started, at the end of which Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra and myself were selected to undergo training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmodrome Training Centre just outside Moscow at Star City. Q. How did your career as a fighter pilot prepare you for the rigors of spaceflight? A. Well, my career as a fighter pilot, most importantly, prepared me for the space flight because the qualification that was required from amongst the aspirants, the selection was made from amongst military pilots, fighter pilots who were test pilots. And so, I was one. So was Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra and quite a few others. And then a long series of medical tests started. So, in that sense, if I hadn't been in the Air Force, at least for that flight, I wouldn't have been qualified even to get selected. So that's how the Indian Air Force helped me to be one of the aspirants for selection. Q. Millions of Indians still fondly recall the moment when you famously described India as 'Saare Jahan Se Achha.' What are your own recollections of that historic moment? A. Well, my recollection of that particular event. I do remember that I was extremely nervous because one doesn't get to speak with one, our country's prime minister. We were never trained for that, never had the opportunity to do that and to then do it from space near Earth orbit at a time when I knew that the entire country would be following this. So that was discomforting, you know. So, I tried to remain focused on what she was asking. And that's how that interview went. So, I know later on, it has become quite a historic sort of a reply to her question. But that was because, I must tell you that our country truly looks beautiful from space. Q. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is all set to take forward your legacy as he goes to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 team. How do you view India's advancements in Space Technology from 1984-2025? A. Group captain Subhanshu Shukla indeed is going to be carrying the torch forward. And I must say it's been 41 years and during this period, ISRO has been slowly, steadily and very, very successfully realising the vision that was given to it from stalwarts like Vikram Sarabhai and other worthies. Satish Dhawan and the various chairman of ISRO have been working towards that vision, which is to use satellite technology for the betterment of our nation, both economically as well as how the output of space would impact the lives of our countrymen. positively. So, in that sense, I must say that ISRO has very successfully realised those aims. Along with that, the science which ISRO has done has been also very commendable, whether you take missions to the moon or to Mars, which were also very successful and lately to the sun, that is the Aditya mission. So, a lot has happened and moving on towards man space programme, it is the logical next step and presently ISRO is working towards that end and I'm very confident that very shortly we will be having our own astronauts launching on our own launchers from our own space port and that will be something worth cheering about. Yes, and Subhanshu Shukla will share all the experience he is going to gain shortly on this Axiom 4 flight. And we are all looking forward to his flight and a safe return and further contributions towards the manned space programme of India. Q. You have been closely associated with the Gaganyaan Mission, which is scheduled for next year. How crucial is the mission for India's space programme? A. I think I have partially answered this question during my answer to the previous question of yours. So, this particular flight and the Gaganyaan mission thereafter is going to demonstrate and give us confidence in taking humans to near Earth orbit and returning them safely. And it would have proven the technology of space transportation towards near Earth orbit and back. And that is crucial for the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, which is going to be set up years from now. And then that becomes the laboratory where we are going to be doing science, quite like what is presently being done at the International Space Station. So, all this experience. is going to benefit us and we know what the landscape is going to be like and what the state of art is required to be perfected before we embark on those important missions. Q. How do you view India's space journey today—especially Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan, and Aditya missions? A. Well, the missions you have mentioned, Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan and Aditya missions, I must say that they have been extremely successful as has been demonstrated and reported by the media. Now, the thing is that what stands out is the frugality with which India has achieved these missions on a shoestring budget. But the technology is absolutely indigenous. And on the very first attempt, we have managed to achieve success for these missions. So, we're going to look forward to many more such scientific missions. And one thing I'd like to highlight, and that is India's approach, which is that all the science data which we have collected already from Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan and we will be doing from Aditya is freely shared with other countries. So, we are not trying to keep it to ourselves. We are sharing all the data with all the other countries so that they also benefit, even though the Indian taxpayer is paying for these missions. But then that's who we are, and that is our cultural ethos. We believe that the world is one family. Q. What advice would you give to young Indians who dream of becoming astronauts? A. For young Indians who are dreaming to become astronauts, all I have to say is, when opportunity comes knocking on your door, just remember to open the door. And if you think that it's going to be extremely difficult for you to become an astronaut, just remember that things are never as difficult as they appear at first glance. So, just go for it. and make sure and there are many verticals with which you can be a researcher you can be an environmental engineer because there's a lot of activity that's going to happen in the medium term when we set up colonies initially on moon and later on, mars so don't miss the bus and all the best to all of you. Jai Hind.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Voter ID card delivery within 15 days: How to apply and track application online
The Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced that the Electors' Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) will now be delivered to voters within 15 days of an update in the electoral roll. The move is aimed to facilitate convenience and efficiency in the delivery of services, as well as real-time tracking. 'The new system will ensure real-time tracking of each stage right from the EPIC generation by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) till the delivery of EPIC to the elector through the Department of Posts (DoP),' the EC said in a statement. Electors will also receive notifications via SMS at each stage, keeping them informed about the status of their EPICs. To implement the new system, the EC has also introduced a dedicated IT module on its recently launched ECINet platform. 'The new IT platform will replace the existing process by re-engineering the current system and streamlining the workflow,' it said. Faster delivery: Under the new systems, applicants will get their voter ID cards within 15 days of a change in the electoral roll, ensuring convenience. Real time tracking: Voters will also be able to track each stage of the voter ID card generation till its delivery through the Department of Posts. SMS notifications: The applicant will further receive SMS notifications at each stage as their application gets updated. Integrated IT system: The EC has integrated its dedicated IT module with the Department of Posts. This initiative aims to enhance service delivery while maintaining data security. Step 1: Visit the National Voters' Services Portal (NVSP) at Step 2: Sign up using your mobile number and email ID and enter captcha. Step 3: Create your account using your name. Enter and confirm the password, then request for OTP. Step 4: An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Enter the OTP correctly to proceed. Step 5: Log in to your account using your details, then enter captcha and another OTP. Step 6: Click on the 'Fill Form 6' tab for new voter registration and fill in your personal, relative, contact, and address details. Step 7: Upload the required documents. Step 8: Preview your application to identify and correct errors and then click on the Submit button. Step 1: Visit the National Voters' Services Portal (NVSP) at Step 2: Log in to your account using your details and password. Step 3: Go to the 'Track Application Status' tab. Step 4: Enter your reference number that you received after filling Form 6 and 6A. Step 5: Select your state and click on the Submit button to view the status.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
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?) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at 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: ... Read More
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Business Standard
10-06-2025
- Business Standard
India Post launches Digipin: Here's how to check your new digital address
The Department of Posts unveiled a new digital addressing system called Digipin. Developed in partnership with IIT Hyderabad and ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre, this geospatial innovation aims to provide precise and unique identification of geographic locations, marking a major step in modernising India's postal infrastructure. The system assigns a 10-character alphanumeric code to specific geolocations, offering significantly greater accuracy than the existing six-digit PIN code system, which has been in use since 1972. What is Digipin? Digipin stands for Digital Postal Index Number. Each Digipin corresponds to a 4x4 square metre grid on the Indian landmass, ensuring that every inch of the country is uniquely identified. It is part of a larger national effort to enhance digital governance under the National Geospatial Policy 2022. It is part of a broader push under the National Geospatial Policy 2022 to enable digital-first governance, accurate last-mile delivery, and efficient emergency response systems. Key features: Geo-coded and grid-based: Ensures high precision using satellite-derived coordinates. Open-source and privacy-centric: Encodes only location, with no personal data stored. Nationwide coverage: Applies to urban, rural, remote, and even maritime areas. The Department of Posts, along with its collaborators at IIT Hyderabad and ISRO's NRSC, launched two new platforms to support this initiative: 'Know Your Digipin' and 'Know Your PIN Code'. These tools aim to provide more precise address identification and serve a wide array of use cases, from public service delivery to commercial logistics. 'Know Your Digipin' portal Accessible through India Post's official website, the 'Know Your Digipin' web application allows users to retrieve their Digipin using GPS data or by manually entering latitude and longitude coordinates. It also supports conversion between geo-coordinates and Digipin codes. Users can interact with a map-based interface to locate or verify the code for a specific property. Updated 'Know Your PIN Code' platform This tool enables users to identify the correct six-digit PIN code for their location using GNSS-based data. It also allows users to submit feedback to help improve the accuracy of the national PIN code database. Geo-referenced boundary datasets of PIN codes have also been released publicly via the Open Government Data Platform. How to check your Digipin? Users can check their Digipin following these steps: Visit the India Post website: Go to the 'Know Your Digipin' portal. Allow location access or manually input your coordinates. Your unique 10-character Digipin will be generated instantly. Why shift to Digipin over PIN code? This level of spatial accuracy provided by a Digipin is intended to support services such as logistics, emergency response, and digital governance, particularly in areas with informal or inconsistent addressing. It may also aid last-mile delivery in remote regions. Designed to function as a foundational component of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS), Digipin can be integrated into the operations of government agencies, private organisations, and other institutions. The source code and technical documentation are available on GitHub, supporting transparency and potential collaboration. Check the DIGIPIN of your location: #PostSeVikas #IndiaPost — India Post (@IndiaPostOffice) June 5, 2025 Will Digipin replace the PIN code? The government has clarified that Digipin will not replace the existing PIN code system. Instead, it functions as an additional layer of precision, providing a unique, geo-coded identifier for every physical location. The two systems will coexist, with Digipin enhancing the accuracy and functionality of traditional addressing, especially in use cases that demand high spatial precision. This move also positions the Department of Posts as more than a logistics agency, it is now a critical part of India's Digital Public Infrastructure. Public feedback The Department of Posts has invited citizens, developers, and institutions to use the two portals and participate in improving their accuracy. Both platforms have built-in systems for collecting feedback on usability and data correctness. This participatory approach is meant to ensure the platforms remain relevant and responsive to real-world conditions.
Mint
10-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Rahul Matthan: Digipin will displace workarounds to getting around
Whenever I order something online, I've learnt to provide as much location information as I can at checkout. As with most parts of India, the houses on my street are numbered somewhat at random (mine is 22/1 and my immediate neighbour's is 13), and there is no way anyone relying solely on GPS can find me without help. So they call, I explain, they get lost anyway, and we repeat this dance till somehow, with persistence and a lot of patience, the package finally reaches me. This is a story that repeats itself millions of times a day across the length and breadth of the country. Our addressing system is so broken that delivery agents have taken to calling even before they set out. Despite India being a top-five economy, we still navigate like medieval merchants, using directions like 'turn left at the paan shop." Also Read: Arguments against deploying DPI don't really hold up This is somewhat ironic considering that India has one of the world's most extensive postal networks. With 155,000 offices and 89% rural coverage, India Post can reach virtually every person in the country. But the challenge isn't reaching them, it is reaching them on time. In a world where next-day delivery is the norm and 10 minutes is fast becoming an expectation, our postal service is just not up to the task. So we've turned to logistics companies and their armies of delivery agents who zip around following turn-by-turn directions on mobile phones strapped to their handlebars to get parcels to us. And even if the miracles of modern technology get them close to us, the last mile often defeats them. Last week, the Department of Posts launched Digipin, a brand new digital addressing system that might be an answer to this problem. By dividing all of India into millions of tiny squares (about the size of a parking space), each with a unique 10-character name, all you would need to do is find the Digipin square that corresponds to the exact location of your doorstep and share the ten characters that define it with whoever needs to reach you. Also Read: DPI integration with AI will elevate the quality of public services as well as risks Unlike proprietary pinpoint systems like What3Words, Digipin is India's latest block of digital public infrastructure (DPI). Free, open and designed for national scale, it offers a foundation for addressing-as-a-service. Since its specifications are open source and easily accessible on Github, all it takes is a few API calls for applications to integrate with it. Which means that we no longer need to go through endless cycles of 'turn left at the temple, then right after the blue house," for deliveries to reach us. The real challenge will be adoption. Digipin names are unintelligible alphanumeric phrases like 'G4J-9K4-7LPY' that are hard to remember. If this is what we have to memorize to use it, we will get even more lost than we do today. What's needed is a way to translate these alphanumeric phrases into something we can recall. This is a problem that's already been solved. Internet websites are identified by 12-digit URLs that no one remembers. However, since all URLs are mapped to domain names that are easy to recall, we simply type those names into a browser for domain name servers (DNS) to translate into URLs that a computer can understand. Just as DNS unlocked the web for billions by translating forgettable URLs into names we could remember, a similar alias layer could unlock Digipin's mass adoption. Once we have this, I will be able to register a phrase like ' and map it to the precise Digipin coordinates of my front doorstep. Then all I need to do is share it with the delivery agent, who will then be able to navigate directly to my front door. Also Read: India's drive to globalize Digital Public Infrastructure: Time to take stock Digipin is designed to work with all Global Navigation Satellite Systems, but I am particularly pleased to see that it will work with India's own NavIC satellite constellation. In a 2017 Ex Machina article, I had pointed out that GPS is 'probably modern civilisation's single point of failure," given that it is a US Department of Defense system that underpins everything we rely on, from mobile networks to power grids. At this fractious time in global geopolitics, we should ensure that our digital location service relies on our own network of geo-positioning satellites. According to MIT Media Lab, India loses over 0.5% of its GDP annually because 80% of its addresses are described in relation to landmarks that lie anywhere between 50 and 1,500 metres away from their actual location. For an economy that wants to grow to $5 trillion by 2027, precision addressing isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. Also Read: Digital public infrastructure could help the world fight climate change As with every other DPI, the role of the government should be catalytic, not operational. Digipin's breakthrough moment will come when someone builds the addressing equivalent of Google Pay or PhonePe—with an interface so intuitive that using landmark-based directions feels as antiquated as paying with cash. Early adopters will, no doubt, be delivery-heavy businesses, but I'm far more keen to see the second-order effects: How precise addressing will reshape social coordination in ways that we have yet to imagine. Some 30 years ago, we couldn't imagine needing the internet; 20 years ago, mobile phones seemed like a luxury; 10 years ago, digital payments felt optional. Today, precise addressing feels like a nice-to-have, but tomorrow, we probably won't remember how we managed without it. For too long, we've been finding workarounds to getting around. Digipin is our chance to finally address our addressing challenge. The author is a partner at Trilegal and the author of 'The Third Way: India's Revolutionary Approach to Data Governance'. His X handle is @matthan.
