New Delhi: In a significant development, the Government of India has brought into force the Post Office Act, 2023, repealing the archaic Indian Post Office Act, 1898, which had governed postal services in the country for over 125 years.
The new Act, which received the President’s assent on December 24, 2023, was published in the Gazette of India on the same day by the Ministry of Law and Justice. Through a notification dated June 17, 2024, the Act has been brought into force with effect from June 18, 2024.
The Post Office Act, 2023, aims to consolidate and amend the law relating to postal services in India and provide for matters connected therewith. It empowers the Central Government to prescribe the services to be provided by the Post Office and allows the Director General of Postal Services to make regulations regarding the activities necessary to provide these services and fix charges and terms and conditions for the same.
One of the key provisions of the Act is the exclusive privilege granted to the Post Office for issuing postage stamps. The Act also enables the Central Government to prescribe standards for addressing, address identifiers, and the usage of postcodes.
Moreover, the Act authorizes the interception, opening, or detention of any postal item in the interest of state security, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergencies, public safety, or upon the contravention of any law. It further empowers the Central Government to deliver such items to customs or other authorities for necessary action.
The new legislation also exempts the Post Office and its officers from liability, except in cases of fraud or willful misconduct, concerning the services provided.
The Post Office Act, 2023, consists of 16 sections and replaces the century-old Indian Post Office Act, 1898, which had become outdated and inadequate to address the modern-day challenges and requirements of postal services in India.
