Table of Contents

Sectio Conten Page

n t Number
Preamble 3

1 India Post’s Vision, Mission, Objectives and Functions 5

1A Vision

1B Mission

1C Objectives

1D Functions

2. Assessment of the Situation 7

2A Potential forces impacting on India Post.

2B Stakeholders and their potential roles

2C What are our strengths and Weaknesses

2D Strengths and Weakness

3 Outline of Strategy 11
3A How will we engage our stakeholders

3B How will we build our knowledge and capabilities

3C Priorities

4 Implementation Schedule Annex. I

5 Linkage between Strategic Plan and RFD Annex. II
6 Cross departmental and cross functional issues 15
6A Linkage with potential challenges likely to be addressed in the 12 th
Plan
6B Identification and management of cross departmental issues
including resource allocation and capacity building

6C Cross functional linkages within departments / offices

6D Organisational review and role of agencies and wider public

service
7 Monitoring and Reviewing arrangements 17
8 Strategic Planning process Annex.III

India Post
The Department of Posts (DoP), trading as India Post, is a
government-operated postal system in India, which is a India Post
subsidiary of the Ministry of Communications. Generally called भारतीय डाक
"the post office" in India, it is the most widely distributed postal
system in the world. Founded in 1854 by Lord Dalhousie who
laid the foundation for the modern Indian postal service.
Dalhousie introduced uniform postage rates (universal service) &
passed the India Post office act 1854 which significantly
improved upon Lord William Bentinck's 1837 act which had
introduced Post offices in India. It created the position Director Department overview
[6][7]
General of post for the whole country . Formed 1 October 1854[1][2]
Jurisdiction India
It is involved in delivering mail (post), remitting money by
money orders, accepting deposits under Small Savings Schemes,Headquarters Dak Bhawan,
providing life insurance cover under Postal Life Insurance (PLI) Sansad Marg, New
and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) and providing retail Delhi
services like bill collection, sale of forms, etc. The DoP also actsEmployees 433,417 (March
as an agent for Government of India in discharging other 2017)[3]
services for citizens such as old age pension payments and Annual ₹11,496.18
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guaranteebudget crore (US$1.6
Scheme (MGNREGS) wage disbursement. With 155,015 post billion) (2018-19)
offices, India Post has the most widely distributed postal network [4]

in the world. Minister Ravishankar

responsible Prasad, Cabinet
The country has been divided into 23 postal circles, each circle
Minister for
headed by a Chief Postmaster General. Each circle is divided
Communications
into regions, headed by a Postmaster General and comprising
field units known as Divisions. These divisions are furtherDepartment Pradipta Kumar
divided into subdivisions. In addition to the 23 circles, there is a executives Bisoi (IPoS:1985),
base circle to provide postal services to the Armed Forces of Secretary
India headed by a Director General. One of the highest post Shri Salim Haque,
offices in the world is in Hikkim, Himachal Pradesh operated Director General[5]
by India Post at a height of 14,567 ft (4,440 m).[8][9] Parent Ministry of
Ministry Communications
Key The Indian Post
Contents document Office Act, 1898
(https://www.india
History
post.gov.in/VAS/D
Posts and the British Raj (1858–
OP_RTI/TheIndia
1947) After independence in 1947
nPostOfficeAct18
Postage-stamp history 98.pdf)
First adhesive stamps in Asia
Website www.indiapost.gov
 Stamps issued by the East India Company
Post-independence stamps
Revenue
PIN
Project Arrow
Services
Philately
Army Postal Service
Electronic Indian Postal Order
Postal Life insurance
Postal savings
Banking
Data collection
E-Commerce delivery
Other services
References
Further reading
External links

History

Posts and the British Raj (1858–1947)

The British Raj was instituted in 1858, when the rule of the East India Company was transferred to the
Crown.[10][11]

A number of acts were enacted during the British Raj to expand and regulate Posts and Telegraphs
service:

The Government Savings Bank Act 1873 (5 of 1873), passed by the legislature 28 January
1873, was enacted in 1881. On 1 April 1882, Post Office Savings Banks opened throughout
India (except in the Bombay Presidency). In Madras Presidency, it was limited; in the
Bengal Presidency, no POSBs were established in Calcutta or Howrah.
Postal life insurance began on 1 February 1884 as a welfare measure for the employees of
the Posts & Telegraphs Department as Government of India dispatch No. 299 dated 18
October 1882 to the Secretary of State.
Telegraph Act, 1885 (Indian Telegraph Act)
The Indian Post Office Act 1898 (6 of 1898), passed by the legislature on 22 March 1898,
became effective on 1 July 1898 regulating postal service. It was preceded by Act III of
1882 and Act XVI of 1896.
The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 (17 of 1933)
The world's first official airmail flight took place in India on 18 February 1911, a journey of 18
kilometres (11 mi) lasting 27 minutes. Henri Pequet, a French pilot, carried about 15 kilograms (33 lb) of
mail (approximately 6,000 letters and cards) across the Ganges from Allahabad to Naini; included in the
airmail was a letter to King George V of the United Kingdom.[12] India Post inaugurated a floating post
office in August 2011 at Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir.[13] Telegraphs Departments merged
Telegraphy and telephony made their appearance as part of the in 1914, dividing again on 1
postal service before becoming separate departments. The Posts and January 1985.
After independence in 1947
Since India became independent in 1947, the postal service
continues to function on a nationwide basis, providing a variety of
services. The structure of the organization has the directorate at its
apex; below it are circle offices, regional offices, the
superintendent's offices, head post offices, sub-post offices and
Indian postal service Educational
branch offices. In April 1959, the Indian Postal Department adopted
card, late 19th or early 20th
the motto "Service before help"; it revised its logo in September century
2008.[14]

The number of post offices was 23,344 when India became

independent in 1947 and these were primarily in urban areas. The
number increased to 155,015 in 2016 and 90% of these were in rural
areas.[15]

Postage-stamp history

First adhesive stamps in Asia

1850s Scinde Dawk stamp
The first adhesive postage stamps in Asia were issued in the Indian
district of Scinde in July 1852 by Bartle Frere, chief commissioner
of the region.[16] Frere was an admirer of Rowland Hill, the English
postal reformer who had introduced the Penny Post. The Scinde
stamps became known as "Scinde Dawks"; "Dawk" is the
Anglicised spelling of the Hindustani word Dak or ("post"). These
stamps, with a value of 1⁄2-anna, were in use until June 1866. The
first all-India stamps were issued on 1 October 1854. A modern Indian Post Office near
Udagamandalam

Stamps issued by the

East India Company
The volume of mail moved by the
postal system increased
significantly, doubling between
1854 and 1866 and doubling again
by 1871. The Post Office Act XIV
First all-India stamps Six-anna Provisional stamp, 1866
introduced reforms by 1 May 1866
to correct some of the more obvious
postal-system deficiencies and abuses. Postal-service efficiencies were also introduced. In 1863, lower
rates were set for "steamer" mail to Europe at (six annas, eight pies for a 1⁄2-ounce letter). Lower rates
were also introduced for inland mail. New regulations removed stamps. This innovation was
special postal privileges enjoyed by officials of the East India later widely adopted by other
Company. Stamps for official use were prepared and carefully countries.[17] Shortages
accounted for, to combat abuses by officials. In 1854 Spain had developed, so stamps also had to
printed special stamps for official communications, but in 1866 be improvised. Some "Service
India was the first country to adopt the expedient of overprinting Postage" overprinted rarities
"Service" on postage stamps and "Service Postage" on revenue resulted from abrupt changes in
postal regulations. New designs for the four- anna and six-anna-
eight-pie stamps were issued in 1866. Nevertheless, there was a
shortage of stamps to meet the new rates. Provisional six-anna
stamps were improvised by cutting the top and bottom from a
current foreign-bill revenue stamp and overprinting "Postage". India
was the first country in the Commonwealth to issue airmail stamps.
[18]
1955 money order (front)

1955 money order (back)

Post-independence stamps
India attained independence on 15 August 1947. Thereafter, the
Indian Posts and Telegraph Department embarked on a broad-
based policy for the issuance of stamps. On 21 November 1947
the first new stamp was issued by independent India. It depicts
the Indian flag with the patriots' slogan, Jai Hind ("long live
India"), at the top right-hand corner. The stamp was valued at
three and one-half annas. A memorial to Mahatma Gandhi was
issued 15 August 1948 on the first anniversary of independence.
One year later a definitive series appeared, depicting India's broad
cultural heritage (primarily Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh and Brown-and-pink stamp depicting a
Jain temples, sculptures, monuments and fortresses). A temple
subsequent issue commemorated the beginning of the Republic of
India on 26 January 1950. Definitives included a technology-and-development theme in 1955, a series
depicting a map of India in 1957 (denominated in naya paisa—decimal currency) and a 1965 series with
a wide variety of images. The old inscription "India Postage" was replaced in 1962 with "भारत
INDIA",
although three stamps (issued from December 1962 to January 1963) carried the earlier inscription.[19]

India has printed stamps and postal stationery for other countries, mostly neighbours. Countries which
have had stamps printed in India include Burma (before independence), Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Portugal and Ethiopia.[20] The country has issued definitive and commemorative stamps. Six definitive
series on India's heritage and progress in a number of fields have been issued. The seventh series, with a
theme of science and technology, began in 1986. Between independence and 1983, 770 stamps were
issued.

Revenue
The following table shows income generated by the postal department.[21]
 Net expenditure (in Revenue (in Surplus/Deficit (in
Year
crores) crores) crores)
2010-
13,075.0 6,962.3
11
2011-
12,075.3 7,899.4
12
2012-
14,676.4 93664.98
13
2013-
16203.52 10730.42 (5473.10) A still of illuminated Dak Bhavan (the
14
Headquarters of Department of
2014-
17894.58 11635.98 (6258.60) Posts) at Parliament Street, during
15
the celebrations marking the entry of
2015- Department of Posts into 150 years
18946.97 12939.79 (6007.18)
16
of service to the nation (on 1 October
2004)

PIN
The Postal Index Number (PIN, or sometimes redundantly PIN
code) is a six-digit postal code. PIN system was made by Shriram
Bhikaji Velankar when he was at service in Kolkata. It was
introduced on 15 August 1972 by former Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi. There are nine postal zones in the country; the first eight
are geographical regions, and the ninth is reserved for the Army
Postal Service (APS).

The PIN system is organised in the following way:

The first digit indicates the zone.

The first two digits indicate the sub-zone (or postal
circle).
The first three digits indicate a sorting district.
The last three digits indicate the delivery post office.
The PIN for an address may be found on the Postal Service
website.[22] There are total of 19,101 PINs covering 154,725 post
offices in India, with the exception of the Army Postal Service, as A Post Box of India Post

of 2014.[23][24]

Project Arrow
Project Arrow was launched in April 2008.[14] The project plans to upgrade post offices in urban and
rural areas, improving service and appearance into a vibrant and responsive organization and to make a
visible and positive difference.The project aims to create an effective, friendly environment for staff and
customers, providing secure IT services and improving mail delivery, remittances (electronic and
manual) and postal-savings plans. Core areas for improvement are branding, information technology,
human resources and infrastructure. The project to improve service has been implemented in more than
23,500 post offices, and 'Look & Feel ' improvements have been made in 2,940 post offices. The
Department of Posts received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration during
2008–09 for "Project Arrow – Transforming India Post" on 21 April 2010.[25]
Multipurpose counter machines with computers were introduced in post offices in 1991 to improve
customer service and increase staff productivity. 25,000 departmental post offices out of 25,464 were
computerized between as of 2011–2012. In 2012, a plan costing ₹1,877.2 crore (US$260 million) was
formulated to computerize rural post offices.[26]

Services

Philately
The first philatelic Society in India was founded in Calcutta on 6 March 1897 to service postage-stamp
collections. Function include design, printing and distribution of special or commemorative postage
stamps, definitive postage stamps and items of postal stationery, promotion of philately, conduct of
philatelic examinations at the national level, participation in international exhibitions and monitoring
exhibitions at the state, regional and district levels and maintenance of the National Philatelic Museum.
Philatelic bureaus were established in head post offices located at circle headquarters and at district-
capital head post offices (as necessary). There are 68 philately bureaus and 1111 philatelic counters,
including all head post offices (Mukhya Dak Ghars) in the country as of 31 March 2011.[27]:44 A
domestic philatelic deposit-account system was introduced on 1 August 1965 at all philatelic bureaus.
Customers are given priority in purchasing commemorative or special-issue stamps, first-day covers and
information sheets soon after their issue by opening a deposit account at any philatelic bureau. The
number of philately deposit-accountholders grew from 23,905 in 1999–2000 to 168,282 in 2006–2007
and 183,202 in 2008–2009. Four philatelic Bureaus—the Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Parliament
Street, New Delhi GPOs are authorized to sell United Nations stamps. A quarterly philatelic magazine,
Philapost, was launched in 2008.

The Department of Post has also developed software for philatelic inventory management, known as
"Philsim". It is used for all activities relating to philately, including forecasting, indenting, invoicing,
monitoring supply and demand and recording sales and revenue for commemorative stamps and other
philatelic products at philately bureaus and counters (and definitive stamps and stationery at circle stamp
depots and head post offices).

The National Philatelic Museum of India was inaugurated on 6 July 1968 in New Delhi. It had its
beginnings at a meeting of the Philatelic Advisory Committee on 18 September 1962. Besides a large
collection of India Postage stamps designed, printed and issued, it has a large collection of Indian states
(confederate and feudatory), early essays, proofs and colour trials, a collection of Indian stamps used
abroad, early Indian postcards, postal stationery and thematic collections. The museum was renovated in
2009 with more exhibits, a philatelic bureau and postal objects (such as Victorian post boxes). The
Department of Posts inaugurated the National Philatelic Museum on 11 July 2011. It exhibits rare postage
stamps from around the world and provides a venue for philatelists to exhibit their collections.

Army Postal Service

The Army Postal Service (APS), functions as a government-operated military mail system in India. A
primary feature of Army Postal Service systems is that normally they are subsidized to ensure that
military mail posted between duty stations abroad and the home country (or vice versa) does not cost the
sender any more than normal domestic mail traffic. In some cases, Indian military personnel in a combat
zone may post letters and/or packages to the home country for free, while in others, senders located in a
specific overseas area may send military mail to another military recipient, also located in the same
overseas area, without charge.

Electronic Indian Postal Order

The Electronic Indian Postal Order (e-IPO) was introduced on 22 March 2013, initially only for citizens
living abroad. The postal orders can be used for online payment of fees for access to information under
the RTI Act of 2005. The service was expanded to include all Indian citizens on 14 February 2014.[28]

Postal Life insurance

Postal Life Insurance (PLI) was introduced on 1 February 1884 with the express approval of the
Secretary of State (for India) to Her Majesty, the Queen Empress of India. It was essentially a welfare
scheme for the benefit of Postal employees in 1884 and later extended to the employees of Telegraph
Department in 1888. In 1894, PLI extended insurance cover to female employees of P & T Department at
a time when no other insurance company covered female lives. It is the oldest life insurer in this country.
There was over 6.4 million policies active as on 31 March 2015 with a sum assured of ₹130,745 crore
(US$18 billion). Premium income of PLI for the year 2014-15 was ₹6,053.2 crore (US$850 million). It
was extended to all rural residents on 24 March 1995.

Policies for government employees include Santhosh (endowment assurance), Suraksha (whole-life
assurance), Suvidha (convertible whole-life assurance), Sumangal (anticipated endowment policy) and
Yugal Suraksha (joint life endowment assurance).[29] India Post started Rural Postal Life Insurance
(RPLI) for rural public in 1995. RPLI include Gram Santosh (endowment assurance), Gram Suraksha
(whole-life assurance), Gram Suvidha (convertible whole-life assurance), Gram Sumangal (anticipated
endowment assurance) and Gram Priya.

Postal savings
The post office offers a number of savings plans, including Recurring Deposit Account, Sukanya
Samriddhi Account (SSA), National Savings Certificates (NSC), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), the Public
Provident Fund,[30] savings-bank accounts,[30] monthly-income plans,[30] senior-citizens' savings
plans[30] and time-deposit accounts.[30]

Banking
In 2013 it was revealed that the Indian postal service had formulated plans to enter the banking industry
after RBI guidelines for the issuance of new banking licenses were released. [31] Eventually they are
planning to open a Post Bank of India, an independent banking service.[32]

As of 29 February 2016, 18,231 post offices are utilizing Core Banking Solutions (CBS) in 9583 Post
Offices.[33] ATMs are installed at 576 Post office locations and Debit Cards issued to Post Office Savings
Bank customers.[34] Core Insurance Solution (CIS) for Postal Life Insurance (PLI) is rolled out in 808
Head Post Offices and corresponding 24000+Sub Post Offices. In September 2017, it was announced that
by 2018 all of the 1.55 lakh post offices, every postman, and grameen dak sevak will accept all payment
options that the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) plans to provide. On 1 September 2018 the India Post
Payments Bank was inaugurated by prime minister narendra modi.[35]
Data collection Implementation (MoSPI) and the
A collaboration between the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Department of Posts has enabled the
computation of consumer-price indices for rural areas. These
statistics were previously unobtainable, due to problems of
remoteness and scale. The agreement authorises the postal service
to collect data on prices paid for selected consumer goods. In
February 2011, MoSPI published its first Consumer Price Index
(CPI) and All-India Consumer Price Index. The information has
since been published monthly, based on data available from 1,181
villages across the country.[25]

A mail van of India Post

E-Commerce delivery
The boom in e-commerce and the surging number of cash-on-delivery consignments has led India Post to
partner with major e-commerce portals for delivering pre-paid as well as Cash On Delivery (COD)
parcels.[36][37] According to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Ravi
Shankar Prasad, revenue of India Post from such deliveries would go up to ₹15 billion (US$210 million)
in the year 2015-16.[37]

Other services
Other services include:

Post boxes and post bags for mail receipt

Speed Post
Identity cards for proof of residence
India Post ATM
RMS (Railway Mail Service)
Post office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK)
Aadhaar Enrollment and Updation.
Western Union.
Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance.
Savings Bank (SB/RD/TD/MIS/SCSS/PPF/SSA)
Savings Cash Certificates.
India Post Payments Bank.
Stamp Sales.
Postage stamps and postal history 1

External links
Official website (http://www.indiapost.gov.in)

Postage stamps and postal history of India

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of
India.

Indian postal systems for efficient military and

governmental communications had developed long
before the arrival of Europeans. When the Portuguese,
Dutch, French, Danish and British displaced the
Mughals, their postal systems existed alongside those of
The first stamp of independent shows the new . It was meant for foreign
many somewhat independent states. The British East correspondence.
[1][2]
India Company gradually displaced other powers and
brought into existence a British administrative system
over most of India, with a need to establish and maintain
both official and commercial mail systems.

Although the Indian Post Office was established in 1837,

Asia's first adhesive stamp, the Scinde Dawk, was
introduced in 1852 by Sir Bartle Frere, the British East
India Company's administrator of the province of Sind.
The Indian postal system developed into an extensive,
dependable and robust network providing connectivity to
almost all parts of India, Burma, the Straits Settlements
and other areas controlled by the British East India
Company (EIC). Based on the model postal system
introduced in England by the reformer, Rowland Hill,
efficient postal services were provided at a low cost and
enabled the smooth commercial, military and
administrative functioning of the EIC and its successor,
the British Raj. The Imperial Posts co-existed with the
The second stamp depicts the , the , and was for domestic use.
several postal systems maintained by various Indian
states, some of which produced stamps for use within
their respective dominions, while British Indian postage
stamps were required for sending mail beyond the
boundaries of these states. Telegraphy and telephony
made their appearance as part of the Posts before
becoming separate
Postage stamps and postal history 2
departments. After the Independence of India in 1947, the Indian postal service continues to
function on a countrywide basis and provides many valuable, low cost services to the public of
India.

Postal history of India

The Post in ancient and medieval India

The history of India's postal system begins long before the introduction of postage stamps. The
antecedents have been traced to the systems of the Persian Empire instituted by Cyrus the Great
and Darius I for communicating important military and political information. The Atharvaveda
records a messenger service. Systems for collecting information and revenue data from the
provinces are mentioned in Chanakya's Arthashastra (ca. 3rd century BC).
In ancient times the kings, emperors, rulers, zamindars or the feudal lords protected
their land through the intelligence services of specially trained police or military
agencies and courier services to convey and obtain information through runners,
messengers and even through pigeons. The chief of the secret service, known as the
postmaster, maintained the lines of communication ... The people used to send
 letters to [their] distant relatives through their friends or neighbors.[3]
For centuries it was rare for messages to be carried by any means other than a relay of runners on
foot. A runner ran from one village or relay post to the next, carrying the letters on a pole with a
sharp point. His was a dangerous occupation: the relay of postal runners worked throughout the
day and night, vulnerable to attacks by bandits and wild animals. These mail runners were used
chiefly by the rulers, for purposes of gathering information and wartime news. They were
subsequently used by merchants for trade purpose. It was much later that mail runners came to be
in use for the carriage of private mail.
The postal history of India primarily began with the overland routes, stretching from Persia to
India. What began as mere foot-tracks that more than often included fords across the mountainous
streams, gradually evolved over the centuries as highways, used by traders and military envoys on
foot and horses, for carriage of missives.
The Arab influence of the Caliphate came about with the conquest of Sind by Muhammad bin
Qasim in 712 A.D. Thereupon, the Diwan-i-Barid or Department of Posts established official
communication across the far-flung empire. The swiftness of the horse messengers finds mention
in many of the chronicles of that period.
The first Sultan of Delhi, Qutb-ud-din Aybak (Persian: T‫ )ﺍﯾﺒﮏ ﺍﻟﺪﯾﻦ ﺐ ﻗﻄ‬was Sultan for only four
years, 1206–1210, but he founded the Mamluk Dynasty and created a messenger post system.
This was expanded into the dak chowkis, a horse and foot runner service, by Alauddin Khilji in
1296. Sher Shah Suri (1541–1545) replaced runners with horses for conveyance of messages
along the northern high road, today known as the Grand Trunk Road, which he
constructed between Bengal and Sindh over an ancient trade route at the base of the Himalayas,
the Uttarapatha. He also built 1700 'serais' where two horses were always kept for the
despatch of the Royal Mail[4] Akbar introduced camels in addition to the horses and runners.
In the South of India, in 1672 Raja Chuk Deo of Mysore began an efficient postal service which
was further improved upon by Haider Ali.

Posts and the East India Company

The East India Company took constructive steps to improve the
existing systems in India when, in 1688, they opened a post office in
Bombay followed by similar ones in Calcutta and Madras. Lord
Clive further expanded the services in 1766 and in 1774 Warren
Hastings made the services available to the general public. The fee
charged was two annas per 100 miles. The postmarks applied on
these letters are very rare and are named 'Indian Bishop Marks' after
Colonel Henry Bishop, the Postmaster General of the United
Kingdom who introduced this practice in Britain. The Post Office
Department of the East India Company was first established on 31
March 1774 at Calcutta,[5] followed in 1778 at Madras and in 1792 at
Bombay.[6] After 1793, when Cornwallis introduced the Regulation
of the Permanent Settlement, the financial responsibility for
, ca. 1847
maintaining the official posts rested with the zamindars. Alongside by Sir George Hayter
these, private dawk mail systems sprang up for the commercial
conveyance of messages using hired runners. Also,
the East India Company created its own infrastructure for the expansion and administration of
military and commercial power. The runners were paid according to the distance they travelled
and the weight of their letters.

The Post Office Act XVII of 1837 provided that the Governor-General of India in Council had
the exclusive right of conveying letters by post for hire within the territories of the East India
Company. The mails were available to certain officials without charge, which became a
controversial privilege as the years passed. On this basis the Indian Post Office was established on
1 October 1837.[7]
The urgent European mails were carried overland via Egypt at the isthmus of Suez. This route,
pioneered by Thomas Waghorn,[8] linked the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, and thence by
steamer via Marseilles, Brindisi or Trieste to
European destinations. The Suez Canal did not open until much later (17 November 1869). The
time in transit for letters using the Overland Mail[9] route was dramatically reduced. Waghorn's
route reduced the journey from 16,000 miles via the Cape of Good Hope to 6,000 miles; and
reduced the time in transit from three months to between 35 and 45 days.

The Scinde District

Dawk
The use of the Scinde Dawk adhesive stamps to signify the
prepayment of postage began on 1 July 1852 in the Scinde/Sindh
district,[10] as part of a comprehensive reform of the district's postal
system. A year earlier Sir Bartle Frere had replaced the postal
runners with a network of horses and camels, improving
communications in the Indus river valley to serve the military and
commercial needs of the British East India Company.[11]
The new stamps were embossed individually onto paper or a wax
wafer. The shape was circular, with "SCINDE DISTRICT DAWK"
around the rim and the British East India Company's Merchant's
Mark as the central emblem. The paper was either white or greyish
white.
1852 red sealing wafer Scinde Dawk, Asia's Thestamp.
first adhesive blue stamp was printed onto the paper by the die during
the embossing, while the wax version was embossed on a red sealing
wax wafer on paper; but all had the same value of 1/2 anna. They
were
used until October 1854, and then officially suppressed. These are quite scarce today, with
valuations from US$700 to $10,000 for postally used examples. The unused red stamp was
previously valued at £65,000.00 by Stanley Gibbons (basis 2006); however, it now appears that no
unused examples have survived.

The Reforms of 1854 and the First Issues

The first stamps valid for postage throughout India were placed on
sale in October 1854 with four values: 1/2 anna, 1 anna, 2 annas, and
4 annas.[12] Featuring a youthful profile [13] of Queen Victoria aet. 15
years, all four values were designed and printed in Calcutta, and
issued without perforations or gum. All were lithographed except for
the 2 annas green, which was produced by typography from copper
clichés or from electrotyped plates. The 4 annas value (illustrated)
was one of the world's first bicolored stamps, preceded only by the
Basel Dove, a beautiful local issue.
These stamps were issued following a Commission of Inquiry which
had carefully studied the postal systems of Europe and America. In
4 annas, 1854.
the opinion of Geoffrey Clarke, the reformed system was to be
maintained "for the benefit of
the people of India and not for the purpose of swelling the revenue." [14] The Commissioners voted
to abolish the
earlier practice of conveying official letters free of postage ("franking"). The new system was
recommended by the Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie and adopted by the East India Company's
Court of Directors. It introduced "low and uniform" rates for sending mail efficiently throughout
the country within the jurisdiction of the East India Company. The basic rate was 1/2 anna on
letters not more than 1/4 tola in weight. The stamps were needed to show the postage was prepaid,
a basic principle of the new system, like the fundamental changes of the British system advocated
by Rowland Hill and the Scinde reforms of Bartle Frere. These reforms transformed mail services
within India.
The East India Company already had attempted a 1/2 anna vermilion
stamp in April 1854, known as the "9½ arches essay". This could not
be produced in quantity because it required an expensive vermilion
pigment not readily available from England, and the substituted
Indian pigment destroyed the printing stones.
A new design for stamps, with Queen Victoria in an oval vignette
inside a rectangular frame, was inscribed "EAST INDIA
POSTAGE". These stamps were recess printed by De La Rue in
England (who produced all the subsequent issues of British India
until 1925).[15] The first of these became available in 1855. They
continued in use well after the British government took over the
administration of India in 1858, following the 1857 RebellionThe De La Rue design for the Recess Printed issues:
against the East India Company's rule. From 1865 the Indian stamps an 1856 color , 2 annas "bottle green"
were printed on paper watermarked with an elephant's head.

The Reforms of 1866 and the Provisionals

The volume of mail moved by the postal system increased
relentlessly, doubling between 1854 and 1866, then doubling
again by 1871. The Post Office Act XIV introduced reforms
by 1 May 1866 to correct some of the more apparent postal
system deficiencies and abuses. Postal service efficiencies
also were introduced. In 1863 new lower rates were set for
"steamer" mail to Europe at 6 annas 8 pies for a 1/2 ounce An envelope with Half, One and Two Anna stamps.

letter. Lower rates were introduced for inland mail, as well.

New regulations removed the special postal privileges which had been enjoyed by officials of the
East India Company. Stamps for official use were prepared and carefully accounted for to combat
the abuse of privileges by officials. In 1854 Spain had printed special stamps for official
communications, but in 1866 India was the first country to adopt the simple expedient of
overprinting 'Service' on postage stamps and 'Service Postage' on revenue stamps. This innovation
became widely adopted by other countries in later years.[16][17]
Shortages developed, so these stamps also had to be
improvised. Some of the "Service Postage" overprinted
rarities of this year resulted from the sudden changes in
postal regulations. New designs for the 4 annas and "6
annas 8 pies" stamps were issued in 1866. Nevertheless,
there was a shortage of stamps to meet the new rates.
Provisional[19] six annas stamps were improvised by cutting
the tops and bottoms from a current Foreign Bill revenue
stamp, and overprinting "POSTAGE".

6 annas , 1866 Bombay to London

Another four new designs appeared, one at a time, between
by , 29 days.[18]
 1874 and 1876.
A complete new set of stamps was issued in 1882 for the
Empire of India that had been proclaimed five years
earlier, in 1877. The designs
consisted of the usual Victoria profile, in a variety of frames, inscribed "INDIA POSTAGE". The
watermark also changed to a star shape. These stamps were heavily used and are still quite common
today.
Three stamps, featuring a detail from Heinrich von Angeli's 1885 portrait of Queen Victoria,[20] in 2,
3 and 5 rupee denominations, were introduced in 1895. Other existing designs were reprinted in
new colours in 1900.
 Postal history of Indian states
British India had hundreds of Princely States, some 652 in all,[21]
but most of them did not issue postage stamps. The stamp-
issuing States were of two kinds: the Convention States and the
Feudatory States. The postage stamps and postal histories of
these States provide great challenges and many rewards to the
patient philatelist. Many rarities are to be found here. Although
handbooks are available, much remains to be discovered.
The Convention States are those which had postal conventions
(or agreements) with the Post Office of India to provide postal
services within their territories. The adhesive stamps and postal
stationery of British India were overprinted for use within each
Convention State. The first Convention State was Patiala, in
1884, followed by others in 1885. The stamps of the Convention
States all became invalid on 1 Jan 1951 when they were replaced
with stamps of the Republic of India valid from 1 Jan 1950.
Anchal Petty ) of
The Feudatory States maintained their own postal services
within their territories and issued stamps with their own designs.
Many of the stamps were imperforate and without gum, as
issued. Many varieties of type, paper, inks
and dies are not listed in the standard catalogues. The stamps of each Feudatory State were valid
only within that State, so letters sent outside that State needed additional British India postage.
Below is a list of the Convention states and Feudatory Indian states

1916 red-brown 2 anna of Orchha, a feudatory state

Convention states Feudatory states (starting – ending years)

• Chamba • Alwar (1877–1899) • Faridkot (1879–1900) • Morvi (1931–1935)

• Faridkot • Bamra (1888–1893) • Hyderabad (1869–1949) • Nandgaon (1892–1893)
(formerly feudatory;
convention from
 1887)
• Gwalior • Barwani (1921–1938) • Idar (1939–1944) • Nowanuggur (1877–1893)
• Jind • Bhopal (1876–1932) • Indore (1886–1941) • Orchha (1913–1939)
(formerly feudatory;
convention from
1885)
• Nabha • Bhor (1879–1901) • Jaipur (1900–1947) • Poonch (1876–1884)
• Patiala • Bijawar (1935–1937) • Jammu and Kashmir (1878– • Rajasthan (1949–1949)
1886)
• Bundi (1894–1941) • Jammu (1866–1877) • Rajpipla (1880)
• Bussahir (1895–1900) • Jind (1874–1885) • Sirmur (1879–1899)
• Bahawalpur (1947– • Kashmir (1866–1867) • Soruth (1864–1937)
1949)
 • Charkhari (1894–1943) • Jasdan (1942–1942) • Travancore (1888–1946)
• Cochin (1892–1933) • Jhalawar (1887–1887) • Travancore-Cochin (1949–
1950)
• Dhar (1897–1898) • Kishangarh (1899–1928) • Wadhwan (1888–1889)
• Duttia (1893–1916) • Las Bela (1897–1904)

Both Faridkot and Jind, as feudatory states, issued their own stamps before they joined the Postal
Convention. Faridkot joined on 1 January 1887. Jind joined in July 1885; its stamps from the
feudatory period became invalid for postage, but they continued to be used for revenue purposes.

The early 20th century

In 1902 a new series depicting King Edward VII generally reused
the frames of the Victoria stamps, with some color changes, and
included values up to 25 rupees. The higher values were often used
for the payment of telegraph and parcel fees. Generally, such usage
will lower a collector's estimation of a stamp's value; except those
from remote or "used abroad" offices.[22]
The 1911 stamps of King George V were more florid in their design.
It is reported that George V, a philatelist, personally approved these
designs. In 1919 a 1½ anna stamp was introduced, inscribed "ONE
AND HALF ANNA", but in 1921 this changed to "ONE AND A
HALF ANNAS". In 1926 the watermark changed to a pattern of
multiple stars. One rupee (1902)

The first pictorial stamps appeared in 1931. The set of six, showing
the fortress of Purana Qila, Delhi and government edifices, was
issued to mark the
government's move from Calcutta to New Delhi. Another pictorial set, also showing buildings,
commemorated George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935.
The stamps issued in 1937 depicted various forms of mail transports, with King George VI's effigy
appearing on the higher values. A new issue in 1941, constrained by the austerity of World War II,
consisted of rather plain designs using minimal amounts of ink and paper. As Indian Post Offices
annually required some billions of stamps for postage, as a measure of economy the large pictorial
stamps were immediately withdrawn and smaller stamps were issued. Even this did not ease the
paper situation and it was thought desirable to reduce the size even more.
A victory issue in 1946 was followed in November 1947 by a first Dominion issue, whose three
stamps were the first to depict the Ashoka Pillar and the new flag of India (the third showed an
aeroplane).
Postage stamps were generally issued separately from the revenue stamps. However in 1906, the
set of King Edward VII stamps were issued in two values, half anna and one anna with the caption
"INDIA POSTAGE & REVENUE". The George V Series (1911 to 1933) added two more values,
two annas and four annas to the Postage & Revenue stamps. These dual-purpose issues were an
exception and generally the two types were issued separately.
 India Security Press
From 1 January 1926 all printing and overprinting of India'
postage stamps was conducted at India Security Press,
Nasik. The possibility of printing postage stamps and other
security items in India had been enquired into before the
First World War but could not be pursued at that time. In
1922, the feasibility of this issue was explored in England
by Lt Col C.H. Willis, C.I.E., then master of the Bombay
Mint, and Mr
F.D. Ascoti, I.C.S., Controller ofThe
Printing, Stationery
1931 series celebrated and
the inauguration of New Delhi as the seat of government. The one stamp shows the an
Stamps. Their favourable report, followed by a successful
demonstration of production techniques in Delhi in 1923,
led to the decision of the Government to establish a security
press at Nashik. The responsibility of setting up the Press
was entrusted to none other than the London firm of
Thomas De La Rue which already had a six-decade
long
association with Indian stamps. The construction began in 1924 at an original estimate of Rs 27½
lakhs and was completed in 1925 with additional costs of Rs 67 and 1/400,000.[15]

The printing of stamps at Nasik began in 1925. The first stamps produced were the definitive
series of George V, printed using typography from the same plates used earlier in England by De
La Rue, which were now transferred to India. The watermark was changed by the Press to multiple
stars. Lithography was now re-introduced and the first stamps printed with this technique were the
first Air Mail series of 1929. The Security Press continued to use typography for most stamps,
reserving the lithographic process for the most important commemorative issues, the next being
the 1931 series commemorating the inauguration of New Delhi as the seat of government in 1931.
The one rupee stamp shows the Secretariat and Dominion Columns. This practice continued after
independence. The first definitive series to be issued was the misnamed "Archaeological" series of
16 values; the top four values were produced by lithography and the remaining values by
typography.
The new technique of photogravure printing was installed in 1952. The October 1952 series of six
values on the theme of Saints and Poets was the first to be so produced. However, these were not
the first photogravure stamps of India, having been preceded by the first Gandhi series of 1948,
which were printed by Courvoisier of Geneva using the photogravure technique. Since then,
photogravure has been used to produce all Indian stamps; typography and lithography being
reserved for service labels only.[23]

Independent India
The First Stamp of Independent India was issued on 21
November 1947. It depicts the Indian Flag with the patriots'
slogan, Jai Hind (Long Live India), on the top right hand
corner. It was valued at three and one-half annas.
A memorial to Mahatma Gandhi was issued 15 August 1948
on the first anniversary of Independence. Exactly one year
later a definitive series appeared, depicting India's broad
cultural heritage, mostly Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh
and Jain temples, sculptures, monuments and fortresses.[24]
A subsequent issue commemorated the inauguration of the
Republic of India on 26 January 1950.
Definitives included a technology and development theme
The Rs 10 stamp showing , released 15 August 1948
in 1955, a series all showing the map of India in 1957,
denominated in naye paisa (decimal currency), and a series
with a broad variety of images in 1965.
The old inscription of "INDIA POSTAGE" was replaced in
1962 with "भारत INDIA", though three stamps issued
between December 1962/January 1963 carried the earlier
inscription.[15]
India has printed stamps and postal stationery for other
countries, mostly neighbours. Countries which have had
stamps printed in India include Burma (before
independence), Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Portugal, and
Ethiopia.
, temple complex near , 15 August 1949. Indian stamps reflect the country's old and rich .

The Indian Postal Service today

The Department of Posts, operating as India Post, is a
government-operated postal system, simply referred to
within India as
"the post office". With its far-flung reach and its presence in remote areas, the Indian postal
service provides many services such as small savings banking and financial services. As of 31
March 2011, the Indian Postal Service has 154,866 post offices, of which 139,040 (89.78%) are in
rural areas and 15,826 (10.22%) are in urban areas. It has 25,464 departmental POs and 129,402
ED BPOs. At the time of independence, there were 23,344 post offices, which were primarily in
urban areas. Thus, the network has registered a sevenfold growth since Independence, with the
expansion primarily in rural areas. On an average, a post office serves an area of 21.23 sq;km
and a population of
7,114 people.[25] India is believed to have the most widely distributed system in the world (China
has 57,000, Russia
41,000 and the United States 38,000 offices). [26] This proliferation of offices results from India's
history of having many disparate postal systems, eventually unified in the Indian Union after
Independence.

India has been divided into 22 postal circles, each circle headed by a Chief Postmaster General.
Each Circle is further divided into Regions comprising field units, called Divisions, headed by a
Postmaster General, and further divided into units headed by SSPOs & SPOs and Sub Divisions
headed by ASPs and IPS. Other functional units like Circle Stamp Depots, Postal Stores Depots
and Mail Motor Service exist in various Circles and Regions. Besides the 22 circles, there is a
special Base Circle to provide the postal services for the Armed Forces of India. The Base Circle
is headed by an Additional Director General, Army Postal Service holding the rank of a Major
General.
Gandhi, Nehru and other historic personalities continued to appear on the postal issues coming
from the country since Independence, with almost half a century seeing the Gandhi definitives of
denominations most frequently used in the era concerned, becoming synonymous with a postage
stamp to the Indian people of that respective time period[citation needed]. New themes are now
finding their place on Indian postage stamps, with some stamps issued
jointly with postal agencies of other countries, renewable energy sources, the local flora and fauna
and even the special annual issues wishing season's greetings. On 9 March 2011 India Post
launched an online e-post office. The portal provides electronic money orders, instant money
orders, stamps for collectors, postal information, tracking of express and international shipments,
PIN code search and registration of feedback and complaints online.[27]

National Philatelic Museum

But I hit upon a much simpler plan. I gathered together all the children in my locality and asked them to volunteer two or three
hours' labour of a morning when they had no school. This they willingly agreed to do. I promised to bless them and give them, as a
reward, used postage stamps which I had collected.
[28]
Mahatma Gandhi, Rajkot 1896.

The National Philatelic Museum of India was inaugurated on 6 July 1968 in New Delhi. It had its
beginning at a meeting of the Philatelic Advisory Committee on 18 September 1962. Besides the
large collection of India Postage stamps designed, printed and issued, it has a large collection of
Indian states, both confederate and feudatory, early essays, proofs and colour trials, a collection of
Indian stamps "used abroad" and as well as early Indian postcards,
postal stationery and thematic collections.[15]
The museum was extensively renovated in 2009. It now includes more exhibits, a philatelic bureau
and other postal objects such as beautiful Victorian post boxes.[29]
An international philatelic exhibition was held from 12—18 February 2011, on the centenary of
India's first official air mail. For the occasion of INDIPEX 2011 India Post brought out a special
stamp on Gandhi Ji to commemorate the event. It is printed on "khadi", the handspun cotton
material that Gandhi Ji held out as the symbol of self-determination and self-reliance. The
Presentation Pack was released by Pratibha Patil, the President of India on Saturday 12 February
2011 at INDIPEX 2011, the World Philatelic Exhibition held in New Delhi, the capital of India.[30]

References and sources

References
[1] India Postage Stamps 1947–1988.(1989) Philately branch, Department of Posts, India.
[2] Souvenir sheet of the Independence series of stamps, Indian Posts, 1948
[3] Mohini Lal Mazumdar, The Imperial Post Offices of British India. Calcutta, Phila Publications, (1990) p. 1.
[4] Pg 29, Datta et al. (2009). Rare stamps of the World.
[5] Mohini Lal Majumdar, Early History and Growth of Postal System in India, RDDHI-India, Calcutta (1995), p. 67. ISBN 81-85292-
07-8
[6] E. G. Oehme, India Post, No. 72. India Study Circle.
[7] Robson Lowe, Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps, v. III London, Robson Lowe, Ltd. (1951), p. 134.
[8] "Thomas Fletcher Waghorn (1800–1850)" Egypt Study Circle. On line.
(http://www.egyptstudycircle.org.uk/PostalHistory/overland. html)
[9] John K. Sidebottom, The Overland Mail: A Postal Historical Study of the Mail Route to India, London: G. Allen and Unwin
(1948) ISBN 1-135-39399-0
[10] "Scinde, India", First Issues Collectors Club (http://www.firstissues.org/ficc/details/scinde_1.shtml) . Retrieved 25 September.
[11] H.D.S. Haverbeck, "The Sind District Dawk," The Collectors Club Philatelist v. 44 no. 2 (March 1965) pp. 79–85.
[12] "India (East India Company)", First Issues Collectors Club (Retrieved 25 September 2006)
(http://www.firstissues.org/ficc/details/ india_1.shtml)
[13] http://web.archive.org/web/20120419154035/ http://imagesoftheworld.org/stamps/wyon.htm
[14] Geoffrey Clarke, The Post Office of India and its Story, (1920)
[15] Saksena, Vishnu S., Notes for the Indian Stamp Collector, Army Postal Service Historic & Philatelic Society. Pratibha Printing
Press, New Delhi (1989), p. 86
[16] Alan C. Campbell, "The Design Evolution of the United States Official Stamps", U.S. Philatelic Classics Society Chronicle, Vol.
 48, Nos. 1 and 2, Whole Nos. 169 and 170 (February and May 1996).
[17] In 1840 England had abandoned its first stamp designed for official use; it resembled the Penny Black, except for the letters V
R in the upper corners.
[18] R.M.S. Rangoon was wrecked upon leaving Galle Harbor 1 November 1871. The Mercury, Hobart, Tasmania, 28 Nov 1871, p.3.
 [19] Linns.com Refresher Course (http://www.linns.com/howto/refresher/provisional_20040621/refreshercourse.asp)
[20] Heinrich von Angeli, Queen Victoria, (1885) (http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/eGallery/object.asp?
category=AAPICTURES& object=403405&row=775)
[21] Mohini Lal Mazumdar, Early History and Growth of Postal System in India, Calcutta, Phila Publications, (1995) p. 358.
[22] Gerald Davis and Denys Martin, Burma Postal History, including the 1987 Supplement, Robson Lowe, Ltd., Woods of
Perth, Scotland. (1971), pp. 184–94.
[23] India Security Press
[24] Ashok Kumar Bayanwala, "Archaeological Series – 15th August 1949" (http://www.webcitation.org/query?
url=http://www.geocities. com/indianphilately/chapter22.htm&date=2009-10-26+00:25:46)
[25] http://www.indiapost.gov.in/Report/Annual_Report_2011-2012.pdf
[26] UNIQ-nowiki-0-e8c1b49aad11f966-QINU
[27] http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-post-launches-epost-office/145456-11.html
[28] Saksena, Vishnu S., Notes for the Indian Stamp Collector, Army Postal Service Historic & Philatelic Society. Pratibha Printing
Press, New Delhi (1989), Frontispiece
[29] Dayal, Ravi (2009) Newly Renovated Postal Museum in Jan–Mar 2009 issue of Philapost, quarterly philatelic journal of the
Indian Postal
Service.
[30] http://rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com/2011/02/indipex-2011-updates_12.html "INDIPEX 2011 – News and Pics",
Rainbow Stamp Club

Sources
• Crofton, C.S.F. & Wilmot Corfield The Adhesive Fiscal and Telegraph Stamps of British India .
Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co., 1905.
• Crofton, C.S.F. & L.L.R. Hausburg & C. Stewart-Wilson. The Postage and Telegraph Stamps of
British India. London: Stanley Gibbons for the Philatelic Society of India, 1907.
• Datta, Jayanta; Datta, Anjali; Datta, Jayoti & Datta, Ananya. (2008). Rare stamps of the world. Army
Philatelic Society, Mumbai.
• Dawson, L. E. (1948) The One Anna and Two Annas Postage Stamps of India, 1854–55. Philatelic
Society of India, H. Garratt-Adams & Co. and Stanley Gibbons, Ltd., London
• Haverbeck, H.D.S. (1985). "The Sind District Dawk," The Collectors Club Philatelist v. 44 no. 2
(March 1965) pp. 79–85.
• Lowe, Robson. Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps v.III (1951), pp. 131–6. "The Sind
District
Dawk," pp. 149–152.
• Martin, D. R. and Smythies, E. A.. (1930). The Four Annas Lithographed Stamps of India, 1854–55.
Philatelic Society of India and Stanley Gibbons Ltd., London.
• Martin, Denys R. and Smythies, E. A. (1928). Half Anna Lithographed Stamps of India
• Mazumdar, Mohini Lal (1995) Early History and Growth of Postal System in India . Calcutta,
RDDHI-India. ISBN 81-85292-07-8 [The postal history through 1858]
• Mazumdar, Mohini Lal (1990) The Imperial Post Offices of British India. Calcutta, Phila Publications.
• Saksena, Vishnu S. (1989) Notes for the Indian Stamp Collector. Army Postal Service Historic &
Philatelic Society. Pratibha Printing Press, New Delhi.
• Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986. ISBN 0-356-10862-7
• Stanley Gibbons Ltd: various catalogues.
• Stewart-Wilson, Sir Charles. (1904). British Indian Adhesive Stamps (Queen's Head) Surcharged
for Native States, rev. ed. with B.G. Jones.
External links
• Ashok K. Bayanwala, "Survey of Post Independence Indian Postal History"
(http://modernindianphilately. blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html)
• Welcome to the World of Indian Philately (http://www.indianphilately.net)
• Stampsathi.in Complete listing of India stamps (http://www.stampsathi.in)
• Gallery of Indian Stamps (http://www.indiapicks.com/stamps/Gallery/H/G1947.htm)
• Gallery of Indian Postage Stamps (http://indianpostagestamps.com)
• Modern Indian States postage stamp forgeries: an illustrated checklist by David Heppell.
(http://www. princelystates.com/CurrentIssue/ff-04-01a.shtml)
• Early India Cancellations, 1873–1884 : Jal Cooper Types 32 – 35 (http://www.surinder-singh.com/
cancellations-philately.php)
• Sikh Thematic Philately : Indian & Worldwide Stamps on Sikhs (http://www.singhsahib.com/sikh-
stamps/)
Article Sources and Contributors
Postage stamps and postal history of India Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=572586154 Contributors: 5464536, Ahoerstemeier, Akerans,
Ambuj.Saxena, AndrewHowse, Aranea Mortem, Arnaud Renan, AshLin, Ashwinkandoi, Auntof6, Baiji, Ben Ben, Bhadani, BlackJack, BrightStarSky,
Carcharoth, Chapparkinati, Chintancse, Chowbok, Christoph Braun, Ckatz, Danbarnesdavies, Dartster57, Deeptrivia, Dewritech, DigiBullet, DuncanHill,
DynamoDegsy, EagleFan, Ecphora, Ekabhishek, Fconaway, GoingBatty, Half Life, Hmains, Ichatt4957, Khukri, Lotje, Mcoupal, MeltBanana, Michael
Romanov, Miljoshi, Minesweeper, Nv8200p, Ohconfucius, Pahari Sahib, Paxse, Pearle, Philafrenzy, Postmasterjalandhar, Pranab saikia2010, Prashant61,
Premkudva, Radagast83, Rama's Arrow, Redtigerxyz, Rjwilmsi, Roland zh, Rueben lys, Rzafar, Samarkhand, SangeetaD, Sarvagyana guru, SchuminWeb,
Sebjarod, Shyamsunder, Siddhant, SimonArlott, SlackerMom, Stan Shebs, Sverdrup, Tassedethe, Thuresson, Tibetan Prayer, Tim Ross, Titodutta, Varanya
Prakash, Warhorus, Woohookitty, Ww2censor, 37 anonymous edits

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