World Postal Day is celebrated every year to assess and achieve new targets in the field of postal service. It serves as one of the important ways of communication for the general masses throughout the world, particularly in India. Postal service helps us to deliver necessary informative and emotional exchange of news and views and thus is a part and parcel of our life.
Universal Postal Union(UPU) was established on 9th October, 1874. It became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1947 due to its importance in communications. Universal postal service aims to perfect various postal services. Many countries became its members. The member countries are united in a single postal territory for exchange of mail.
In India also National Postal Day is commemorated on the 9th of October, throughout the country. In 1727, the East India Company established itself in the area of Kolkata. The Postal Act was passed in 1837 by the then Governor General in India. There after the greatest reform was the introduction of letter boxes sited away from the post office. We can send and get money orders, deposit money like we do in a bank. To Commemorate special days, persons or events, postages stamps are released by Communications and Information Ministry
Hence celebration of postal Day is a salute to the persons engaged in postal services.
The World Post Day is renowned to spot anniversary of the institution of the Universal Postal Union. It is the prime forum for the collaboration among the postal services and helps for guarantee of a really worldwide network of the newest services and products.
The chief goal of the union is to retain and skill the structure for open flows of the worldwide mail around world. In several of the worldwide countries and organizations, the ministers or the high ranking officials subject the proclamations or make their speech on achievements or the past of the international or national postal services. The postal services may issue the distinctive postal stamps to venerate the history, achievements or the ideals of national postal service on the World Post Day. All these are cherished by the philatelists and stamp collectors. More to it, unusual education on these topics can be geared up for school children and postal services. Also the employees can accept the extra training or the attention and recognition in media. The UPU in cooperation with the UNESCO for the last 35 years organizes the global competition of letter-writing for the young people. Most of the participating postal services use this singular day to award the prizes to competition winners. World Post Day is not a public holiday therefore public is completely not affected by it.
From prior times, the postal services was in the form of messengers who traveled huge distances on horseback or foot. In the 1600's and 1700's, the huge number of the countries placed up the system of the national postage and also entered in two- sided agreements for swap over of mails among countries. By the end of the year 1800, there was the huge web of the two- sided agreement which made distribution of the global mail less complicated, inefficient and nontransparent.
On October 9, 1874, the delegates of a postal conference signed the Treaty of Berne and established the General Postal Union. With time, the number of members of General Postal Union. Grew exponentially and the name was later rechristened to Universal Postal Union in the year 1878.
The union was admitted as a specialized agency of the United Nations. In November 1969, the 16th Universal Postal Union Congress was held in Tokyo, Japan, in November, 1969. During this conference the delegates voted to declare October 9 each year as World Post Day.
In India, the authorities have decided to observe the National Postal Week from Oct 9 to 15 with the slogan 'Dak Sewa - Jan Sewa' with the message: "On World Post Day, India Post renews its commitment to reach out to everyone, everywhere across the world through inter-connected postal network."
Countries all over the globe chip in the celebrations. The Postal departments of countries commence or endorse new postal products and services on the occasion.
With India Post now rejoicing 150 years of reality, the Department of Posts will have celebrations for the National Postal Week with the World Post Day and then the Business Development Day on October 11. This will be pursued by Philately Day, Savings Bank Day, PLI Day and Mail Day from October 12 to 15.