Postal Index Number

The PIN system was introduced on 15 August 1972 by Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, an additional secretary in the Government of India's Ministry of Communications.{{cite book|title=India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kj9EAAAAIAAJ|access-date=17 May 2013|year=1974|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India|page=305}}{{cite web|title=Mails section|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-school/it-s-how-india-s-pin-codes-work/story-1yTxGBZFZ64QqlSwZ0ZORL.html|access-date=17 May 2013|publisher=Indian government postal department|archive-date=23 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723133655/https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-school/it-s-how-india-s-pin-codes-work/story-1yTxGBZFZ64QqlSwZ0ZORL.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrint_TOI&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOIPU/2010/08/20&ID=Ar00401|title=Using pincode, maps to trace address|work=timesofindia.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005130055/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToPrint_TOI&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOIPU%2F2010%2F08%2F20&ID=Ar00401|archive-date=2016-10-05}} The system was introduced to simplify the manual sorting and delivery of mail by eliminating confusion over incorrect addresses, similar place names, and different languages used by the public.{{cite web|url=http://www.tamilnadupost.nic.in/hsvc/pincode.htm|title=Tamilnadu Postal Circle – Pincode|work=tamilnadupost.nic.in|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720160939/http://www.tamilnadupost.nic.in/hsvc/pincode.htm|archive-date=2014-07-20}}

File:Example of Indian Postal Index Number.svg in Madhya Pradesh. 4 indicates the West postal zone, 5 indicates a postal sub-zone in Madhya Pradesh, 6 indicates the Ujjain sorting district, 0 indicates the Ujjain core area service route, 01 indicates the Ujjain Head Office as the delivery office.]]

The first digit of a PIN indicates the zone, the second indicates the sub-zone, and the third, combined with the first two, indicates the sorting district within that zone. The final three digits are assigned to individual post offices within the sorting district.

There are nine postal zones in India, including eight regional zones and one functional zone (for the Indian Army). The first digit of a PIN indicates the zone and is allocated over the 9 zones as follows:

File:2 digit postcode india.png

The third digit of a PIN, combined with the first two digits, represents a specific geographical region (except in the case of the functional zone for the Army) called a sorting district that is headquartered at the main post office of the largest city in the region and is known as the sorting office. A state may have one or more sorting districts depending on the volume of mail handled.

The fourth digit represents the route on which a delivery office is located in the sorting district. This is "0" for offices in the core area of the sorting district.

File:Somnathpur pictorial cancellation.JPG

The last two digits represent the delivery office within the sorting district starting from "01" which would be the General Post Office (GPO) or head office (HO). The numbering of the delivery office is done chronologically with higher numbers assigned to newer delivery offices. If the volume of mail handled at a delivery office is too large, a new delivery office is created and the next available PIN is assigned.{{cite web |url=http://www.icar.org.in/files/circulars/new_pin.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-08-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814194346/http://www.icar.org.in/files/circulars/new_pin.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-14 }} Thus, two delivery offices situated next to each other will only have the first four digits in common.

=== Overseas mail ===

Special cases where mail needs to be sent to locations overseas is handled in an ad hoc manner. For example, the PIN of Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri, research stations located in Antarctica, is 403001, which is of the PIN of Panaji, Goa.{{cite web |title=Pin code of Dakshin Gangotri in Antarctica |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/sending-warm-regards-to-antarctica-use-panajis-pin-code/articleshow/105769970.cms |website=Times of India}}

Each PIN is mapped to exactly one delivery post office which receives all the mail to be delivered to one or lower offices within its jurisdiction, all of which share the same code. The delivery office can either be a General Post Office (GPO), a head office (HO), or a sub-office (SO) which are usually located in urban areas. The post from the delivery office is sorted and routed to other delivery offices for a different PIN or to one of the relevant sub-offices or branch offices for the same PIN. Branch offices (BOs) are located in rural areas and have limited postal services.{{cite web |url=http://www.indiapost.gov.in/Pdf/Manuals/PO_Guide_Part-1.pdf |title=Post Office Guide Part I |access-date=2014-08-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530045527/http://www.indiapost.gov.in/Pdf/Manuals/PO_Guide_Part-1.pdf |archive-date=2014-05-30 }}

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• [https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/Pages/findpincode.aspx Find Pincode – India Post]

{{Asia topic|Postal codes in}}

Category:1972 establishments in India

Category:Indian pincodes

Category:Postal system of India

India