The
Indian Postal Service is one of the Group ‘A’ Civil Services of India. They are
responsible for running ‘India Post’, the largest postal network in the world
which provides services ranging from traditional postal services to banking and
e-commerce services. It also provides non-commercial services such as disbursal
of old-age pensions and MGNREGA wages. The IPoS cadre officers are the higher
grade officers of the post office hierarchy in India. The cadre controlling
authority for this service is the Ministry of Communications, Government of
India. This article will provide information on the Indian Postal Service
grade, pay scale and career growth.
Functions:
1. Monitoring and management
of divisional postal services
2. Overall administration of
Mail and Post offices in a division
3. Optimization and expansion
planning of the postal network inside a division
4. Management of technology,
finances and materials.
5. Marketing of India Post
services and products such as Banking and Insurance
6. Handling Public Grievance
Redressal System and customer relations
7. Coordinating with other
government agencies such as Police, District Administration etc.
8. Management of personnel in
the division.
IPoS
officers enjoy the same perks and facilities as other officers from ‘Group A’
Services of the Indian Government; such as government accommodation, concessional
medical facilities etc. They are also eligible for deputation to other services
and can proceed on study leaves funded by the government.
IPoS
is considered to have the best promotional prospects among the Group ‘A’
Services. UPSC candidates can join the service by indicating their preference
for it and securing the requisite rank in the IAS exam.
Training of Probationers:
Indian
Postal Service training is conducted in two stages as listed below:
1. Stage 1: Foundation Course
at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration(LBSNAA), Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy(SVPNA), National Academy of Direct
Taxes based on the recommendations of the Department of Personnel and Training.
2. Stage 2: Professional
training in management and administration of postal services Rafi Ahmed Kidwai
National Postal Academy(RAKNPA).
Career Prospects:
Indian
Postal Service Cadre Officers (IPoS) don different roles, which are given
below.
1. In Junior roles, IPoS cadre
officers may work as Senior Superintendent of Post Offices.
2. The IPoS cadre officers
could also serve as Superintendent of Railway Mail Service.
3. IPoS cadre officers serve
as Director-General of Posts,
4. IPoS cadre officers could
be the head of post offices as Postmaster General.
5. If they are posted in the
field, they would serve in the position of Chief Postmaster and Additional
Postmaster General.
6. IPoS cadre officers could
also serve as Chairman of Postal Services Board.
7. At the senior level, IPoS cadre officers could serve as Secretary to the Government of India.
Grades and Pay Scales:
Recruitment
in Indian Postal Service (IPoS) will be conducted through the UPSC 2019 Civil
Services Examination. The UPSC candidates selected for the IPoS start their
career as SSPO(Senior Superintendent of Post Office) or SSRM (Senior
Superintendent of Railway Mail Services). IPoS officers are also selected
through promotion from ‘Group B’ officers of India Post. They can rise up to
the position of the Director-General of Post Offices.
Below
table gives the rank and pay structure of the Indian Postal Service (IPoS)
|
Rank |
Pay Level |
|
Director-General
of Post Offices |
Rs.225000 |
|
Member
Postal Services Board |
Rs.205400 |
|
Chief
Postmaster General |
Rs.144200 |
|
Postmaster
General |
Rs.131100 |
|
Director
of Postal Services |
Rs.
78800 |
|
Assistant
Director/Assistant Postmaster General |
Rs.
67700 |
|
SSPO/SSRM |
Rs.
56100 |
The
postal services consist of 22 circles for various states and a Base circle for
postal services to the armed forces. Each circle is headed by a Chief
Postmaster General. The officers in the Base circle are considered to be on
Army postal Service Deputation. Circles are divided into regions headed by a
Postmaster General.