Indian Postal Service - Salary, Service Ranks, Functions and Career Prospects

Indian Postal Service (IPoS)

Indian Postal Service officers, like the other Indian Civil Services officers, are considered to be the highest grade officers in the hierarchy of the post office in India.

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An IPoS Officer stands responsible for running the largest postal network, India Post. They perform various administrative functions at hierarchical levels of service. A candidate clearing the UPSC exam with IPoS as a preference is appointed as SSPO or SSRM and reaches the position of Director-General of Post Offices.

Functions of Indian Postal Services

The Indian Postal Services officer is responsible for managing and administering postal services all around India in specific postal hubs. The primary functions of the Indian Postal Services officers are as follows-

• The IPoS is responsible for administrating and managing the divisional postal services.
• They optimize and expand the planning for the divisional postal networks.
• The IPoS manages the material, finances, and technology.
• IPoS functions to administer the post offices and Mails within a division.
• He is responsible for managing the marketing of Postal services and products in India, e.g., Insurance and Banking.
• IPoS handles the Customer relations and Public Grievance Redressal Systems.
• He is responsible for coordinating with government agencies, like District Administration and Police.
• Indian Postal Service stands for the management of personnel.

Indian Postal Service Eligibility Conditions

To become an Indian Postal Service officer, an individual has to appear for the UPSC exam with the Indian Postal Service as the preference. Thus, the eligibility conditions to become an Indian Postal Service is similar to the other posts of the Union Public Service Commission.

Along with clearing the UPSC Exam, a few officers from Group B of the Indian Postal Service are promoted to Group A. The upgradation will happen only if the Group B officer has served in the service for at least 3 years in that position, after a healthy conversation and discussion with the UPSC board.

However, a person with a disability has the following eligibility criteria-

Indian Postal Service Salary and Service Ranks

The Indian Postal Service officers are recruited through the UPSC exam. The selected candidates are posted as the Senior Superintendent of Indian Post Office (SSPO) or Senior Superintendent of Railway Mail Services (SSRM), earning a salary of Rs. 56100. Over time, they are promoted to the Director General of Post Offices through several posts. It is the highest post with a pay level of Rs. 225000.

The ranks and pay levels of the Indian Postal Service are given under the table-

After selecting the candidates for the Post of Senior Superintendent of Indian Post Office (SSPO) or Senior Superintendent of Railway Mail Services (SSRM) in the Indian Postal Service, they undergo two stages of training. These are-

• Stage I- The Foundation course- is conducted at the National Academy of Direct Taxes based, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNA), Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) under the guidance of the Department of Personnel and Training.
• Stage II- Professional training at Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy (RAKNPA) for management and administration of postal services.

Indian Postal Service Career Prospects

An IPoS officer performs various roles. These roles are described below-

• IPoS officers can work in junior roles as an SSPO or SRMS.
• The cadre Officers can be positioned as the Director-General of Posts or as a Postmaster General, the head of post offices.
• He can be posted as Additional Postmaster General, Chief Postmaster, or Chairman of Postal Services Board.
• IPoS, at the senior level, becomes Secretary to the Government of India.