PIN Code

What is PIN Code?

Before the landlines, mobile phones, and smartphones came into existence, did you ever write a letter, and it came back to you because the PIN code was missing in the address?

To date, when you try to apply for a PAN card, Aadhaar card, passport, Driving licence, or voter's card, while mentioning your address, you need to mandatorily fill up the box for PIN code. Did you ever wonder how PIN codes came into existence?

The full form of PIN is Postal Index Number and it was introduced by Indian Postal Services on August 15, 1972. It is a six-digit number assigned to a particular geographical location and post office. Multiple post offices can also be associated with a PIN code.

The first digit of the PIN Code is specific to a geographic zone in India. For example, PIN codes in West Bengal start with 7. PIN codes in Odisha too start with 7. Further, PIN codes of Assam too start with 7 as well. This clearly proves that 7 is assigned to the eastern states in India.

The second digit of the PIN code represents the state or the area of delivery. The third digit represents the district. Going by the above example, the PIN code of Goalpara district of Assam starts with 78; of Kolkata, West Bengal starts with 70; of Dhenkanal district of Odisha starts with 75.

The last three digits are meant for the exact area and are assigned to the local post office. The fourth digit is meant for the delivery route. The last two digits are designated to the delivery office which is located within the sorting district.

The PIN system was introduced by the Union Ministry of Communications on Independence Day in 1972 to eliminate any kind of confusion that may arise while delivering letters due to incorrect addresses.

Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, who was an additional secretary in the ministry, inaugurated the nationwide PIN system.

The PIN system was introduced also to eliminate confusion created by similar names. For example, there is Aurangabad in Maharashtra and there is a district with the same name in Bihar.

Chamba is a small town in Himachal Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand. Both are located in the Northern part of India and can easily create confusion if the state is not mentioned on the postcard or inland letter. 

Postal Zones in India

There are nine postal zones in India which are listed below.

Sorting Districts

The third digit of a PIN along with the first two digits indicate the sorting district. The sorting district has a headquarters associated with the main post office of the largest city in the region where the sorting district is located.

This main post office will be the sorting office of that sorting district. There might be multiple sorting districts in a state. Let's have a look at the division of sorting districts in India.

Allied Postal Services

The services that are not associated with delivering letters and parcels are known as allied facilities for post offices. The Indian postal system provides multiple allied services to Indian citizens. Let's have a detailed look at them:

• Passport Service: Post offices in India accept applications for a new passport and for passport renewal. It is very useful for cities and towns which are not metro cities. It is powered by the Ministry of External Affairs. Even the delivery of passports is done by the Indian postal service.
  
  
• Media post: This is a special service provided to corporates and business houses to advertise their products and services in different cities and towns. The companies can use aerogrammes and pamphlets through letters to advertise their merchandise.
  
  
• Direct Post: If a company wants to advertise without having the addresses of the recipients, they can do so through this service. Though, in today’s world of digital intervention, very few companies use this service.
  
  However, about twenty years back, it was very relevant. The businesses could send brochures, CDs, floppy disks, and pamphlets through this service. They used to conduct quizzes and the winner used to get prizes too.
  
  Questionnaires were sent to the recipients and they needed to fill and send them back to the company. Normally the postage was paid by the company as it was a promotional activity.
  
  
• Speed Post: This service is very relevant to date. Citizens can send their important documents to the recipients at an extra cost. Typically, the envelope which is sent through speed post reaches the recipient within 24–48 hours.
  
  The prices are much lower than the private courier companies like DTDC and DHL and the service is very safe and secure. 

How is the PIN Code decided?

As mentioned above, the PIN code is decided based on the nine postal zones. The first digit of the PIN code is dedicated to the postal zone. The second code is meant for the sub-zone, and the third digit combined with the first two digits denotes the sorting district.

The fourth digit is meant for the route which the letter will take, and the last two digits are meant for the exact post office where the letter will reach.

After the letter reaches that post office, the postmen on duty sort it out as per the route and area and each employee is given the responsibility of distributing the letters by going to the homes of residents.

Almost two decades back, when the mobile connectivity revolution had not flooded the cities and towns of India, letters were the cheapest and easiest mode of communication.

The landline rates were quite high for long-distance calls and the people had to wait for the clock to strike 11 for the rates to go down to one-fourth of the daytime rate.

Even businesses depended a lot on the Indian postal system to send invoices to their suppliers and letters for collecting payments. Cheques were sent through registered post as emails and internet banking were not popular then.

Very few businesses owned a computer with an internet connection. Banks had not launched internet banking services in the last decade of the twentieth century.

Frequently Asked Question

Q1. How do I find my PIN code?

To find your PIN code, you can go to the website maintained by India Post and click on ‘Find PIN code’ on the homepage. There are also a lot of private portals, like magicbricks, mapsofindia, etc., which will help you find the PIN code of your location.

You will have to enter the state, city, and area information for the search engine to search the database to find the right information.

Q2. Why is the PIN code used?

PIN codes are used for the easy pinpointing of the location and exact area of the recipient. The country was divided into sorting districts and the routes were chalked out. It is mandatory for the sender to include the PIN code while sending the postcard or envelope to the recipient.

PIN codes are used by the Government to determine other important factors too. For example, during the elections, the poll percentage and the number of voters who cast their votes in an area is counted based on PIN codes.

During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, PIN codes played a huge role in determining the vaccination numbers in various areas.

Q3. How many PIN codes are there in India?

There are a total of 19,101 PIN codes, which cover 154,725 post offices in India.

The starting number 9 is kept for the Army as Indian Postal Service is their lifeline. The jawans taking care of the security of the nation in the borders and other remote areas do not always have access to mobile networks and internet connectivity.

Only the Indian Postal system keeps them connected with their loved ones.

Note: The client did not ask to include pictures, however, I decided to do the same to add some colour to the article. All the pictures are taken from free to use sources.