Friday, October 16, 2026
Joint Lunch Hour Demonstration by Confederation, NCCPA / FCPA and JCPE, Odisha conducted successfully in the premises of the Chief PMG Office, Bhubaneswar on 16 October 2026 demanding immediate declaration of due installment of DA / DR from July 2026 and PLB for 2025-26.
𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣!
Dear Comrades,
The Joint Lunch Hour Demonstration organised by the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers, NCCPA / FCPA and JCPE, Odisha, was successfully conducted on 16 October 2026 in the premises of the Chief Postmaster General’s Office, Bhubaneswar.
The demonstration witnessed the participation of nearly 50 representatives from the affiliated organisations, united in raising their voices for:
✊ Immediate declaration and payment of the due DA/DR instalment from July 2026.
✊ Immediate declaration of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 2025–26.
I convey my sincere gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all participating organisations, their esteemed leaders, office-bearers and every comrade whose active participation, solidarity and commitment made today's programme a success.
Your presence has once again demonstrated that UNITY IS OUR STRENGTH AND COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE IS OUR WEAPON!
Let us continue to stand together, strengthen our unity and intensify our democratic struggle until our legitimate demands are fulfilled.
LONG LIVE WORKERS’ UNITY!
LONG LIVE EMPLOYEE–PENSIONER SOLIDARITY!
LONG LIVE OUR UNITED STRUGGLE! ✊✊
With revolutionary greetings and sincere thanks to all comrades.
BRUHASPATI SAMAL
General Secretary
Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers
Odisha State Coordination Committee, Bhubaneswar
#DA #DR #PLB #WorkersUnity #PensionersUnity #Confederation #NCCPA #FCPA #JCPE #Odisha
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
India Post in the Digital Age: Preserving Trust, Transforming Future
India Post in the Digital Age: Preserving Trust, Transforming Future
(National Postal Week, 9–15 October 2026 Special)
-Bruhaspati Samal-
For generations, the arrival of the postman has meant much more than the delivery of a letter. It has brought the joy of a family reunion, the reassurance of a money order, the security of a pension and the fulfilment of promises carried across distances. From soldiers guarding our borders to families waiting in remote villages, India Post has remained a trusted companion in the lives of millions. Its familiar red letterboxes, post offices and postmen are woven into India's collective memory. Though digital communication has transformed our world, the human emotions associated with the postal service remain timeless. India Post is not merely a government department; it is an institution built on public trust, social inclusion and national integration.
World Post Day, celebrated on 9 October, commemorates the establishment of the Universal Postal Union on 9 October 1874. India's National Postal Week, observed from 9 to 15 October 2026, provides an opportunity to celebrate this legacy while examining the challenges and opportunities confronting the Department of Posts. This year, the programme encompasses World Post Day on 9 October, Fun with Philately Day on 12 October, Financial Inclusion and CCS Day on 13 October, Mails and Parcels Day on 14 October, and Technology and Innovation Day on 15 October. Together, these observances invite us to reflect on a fundamental question: how can India Post preserve its historic trustworthiness while becoming more efficient, innovative and relevant in an increasingly digital society?
Philately, highlighted on 12 October, is one of the most enduring cultural contributions of India Post. Postage stamps are miniature chronicles of our civilisation, freedom struggle, scientific achievements, literature, art, biodiversity and national heroes. Commemorative stamps preserve history in tangible form, while My Stamp enables personalised stamp sheets featuring approved photographs, institutional logos and images of heritage sites and cultural landmarks. Philatelic Deposit Accounts, stamp catalogues, stamp calendars and online purchasing facilities help collectors access these products. The Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana encourages schoolchildren to develop an interest in stamp collecting through a scholarship-oriented initiative. In an age when digital images can disappear with a click, stamps remain enduring objects of historical memory. India Post should strengthen digital philately, virtual exhibitions and school-level engagement to inspire younger generations and preserve this valuable heritage.
Financial inclusion, the focus of 13 October, represents one of India Post's greatest contributions to social and economic development. With 1,64,999 post offices, including 1,49,385 rural and 15,614 urban offices as of 31 March 2025, India Post possesses one of the world's most extensive postal networks. Its infrastructure includes 810 Head Post Offices, 24,281 Sub Post Offices and 1,39,908 Branch Post Offices. Approximately 90.5 per cent of its offices are located in rural areas. An average post office serves around 8,566 people nationally, with 6,083 people per rural office and 32,314 per urban office. These figures demonstrate the extraordinary reach of a public institution that connects remote communities with essential services. For many rural households, the post office remains a familiar and accessible gateway to savings, insurance and financial security.
Post Office Savings Accounts, Recurring Deposits, Time Deposits, Monthly Income Scheme, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, Public Provident Fund, National Savings Certificates, Kisan Vikas Patra and Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts provide diverse savings opportunities. Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance further extend insurance protection to eligible groups. Indicative interest rates for the current quarter ending December 2026 include 4 per cent per annum for Savings Accounts, 6.7 per cent for five-year Recurring Deposits, 7.4 per cent for Monthly Income Scheme, 8.2 per cent for Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi, 7.1 per cent for PPF and 7.7 per cent for NSC, subject to applicable government notifications and quarterly revisions. These schemes help families plan for education, retirement, marriage and unforeseen needs while promoting a culture of regular saving.
The transition from manual transactions to digital financial services is making this network more accessible. Core Banking Solutions facilitate integrated account operations, while the ePassbook facility enables customers to check balances and access mini-statements online for supported schemes. India Post Payments Bank extends digital banking access, particularly among underserved communities. Nevertheless, digitalisation must not become a barrier for elderly pensioners, persons with disabilities or citizens with limited digital literacy. The right approach is to combine technology with accessible counters, trained employees and reliable personal assistance. Financial inclusion means not merely providing a digital facility, but ensuring that every eligible citizen can actually use it.
Mails and Parcels Day on 14 October reminds us that physical delivery remains essential despite the dominance of electronic communication. Legal documents, examination materials, government correspondence, identity cards, medicines and e-commerce purchases continue to depend on reliable logistics. India Post offers Speed Post, registered and insured articles, business parcels, international mail and other specialised services. During 2024–25, Speed Post handled 62.14 crore articles, generating ₹1,752.54 crore in revenue. During April–December 2025, it handled 51.10 crore articles and generated ₹1,312.74 crore. These nine-month figures should not be compared directly with the preceding full-year totals. The postal network also delivered approximately 1.40 crore Aadhaar PVC cards, 2.61 crore Electoral Photo Identity Cards and 17.45 crore Aadhaar letters during January–December 2025. These figures underscore India Post's continuing role in the last-mile delivery of essential citizen documents.
The growth of e-commerce offers an important opportunity to expand this role. Business Parcel services, international postal products and Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras can connect small manufacturers, artisans, self-help groups and rural entrepreneurs with wider markets. Parcel hubs, dedicated delivery arrangements, real-time tracking and OTP-based delivery are helping modernise operations. Parcel revenue increased from ₹755.47 crore in 2023–24 to ₹802.11 crore in 2025–26 up to February, reflecting the potential of this expanding business. To compete successfully, India Post must improve delivery speed, parcel handling, tracking accuracy, returns management and customer support. Its vast network is a competitive advantage, but that advantage must be matched by consistent service quality and operational efficiency.
Technology and Innovation Day on 15 October celebrates the transformation from handwritten registers, manual sorting and paper-based accounting to digitally integrated postal operations. Advance Postal Technology under the IT Modernization Project 2.0 has been rolled out across approximately 1.64 lakh post offices. The system supports real-time delivery updates, digital acknowledgements and QR-code-based digital payments. Mobile devices used by rural Branch Post Offices enable postal employees to deliver postal, financial, insurance and government services through digital applications. Other initiatives include electronic clearance of 53,567 letterboxes and the registration of around 21,000 personal smartphones under the Bring Your Own Device scheme. Such developments can strengthen transparency, traceability and accountability while reducing avoidable delays. The real measure of technological success, however, is not the number of devices deployed, but whether customers receive faster, safer and more dependable services.
The financial performance of India Post also points to the importance of modernisation. The Department recorded ₹15,373 crore in revenue during 2025–26, reflecting the growing contribution of its diverse services. A major investment in IT modernisation is intended to improve operational integration, digital capabilities and customer experience. This signals a strategic shift from dependence on traditional letter mail towards integrated logistics, digital financial services and customer-oriented operations. Nevertheless, revenue growth must be accompanied by measurable improvements in service quality, operational productivity, grievance redressal and customer satisfaction. A modern postal department must be financially sustainable without abandoning its responsibility to serve remote, disadvantaged and commercially less profitable communities.
No technological transformation can succeed without the postal workforce. Postal assistants, postmen, Gramin Dak Sevaks, sorting personnel, drivers and supervisors convert digital systems into services that citizens actually receive. Their experience, local knowledge and personal relationships with communities remain indispensable. Training, employee welfare, workplace safety and adequate staffing must therefore accompany modernisation. Digital systems should empower postal employees rather than marginalise them. Equally important are cybersecurity, data protection and effective safeguards against financial fraud. Technology must strengthen public trust, not expose citizens to new risks or deepen the divide between digitally confident customers and those who depend on traditional services.
National Postal Week 2026 should therefore be more than a ceremonial celebration. Philately must preserve our collective memory; financial services must strengthen household security; mail and parcel operations must connect people and businesses with opportunities; and technology must make postal services more accessible, transparent and efficient. India Post need not imitate private technology companies to remain relevant. Its distinctive strength lies in combining modern technology with a nationwide network, public-service commitment and the trust accumulated over generations.
The future of India Post will depend on its ability to transform without losing its soul. As the nation celebrates National Postal Week, let us recognise the postal institution not merely as a messenger of letters, but as a carrier of trust, opportunity and national integration. Its mission must remain to reach every citizen, embrace every useful innovation and preserve the human touch that distinguishes public service from mere commercial delivery. In the digital age, India Post must continue connecting India's people, protecting their interests and carrying the aspirations of the nation to every doorstep.
(The author is a Service Union Representative and a Columnist, presently working as the General Secretary, Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers and President, Forum of Civil Pensioners' Association / National Coordination Committee of Pensioners' Association, Odisha State Committee)
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Saturday, October 10, 2026
India Post: From Tradition to Transformation
India Post: From Tradition to Transformation
-Bruhaspati Samal-
There are institutions that merely serve people, and there are institutions that become inseparable from their lives. India Post belongs to the latter. It lives in a mother’s handwritten letter to her distant son, a money order supporting a struggling family, a savings passbook representing years of sacrifice, an insurance policy protecting loved ones, and the familiar footsteps of a postman bringing news, hope and human connection to the doorstep. For generations, India Post has been more than a government department; it has been part of India’s social fabric, connecting villages with cities and citizens with opportunities. But history teaches us that no institution can survive on memories alone. As society changes, institutions must reinvent themselves. That's why, India Post is continuously transforming its methods to preserve its legacy, to remain close to the people and to move forward with the times.
The journey from manual operations to digital technology marks a historic transformation in India Post. Handwritten registers, paper-based booking, manual sorting and physical records once formed the backbone of postal operations. Computerisation, electronic databases, barcode-based identification, digital tracking and integrated applications have progressively modernised these processes. The IT Modernisation Project laid the foundation, while Advanced Postal Technology (APT), or IT 2.0, marked another major milestone. Rolled out across all 23 postal circles by August 2025, the platform covered more than 1.70 lakh post offices, mail offices and administrative units. Its integrated digital workflows support booking, processing and delivery, reducing dependence on fragmented legacy systems. The reported handling of over 32 lakh bookings and 37 lakh deliveries in a single day demonstrates the scale of this transformation. This is not merely a shift from pen to keyboard; it is the evolution of a traditional network into an integrated, technology-driven service organisation.
The greatest challenge lies in competing with private courier companies and modern logistics platforms. E-commerce has transformed customer expectations, making real-time tracking, timely delivery, digital payments and responsive grievance redressal essential. India Post is strengthening its position through electronic booking, OTP-based delivery, parcel tracking, modern processing systems and time-definite Speed Post services. Its vast geographical reach remains a distinctive advantage, particularly in rural and remote areas where private operators may have limited presence. During 2025–26, India Post reportedly recorded total revenue of ₹15,373 crore, while its parcel and logistics segment registered 70% growth. These figures reflect the growing importance of technology-enabled logistics in its business. However, India Post cannot rely on its historic reach alone. Timely delivery, competitive pricing, efficient transportation, modern sorting facilities and excellent customer service must become consistent standards. Its objective should be not merely to survive competition but to establish itself as a dependable, modern logistics provider.
Technology is equally vital to postal savings and insurance, where India Post has earned the confidence of millions. Postal savings schemes, recurring deposits, time deposits, the Public Provident Fund and Sukanya Samriddhi accounts have helped ordinary households build financial security. Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) have extended insurance protection to diverse sections of society. Today, however, commercial banks, private insurers and digital financial platforms compete through instant transactions, mobile applications and personalised services. India Post must therefore simplify procedures, improve digital access and deliver faster, more convenient services. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) demonstrates how the traditional postal network can combine digital banking with doorstep service. Biometric authentication, digital transactions and Direct Benefit Transfer have strengthened financial inclusion, especially in underserved communities. Approximately ₹45,000 crore is reportedly distributed annually through DBT via IPPB. India Post’s unique strength is its ability to combine modern financial technology with a trusted human presence in communities where banking facilities remain difficult to access.
The transformation extends beyond mail and money. DIGIPIN, a digital addressing system, has the potential to improve location identification and delivery accuracy, especially where conventional addresses are incomplete. Electronic tracking, digital payments and mobile-based operational tools can make services more transparent and accountable. With approximately 2.5 lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks, India Post possesses an extraordinary network for connecting rural households, farmers, small businesses and remote communities with digital commerce and essential services. Nevertheless, technological progress must not deepen the digital divide. Elderly people, pensioners, persons with disabilities and citizens unfamiliar with smartphones must continue to receive accessible, assisted services. Cybersecurity, data privacy, reliable connectivity and prompt resolution of technical failures are indispensable. Equally important is the postal workforce. Employees and Gramin Dak Sevaks need adequate training, equipment, staffing and support to operate new systems effectively. Technology can improve efficiency, but committed workers turn digital capability into meaningful public service.
National Postal Week, observed from 9 to 15 October, is an opportunity to celebrate this evolution and consider the road ahead. India Post must move beyond its traditional identity as a letter-delivery and savings institution and emerge as an integrated network for logistics, e-commerce, digital banking and citizen services. Its achievements should be measured not only by revenue, transaction volumes or technological installations, but also by delivery reliability, affordability, customer satisfaction and equitable access. Modernisation must strengthen its public-service character while enabling it to compete effectively with private enterprises. The real objective is to combine the efficiency of a digital organisation with the accessibility and trustworthiness of a public institution.
India Post must never allow its glorious past to become a substitute for a competitive future. It must challenge private couriers through speed and reliability, banks through digital convenience, and private insurers through responsive service. Its greatest asset, however, remains the trust of generations and its presence in the everyday lives of the people. The postman may now carry a smartphone instead of relying solely on paper records, and a parcel may be tracked digitally rather than through handwritten registers, but the fundamental promise remains unchanged: to connect, to serve and to earn public confidence. India Post will remain relevant not merely because it has survived for centuries, but because it continues to change with the times, compete with the best, reach the last mile and stand beside the common citizen. Technology may transform its methods, but public service must remain its soul.
(The author is a Service Union Representative and a Columnist, presently working as the General Secretary, Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers and President, Forum of Civil Pensioners' Association / National Coordination Committee of Pensioners' Association, Odisha State Committee)
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Friday, October 9, 2026
Working Hours Equity
Working Hours Equity
- Bruhaspati Samal -
For decades, a curious contradiction has remained embedded in the working structure of the Central Government: employees belonging to the same broad public-service system are governed by different weekly working regimes merely because one category is described as “administrative” and another as “operative”. Administrative offices of the Government of India generally observe a five-day week, while large sections of operative establishments, including the Postal Department, continue to function on a six-day basis. The issue is therefore much larger than the question of whether Saturday should be declared a holiday. It is about equality of status, equitable distribution of working time and the dignity of labour. If five-day working is considered appropriate for efficient public administration, the rationale for denying the same principle to another category of employees performing essential public services requires serious examination.
The figures placed by the National Federation of Postal Employees provide a striking illustration. For Postal Operative Staff, the calculation is: 17 closed holidays + 10 days of Casual Leave and Restricted Holidays + 0 closed Saturdays + 52 Sundays/weekly offs = 79 days; consequently, out of 365 days, the operative employee has 286 working days. At eight hours a day, this amounts to 286 × 8 = 2,288 working hours in a year. For administrative staff, the corresponding calculation is: 17 closed holidays + 10 days of Casual Leave and Restricted Holidays + 52 closed Saturdays + 52 Sundays/weekly offs = 131 days, leaving 234 working days. At 8½ hours a day, the annual working time becomes 234 × 8½ = 1,989 hours. Thus, on this calculation, the Postal Operative employee works 2,288 − 1,989 = 299 additional hours in a year—equivalent to nearly 37.4 additional eight-hour working days.
The immediate question, therefore, is not whether postal work is operational. Obviously it is. India Post provides counter services, mail and parcel processing, delivery, financial and other public-facing services that cannot simply disappear on weekends. But operational character by itself cannot become a permanent justification for an unequal annual working burden. If an establishment genuinely requires a service to remain open six days a week, there are modern alternatives—rotation, staggered duties, shift systems, rational deployment and compensatory arrangements—through which the institution can remain operational without requiring every employee in the category to bear a structurally higher annual workload. What needs examination is whether the six-day regime remains an operational necessity for individual employees or merely an inherited administrative practice.
The argument becomes even more compelling when comparable public-service institutions are examined. Banks are themselves highly operational establishments, with customer-facing counters, cash transactions, financial services and public dealing. Yet public-sector bank employees have been enjoying holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays, while the remaining Saturdays are still working days. Significantly, the demand for a complete five-day banking week remains a live issue. The Government itself acknowledged that the second and fourth Saturdays were declared holidays in 2015, while the remaining Saturdays continue to provide access to customers. As of 28 September 2026, the proposed three-day bank strike over the five-day-week demand has been deferred after the Indian Banks’ Association and United Forum of Bank Unions agreed to establish a high-level committee to examine declaring the remaining Saturdays as holidays and explore alternatives acceptable to stakeholders, including customers.
This development actually strengthens rather than weakens the case for a broader review. The argument advanced for a five-day week in banking generally rests on considerations such as changing customer behaviour, digital banking, productivity, technological transformation, employee welfare and rationalisation of working time. These are legitimate considerations. But if those considerations justify reducing the weekly working burden in one category of public-oriented financial service, the same principles deserve examination elsewhere. A principle cannot be logically valid for one operational establishment and inherently invalid for another without an objective reason. So the question for policymakers is why employees of comparable public-service status should bear substantially different individual working burdens without a transparent, evidence-based justification.
The constitutional principle involved is equally important. Article 14 guarantees equality before law and equal protection of the laws, while Article 16 embodies equality of opportunity in public employment. These provisions do not mean that every employee must necessarily have identical working arrangements irrespective of the nature of duties. Reasonable classification is constitutionally permissible. But classification must have a rational basis connected with the objective sought to be achieved. Therefore, the distinction between administrative and operative staff cannot be allowed to become an unquestioned formula whereby one category automatically receives 52 additional weekly holidays while another continues to work those days year after year.
The matter also deserves to be viewed from the perspective of productivity and human dignity. Working time is a component of the real cost of employment. An additional 299 hours a year is not merely a statistical figure. It represents hundreds of hours that could otherwise be devoted to family, social responsibilities, education, rest, health and personal life. In an era when governments and employers increasingly speak about productivity, work-life balance, mental well-being, technology-enabled administration and efficiency, it is difficult to justify a system in which technological and organisational advancement coexist with a decades-old disparity in weekly working arrangements. In this context, the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, Odisha State Coordination Committee, has raised this issue before the Eighth CPC during its visit to Bhubaneswar in August 2026 with request to examine the annual working hours of administrative and operative employees, the operational justification for Saturday attendance, staffing patterns, productivity, shift and rotational possibilities, compensatory arrangements and the practices followed by comparable public-sector and government institutions as a comprehensive Working Hours Equity Review.
Therefore, either five days or six days may be adopted according to genuine operational requirements, but the principle must be applied fairly. If five-day working is considered efficient, productive and compatible with public service in administrative offices, banks, LIC and other organisations, the same rationale should be examined for Central Government operative establishments. If six-day functioning is genuinely indispensable in a particular service, employees should not be individually burdened merely because the establishment is operational. The annual burden needs to be fairly shared. What cannot be defended indefinitely is a system in which employees of the same public-service framework, with comparable employment status and responsibilities, are subjected to substantially unequal working time simply because of an administrative classification. The time has come to replace the five-day-versus-six-day argument with a more fundamental principle: equal work deserves equal status, and equal status demands an equitable distribution of working hours.
(The writer is a Service Union Representative and a Columnist.)
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𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 & 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔! - 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬!
📮🌍 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 & 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔! 🌍📮
❤️✉️ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬! ✉️❤️
Dear Comrades,
On this special occasion of 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲, 𝟗 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, and the celebration of 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟗–𝟏𝟓 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, I extend my heartfelt greetings, warmest wishes and deepest respect to all postal employees, workers, trade union comrades, management, business partners, customers and stakeholders across the world, particularly the proud family of 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭. 🇮🇳💌
📯 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐬; 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. ❤️
Behind every letter delivered, every parcel transported, every pension disbursed, every savings account served and every village connected, there stands a dedicated postal worker—often working under challenging conditions, walking extra miles and sacrificing personal comfort to fulfil a public responsibility. 🚶♂️📬📦
From the familiar sound of a bicycle bell to the modern rhythm of digital communication, from handwritten letters carrying the fragrance of love to parcels bringing smiles to distant families, the postal service has remained a timeless bridge between people, generations and nations. 💌👨👩👧👦🌏
As a 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭, I carry cherished memories of service, camaraderie, struggles and solidarity. The post office is not simply a workplace one leaves behind after retirement; it becomes a part of one's identity, a lifelong bond and an enduring source of pride. The friendships forged in service and the affection earned from the people remain treasures that time can never erase. ❤️🙏
✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 “𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬” reminds us that a united postal network can open countless opportunities for communication, financial inclusion, e-commerce, innovation and social development. In an increasingly digital world, the postal system must continue to evolve while preserving its greatest strength—𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧. 🌐🚀
📅 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐦:
🌍 𝟗 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 — 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲
📮 𝟏𝟐 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 — 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲
🏦 𝟏𝟑 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 — 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐂𝐂𝐒 𝐃𝐚𝐲
📦 𝟏𝟒 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 — 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 & 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲
💡 𝟏𝟓 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 — 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 & 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲
These celebrations are not merely ceremonial occasions; they are an opportunity to recognise the contribution of the entire postal fraternity, honour its glorious legacy and strengthen our collective commitment to a more inclusive, efficient, innovative and people-centred postal service.
✊ 𝐀 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫—from the postman delivering letters in scorching heat and pouring rain to the Gramin Dak Sevak serving remote villages, from the sorting assistant and mail guard to the driver, postal assistant, postmaster, administrative staff and every other member of this vast network. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. You are the living strength of the postal institution. 🌹👏
Let us also acknowledge the valuable contribution of postal management, customers, business partners and all stakeholders whose cooperation sustains this indispensable public service. May our shared commitment foster mutual respect, stronger teamwork, better working conditions and greater public trust.
🎉 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!
🎊 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!
May the postal network continue to connect the world, unite hearts, empower communities and carry the message of peace, friendship and humanity to every doorstep. May every postal worker enjoy dignity, recognition, safety, prosperity and happiness.
💌 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞.
With immense gratitude, affection and pride for the postal fraternity, I salute every hand that serves, every heart that cares and every footstep that carries the post to the last mile. ❤️📮🌍
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲,
𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐋
A Retired Staff Member of India Post🙏🇮🇳
#WorldPostDay2026 #NationalPostalWeek2026 #OnePostalNetworkInfinitePossibilities #IndiaPost #PostalWorkers #PostalEmployees #GraminDakSevaks #PostalFraternity #ProudToBePostal #PostalSolidarity #ConnectingPeople #ServiceToHumanity #PostConnectsUsAll 📮❤️✊
India’s Unemployment Crisis
India’s Unemployment Crisis
-Bruhaspati Samal-
India’s current employment situation presents a striking paradox. On the one hand, official statistics show a substantial decline in the headline unemployment rate and an increase in labour-market participation. On the other hand, a closer examination of the latest data reveals persistent unemployment among young people, graduates and women, widespread self-employment and informality, and a serious mismatch between education and available jobs. The central question, therefore, is not simply whether unemployment has fallen, but whether India is creating enough productive, adequately paid and secure employment for its growing working-age population.
The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report 2025, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, provides the most authoritative annual picture. It puts the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above at 3.1% in 2025, compared with 3.2% in 2024. Youth unemployment among those aged 15–29 declined from 10.3% to 9.9%, while urban youth unemployment remained considerably higher at 13.6%. These figures indicate genuine improvement in open unemployment. However, they should not be interpreted as proof that India's employment problem has been solved.
The first reason for caution is that unemployment is only one dimension of labour-market distress. A person is counted as employed if he or she has worked under the survey's definition, even when the work is poorly paid, irregular, involuntary or substantially below the person's qualifications. The 2025 PLFS shows that 56.2% of workers remained self-employed, although this share declined from 57.5% in 2024. Regular wage or salaried employment increased from 22.4% to only 23.6%. Thus, while open unemployment is low, a very large proportion of India's workforce remains outside regular salaried employment. This distinction is fundamental: employment is not synonymous with decent employment.
The second and perhaps more disturbing dimension is youth unemployment. The latest PLFS puts youth unemployment at 9.9%, more than three times the overall unemployment rate. Urban youth unemployment is still 13.6%. More significantly, 25% of young people aged 15–29 were estimated to be not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025. Among 15–24-year-olds, the corresponding figure was 21%. These figures suggest that a significant section of India's young population is neither acquiring education nor participating productively in the labour market.
The ILO–Institute for Human Development India Employment Report 2024 provides an even deeper warning. It found that unemployment in India had become increasingly concentrated among young and educated people. In 2022, youth constituted 82.9% of the total unemployed population, while educated youth accounted for 65.7% of all unemployed persons, up from 54.2% in 2000. Among educated unemployed youth, women constituted an especially large share. The report therefore challenges the simplistic assumption that unemployment is primarily a problem of insufficient education. Increasingly, education itself is not guaranteeing access to employment.
The technical and professional education picture is equally revealing. According to the ILO report, in 2022 the unemployment rate among youth with a graduate diploma was 31.1%, while it was 29.4% among those with technical training degrees. This is a profound structural contradiction. India has invested heavily in expanding higher and technical education, yet a significant proportion of educated young people are unable to find suitable work. The problem is therefore not simply a "skills deficit"; it is also a deficit of appropriate jobs.
The latest NITI Aayog report, “Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047,” released in August 2026, reinforces this concern. It cites the Economic Survey 2024–25 to note that only 8.25% of graduates are employed in roles aligned with their qualifications. NITI Aayog further cites PLFS 2023–24 data showing that 13% of graduates and 20.4% of graduate women were unemployed, against a national unemployment rate of 3.2% in that dataset. This is perhaps the clearest evidence of India's qualification–employment mismatch. A country cannot claim to be fully exploiting its demographic dividend when large numbers of educated young people are either unemployed or working in occupations unrelated to their training.
NITI Aayog's more recent 2026 working paper also indicates that graduate employability has improved—from 47.3% in 2019 to 56.4% in 2026—but that general degrees continue to produce weaker employability outcomes than several professional programmes. Improvement is welcome, but the fact that employability remains little above half even after years of skilling initiatives demonstrates that the challenge is much deeper than merely adding more certificates and training programmes.
The gender dimension deserves particular attention. The annual PLFS 2025 shows that urban female unemployment fell from 6.7% to 6.4%, while rural female unemployment was 2.1%. Yet these relatively low unemployment rates coexist with much lower female labour-force participation than male participation and with the much higher unemployment recorded among educated women in NITI Aayog's analysis. The apparent contradiction illustrates an important statistical point: a woman who is not seeking work is not counted as unemployed. Consequently, a low female unemployment rate does not necessarily indicate a healthy female employment situation.
The ILO evidence strengthens this concern. The India Employment Report found that the unemployment problem was particularly concentrated among educated youth and women in urban areas. India's challenge is therefore not merely to bring women into the labour market, but to create employment that is accessible, safe, adequately paid and compatible with social and family responsibilities.
There is also a methodological issue that must be acknowledged. Since January 2025, PLFS has undergone important changes, including a shift from the July–June survey cycle to a January–December cycle, and the methodology itself has been modified. MoSPI explicitly cautions users about comparing the new estimates with earlier PLFS publications. Therefore, political or ideological arguments based on mechanically comparing every unemployment figure across different survey regimes should be avoided. The official PLFS remains the principal source, but its definitions, reference periods and methodological changes must be respected.
At the same time, the CMIE Consumer Pyramids Household Survey provides an independent and more frequent labour-market indicator. CMIE's Economic Outlook reports an unemployment rate of 6.2% for July 2026, considerably above the 3.1% annual PLFS usual-status estimate for 2025. The difference should not automatically be treated as evidence that either institution is wrong. The surveys differ in methodology, reference period and definitions. Rather, the divergence itself demonstrates why India's employment situation should be assessed through multiple indicators rather than a single headline number.
The latest evidence consequently leads to a more nuanced conclusion. India has succeeded in reducing measured open unemployment, but it has not yet resolved the employment crisis. The crisis has increasingly shifted from simply "no work" to what work, for whom, at what wage and with what security. Low unemployment can coexist with precarious self-employment, disguised underemployment, inadequate earnings, qualification mismatch and youth exclusion.
This is particularly important for the idea of India's demographic dividend. A large young population becomes an economic advantage only when young people can obtain productive employment. If educated youth spend years preparing for a small number of government vacancies, migrate in search of insecure work, accept jobs unrelated to their qualifications, or remain outside employment, education and training, the demographic dividend can become a demographic burden.
The policy response must therefore go beyond the traditional prescription of "more skilling". Skills without jobs cannot solve unemployment. India needs a coordinated employment strategy based on labour-intensive manufacturing, construction, modern agriculture and agro-processing, MSMEs, care services, tourism, logistics and other sectors capable of absorbing large numbers of workers. At the same time, apprenticeship opportunities, industrial training and higher education must be aligned much more closely with actual labour-market demand.
Most importantly, the success of employment policy should be measured not merely by the unemployment rate. The government should regularly publish and debate indicators covering youth unemployment, graduate unemployment, NEET population, female labour-force participation, regular salaried employment, real wages, underemployment, job quality, social-security coverage and qualification–occupation mismatch.
The latest evidence therefore does not support either extreme claim—that India is facing an unprecedented unemployment catastrophe or that the employment problem has been solved. The truth is more complex and more consequential. Open unemployment has declined, but the deeper employment crisis remains concentrated among India's youth, educated population and women, while the predominance of self-employment and the limited share of regular salaried work raise serious questions about the quality and security of employment.
For a country aspiring to become Viksit Bharat by 2047, the real benchmark cannot be merely “How many people are technically employed?” It must be: “How many Indians have productive work, decent wages, social security, dignity and a job commensurate with their education and ability?” Until that question is answered satisfactorily, India's unemployment problem cannot be declared over merely because the headline unemployment rate has fallen.
(The author is a Service Union Representative and a Columnist, presently working as the General Secretary, Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers and President, Forum of Civil Pensioners' Association / National Coordination Committee of Pensioners' Association, Odisha State Committee)
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Saturday, October 3, 2026
WFTU International Action Day – 3 October 2026
“United in Action and Struggle, We Demand!”
Bruhaspati Samal
General Secretary
Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers
Odisha State CoC, Bhubaneswar
Every year on 3 October, workers and trade unions across the world observe the International Action Day of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), commemorating the historic founding of the organisation. This year’s Action Day carries a powerful message: “United in action and struggle, we demand!” The WFTU calls for science and technology in the service of humanity and not of monopolies and the oligarchy of wealth; work with rights for the satisfaction of contemporary needs; and an economy for progress and not for war and destruction.
The WFTU was founded in Paris on 3 October 1945, soon after the end of the Second World War. Its founding congress brought together representatives of 67 million workers from 56 national organisations from 55 countries and 20 international organisations. Born in the historic struggle against fascism and war, the WFTU sought to unite workers internationally for peace, social justice, democratic and trade-union rights and a better future for humanity.
For more than eight decades, the WFTU has developed as an international trade-union organisation based on unity, solidarity, independence, collective action and the defence of workers’ rights. Its stated objectives include combating exploitation and oppression, defending full employment and social security, improving working and living conditions, protecting trade-union freedoms, promoting equality and opposing war and aggression.
The theme of 2026 is especially relevant in an age of artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, digitalisation and platform-based employment. Technological progress has enormous potential to improve human life, but the WFTU argues that its benefits should not be concentrated in the hands of a few. Instead, increased productivity should contribute to decent employment, higher wages, shorter working hours, occupational safety, universal healthcare, education and social security. The WFTU is particularly demanding a 35-hour working week and seven-hour working day without reduction of wages.
On this International Action Day, the message to workers everywhere is clear: our greatest strength is our unity and collective organisation. Whether in factories, offices, farms, transport, education, healthcare, postal services, platforms or public institutions, workers share a common interest in dignity, security and justice at work. Divided workers remain vulnerable; organised workers can defend their rights and shape the future.
Let 3 October 2026 become a day of international workers’ solidarity—a day to raise our voices for decent work, social security, peace and human dignity. Let technology serve people, let progress serve society, and let the wealth created by workers contribute to a better life for all.
Long live international workers’ solidarity!
Long live the unity of the working class!
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