India's first 3D printed post office building inaugurated in Bengaluru

Union Minister of Railways, Communications and IT Ashwini Vaishnav inaugurated India's first 3D printed post office building in Bengaluru on 18 August 2023.

The recently built Bengaluru Post Office utilised 3D printing technology in collaboration with expertise from IIT Madras and L&T.

• 3D printed concrete buildings are cost-effective, reduce construction material waste, are environmentally friendly and speed up construction with unique design possibilities.

Post Office Service in India:

• The post office in India was started in 1774 by Warren Hastings with the foundation of the Calcutta GPO under the postmaster general.

• Along with this, General Post Offices were also opened in the other two presidencies, Madras and Bombay, in 1786 and 1793.

• But for a uniform communication system, the three presidencies were united by the All India Postal Service Act of 1837.

• On October 1, 1854, a radical change was made in the postal system again through the Post Office Act. The present postal system was started on October 1, 1854.

• Presently the Indian Post Office Act 1898 is governing the postal services in the country.

• At present there is a vast network of 156,721 post offices in the country. Out of this, more than three-fourth post offices are established in rural areas.

Beginning of 'E-Post':

• Using information technology, the Indian Postal Department has started a state-of-the-art postal service in the year 2001, which has been named 'e-post'. Under this, the messages sent are delivered to the concerned person by the postal department within a few hours.

• The Indian Postal Department is a member of the Universal Postal Union since 1976 and of the Asia Pacific Postal Union since 1964.