An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to Post Office in India and
to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-fourth Year of the Republic of India as
follows:–

1. (1) This Act may be called the Post Office Act, 2023.
   (2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification
   in the Official Gazette, appoint.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
   (a) “Director General” means the Director General of Postal Services appointed
   by the Central Government and includes any officer authorised by the Central
   Government to perform the duties of the Director General

(b) “item” means an indivisible article which the Post Office accepts for providing
a service;
(c) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(d) “Post Office” means the Department of Posts and includes every house,
building, room, place or any other asset used by the Post Office for providing any
service;
(e) “prescribe” means prescribe by rules made under this Act and the expression
“prescribed” shall be construed accordingly;
(f) “regulations” means the regulations made under this Act.

3. (1) The Post Office shall provide such services as the Central Government may
   prescribe.
   (2) The Director General may make regulations—
   (a) in respect of activities necessary to provide services referred to in
   sub-section (1); and
   (b) to fix charges for, and the terms and conditions in respect of, services
   referred to in sub-section (1).
   (3) Any service provided by the Post Office shall be subject to any other law for the
   time being in force
4. (1) The Post Office shall have the exclusive privilege of issuing postage stamps.
   (2) The Director General may make regulations relating to the supply and sale of
   postage stamps and postal stationery.
   (3) In this section, the expressions—
   (a) “postage stamp” means any stamp provided by the Central Government, in
   any form, physical or digital, for denoting sums payable in respect of such service
   provided by the Post Office, as may be prescribed and includes stamps affixed, printed,
   embossed, embedded, impressed, or otherwise indicated on an item;
   (b) “postal stationery” means stationery, issued by the Post Office such as
   envelopes, letter cards, postcards, bearing imprinted stamps or inscriptions indicating
   that sum payable in respect of a service provided by the Post Office has been prepaid
5. (1) The Central Government may prescribe standards for addressing on the items,
   address identifiers and usage of postcodes.
   (2) In this section, “postcode” means a series of digits, letters or digital code or a
   combination of digits, letters or digital code used to identify a geographic area or location,
   and ease the process of sorting and delivery of items and for other purposes.
6. The Central Government may make rules to give effect to arrangements made with
   any foreign country or territory for services provided by the Post Office between India and
   the said foreign country or territory.
7. (1) Every person who avails a service provided by the Post Office shall be liable to
   pay the charges in respect of such service.
   (2) If any person refuses or neglects to pay the charges referred to in sub-section (1),
   such amount shall be recoverable as if it were an arrear of land revenue due from him.
8. The Central Government may prescribe the conditions for denoting the official
   marks on items to be used as prima facie evidence of the facts so denoted.
9. (1) The Central Government may, by notification, empower any officer to cause any
   item in course of transmission by the Post Office to be intercepted, opened or detained in
   the interest of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order,
   emergency, or public safety or upon the occurrence of any contravention of any of the
   provisions of this Act or any other law for the time being in force.
   (2) The Central Government may cause any item referred to in sub-section (1) to be
   disposed of in such manner as it deems appropriate.
   (3) The Central Government may, by notification, empower any officer of the Post
   Office to deliver an item, received from within or beyond the limits of India and reckoned to
   contain anything liable to duty or which is suspected to contain any prohibited item to such
   customs authority or any other authority as may be specified in the said notification, and
   such customs authority or any other authority shall deal with such item in accordance with
   the provisions of any law for the time being in force
10. (1) Notwithstanding anything in any other law for the time being in force, the Post
    Office shall not incur any liability except such liability as may be prescribed with regard to
    a service provided by the Post Office.
    (2) No officer of the Post Office shall incur any liability with regard to a service
    provided by the Post Office, unless the officer has acted fraudulently or wilfully caused
    loss, delay or mis-delivery of service.
11. The Central Government may, by notification, authorise, either absolutely or subject
    to conditions, the Director General to exercise any of the powers conferred upon the Central
    Government by this Act, other than the power to make rules.
12. The Central Government may, by notification, make rules for carrying out the
    purposes of this Act.
13. The Director General may, with the prior approval of the Central Government, by
    notification, make regulations for carrying out the provisions of this Act.
14. Every rule or regulation made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after
    it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty
    days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if,
    before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions
    aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or regulation or both
    Houses agree that the rule or regulation should not be made, the rule or regulation shall
    thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so,
    however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity
    of anything previously done under that rule or regulation.
15. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Central
    Government may, by order in the Official Gazette, make such provisions not inconsistent
    with the provisions of this Act as appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the
    difficulty:
    Provided that no order shall be made under this section after the expiry of two years
    from the date of commencement of this Act.
    (2) Every order made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is
    made, before each House of Parliament.
16. (1) The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 is hereby repealed.
    (2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the Act by sub-section (1), all rules,
    notifications and orders, made or purported to have been made under the Indian Post Office
    Act, 1898, shall, in so far as they relate to matters for which provision is made in this Act and
    are not inconsistent therewith, be deemed to have been made under this Act and shall
    continue in force unless and until they are superseded by any rules or notification or order
    made under this Act.