No. Y-28/5/2025-PE-II
Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Posts
(Establishment Division)
Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg
New Delhi-110001
Dated: 23.10. 2026
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Revision of Duties and Responsibilities of Secretary (Posts) and Director General (Postal Services) and rationalisation of reporting architecture — reg.
The Department of Posts has a wide-ranging mandate encompassing postal services, mail and parcel operations, financial inclusion, postal banking, insurance, citizen-centric services and delivery of Government programmes. The expansion of e-commerce and parcel services, digital products, financial inclusion initiatives, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), APT 2.0 and digitisation of processes have further diversified the Department’s operational responsibilities.
2. In view of these developments, there is a need to ensure clearer functional demarcation between policy formulation and operational execution, along with rationalisation of the existing governance and reporting arrangements. The proposed arrangement is intended to minimise overlapping supervision, establish clear reporting channels and accountability, reduce unnecessary hierarchical layers and facilitate timely decision-making at the appropriate level.
3. Accordingly, in supersession of this Department’s Office Memorandum of even number dated 27.03.2026 regarding the duties and responsibilities of Secretary (Posts), Chairperson, Postal Services Board, and Director General (Postal Services), the revised functional demarcation and reporting arrangements, as detailed in the Annexure to this Office Memorandum, are hereby notified. The principal elements of the revised arrangement are as follows:
a) Secretary (Posts) shall primarily deal with policy, sovereign, legislative, regulatory, financial-governance, strategic, parliamentary, cadre-related and inter-Ministerial matters. DG (Postal Services) shall primarily deal with operational, executive, business, service-delivery and implementation matters, subject to statutory provisions, delegated powers and specific assignments made by the Competent Authority.
b) Where a proposal involves both policy/strategic and operational/implementation aspects, the policy/strategic component shall be submitted to Secretary (Posts), while the implementation/execution component shall be dealt with by DG (Postal Services), within the approved policy framework and delegated powers.
4. The proposed functional demarcation is also consistent with the framework of the Post Office Act, 2023, which distinguishes between the functions of the Central Government under Sections 3(1), 4(1), 5(1), 6, 9 and 12, and the operational functions and powers of the Director General under Sections 3(2), 4(2), 11 and 13, subject to applicable statutory provisions and prescribed approvals. The revised governance and reporting arrangements seek to align the Department’s internal administrative structure with this distinction between policy, sovereign and regulatory functions and operational, executive and implementation responsibilities.
5. Decision-making principle
5.1 To ensure clarity in the allocation of responsibilities and avoid ambiguity in decision-making, the following broad principle shall guide the handling of matters:
“Policy, sovereign, legislative, regulatory, financial-governance, network-management, parliamentary and cadre-related matters shall ordinarily be dealt with under Secretary (Posts), whereas operational, executive, business, service-delivery and implementation matters shall ordinarily be dealt with under DG (Postal Services).”
5.2 In cases involving both policy and operational components, the policy/strategic component shall be submitted to Secretary (Posts), while the implementation/execution component shall be dealt with by DG (Postal Services), within the approved policy framework and delegated powers.
5.3 This arrangement is intended to ensure that routine operational matters are dealt with at the appropriate executive level without unnecessary reference through the Secretariat hierarchy, thereby reducing administrative congestion and facilitating timely decisions.
6. Administrative advantages
The revised functional demarcation and reporting arrangements are intended to ensure clear accountability, facilitate timely decision-making, minimise overlapping functions, improve operational efficiency and service delivery, strengthen policy oversight, enhance customer service, promote focused attention to business development and technology implementation, and reduce unnecessary hierarchical layers, thereby improving overall administrative efficiency, while ensuring compliance with applicable statutory provisions, Government policies and directions of the Competent Authority.
7. All concerned Divisions, Directorates, Members of the Postal Services Board and officers shall adhere to the revised functional allocation and reporting arrangements specified in the Annexure, subject to applicable statutory provisions and specific orders of the Competent Authority.
8. This Office Memorandum shall come into force with immediate effect.
9. This issue with the approval of the Hon’ble Minister of Communications & DoNER.
Annexure: Revised functional demarcation and reporting architecture.
Sd/-
(Dushyant Mudgal)
Deputy Director General (Establishment)
