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The Department of India Post is a postal system in India, operated by the government, trading as India Post. Generally called the post office in India, it took shape with the Lord William Bentinck's 1837 act. After that, in 1854, Lord Dalhousie laid the foundation for the modern Indian postal service, when he added the India Post office act 1854, and significantly improved upon Lord William Bentinck's 1837 act. He introduced uniform postage rates (universal service). Today, with twenty-three postal circles, 155,015 post offices, and 433,417 (March 2017), it is the most widely distributed postal network in the world.
The post office provides a variety of services as a subsidiary of the Ministry of Communications. From delivering mail (post), remitting money by money orders, accepting deposits under Small Savings Schemes, and providing life insurance cover under Postal Life Insurance (PLI) is done by the department. Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) and providing retail services like bill collection, sale of forms, etc. also come under the department. The Department of Posts (DoP) also works as an agent for carrying out various Government services for citizens such as old age pension payments and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) wage disbursement, and so on.
In carrying out many of its tasks, the Dop also employs third-party agents, who work independently for the department at varying capacities. The post office agent's job entails assisting the general public in booking letters, selling and collecting Insurance premiums, sales of Postal Bond Fixed Deposits, and so on, i.e., all kinds of monetary deposits, and policies.
Becoming a post office agent sounds like a complicated process, but it is not so hard, once you determine what services you want to provide, and the requirements for that role.
In this article, we're going to discuss the variety agent positions the DoP has, and what you need to do to get hired as an agent of the department. So, without further ado, let's begin.
Different agent types work under the DoP and these positions and look after various tasks. For becoming one of the agents, there are criteria that the applicants have to fulfill, and after that has been taken care of, agents can begin working.
Let's start with the primary agent types.
Standardised Agency System (SAS) first got introduced by the Government in 1960, and the role of the appointed agents is to canvass for sale of specific National saving schemes. A standard agency system agent or SAS agent has responsibilities such as promoting the sales of promoting the sale of KVP/ NSC/ TD/MIS/DSRGE and so on. SAS agents liaison between District Institutional Finance offices, Post Offices, and investors, and provide services to the investors at their doorsteps.
From all the collection made by the agents under all the previously mentioned schemes except for DSRGE, they get commission (subject to change by the Government), which they can collect from the respective post office/bank branch.
Agents get commission of their collections, which they can collect from their concerned post office/bank branch.
District Collector (DC) is responsible for appointing SAS Agents. In some of the States, BDOs/Tehsildars also designated as appointing authorities under SAS.
How to become SAS Agent
Following entities are eligible for the SAS.
Eligibility
You have to submit certain documents to the district office, and after consideration, applicants can get access as the agents of the department.
You need to provide the following documents.
Required Documentation
How to Apply
To apply, you have to get the application forms that are available at District Institutional finance office/ OIC in each district of the state. After filling the application form, and gathering all the required documents (mentioned above), you need to submit all this to the district office. The applicants must have adequate education to understand, as well as carry out the technicalities of transactions. They also must possess an extensive network which they may use for their services. Character certificates are needed to prove the integrity of the applicant, and he/she must have some immovable property on their name. Anyone who's a Central and State Government employees is not eligible for appointment.
At the district office, after consideration, District Collector appoints the agents that pass the criteria.
After the appointment, the appointing authority issues a certificate of authorisation for the agent under SAS. The document shows the details of the agent and the validity of the agency.
After this, the agent is qualified for payment of commission on the deposits secured by them in specific National Savings Schemes.
The rates for these schemes is set and notified by the Government. The agents also get a printed receipt book, which agents use while receiving cash/check for deposit. The limit for cash received from one investor at a time is ten thousand rupees for the agent.
Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojna's agency system got introduced by the Government in 1972 for the first time. With its introduction, the goal of the government was as follows.
After the introduction, the agency has as its primary goal, to canvass for and receive investment in National Savings 5 years Recurring Deposit Account.
The goal of a Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojna (M.P.K.B.Y.) agent is the promotion of recurring Deposit (RD) while liaisoning between District Institutional Finance Offices, post offices, and the investors. Recruiting and managing investors is the primary skill of the agents while complying with all the rules and regulations of the governing agencies.
How to become MPKBY Agent
Let's see who is eligible for applying for the position.
Eligibility
Anyone fitting these descriptions can apply for the position. Here is the essential documentation that interested parties need to present when seeking consideration.
Required Documentation
How to Apply
Application forms needed for the position are available with the District Institutional Finance Office/OIC in each district of the State. After procuring the application form and other documentation mentioned above, applicants can submit all this to the district office. District Collector (DC) is responsible for appointing SAS Agents. In some of the States, BDOs/Tehsildars also designated as appointing authorities under SAS.
The applicant must be adequately educated and must possess an extensive network she can leverage. Agents that are authorised by the appointing authorities get issued ASLAAS- 5 cards by the government. The card has all their information, and the validity of the agency, and is the proof of their authorisation.
The agents are eligible for a four percent commission on deposits made for five year RD scheme.
The public provident fund scheme or PPF was introduced by the government in the year 1968, to rationalise small investments by offering reasonable returns. It is a popular scheme amongst investors for its flexible nature, and PPF agents have plenty of people who seek their help regarding their investments.
The role of a Public Provident Fund Agent is to promote the PPF scheme to the best of their ability while acting as a liaison between the post offices, District Institutional Finance Offices, and the investors. PPF agents provide thorough service to the investors and take over all the responsibilities of deposits, and interaction with the post office as well as district institutional finance office for the investors.
Those interested in applying for the position as a PPF agent can find out the commission rates, as well as other benefits from their nearest post offices, SBI branch, or district institutional finance office.
How to become PPF Agent
For people who are interested in pursuing a career as a PPF agent, there is are basic requirements they must fulfill.
Eligibility
Anyone aged seventy five years or higher is not eligible for application.
Anyone applying for the position have to submit a few necessary documents before they get approval as an agent by the appointing authority.
Here are the documents needed for getting consideration as a PPF Agent.
Required Documentation
How to Apply
Interested applicants can procure the application forms with the District Institutional Finance Office/OIC situated in each district of the State. After collecting all the necessary documentation, applicants can submit it to the District Office for consideration.
District Collector (DC) is responsible for appointing SAS Agents. In some of the States, BDOs/Tehsildars also designated as appointing authorities under SAS.
After the applicant becomes the agent of the agency, he/she is gets authorising identification and can begin work at the best of his/her capacity.
There are also other types of Post office agents working at the moment, such as the PLI agents, and so on, which we won't discuss in this article.
Before we conclude the article, however, let's discuss another aspect related to the DoP which you might be interested in; registering as an Outsourcing Agent/Franchise.
Even though India has the most extensive postal network in the world, the demand for services provided by the agency is ever-growing. Keeping the need for more post offices, especially in newly developing urban agglomerations in mind, India Post has introduced the franchise scheme. Through this scheme, the counter services will be offered as a franchise while the delivery and transmission will continue through the department.
Here's what can be offered by the Franchise Outlet.
Registering as an Out Sourcing Agent (OSA)/Franchisee
For starter, you should be registered as an agent or Franchisee with IndiaPost to register yourself in the OSA/Franchisee category on IndiaPost Site. To create your account on the India Post site, here's what you need to do.
Conclusion
DoP India is an extensive network, which is ever-growing and employs a large number of employees as well as freelance agents. The opportunities with the department are many, and as it grows, the opportunities for people trying to become agents with the department also grow.
In the article, we've discussed the requirements one needs to fulfil to become an agent/ franchisee.
By submitting your documentation to the district office for consideration, you can start the process of becoming an agent. The District Collector or other appointing authority will then determine whether you're ideal for the position or not.
Once you're approved, you can begin your work as an agent.
After starting work as an agent, here are a few things you should keep in mind.
We hope this article was helpful in providing you some guidance regarding your queries. To clear your remaining doubts, you can contact your nearest post office or SBI branch.
Basic Reads For Post Office Agents:
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