What is Postal Code and Pin Code?

When you write a letter and seal it with an envelope, you are expressing your thoughts to the person who is receiving it. And to ensure that it reaches the correct person, it has to go through designated postal codes. But what is this magical combination of letters and digits that ensures your confession papers reach the right hands? Read on to find out about the What, When, Where and Why of Postal Code and Pin Code.

Postal codes (also known as postal index numbers, or PIN codes) are a series of digits that help sort and identify addresses in a country. They are used to determine the correct delivery point for mails, parcels and couriers.

This coding system is used by various nations around the world to simplify and speed up their mailing process. Whether a package is traveling within the state, across the country, or to another continent, the postal code will help it reach its destination faster and more reliably.

In most English-speaking nations, the postal code is written at the end of an address, immediately after the name of the city or town. However, in some continental European countries it is listed before the city name, and in a few others, such as Belarus and Japan, it may be written at the beginning of an address.

The PIN Code, which was introduced in India on 15 August 1972, is a six-digit number that helps segregate mails according to location. The first digit indicates the region, the second identifies the sub-region, and the remaining digits indicate the specific postal office. The system was developed by the Sanskrit expert Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, who was a senior member of the Posts and Telegraph Boards and an additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications.