1. Henri Pequet was a French pilot who had come to India for an air show. On February 18, 1911, he flew a Humber-Sommer biplane for 13 minutes from Allahabad Airport to Naini, 10 kilometres away. He carried with him 6,500 letters. What was this the first instance of in the world?
2. On April 1, 1774, the Department of Posts (DoP) was founded in India and today it has the largest postal network in the world with 1.55 lakh post offices. The DoP is better known as ‘India Post’. Under which ministry of the Government does it function?
3. In 2008, India Post launched its new logo. It was meant to send the message of India Post as being a dynamic organisation with a modern and professional approach in its service to the common man, business and corporate clients. The new logo aimed at an element of modernity combined with continuity. There is a red envelope in the background and the other element has been retained from the old logo. What is this and what colour is it in?
4. The Postal Index Number (PIN) code helps the DoP zero in on a destination with precision. All the states in India are clumped into eight PIN regions. The ninth PIN code is reserved for the APS. What does APS stand for?
5. The Sub Post Office in Kanpur City postal division, with PIN code 208001, offers all postal services. B.N. Shukla & Sons are Iron and Steel Merchants in Kanpur. What unique distinction in India does Post Office 208001 hold because of the impact of B.N. Shukla in the area?
6. The Dawk was a system of runners who used to serve in the valley of ___ (present day Pakistan). The runners were paid according to the distance travelled and the weight of the letters they carried. While the system worked well, it was inefficient for the British when they took over the region. Sir Bartle Frere on becoming Chief Commissioner introduced the horses and camels and improved the system. He also introduced the first ever adhesive stamps in Asia. They were called ‘Scinde Dawks’, which had a value of 1/2 anna, and were used till June 1866. Of what two Hindi words was ‘Scinde Dawks’ an Anglicised version?
7. The PLI was introduced on February 1, 1884, under the orders of Her Majesty Victoria, Empress of India. It was essentially a welfare scheme for the benefit of Postal employees. It is the oldest one of its kind in India, having been in operation for 133 years as of this year. With an income of more than US$950 million and offering schemes such as Santhosh, Suraksha and Suvidha, what is the PLI?
8. Hikkim is a village in Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh. The region remains cut off from other regions for half the year due to heavy snowfall. The Post Office in Hikkim has the Pin Code 172114. A sign hanging outside says it has a certain world record. If the temporary Post Office that the Chinese have at Everest Base Camp is not technically counted, then what record does PO 172114 hold?
9. Inaugurated in 2011, Post Office 191202 is one of a kind. Found in Srinagar, it even has a distinctive stamp that depicts a man rowing a shikara (Kashmiri boat). The heritage post office houses a philately museum and a souvenir shop as well. Considered a fitting tribute to the beauty of the surroundings, where is PO 191202 found and why is it unique?
10. After India gained independence, the DoP released three stamps on November 21, 1947. Stamp 1 was meant for foreign correspondence and Stamp 2 was meant for domestic use. Stamp 3 had a picture of a Douglas DC-4 aircraft. What was depicted on the first two stamps and what was the third stamp meant for?
Answers
1. Air Mail
2. Ministry of Communication
3. Three wings in yellow
4. Army Postal Service
5. The only Post office named after a person and not an area
6. Sindhi Dak (Sindh is the place, and ‘dak’ means post)
7. Postal Life Insurance
8. The highest Post Office in the world, at a height of 4440 metres (14,567 feet Above Sea Level)
9. Dal Lake. It is a floating Post Office built on a houseboat.
10. The Indian Flag and the Ashoka Capital. The third stamp was meant for air mail.
A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
