IT Modernization Project

IT Modernization Project

 

IT Modernization Project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved IT Modernization Project of Department of Posts in November 2012, with a total out lay of Rs 4909 Cr. The key objectives of the project are as under.

 

i)                 Modernization and computerization of all Post Offices in the Country.

ii)               Establishment of IT Infrastructure, Viz., Data Centre, Disaster Recovery Centre and Wide Area Network (WAN) based networking of the Departmental post offices, mail offices and administrative units;

iii)             Development of software applications covering all operations of the Department viz., Counter Operations, Mail Operations, Postal Banking, Insurance, Finance and HR; and

iv)              Deployment of Rural Information Communication Technology (Rural ICT) solution in all the 1, 30,000 rural Branch Post Offices in the country by supplying hardware and providing networking to them.

 

The entire Project is being implemented by the Department through 8 different segments. Details of each segment is furnished below.

Sl No	Name of Segments	Vendor	Segment Details
1	ChangeManagement(CM): Preparing the workforce for the complete change in Departments’ working after implementation of IT Project	TCS	Capacity Building and Training of all employees (both GDS & Departmental employees) in Post offices in IT environment. Training is given in the Work Place Computer Training Centre(WPCTCs) in the respective Divisions. mplementation started on 15-10-2012 (Completed in 2015)
2	Data Centre Facility (DCF): Hosting Primary Data centre and building Disaster Recovery centre for the DoP	Reliance	Data Centre is operational from 3rd April 2013 at Navi Mumbai. DRC has been powered on at Mysore on 15th May, 2015
3	Financial System Integrator (FSI) Implementation started on 28.09.2012.	Infosys	Cash management in Post office ATM and cash loading is done by AGS (vendor). Toll free number is 1800 425 2440 for ATM/ debit card, mobile/ internet/ SMS banking related grievances. General India Post Toll-free Number is: ”1800 266 6868.” ATMs are made interoperable with Banks w.e.f. 30-12-2016, Intra operable Internet Banking w.e.f. 14-12-2018. Mobile Banking w.e.f. 15-10-2019.
4	Core System Integrator (CSI)	TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)	POS, Daily Account, Call Center, Help Desk, HR (Employee portal) & F&A, Mail (DPMS & IPVS),& Logistics, Business Process Management & Workflow, Business Intelligence, Brain of the Postal System which integrates all System integrators (SIs) In short, CSI is connecting (integrating) other System Integrators(SIs) in India Post IT Modernisation Project
5	Rural Hardware (RH)	TCIL (Telecommunications consultant India Ltd.) Further operated by vendor RICOH now taken over by MINOSHA India Pvt Limited	Hardware & Network provision to BOs Rural Hardware includes Hand Held(HH) Device, Smart Card Reader, Solar Panel, Battery with Backup, Thermal Printer, Biometric Reader, SIM Card, Charger for the device. 5% Buffer stock of inventory (devices) will be maintained at Divisional Levels to ensure immediate replacements in case of faults in hardware.
6	Rural System Integrator (RSI)	Infosys	BO software maintenance MGNREGA, POSB, eMO, application for the rural device
7	Network Integrator (NI) Implementation started on 28.09.2012.	Sify	Providing connectivity for each Departmental Post office location to ensure uninterrupted network connectivity through one single Wide Area Network (WAN) and connection to Data Centre. The sequence of Flow of Network is: Exchange>Modem>Router>Switch>PCThe Routers of HP make are used in DoP offices. Juniper Switches are used in DoP offices. Modems of Team Link are used.
8	Mail Operations Hardware (MoH)	DGS&D	Provision of Hardware (computers, UPS, barcode scanners, weighing scales, tag printers, Printers, etc.) to Mail office (RMS) and handheld devices (smartphones) to postman staff in post offices

Current Status:-

1.The Department has moved from standalone local server-based operations to a uniform central server-based operation. The primary Data centre is operational from 03.04.2013 at Navi Mumbai. The Disaster Recovery Centre has been powered on at Mysore on 15.05.2015.

2. The network connectivity through a Wide Area Network (WAN) has been established at 26,708 Departmental locations as on 31.12.2021, thus enabling these offices to serve the public through centralized applications that exchange data with the central Data Centre.

3. As on 31.12.2021, a total of 25,046 Post Offices are providing Core Banking Services

(CBS) to the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) customers. 1000 ATMs have been installed, with at least one in each District Headquarters. These ATMs are inter-operable with other banks. Internet banking services, (e-banking) have been made available for POSB customers from 14.12.2018. Through the e-banking facility, POSB account holders can make deposits into Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) and the Post Office Public Provident Fund (PPF) accounts online from their POSB savings account. The POSB customers have also been provided with the facility of Mobile Banking from 15.10.2019.

4. Postal life insurance (PLI) services are being provided through Core Insurance Solution(CIS) which has been rolled out in 25,581 Post offices as on 31.12.2021.

5. The Core System Integrator (CSI) segment has implemented the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. Through CSI, the Department has digitalized all the postal, mails and counter operations of the offices on a single, central server-based platform. Further, it has also digitalized the finance & accounts

and human resource management functions of the Department on the online, SAP based platform. 505 Postal & RMS Divisions (out of total 511 Divisions) + 12 independent Head Post offices/GPOs have been rolled out in CSI as on 31.12.2021.

6. As part of the Digital Advancement of Rural Post Offices for a new India (DARPAN) silo, solar-powered, micro ATM compliant, SIM-based hand-held devices have been supplied to the Branch Post Offices. These devices have been supplied to 1,29,380 branch post offices and the client applications of the various products and services under the Rural System Integrator(RSI) have been rolled out in

1,29,380 Branch Post Offices as on 31.12.2021.

7. As part of the Project, all the Departmental Post Offices have been computerized.

8. The Department has supplied computers, hardware and peripherals to Mail Offices and smart-phones to Postmen staff under Mail Operation Hardware Project.

9. The need for hand-holding of the employees including Gramin Dak Sewaks (GDS) to adapt to the massive change in the working of the Department was felt. Under the ‘Change Management’ segment of this Project various trainings, workshops to prepare all the employees of the Department including GDS to enable them to function effectively in IT environment were conducted. The Project has been completed.

Core Banking Solution:-The Core Banking Solution (CBS) is part of India Post IT, Modernization Project and aims to bring in various IT solutions with required IT infrastructure in post offices. Department is implementing Core Banking in all Departmental Post Offices. Core Bankingthrough Hand-Held Devices are provided in the Rural Post Offices. 25018 Post Offices are working in CBS Platform as on 31.12.2021

ATM:- The first ATM service of the Department was inaugurated at Thyagaraya Nagar Head Post Office in Chennai on 25.02.2014. 1000 ATMs are functioning all over the country. These ATMs became interoperable with banks from 31.12.2016.

E-Banking:- The Department has provided Internet Banking facility to its customers from 14.12.2018 and the same has been extended to the Branch Post Office Savings Account Holders and at present more than 3.74 lakh customers are using this facility.

Mobile Banking:- Customers of Department of Posts are also offered with Mobile Banking facility from 15.10.2019 & the same has been extended to the Branch Post Office Savings Account Holders. At present more than 2.34 lakh customers are using this facility.

Implementation of I.V.R facility:- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) facility has been introduced for POSB customers through which, the customers can avail the facilities like Account Balance Inquiry, Blocking of ATM Card, Transaction related inquiry in POSB Schemes etc. may be obtained by calling through the registered mobile number at India Post toll-free number 18002666868.

Extension of ATM/Internet Banking:- The Account holder(s) of Post Office Savings Accounts standing in RICT-CBS branch post offices may avail ATM, e-Banking & m-Banking facilities from 01.08.2021

Beyond March 2022 the Department proposes to take forward the IT Infrastructure maintenance, upgradation and technology refresh through the DOP IT Modernization 2.0 Project.