About World Post Day

9 October World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in the Swiss capital, Berne. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1969.

AwarenessThe purpose of World Post Day is to create awareness of the role of the postal sector in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries. The celebration encourages member countries to undertake programme activities aimed at generating a broader awareness of their Post’s role and activities among the public and media on a national scale.

New products and servicesEvery year, more than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day in a variety of ways. In certain countries, World Post Day is observed as a working holiday. Many Posts use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services. Some Posts also use World Post Day to reward their employees for good service.

In many countries, philatelic exhibitions are organized and new stamps and date cancellation marks are issued. Other activities include the display of World Post Day posters in post offices and other public places, open days at post offices, mail centers and postal museums, the holding

of conferences, seminars and workshops, as well as cultural, sport and other recreational activities. Many postal administrations issue special souvenirs such as T-shirts and badges.

INDIA POST

Centre’s New Law for Tougher Traffic Rules

Ignoring the red traffic signal at road junctions and not stopping the vehicle shall henceforth attract penalty of Rs. 5000. If the person is violating the rule for the second time, the penalty would be between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000. Repeat offenders will have their driver’s license revoked.

The Government has decided to get aggressive to prevent the increasing number of road accidents. There are plans to enact a new law in the near future.

As part of its efforts to reduce the number of road accidents, the Government is going to bring in a new law that will toughen the penalties for road safety rule violations. The government has posted an outline of the proposed law and is seeking the opinion of the general public in this regard. The proposed law intends to impose stringent punishments and tougher penalties on traffic rule violators.

Here are the details:• When the traffic light has turned red, you cannot speed off anymore just because there are no cops in sight. These violations will be captured on CCTV cameras and fines of Rs. 5000 will be imposed on you.• A penalty of Rs. 10,000 will be imposed on second-time violators of the rule. Third-time violators will have to pay a penalty of Rs. 15,000. Drivers license of the repeat violators will be revoked.• Talking on the mobile phone while driving will attract a penalty of Rs. 4,000.• Driving the vehicle very fast when young children are on board will attract a penalty of Rs. 15,000 and imprisonment.• If a child is killed by a speeding vehicle, the driver will have to pay a penalty of Rs. 3 lakhs and face imprisonment.• Manufacturers selling defective vehicles will have to pay a fine of up to Rs. 5,00,000. If a dealer delivers a vehicle without obtaining the registration number first, he will have to pay a penalty of Rs. 1,00,000.• Drunken driving will attract penalties of between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 50,000. The fine will vary depending on the level of alcohol in the driver’s blood. If the person is extremely drunk, then he/she will be made to pay the maximum fine of Rs. 50,000.• In addition to the fines, road rule violators could also face prison sentences ranging from 6 months to 3 years.• The Centre is planning to constitute a body, like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US, to oversee the strict imposition of traffic rules in India. The newly constituted commission will also look into the issues related to driver’s license.• There are plans to constitute a separate state-level armed force division called the National Highway Transportation Regulation and Safety Force. The department and its officials will ensure that nobody violates the road rules.• A motor vehicle accident fund will be constituted, which will impose mandatory insurance for all two/three/four/heavy vehicle drivers.

According to the data revealed by an official of the Road Transportation Office, more than 1.38 lakh people die each year in road accidents. Of these, more than 63% of the deaths occur on national highways. This is why the Centre is bringing in this new law.

He also added that accidents can be reduced only with the cooperation of the respective state governments.