India Post Introduces “Gyan Post” service for Educational Materials

The Ministry of Communications (Department of Posts) has issued a notification, G.S.R. 263(E), dated April 28, 2025, introducing the “Gyan Post” service through an amendment to the Post Office Regulations, 2024. Effective May 1, 2025, Gyan Post will facilitate the transmission of books and packets containing books related to academic syllabi of recognized educational bodies, literature of social, cultural, and religious nature, and textbooks for competitive examinations. These items must adhere to specific conditions, including bearing the inscription “Gyan Post” on the outside, not containing regular publications or commercial advertisements (except incidental announcements and book lists), and including the printer or publisher’s name. Business or commercial books and items with non-printed or non-manuscript inscriptions (excluding sender/recipient details, dates, and complimentary remarks) are not eligible. Price lists, bills, or supply orders are also prohibited, although an invoice or bill for the enclosed publication is permitted.

Post Office (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2025

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
(DEPARTMENT OF POSTS)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 28^th April, 2025.

G.S.R. 263(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by section 13 of the Post Office Act, 2023 (43 of 2023), the Director General, with the prior approval of the Central Government, hereby makes the following regulations to further amend the Post Office Regulations, 2024, namely:-

1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These regulations may be called the Post Office (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2025.

(2) They shall come into force from 1^st May 2025.

2. In the Post Office Regulations, 2024,-

(i)  after regulation 92, the following regulation shall be inserted, namely:-

“92 A. GYAN POST.- (1) A book or packet containing the books related with the following, may be transmitted as a “Gyan Post” item, subject to the conditions mentioned in sub regulations (2):

(a) prescribed in syllabus for correspondence and regular courses for students by:

(i) recognized boards of education, universities of the Government;

(ii) autonomous bodies an d statutory bodies under the Government

(b) containing the literature related with social, cultural and religious nature issued or published in accordance with relevant law of the land;

(c)  text book used by aspirants of various competitive examinations

Explanation.- (1) “Book” includes every volume, part or division of a volume, in any language and every sheet of music, map, chart or plan separately printed and consists wholly or substantially of reading matter, paintings, photographs, diagrams or any other similar matter, with or without blank spaces, for notations by students.

(2)  Government means Central Government, State Government or Government of the Union Territories.

(2) A Book or packet containing the books shall be transmitted under the “Gyan Post” subject to the following:

(a) They shall not contain any publication, published at regular intervals;

Illustration- Magazines, journal or similar publication issued at a regular interval of time – weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, half yearly and so- on.

(b) Such packet containing the books shall bear on the outside the inscription “Gyan Post”;

(c) Books shall not contain any advertisements other than incidental announcements or list of books;

(d) Each book in such packet shall contain the name of the printer or publisher;

(e) No book of business or commercial in nature, shall be sent through this product;

(f) No book in such packet shall bear any character or inscription reproduced by any means other than printing or manuscription:

Provided that any such publication may contain in writing the name of the person to whom it is sent or presented, the date, the name and address of the sender or owner or initials of a complimentary nature or signifying presentation.

(g) No publication in such packet shall contain any price list or bills or orders for supply of the books:

Provided that the packet may contain an invoice or a bill or both pertaining to publication being sent in that packet.

(3) The items booked under “Gyan Post” shall be transmitted as trackable item. No item under Gyan Post category shall be transmitted as untracked or ordinary item.

(4) The item posted as Gyan Post shall be address specific.

(5) The packets booked under this category, shall be transmitted through surface mode.

(6) The value-added service of registration, proof of delivery and insurance, may be availed by the sender on payment of applicable fees or charges.

(7) The said item must have a delivery address and the sender’s return address and are subject to inspection by the post office officers and officials.

(8) Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the processing under the Gyan Post product or in case of infringement of the conditions mentioned in (a) to (g) above, the packet sent under this product, shall be treated as an item posted through India Post Parcel – Retail product and charged on delivery with double the deficiency between the postage already paid for such packet and the postage payable for an India Post Parcel – Retail product item.

(9) The minimum weight for booking packet under “Gyan Post” shall be three hundred gms. and the maximum weight for which packet under this product may be booked, shall be five kg.

(10) The operational conditions for posting, booking, transmission and delivery of items under Gyan Post, shall be, as specified by administrative instructions from time to time

(11) The rates of postage chargeable on items, posted under “Gyan Post” shall be as mentioned in Table X of Schedule I.”;

(ii)  in the SCHEDULE I, below the heading “POSTAGE AND FEE FOR DOMESTIC ITEMS”, after the figures 92(3), the following figures and letter shall be inserted, namely:-

“92A.”;

(iii) in the SCHEDULE I, after Table IX, the following Table shall be inserted, namely:-

Table

[F. No. 27-06/2024-PO]

VIVEK KUMAR DAKSH, Deputy Director General.

Note: The principal regulations were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, vide number S.O. 5440(E), dated 16^th December, 2024 and amended vide Gazette of India, Extraordinary, vide number S.O. 1523(E), dated 28^th March, 2025.