UNIT 6: POSTAL AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION SERVICES

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, students will be able to:

• Define communication and explain the methods of communication management in an office.
• Trace the historical development of Postal Services in Nepal (from the General Post Office in 1878 A.D. to Universal Postal Union membership and modern e-Post / EMS).
• Explain the importance of postal services to the government, business organizations, and individuals.
• Describe the six traditional methods of sending mail through the post office and differentiate between Ordinary Letter and Registered Letter.
• Explain the meaning, tools, and importance of Information Technology (IT) and Electronic Communication Services (Email, Internet, Website, Multimedia, Social Media, Video Conferencing, and Fax) in modern offices.

6.1 Concept and Importance of Communication in an Office

Communication is the process of exchanging facts, ideas, orders, reports, and emotions between two or more persons or organizations to create mutual understanding. In an office, communication may be Internal (upward, downward, and horizontal communication among staff and departments) or External (with customers, suppliers, banks, and government bodies), and is transmitted through Oral, Written, or Electronic/Visual channels.

6.2 Postal Services and Historical Development in Nepal

Postal Service is the oldest, most widespread, and most affordable government-operated network for collecting, sorting, transporting, and delivering letters, postcards, printed books, parcels, and money orders across the country and around the world.

Timeline of Postal Service Development in Nepal

6.3 Importance of Postal Service

1. For the Government: Circulates government acts, official gazettes, circulars, election materials, and official letters from federal ministries in Kathmandu to provincial, district, and rural local offices, while generating non-tax revenue through stamp sales.
2. For Business Organizations: Carries commercial inquiries, quotations, invoices, product samples, book posts, and parcels between traders and customers across remote markets, and facilitates small remittances via Money Orders.
3. For Individuals: Provides an affordable, accessible medium for citizens in every corner of the country to receive citizenship documents, passports, university transcripts, appointment letters, and personal parcels.

6.4 Methods of Sending Letters and Articles Through Post

Nepal Post offers six traditional methods for dispatching written messages and packages (1–6 below), plus the modern Express Mail Service (7):

1. Ordinary Letter: Used for routine, non-confidential personal or official messages. Requires only the minimum standard postage stamp; the post office does not issue a receipt or bear legal liability if lost in transit.
2. Registered Letter: Used for urgent, confidential, or legally important documents (cheques, bank drafts, legal notices, land deeds, appointment letters). The sender pays an additional registration charge over the normal postage, the envelope is stamped “Registered Post”, and the post office issues an official Receipt and records delivery upon the addressee’s signature (with an optional Acknowledgment Due / A.D. card returned to the sender).
3. Post Card: The cheapest open card issued by the post office with a pre-printed postage stamp on one side. Because it is not enclosed in an envelope, anyone can read the message—making it suitable only for brief, non-confidential messages.
4. Aerogramme: A lightweight, pre-stamped foldable sheet of paper sold by the post office for sending airmail messages. Once folded and gummed on three sides, it forms its own envelope. No enclosures (extra paper, photos, or cheques) are permitted inside an aerogramme; if anything is enclosed, double postage is penalized.
5. Book Post: Used for mailing printed books, magazines, journals, newspapers, examination forms, and wedding/invitation cards at a concessional postage rate lower than sealed letters. The envelope or wrapper must be left unsealed (closed only with a flap or string) so postal staff can inspect that no personal correspondence is hidden inside, and must be marked “Book Post” on the cover.
6. Parcel Post: Used for sending merchandise, gifts, product samples, and heavy packets across domestic or international routes. Parcels are packed securely in cloth or cardboard boxes, sealed, and charged according to weight and destination distance.
7. Express Mail Service (EMS): A modern high-speed courier service operated by Nepal Post that delivers urgent documents and merchandise to major cities in Nepal and over 40 foreign countries with tracking numbers and time-bound delivery guarantees.

Comparison Between Ordinary Letter and Registered Letter

6.5 Electronic Communication Services and Information Technology (IT)

In the 21st century, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized office operations. Electronic communication transfers text, audio, images, video, and accounting files instantaneously across the globe via digital networks.

Major Means of Electronic Communication in Modern Offices

1. Electronic Mail (E-mail): Instant digital mail transmitted over the internet to one or many recipients simultaneously, supporting attachments such as PDF invoices, spreadsheets, and scanned documents at virtually zero marginal cost.
2. Internet and Organizational Websites: A global network of interconnected computers (World Wide Web) through which offices publish official notices, annual reports, e-bidding tenders, and online customer portals (e.g., www.moecdc.gov.np, www.ird.gov.np).
3. Teleconferencing and Video Conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams): Enables executives, branch managers, and clients across different districts or countries to hold face-to-face virtual meetings, share screens, and make decisions without travel expenses.
4. Online Media, Multimedia, and Social Networking: Digital platforms used by modern organizations for public notices, customer service, digital marketing, and stakeholder engagement—requiring strict adherence to Nepal’s Electronic Transactions Act, 2063 B.S. to prevent cybercrime and data misuse.
5. Facsimile (Fax): A telecommunication device connected to a telephone line that optically scans a printed document (including signatures and stamps) and transmits an exact facsimile copy to a receiving fax machine within seconds.

Things to Remember (Unit 6 Summary)

• Formal postal service in Nepal began with the General Post Office in 1935 B.S. (1878 A.D.), first postage stamps were issued in 1938 B.S. (1881 A.D.), and Nepal joined the Universal Postal Union (UPU) on 11 October 1956.
• The six postal mail methods are Ordinary Letter, Registered Letter, Post Card, Aerogramme, Book Post, and Parcel Post (plus modern EMS).
• Modern offices combine traditional postal dispatch with IT communication tools (Email, Websites, Video Conferencing, Digital Portals) for speed, economy, and global reach.

Exercises (Unit 6)

A. Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark Each)

1. When was the General Post Office established in Nepal, and when were the first postage stamps issued?
2. On what date did Nepal become a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)?
3. Why are enclosures not allowed inside an Aerogramme?
4. Why is a Book Post envelope left unsealed?
5. Write the full form of EMS and ICT.

B. Short Answer Questions (4 Marks Each)

1. Explain the importance of postal service to the government, business firms, and individuals.
2. State five differences between an Ordinary Letter and a Registered Letter.
3. What is electronic communication service? Explain the role of Email, Internet Websites, and Video Conferencing in a modern office.

C. Long Analytical Questions (8 Marks Each)

1. Trace the historical development of postal service in Nepal and explain the different methods of sending letters and parcels through the post office.

Worked answers to these exercises are in Unit 6 Solutions.