Unit 6 Solutions: Postal & Electronic Communication

Answers to the Unit 6 exercises. Each answer is as long as its marks call for: a sentence or two for 1 mark, four explained points for 4 marks, and an introduction, explained points and a conclusion for 8 marks.

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?

The General Post Office was established in Kathmandu in 1935 B.S. (1878 A.D.), and the first Nepali postage stamps were issued in 1938 B.S. (1881 A.D.).

2. On what date did Nepal become a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)?

Nepal became a full member of the Universal Postal Union on 11 October 1956 A.D.

3. Why are enclosures not allowed inside an Aerogramme?

An aerogramme is a light, pre-stamped sheet that folds into its own envelope and is sold at a fixed low airmail rate for the message written on it, so photos, extra paper or cheques would add weight and contents it has not paid for; if anything is enclosed, double postage is charged.

4. Why is a Book Post envelope left unsealed?

A Book Post envelope is left unsealed (closed only with a flap or string) so that postal staff can inspect it and make sure no personal letter is hidden inside, because book post is charged at a concessional rate lower than that of sealed letters.

5. Write the full form of EMS and ICT.

EMS: Express Mail Service. ICT: Information and Communication Technology.

B. Short Answer Questions (4 Marks Each)

1. Explain the importance of postal service to the government, business firms, and individuals.

The postal service is the oldest, most widespread and most affordable government network for carrying letters, parcels and money orders. Its importance to each group is:

1. For the government: The post office carries government acts, official gazettes, circulars, election materials and official letters from the federal ministries in Kathmandu to provincial, district and rural local offices. In this way, government orders reach every level of administration. The sale of postage stamps also earns non-tax revenue for the government.
2. For business firms: Traders use the post to send commercial inquiries, quotations, invoices, product samples, book posts and parcels to customers in remote markets where other services may not reach. Registered post gives them proof of posting for important documents, and money orders let them send or receive small remittances.
3. For individuals: The post is an affordable medium for citizens in every corner of the country. Through it, people receive citizenship documents, passports, university transcripts, appointment letters and personal parcels at low cost, and can send letters to relatives at home and abroad.

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.

Electronic communication service is the instant transfer of text, audio, images, video and accounting files across the world through digital networks such as the internet, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It has changed the way modern offices work because messages that once took days by post now arrive in seconds.

Role in a modern office:

1. Email (Electronic Mail): Email sends digital messages over the internet to one or many recipients at the same time, almost instantly and at virtually no extra cost. Offices attach PDF invoices, spreadsheets and scanned documents to emails, and the sent and received mails remain as a record that can be searched later.
2. Internet websites: Through the World Wide Web, an office publishes official notices, annual reports, e-bidding tenders and online customer portals on its own website, as the Curriculum Development Centre and the Inland Revenue Department do. The public can read notices, download forms and use services at any time without visiting the office.
3. Video conferencing: Tools such as Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams let executives, branch managers and clients in different districts or countries hold face-to-face meetings online, share their screens and take decisions without travel expenses or delay.

Together, these tools give an office speed, economy and global reach. Other electronic means used in offices are social media and fax.

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.

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. In Nepal, it grew from royal foot runners into a national network linked with the whole world.

Historical development of postal service in Nepal:

1. Ancient and medieval era: Royal messengers and foot runners carried official state decrees across hill trails. There was no postal service for the general public.
2. General Post Office, 1935 B.S. (1878 A.D.): The General Post Office (Central Post Office) was established in Kathmandu during the reign of King Surendra, when Ranodip Singh was Prime Minister. Postal service was opened to the public for the first time, and 43 post offices were set up across Nepal within three years.
3. First postage stamps, 1938 B.S. (1881 A.D.): The first Nepali postage stamps of small denominations were introduced, replacing cash payment for postage.
4. Expansion after democracy, 2007 B.S. (1951 A.D.): When democracy arrived, 124 post offices were operating. Under the Five-Year Development Plans, the network grew to nearly 4,000 post offices, made up of the General Post Office and Regional, District, Area and Additional Post Offices.
5. Membership of the UPU, 11 October 1956: Nepal became a full member of the Universal Postal Union, which connected its domestic postal network directly with international mail routes.
6. International agreements, 2031 and 2039 B.S.: Nepal signed the UPU Parcel Post Agreement in 2031 B.S. (1974 A.D.), which made international parcel delivery possible, and joined the Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU) in 2039 B.S. (1982 A.D.).
7. Modern services, 2049 B.S. (1992 A.D.) to 2061 B.S. (2004 A.D.): In this period the National Communication Policy, 1992 was adopted, services such as Express Mail Service (EMS), the Postal Saving Bank, money orders and tele-centres were developed, and the Postal Payment Service Agreement (2004) was signed.

Methods of sending letters and parcels through the post office:

1. Ordinary letter: Used for routine, non-confidential personal or official messages. It needs only the minimum postage stamp and is dropped into the letterbox; no receipt is issued, and the post office is not liable if it is lost.
2. Registered letter: Used for urgent, confidential or legally important documents such as cheques, bank drafts, legal notices, land deeds and appointment letters. The sender pays an extra registration charge, the envelope is stamped “Registered Post”, a receipt is issued, and the letter is delivered against 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 postage stamp already printed on one side. Since it has no envelope and anyone can read it, it suits only short, non-confidential messages.
4. Aerogramme: A light, pre-stamped sheet for airmail that is folded and gummed on three sides to form its own envelope. Nothing may be enclosed in it; an enclosure attracts double postage.
5. Book post: Used for printed books, magazines, newspapers, examination forms and invitation cards at a concessional rate lower than that of sealed letters. The cover is marked “Book Post” and left unsealed so that postal staff can check that no personal letter is hidden inside.
6. Parcel post: Used for goods, gifts, product samples and heavy packets within Nepal or abroad. Parcels are packed securely in cloth or cardboard boxes, sealed, and charged according to weight and distance.

Besides these six traditional methods, Nepal Post runs the Express Mail Service (EMS), a fast courier service with tracking numbers and time-bound delivery that carries urgent documents and goods to major cities in Nepal and over 40 foreign countries.

Conclusion: Nepal’s postal service has grown from royal foot runners into a network of nearly 4,000 post offices linked to the world through the UPU. By choosing the right method for each item (ordinary or registered letter, post card, aerogramme, book post, parcel post or EMS), an office can send it at the lowest cost and with the safety and speed it needs.