​​​Insurance

Articles may be insured at all post offices. Insurance covers all risks in course of transmission by post. The prepayment of all charges on insured articles namely postage, registration and insurance fee is compulsory. Postage stamps affixed to an insured article must be placed apart from ​one another so that they may not serve to conceal injuries to the cover of the letter or parcel.

​Cases in which Insurance is compulsory

Insurance is also compulsory for at least the amount specified for recovery from the addressee in the case of all value payable articles on which the amount specified for recovery exceeds INR 100. (Other than value payable letters containing Railway receipt, bills invoices, documents etc.​ of no intrinsic value and value payable packets containing printed papers, books etc. sent under book packet rates.)

Coin, bullion, platinum, precious stones, jewellery, government currency notes or bank notes and articles of gold or silver may be sent by post only in insured letters, insured parcels.

Packing Size and other conditions

• Every letter tendered for insurance must be enclosed in a strong cover which must be securely fastened and sealed by means of identical seals in fine wax reproducing a private mark and affixed in sufficient number so that it cannot be opened without either breaking the seal or leaving obvious traces of violation.
• No label of any kind should be affixed by the sender to such a cover but cut out labels the maximum size of which is 1-1/2-2x3” (3.8 cb. x 7.6cb.) with frank impressions as postage stamps on the cover of an insured articles may be accepted.
• An envelope with black or coloured border or a transparent panel must not be used.
• The seals must be placed over each flap or seam of the cover and if the cover is tied round with string or tape a seal must be placed on the ends where they are tied.
• As an additional precaution (if the contents admit of it) a thread should be passed through the cover and its contents and tied the knot being placed under the Central seal.
• If a parcel contains gold or silver bullion or coins it must be packed in a strong case of wood or metal with an outer covering of cloth or stout paper.
• All the seals affixed to an insured article must be of the same kind of wax and must bear distinct impressions of the same private device. The device must not be that of a current coin or merely a serried of straight curved, or crossed lines.
  Note: It is recommended that registration envelopes (sold at all post offices) be used for insured letters.
• It should not be so small or so covered with writing or sealing wax on the address side, or otherwise made up in such a manner, as to render it impracticable to affix to the article the prescribed official labels of the Post Office.

Insurance Procedure

• An article intended for insurance must be presented at the window of the Post Office.
• Write clearly in words and figures, the insurance value without erasure or correction, on the top of the address side of the cover.
• The name and address of the sender must also be written on the cover in the lower left-hand corner, or on a separate slip of paper, to be presented with the article should there be no room for his name and address on the cover.
• A receipt will be given to the person who presents an article for insurance at the post office window during the hours prescribed for posting insured articles.
• Any error or mistakes should be pointed out at once by the sender otherwise the Post Office will not be liable for any damages or compensation.
• The sender of the insured article is entitled to obtain free of charge an acknowledgement of its delivery signed by the addressee or his authorized agent. The sender may himself fill up the form of acknowledgement to be signed by the addressee and is recommended to do so.

Responsibility of the Post Office

• Compensation will be payable one month after the date on which intimation of loss is given by the sender to the Post Office, except in cases in which the Head of the Circle may consider that the circumstances demand the withholding of payment pending enquiry.
• In the event of the loss of the postal article, or any of its contents, or for any damage caused to it in course of transmission by post the compensation will be paid to the sender and the compensation in no case exceeds the value of the article or any of its contents lost or the amount of the damage caused.
• In the case of loss, the sender furnishes full particulars of the contents of the postal article and their values.
• No compensation will be payable:
  • Where there has been mis-delivery arising out of incorrectness or incompleteness of the address written by the sender.
  • Where there has been fraud on the part of the sender or addressee.
  • Where the insured article has been delivered to the addressee, and he has signed and returned the receipt therefor.
  • Where the sender has not given intimation of the loss within three months from the date of posting, Where the loss or damage was due to improper or insecure packing.
  • Where there is no visible damage to the cover or seals it being understood that the sender must so pack the letter or parcel that its contents cannot be touched without visible damage as aforesaid being caused.
  • Where the insured article contains Government currency notes, bank notes, gold coin or bullion or any combination of these, and has not been insured for the actual value of the contents.
  • In the case of the loss of halves of currency notes.
  • In the case of damage arising from the nature of the article insured, OR
  • Where the insured article contained anything the transmission of which by post is prohibited.
• If after compensation has been paid for the loss of a postal article or any portion of its contents, the contents or any portion thereof are subsequently recovered, the recovered contents will be dealt with as follows namely
• If the value of the recovered contents added to the amount of compensation paid is not in excess of the amount of loss, the recovered contents will be restored to the sender.
• If the value of the recovered contents added to the amount of compensation paid is in excess of the amount of the loss, the Post Office will be entitled either to restore the recovered contents to the sender on his repaying the amount of such excess or to retain and dispose of so much of the recovered contents as may be held by the Head of the Circle to represent such excess and restore the rest of the recovered contents, if any, to the sender.​​​